Chiesa della Resurrezione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo

Even before the birth of the Parish of the Resurrection, the centre of worship in the area of Giardinetti was the St. Anthony Centre, a vocational training centre run by the Giuseppini Fathers on behalf of the Pontifical Work of Assistance, which acted as a vice-parish to the central parish of St. John Leonardi in Torre Maura. It was precisely to the centre that Sister Maria Addolorata and four other sisters, Sister Maria Donata, Sister Mercede, Sister Virginia and Sister Costanza went in the distant 23 January 1959. Mass was celebrated at that time precisely at the St. Anthony centre and in a mobile chapel sent by the Pontifical Work of Assistance, which made it possible to celebrate at Carcaricola and at St. Maura's ditch when weather conditions permitted. On 25 March 1959, it was reported in a newspaper of the time, ‘Momento sera’, that many inhabitants of Giardinetti asked the editors of the newspaper if the Vicariate of Rome had decided to build a parish church in the neighbourhood. In reality, it was Pope John XXIII himself who was personally involved in the matter. The vicariate had already purchased the land to build a church with a parish house and facilities for social services; technical and financial plans had been started, but the relevant ecclesiastical authorisations were needed for construction. The area had few houses and they were all squatters. In 1963 the premises were ready and the following year a functional and organised institute was established, with two kindergarten sections.On 3 March 1963, the parish of the Resurrection of N.S.G.C. was founded in Giardinetti, under the leadership of parish priest Don Romano Avvantaggiato, who had arrived the day before to inaugurate the church with Cardinal Provicar Traglia, when the doors were still missing and the newly completed house was accompanied by the fence that delimited the property. The first baptism was celebrated with the help of a basin that made up for the lack of a Baptismal Font! The parish was the centre around which various communities moved: many activities were carried out there. In ‘64, the main event was the parish feast organised in an entirely homemade manner and served as a moment of cohesion and sharing. Spread over three days of celebration, it ended with a beautiful procession that ended with a large gathering in the church square. In ‘65, there were at least 3,000 people in the square.