Supporters of LITTLE EDEN Society, a Home for children and adults with profound intellectual disability, gathered at St Augustine College, Johannesburg, on Monday 1 May 2017 as His Eminence Wilfrid Cardinal Napier OFM presented the inaugural Danny and Domitilla Hyams memorial lecture. The day commenced with Holy Mass celebrated by the Cardinal. Amongst the guests were 12 delegates from Associazione Domitilla Rota Hyams from Bergamo, where the founder of LITTLE EDEN Society, Domitilla Rota Hyams, was born. They presented a life-size copy of La Madonna della Cornabusa (Our Lady of Cornabusa) statue to LITTLE EDEN Society, which Domitilla Rota Hyams venerated since her childhood. The original statue is displayed in the Cornabusa Sanctuary in Sant’Omobono Imagna (Bergamo), where in 2014 Cardinal Napier become the second Cardinal to celebrate Holy Mass in the Sanctuary. The replica statue has been permanently placed at LITTLE EDEN Elvira Rota Village, Bapsfontein, on Sunday 7 May 2017 during a small ceremony in which Father Gianluca Salvi also presented a relics of Saint Pope John XXIII as a gift from the Bishop of Bergamo, Francesco Beschi.

 

Italian delegates from ADRH visited LITTLE EDEN Society. From left: Father Gianluca Salvi (Pilgrimage Diocesan Director), Father Giulivo Facchinetti (Parish of Almenno San Bartolomeo), Rocco Todeschini (secretary of Associazione DRHO), Giuliano Rota Martir (President of Associazione DRHO), Gianbattista Brioschi (Mayor of AImenno San Bartolomeo), Mattia Rota Martir, Isolina Rota, Daniela Salvetti, Ernesto Riva, Luciano Rovelli, Gian Diego Bugada, Laura Bugada.

 

Holy Mass was concelebrated by Father Giulivo Facchinetti (first from left), Father Gianluca Salvi, Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, Archbishop Daniel Francis and Bishop Graham Rose.

 

Presentation of the life-size copy of the “Madonna della Cornabusa” (Our Lady of Cornabusa) statue to LITTLE EDEN Society from Associazione Domitilla Rota Hyams. From left: Giuliano Rota Martir (President of Associazione DRHO), Gianbattista Brioschi (Mayor of Almenno San Bartolomeo) and Mattia Rota Martir.

 

 

 

 

 

From left: Lucy Slaviero (CEO of LITTLE EDEN Society), Giuliano Rota Martir (President of Associazione DRHO) and delegates.