On Sunday, May 5th, Sant’Egidio celebrated its anniversary with a festive celebration in a full Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp.
The celebration was presided over by the Iraqi Cardinal Louis Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldese Church, in concelebration with the bishops Johan Bonny and Jean-Pierre Delville and numerous priests.
Read the homily of Cardinal Sako here (in French).
Other Christian churches were also well represented: Metropolitan Athenagoras of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and Archbishop Simon of the Russian Orthodox Church gave the final blessing.
The celebration was concluded with a few short speeches by President of Sant’Egidio Belgium Hilde Kieboom, Municipal councillor of Social Affairs Tom Meeuws and Deputy Prime Minister Kris Peeters.
Subsequently, a reception was held in Sant’Egidio's house with volunteers, elderly, young people, children, people with a disability and newcomers.
