330,000 people in need receive Christmas lunch around the world

By Kielce Gussie

For 80,000 people in Italy and 250,000 others around the world, Christmas Day lunch was prepared by the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Italian police, the Carabinieri. This year, the police delivered presents for the children and desserts for the meals organized around Rome.

A table without borders

On the first full day of the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Community of Sant’Egidio prepared meals on Christmas Day for the homeless, elderly, and families struggling to provide. The meals came together through the support of volunteers, whose aim was to spread the message of hope to those facing challenges and “to everyone in a time marked by deep crises in various parts of the world and too many wars.”

Crowds enjoying meal in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere on Christmas Day 2022

For everyone who came to the lunch, distinctions between class, pay, social status, or heritage all disappeared and everyone received a personalized gift.

A Roman Christmas meal

A tradition dating back to 1982, when the first Christmas meal with the poor was held, the celebration began at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. The event did not only take place in Rome but in 70 other countries.

In the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome, the Basilica was filled with people from all walks of life, including refugees who came to Italy using the humanitarian corridors. The menu for the lunch included lasagna, meatloaf, lentils, and traditional Christmas desserts.