A proposal from the missionary magazine for children “Il Ponte d’Oro”
“Il Ponte d’Oro,” a children’s magazine of CEI’s Missio Foundation, makes a proposal to pastors and catechists
(by Chiara Pellicci)
There is a magazine that monthly stimulates its young readers to look a little further than their noses, toward a big world, which at times may seem far away, but in reality is increasingly interconnected to the daily lives of all of us.
The readers are children from 8 to 12 years old, because “The Golden Bridge” (this is the name of the magazine) is conceived, designed, written just for them. But the monthly magazine is also a valuable ally for catechists, teachers, parents: anyone who cares about the education of the youngest children will not struggle to find interesting and usable insights with their kids.
It consists of 44 colorful pages with passionate columns and activities to be carried out to make topics such as: worldliness, evangelization, peace, lifestyles, equity, rights, respect for Creation, and interculturality palatable.
Through the stories told by the missionaries, young readers also learn that mercy is what drives people to work in the most forgotten corners of the five continents, to stand by those in need, to alleviate the needs of those who lack the essentials, to teach forgiveness, to make the Gospel known, to come to the aid of those who suffer, to become brothers and sisters of the least.
So many adults think that the world is too complex to be explained on a child’s terms. But that’s not the case: interest in big issues-such as solidarity, inequality among peoples, peace, attention to what’s happening on the other side of the world that, at first glance, might seem “none of my business”-is cultivated from an early age. And “The Golden Bridge” aspires to do just that.
Flipping through the magazine, we find many columns: from the editorial signed by Kizito, who never misses an opportunity to urge children to live the faith and be witnesses to it, just as St. Kizito did in Uganda, as a young boy; to Kabaka, the learned friend, a character who in each issue presents the story of a child who has committed himself to improving the society in which he lives.
The dossier is a space to delve into an important and sometimes challenging topic, but always child-friendly. How? By giving voice to missionaries who, through anecdotes and stories, bring readers into their everyday environments. The stories of missionaries and those who have made the history of the Church are also presented in comic strips, with four pages in each issue telling the biography of a character from whom there is only something to learn.
But there is more than just information in the magazine: there are also activities to do, games, insights and dynamics to experience. All with the goal of helping kids build (golden!) bridges between the North and the South.
At this time, the Missio Foundation, which publishes the magazine, offers a special idea
to pastors and catechists:
on the occasion of First Communions (but also First Confessions or Confirmations), give away “Il Ponte d’Oro”
That is: as a reminder of what was celebrated, instead of an item that often ends up in a drawer, the parish can give a gift that is renewed from month to month for a year, that is, a subscription to each boy.
It is a way to keep their eyes and hearts open to the world in training, learning to treasure what the Gospel teaches.
The first issue will be sent in a single package, delivered to the parish so that on the day of the celebration of the Sacrament, the pastor can hand-deliver a copy of the magazine to each boy. From the following month, each boy will receive it at home.
This is a special offer with really special prices, that is, much lower than the standard subscription cost.