(Milan) On 20 June 2026, the volunteers of the VOICA team will receive the missionary mandate, an important moment that will accompany their departure for the summer mission and give official seal to the journey already begun in their hearts. There is still about a month and a half to go before departure, but the energy of the journey is already clearly felt among them, in smiles, anticipation, and the deep desire to draw close to others.
In this time that separates us from the flight, we are already virtually packing our bags: inside, we are not only thinking about what to bring — clothes, comfortable shoes, or notebooks — but we are also holding on to dreams, hopes, and the deep desire to draw close to others.
The prevailing feeling, growing day by day, is the joy of departing. That contagious joy is not superficial lightheartedness, but the authentic happiness of those who have understood that life is truly possessed only when it is given away. Volunteering, in the end, is exactly this: the art of gratuity, the courage to invest one’s time and energy without expecting anything in return, except the richness of an encounter.
We are approaching the missionary mandate…
The missionary mandate is not a simple early “safe travels,” but a true mission of love that we will live as part of a great mosaic: we will not be alone, but will receive this sign together with many other young people from Milan who, like us, have chosen to spend their summer and their lives for others. Feeling the heartbeat of such a lively city youth will remind us that we do not go in our own name, but as guardians of a message that is larger and shared. Being “commissioned” right in mid-June, surrounded by the enthusiasm and energy of so many peers from the diocese and the local area, will give us the strength and drive needed to face the final stretch of preparations, knowing that we are part of one great wave of solidarity. It will be the seal on a promise: to be present, to remain, and to serve with humility and fidelity when, a little more than a month later, we set foot on mission ground.
The true mission: being human beings who share a passion for humanity
If we were asked what the deepest aim of the experience awaiting us is, the answer would be simple and striking: to be human beings who share a passion for humanity.
Among the participants, some of the volunteers who will leave share what they feel in view of this experience. For Benedetta, from Bellusco, serenity and anticipation prevail: “It will be a precious experience to live with an open heart.” Giorgia, from Monza, instead speaks of enthusiasm and curiosity for her first volunteering experience, which she imagines as “an unforgettable adventure.” Diletta, from Bellusco, finally emphasizes that every volunteering experience is for her “an opportunity for encounter and personal growth.”
We are preparing ourselves to meet the other person in their flesh, in their story, in their struggles and joys. Mission is not reduced to “doing” things or bringing material aid, but resides in the ability to stay, to listen, to recognize the dignity of the other. Sharing a passion for humanity means being moved by the wounds of the world and, at the same time, marveling at the beauty present in every person, especially the most vulnerable. It means rediscovering that we are all equal, all in need of love and understanding.