Parish Priest Takes Word of God to the Gym
Don Michele Schiavone, priest of the parish dedicated to San Pio di Margherita di Savoia, has taken an innovative approach to spreading the word of God. Ditching the traditional cassock and altar, he has opted for a tracksuit, sneakers, and a gym mat to reach out to his community.
With a desire to highlight the importance of the body that the Lord has given us, Don Michele has started incorporating passages from the Bible into his gym sessions. “The word of God is not abstract, it is not far from us but it is our point of reference, it is the medicine that the Lord gives us every day to face everyday life,” he explains.
The first experience of catechesis between weights and treadmills was a success. Don Michele shared a beautiful phrase from the letter to the Jews in chapter ten, which says ‘you have prepared a body for me’. Through this, he emphasized the importance of taking care of our bodies as a gift from God.
“In the end, the boys understood that we must give importance to the body that the Lord has given us,” he said.
The priest believes that the gym is a place lived by everyone to some extent, and through the help of the teachers who trained them, they were able to give visibility to the body that God has prepared for each of us.
This new approach by Don Michele is a unique way of connecting with his community and spreading the message of faith in a relatable and practical manner.