Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Family, officiated at the ceremony for the blessing the new portal of the Basilica of San Giuseppe al Triumphal in Rome, on Sunday, May 26, Feast of the Holy Trinity, one of the celebrations for the Centenary of the Pious Union of St. Joseph’s Transit of the Opera Don Guanella, in this Year of Faith. The portal of the Basilica has been enhanced with ten bronze panels, executed by the Venetian Benedetto Pietrogrande, dedicated to the life of Don Luigi Guanella and to St. Joseph, to the Church Fathers St. Ambrose and St. Charles, to Pope St. Pius X ̶  whom Don Guanella was bound by affection, respect and collaboration with ̶, and to the venerable Aurelio Bacciarini, first pastor of the Basilica of San Giuseppe al Trionfale. Four panels represent moments in the life of Jesus’ foster father: the dream, the flight into Egypt, the Holy Family at work, and the Transit.
 
 
«This portal is beautiful, impressive and refined: it indicates that we must go forward in faith, go into God’s house, enter into God», Cardinal Antonelli said in the homily of the Mass. «God is one but not solitary. There is a mysterious union between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is love and therefore, communion and communication. And we accomplish God‘s plan to the extent that we realize communion among us and with God».Then, the president emeritus of our Council spoke about the family: «How important is it today that there are Christian families who make this unity shine forth! Even if they are a minority, they are fires that warm; they are the living Gospel». Evoking the Milan World Meeting of Families (May 30th to June 3rd, 2012), Cardinal Antonelli recalled that at that time he wanted to have an icon of the Holy Family made. This icon, executed P. Marko Rupnik, is now exposed in the offices of the Dicastery (there is a description of it on our website in the section “Culture”/“Family and Art”). Here, Mary has her eyes turned toward us; Jesus in his mother‘s arms, standing on her hands; and Joseph is looking upward, to «take inspiration for a full and authentic paternity, in the image of the Perfect Father. I’m pleased to see the Holy Family like this, united and open to others, just as an authentic Christian family should be», the Cardinal concluded.
 
The renovation of the portal, «is the fulfillment of a dream nurtured for many years by our Holy Founder, Don Luigi Guanella», Father Mario Carrera, the Director of the Pious Union of the Transit of St. Joseph and the postulator of the cause of canonization of Don Guanella, said.