Opening Ceremonies of the new 2017/18 academic year took place on Friday and Saturday, September 22-23, under the SEVEN pillars.
Seven, like the first year Theology students (see photo from left to right: Cesare Zausa, Richard Botrel, Davide Orsanigo, Cristina Benvissuto, Selene Avila, Bismark Dwura, Costinel Toma). Seven as the seven churches, also the seven beatitudes of John's Revelation. Seven as the totality of the people of God and his servants (seven as the first deacons/servants of the early church). Seven different life stories, united by the only desire to "learn to serve".
In addition to these freshmen, there was another large group of vocations (for a total of 30 students from 1st to 5th year), which leaves hope for the future of the Adventist endeavour in Italy.
In addition to the Theology students, we had the joy of welcoming, as well as anticipate the great responsibility of educating and training, in commitment to Christian values, another 25 students to the Department of Italian Language, Culture and Art (see photo) from different Adventist universities of the North American Division, through the Adventist Colleges Abroad study program.
We have begun registration to the new 1st level Master in Fundraising, Communication, and Management for ecclesial departments and religious organizations (see master.religiousfundraising.it), offered by our Institute in partnership with the Network Romboli Associati, whose official presentation will be held in Rome on September 27, 2017, at the Magna Hall of the Valdesian Faculty of Theology, on the occasion of the 4th edition of Religious Fundraising.
The guest speaker who led the inspiration of the entire opening week at Villa Aurora was Pastor and Doctor Gabriel Monet, current Dean of the Theological Adventist Department of Collonges-sous-Salève (France). The theme of reflection and spiritual deepening that we will experience throughout the year is "From Me to Us ...", namely the desire to stem the evil hyper-valorization of self, the individual, in egoland, and to seek the awareness and beauty of being a community, and especially a united community, even in the complexity of human relations. The privileged way to meet God is not through the ego but through us, in the face of another who challenges us.
"God comes with the idea that, to trace Him, He shows Himself in the face of others. The face of another challenges us and makes us face, in an ethical sense, the window or the idea of God. This implies that it is impossible to know God except through another face, regardless of the relationship with man. Other people are neither a mediation nor an incarnation of God, but rather the place of metaphysical truth necessary for the personal relationship with the divine" (Edoardo Scognamiglio, in the wake of the philosophical categories of Emmanuel Lévinas).
To get more information about Villa Aurora, go here.
