After its success in Brescia, Naples, Udine, Lodi, Novara and Palermo, the project to donate books to prisoners for Christmas is also being carried out this year by our FSP book center in Messina. The Caritas Foundation of the Archdiocese of Messina, the D’arteventi Association and the Chaplains of the Messina and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto prisons are all collaborating with this initiative. It is a way for people to express their fraternal closeness to prisoners during this time of the year by offering them the opportunity to read some good books and mentally “escape” their confines, especially during the ongoing pandemic–a time in which even visits from family members are more difficult.
“A book can help you find your way back. A book can change your life,” reads a reminder from the Messina diocese to the faithful. How can a person participate in this project? It’s very simple: just go into an FSP book center participating in this initiative, buy an extra book in addition to your own purchases, and leave it in the collection basket provided for this purpose. (Don’t forget to write a message on the flyleaf!). Caritas representatives and prison chaplains will pass by to pick up the donated books and give them to the inmates. The initiative will last throughout the Advent-Christmas season.