“A church born from a revival” whispered the old woman beside me. She was pointing towards the Chiesa Cristiana Evangelica A.D.I.. Her eyes gleamed with a curious light. It was almost as if she knew I was about to embark on a journey through its history. This church she explained is a direct descendant of the American Pentecostal Revival of 1906. The energy of that movement crossed the Atlantic. It reached a group of Italian Evangelicals in Chicago in 1907. A man named Giacomo Lombardi then carried this fiery spirit back to Italy. He established the first Italian Assemblies of God communities in Rome, Genoa and Gissi in the early 1900s. The Chiesa Cristiana Evangelica A.D.I. wasn’t officially established until 1947. This was after a period of intense persecution under the fascist regime. The “Buffarini Guidi” circular of 1935 outlawed Pentecostal worship. This forced the faithful underground. But this only strengthened their resolve. They emerged after World War II stronger than ever. Their perseverance paved the way for the church’s official recognition in 1959. Today the Chiesa Cristiana Evangelica A.D.I. stands as a testament to their enduring faith. It serves as a beacon of hope for a community bound by its shared history and unwavering belief in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Nuovo Cimitero di Cologno Monzese
“A timeless sanctuary,” the old woman whispered, her gaze fixed on the rows of marble within Nuovo Cimitero di Cologno