Many of you probably received this letter from the Italian Missionary Association. I have deleted some sections which did not pertain to the Catania Mission since the reunion was held for all Italy Mission RMs.


Report on the 1995 Italian Mission Reunion

The 1995 reunion was held on Friday, March 31. Many requested that we change from our usual Thursday meeting to a Friday so they could attend both the reunion and the Saturday and Sunday sessions of General Conference. In 1996 the meeting will be held on Friday, April 5.

Presiding at the meeting was President Frank Lombardo. Also in attendance were former Mission Presidents Call, Favero, Watkins, Williams, Radman, and Turner. We were also privileged to have Sister Coletti in attendance.

Opening Hymn: Genti guardate
Invocation: Kent McKay, Catania Mission

President Lombardo welcomed President Hans B. Ringger of the Seventy, a member of the Area Presidency serving Italy and the first native Swiss to become a General Authority. Because of another engagement Pres. Ringger asked to speak first. He said he feels at home with the Italian people, whom he loves very much. At age seventeen he was permitted to tour northern Italy. Later, as an Elder's Quorum President in Zurich he was told that Italy was under his jurisdiction. There was one member in Italy, Brother Vincenzo di Francesca, and President Ringger invited him to attend the dedication of the Swiss temple.

[Stuff about northern Italy deleted.] He also mentioned that Malta is growing and now has two branches and eight missionaries.

Elder Ringger stated that the European Mediterranean area has seen a slight decrease in sacrament meeting attendance except for Italy, which has maintained its attendance and has shown a twenty-five percent increase in baptisms in 1994 and so far has about a twenty-five percent increase for 1995.

He said he met a young Elder coming out of the MTC who had been called to Italy. The young Elder said he was happy to be going to Italy but realized he would not experience much in the way of baptisms. President Ringger said we must dispel the idea that one cannot baptize in Italy. It simply is not true. He looks forward to much more growth. Italy has good leaders and has the highest activity among the youth in Europe. The scouting organization is functioning and 350 young Italian scouts attended a European Scout Camp.

Like Joshua of old, each of us has a Jordan to cross. The leaders and missionaries in Italy recognize this, and they also know that the Lord will sustain them just as he sustained Joshua. The goal is to have Italy provide her own missionaries so that the American missionaries can be sent elsewhere.

He felt is was a great privilege to have an Italian (President Vaira) serving as president of the Swiss Temple, and one of his counselors is President Gillespie, who served as mission president in Rome. Italy is well represented at the temple.

President Ringger then bore his testimony that he has never doubted that Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son. He testified to the divinity of the work and once more thanked all who have served in Italy.

President Lombardo read a letter from President Vaira stating that his heart was with us and that perhaps he would be able to attend our reunion in 1997. He expressed his love for all those who worked with him in bringing him into the Church and for all the missionaries who served with him in Catania.

It was announced that President Conforte (Catania and Padova Missions) has been asked to organize an Italian missionary reunion for all who have served from Italy. Those who have served missions in their own country now number about 250. President Conforte has accepted the challenge and we will try to announce when the reunion will be held in case any of you wish to attend.

Brother Pacini gave a financial report on the organizational funds and reported that $500 had been sent to President Conforte to help get the missionary reunion organized in Italy. $500 was also sent to the four Italian missions in 1994. It is the desire of the Italian Missionary Association that we build up our account to a point where we can use the interest to subsidize missionaries from Italy who cannot support themselves. Anyone desiring to contribute to the fund can do so by sending a check to the Italian Missionary Association (316 East 650 North - Bountiful, Utah 84010).

[Stuff about new mission presidents for Milano and Padova deleted.]

The general session was brought to a close by singing Un fermo sostegno, and the benediction was offered by Leonard Fabbiano of the Rome Mission. The missionaries then separated into their several groups to meet with their mission presidents.