From the Gospel of Luke (Lk 1:26-38)

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace,[e] the Lord is with you!”[f] 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her,[g] “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” 35 And the angel said to her,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born[h] will be called holy,
the Son of God.

36 And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

It is a great joy and honor for us to be here today, 28 December 2023, 80 years after the first Italian Guides' Promises. It was Giuliana di Carpegna who first pronounced her Promise before Fr. Agostino Ruggi d'Aragona and then, Lella, Maria Pia, Beatrice, Prisca, Monique, Orietta, Josette and Mita. The first girls of the Squadriglia Scoiattoli who in the hands of Giuliana di Carpegna, pronounced their Promise. This fundamental moment in the history of Italian Guidismo, took place right here, in the Catacombs of Priscilla, in this secret place, on the tombs of martyrs, at the roots of Christianity. That Promise, while Rome was occupied by the Nazi-Fascists, represented a heroic act of Resistance, but also a sign of rebirth for the Italy that was to be liberated and refounded. AGI was also born with that commitment: to contribute to the reconstruction of a destroyed country. In this place hidden and powerful in its meaning, a seed was sown, as small as a mustard seed, which bore so much fruit. To this group of girls, Fr. Agostino Ruggi d'Aragona aroused a passion for scouting, its appeal, its power as an instrument for proclaiming the Kingdom of God. It was eight courageous girls, with clear ideas and projected into the future, who joined together in the sign of the shamrock that bound them to thousands of other girls around the world. Conscious young women determined to intervene in civil society and the Church to bring about change, to build a better world. Fr. Agostino Ruggi d'Aragona himself declared, “at a time when everyone speaks of dark times and disasters, I will speak to you of hope and spring. Life, by good fortune and by the design of Providence, is stronger than we are and in a certain way overcomes death! We work with the conviction that we are spreading the Kingdom of God in souls and that is enough to give us courage and confidence”. It was a story of serious preparation and formation for life, of redemption and change, of meaningful presence in civil and ecclesial reality. The birth of the AGI, Scout Association, Catholic, female, in one of the darkest moments of the Italian history, is something extraordinary and prophetic because, as Lucina said during the General Council, “Priscilla is the other Val Codera. Just as the flame of Scouting was maintained in Val Codera, the hope of a different future was born in Priscilla.” A future that had the flavor of freedom, of women's leadership, of the value of democracy, of a new hope.

 ....We feel it is our duty, even today, to reaffirm the respect, value and richness of gender diversity, to bring to life experiences of democracy, of commitment in the most difficult contexts and for the oppressed and impoverished of the world. Yesterday as today, our Resistance continues and we renew our will and our commitment in wanting to contribute to the building of our country.

 ...Renewing the Promise means reaffirming those ideals and values that we have “forever” chosen in our lives and that have turned into a way of life, always ready to help others in all circumstances.

(80 years since the founding of AGI – 28 December 1943-2023 Greeting of the Italian Chief Guide and Scoutmaster during the Promise Renewal Ceremony at Catacombs of Priscilla, Thursday, 28 December 2023)

In the Catacombs of Priscilla was born the hope of a different future, the responsibility of those who, like Mary, answered “Here I am!”

And we... are we ready to take responsibility for our Here I am before the Lord?

We invite those who are Scouts to renew their promise.

Those who are not may renew their “Here I am”  in response to a call, membership in their association or a commitment they intend to make and pursue.