Work of Italian Y.C.W.
A “Laborer’s Prayer,” written by an automobile worker in the Fiat plant at Miraflori, was read by Fr. Ernestino Bosco at the opening of the first National Convention of the G.I.O.C. (Gioventu Italiana Operair Christian, Young Christian Workers’ Movement), held in Rome.
The Priest explained that the worker who wrote the prayer had not been in the habit of going to chlfrch or meeting Priests. When the Priest approached him and urged him to pray, he said that he no longer remembered the prayers which he had learned in his youth.
In Your Own Words
So the Priest told him: “Speak to God in your own words, as you would to me, remembering Who He is.”
Thereupon the worker wrote the following prayer:
“Amidst the noise of our machines, let our prayer rise supreme into the sky to Thee, 0 God above all, Father of Infinite Goodness. In the poetry of our work, our thought is Thine, going out to Thee Who . watches over our families while we are away.
“From our forges, our shipyards, our factories and our mines, let our praise-rise to Thee, Creator of this blessed earth, to Thee Who created us in the likeness of Thy Son, Jesus. Give us always, 0 Lord, strength and health and the ability to perform our work as well as possible, so that our working masses may arise ever more towards Thee, to glorify Thee, Eternal God and Father of the universal human brotherhood. Amen.”
Jocists in Italy
The Jocist (Young,Christian Workers’) movement, which was started in Italy just over a year ago, aims at bringing religion to the workers in the factories and mines, and at organising the apostolate of workers among their fellow workers.
SOURCE
A laborer’s prayer (Southern Cross, Friday 2 May 1947, page 16) (Trove)