The celebration of Mass was the centrepiece of the day: an intense, simple and profoundly authentic moment, in which the Word of God found a place amidst fragile yet open-hearted stories. In that very particular setting, the Easter message took on an even more concrete meaning: the Risen Christ comes to seek out each person, without barriers, without distance, right where life seems most still.
Alongside the liturgy, the afternoon continued with a time of evangelisation lived in the Salesian style, characterised by closeness, listening and sharing. The young people were able to create a family atmosphere, where even the simplest gestures became an opportunity for authentic relationship.
Particularly significant was the moment of ‘breaking’ the Easter egg, experienced as a sign of celebration and communion. Around that gesture, an atmosphere of fraternity spontaneously developed, involving not only the young detainees but also the prison officers present, transcending roles and distances in a shared experience of humanity.
There was no shortage of games, smiles and light-hearted moments, which made the afternoon even more lively and engaging. In a place marked by hardship, the possibility of feeling like a community emerged, even if only for a few hours.
“It is precisely in experiences such as this that we recognise the heart of the Salesian mission: to be there, with discretion and fidelity, alongside young people, especially the most vulnerable, offering them not only words, but presence, relationship and concrete hope,” commented Fr Zof.
He concluded, finally: “Even within prison, Easter can blossom.”
