Fr. Bidone's vision of The Bridge

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"THE BRIDGE"

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Selection of Bridge Magazines

During the war years Fr. Bidone was working in Albania. As he stood by the River Drin, looking at the ruins of the bridge which had spanned it, destroyed in the struggle to prevent the German forces, retreating from Greece, penetrating north into Yugoslavia. The shattered bridge epitomised the great gulf between men at war. The magazine was designed to unite people everywhere in the love of Don Orione.

Later Fr. Joseph Tirello recalls (in an article called 'Why "The Bridge"') that Fr. Bidone mentioned this in Lourdes when they were going to Gavarni at the foot of the Pyrenees to venerate the monument of Our Lady of the Snows. Just before reaching the valley, the bus crossed an historical, well built bridge. It had been built during the wars of Napoleon the Third. Fr. Bidone suddenly said "The magazine will be called the Bridge. It will be the spiritual and cultural link between the members of the society and our friends". The final agreement came from Mr. Reginald Jebb, the president of the Friends of Don Orione (FODO), the son-in-law of Hilaire Belloc.

Fr. Bidone died in Foggia, Italy on 15th April 1986 from a sudden heart attack while preparing to say Mass.

 

 
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