The force of “nothing”

“We’ve been living in Tarsus since 1994, following the call of Msgr. Ruggero Franceschini, who is currently the Bishop of Smirne (Izmir). But there are no Christians nor Catholics in Tarsus”. Sister Maria Di Meglio, from the Congregation of the Daughters of the Church, living in the home town of the Apostle Paul, draws back when asked: “What are you doing in Tarsus?”. In reality, the mission of the three nuns from Italy is particularly intense in this Pauline Year that has brought thousands of pilgrims to Tarsus. Indeed, the nuns are those who welcome the pilgrims from morning till evening, prepare the Church-Museum for the Mass, put together light refreshments, and mostly, convey their testimony, made of contemplation, prayer and “…nothing”. Daniele Rocchi, interviewed sister Maria Di Meglio for SIR Europe.How many pilgrims have visited Tarsus to date? “Several thousands of pilgrims arrived from the opening of the Pauline Year until June. I must say that Italians are the most numerous, followed by the Spaniards and the Koreans. There have been also groups of pilgrims arriving from Argentina, Portugal, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Munich and Japan. We are expecting the arrival of many Germans by 2009”. Can you describe the typical day of the pilgrims whom you receive and the reception you give them? “The pilgrims’ day in Tarsus envisages Mass celebration in the Church-Museum that we prepare for the occasion, followed by our testimony with a moment of reception where we offer a light refreshment. Then they leave. However some groups of pilgrims, especially those from Spain, tend to stay longer and hold a Eucharistic adoration in a small chapel-hall we set up. Pilgrims’ reception is very exacting, especially since we moved to a home that is distant from the Church-Museum. Many arrive from Cappadocia, Antiochia and Adana”. Since it is a Church and a Museum at the same time, it can simultaneously host pilgrims and regular visitors… “It often happens that both Catholics attending Mass and Muslims visiting the Museum are present at the same moment. The latter are mostly very respectful. However, if someone disturbs the ceremony the attendant intervenes. There are those who are diffident, but the great majority of visitors are respectful of the pilgrims and nuns. We experience this respect also in our everyday lives. When we go out to buy groceries or for other errands, they greet us and call us ‘sisters’. We don’t wear a uniform, we just wear a small wooden cross but without the image of Christ”. You mentioned your testimony to the pilgrims arriving in Tarsus. What do you tell them? “Our task in Tarsus is “nothing”. When we arrived here in 1994, the locals told us: ‘you are nothing here’. I recall that I felt like crying. Knowing that you are nothing brings back to mind the seed that needs to die in order to bear fruits. The joy is that of the seed. Msgr. Ruggero Franceschini, who is the current Bishop of Smirne, summoned us to Turkey. He once exhorted us to be the fragments of the Gospel: ‘fragments are trampled on, but at times some of these fragments take root and bears fruits’. Father Andrea Santoro was both a seed and a fruit. They wanted to silence him but when he was murdered his voice became louder. Those who didn’t know him now do. We tell pilgrims about Father Andrea. Once, after the visit, a friar told us: “the Eucharist is in Tarsus because of you. Whether Tarsus is aware of it or not, the Eucharist extends its rays and sooner or later someone will be touched by them’. This is our joy and our mission. The only tabernacle in Paul’s birthplace belongs to us”. How do pilgrims react to your words?“Their response is very comforting. Many of them write us as soon as they return home. The latest e-mail arrived yesterday, a woman wrote from Turin: ‘I had to visit Tarsus to discover that I was practising a phoney form of Christianity’. There are people from Spain that pray for us every day”. What do you do when there are no pilgrims?“We perform our services in the parish of Mersin, some 60km away from Tarsus. We go there every day for the Mass, we take care of the poor, the catechism, the liturgy and the chants. We cooperate with Caritas is handing out bags of food and clothes also for Muslims. In nine years of work with Caritas there were never problems, not even for families. We have Muslim friends who take part in our activities. While when we’re in Tarsus and there are no pilgrimages, we try to live in silence. The more we are discreet the less we disturb. Since we are ‘nothing’ we can’t organize activities for children. This is the situation in Tarsus since no Church is open for worship. However, we cherish the hope that we will have one soon and that pilgrims will continue coming even after the Pauline Year”.