14th Anniversary

Even our fourteenth anniversary has passed.
It went away with a little more melancholy and sadness.
This year we were more alone in remembering.
Our Leader left us, even if we felt him among us all the time.
The Holy Mass, celebrated as always in Sant’Ambrogio, was held by Mons.Buzzi, Prefect of Biblioteca Ambrosiana.
His homily gave everyone a message of hope, a witness to carry on with this path. 
Corale Primavera masterfully accompanied the whole celebration with its songs.
Thanks to all those who have been there with us, with their presence or thoughts. Thanks to the numerous 
civil and military authorities who, after fourteen years, are always present.
The church full of relatives proves that we are still close while sharing the Memory 
of our loved ones who left us, but also Milan’s citizens do not forget and a lot of them were there.
The grandchildren who brought gifts to the altar have been a hymn to the Life that goes on: the children are our future and for them we have to go on.
Then the moment at Bosco dei Faggi. Intense as always.
The “Silenzio” which was played is, every time, very touching and moving.
The following day, at Teatro Alla Scala, great music!!
On the notes of Giuseppe Verdi, a magnificent Falsfaff, that was even more fascinating thanks to the frame of our theater, famous all over the world.
Thanks to the Mayor Giuliano Pisapia who did everything to be there and who, despite a hard day full of travels, was able to attend the celebration and to greet us with words of admiration and encouragement.
This Anniversary meant new emotions to me, which are arduous to reveal, a strong nostalgia and a sense of emptiness.
Replacing Who can’t be replaced is a demanding task.
But I thank all of you, who have been close to me and shared intense emotions.
I’ve tried to do everything possible so that Paolo and all of you are not disappointed.
I felt the warmth and in your eyes I saw the encouragement I needed.
Thank you all.
Thank you.
A strong hug

Adele

President

 

 

PRESIDENT'S SPEECH TO BASILICA S. AMBROGIO 

 

I wish to thank His Excellency Monsignor Franco Buzzi, Chief Librarian of the Ambrosian Library, for His benevolence in accepting to celebrate this service together with the concelebrants, who have been present every year, to remind us of our dear ones.
I thank the civilian and military Authorities who have been close to us every anniversary.
Thanks also to the Choir “Primavera” who has skillfully accompanied the Holy Mass.
14 years have gone by since that terrible day, but still a great number of people follow and support us.
Our sincere greeting to our Mayor Mr. Giuliano Pisapia, to the Municipal Administration and to the SEA.
A tender hug to all the children, grandchildren who have brought the presents to the altar once again today, thinking of and recalling their grandparents they never knew because of this absurd tragedy. But from that transcendent dimension so difficult for us to grasp, their dear ones are always close to them protecting and loving them in a very special way.
Paolo Pettinaroli is no longer with us physically, but he is here with his spiritual presence and fills us with the strength and courage to go on. We all feel him now next to us! In fact, we wish to continue the work he created after that 8th October 2001 with his same intentions, with a lot of good will and feeling.
Recalling the past is a question of memory, sometimes of courage, too.

Paolo thought of the sorrow that can’t be cancelled, because you can’t forget a son, a parent, a husband or a relative, but he didn’t want to find it again. He wanted to prevent others from suffering for conditions similar to the ones that had brought about our grief.
God allowed people rich in humanity and knowledge to meet and associate to promote the security of flight with no other feeling than an unselfish and generous spirit.
We know how demanding and mistreated by some the work has been, but today we can see how far from “home” we have gone.
We are an international point of reference for those who work for the security of flight.
We have written the rules and highlighted the values that are now on the basis of new references.
Thanks to this work we have seen the birth of new friendships and unselfish helps as well as of unexpected second thoughts
We can’t allow tragedies brought about by irresponsible behaviours to become facts among the others for people with no memory, because those who can’t or won’t remember the past are condemned to repeat their own mistakes.
We are particularly proud to work in order to make sure they won’t be repeated again.
Our association knows very well these ways of working and what they have produced!
And the fact of being so numerous here today recalling our dear ones is evidence of the work carried out under Paolo’s leadership.
I would like to conclude with a thought of St. Francis synthesizing in my opinion in a wonderful way why we are still here all together after all these years:
“Begin by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible and then, suddenly, you will happen to find yourself doing the impossible”.
We dedicate it to Paolo, whose work with our committee has been a concrete and true mirror of such words.
Now, as every year, we’ll go to the Wood of Beeches for a moment of silence and prayer.

 

 

THE MAYOR'S SPEECH TO TEATRO ALLA SCALA IN MEMORY OF MILANO LINATE TRAGEDY

 

 

Dear fellow citizens, dear friends of the 8th October Committee,

 

Even this year, on the 14th anniversary of the tragedy, Milan and La Scala dedicate a tribute to the victims, to their families and those affected by the accident which, even today, appears terrible and absurd at the same time.

 

A moment of sharing and meditation that gives voice to the memory and pain of the entire city and gather Milan’s citizens in solidarity.

 

These feelings are renewed each 8 October with the same intensity, because that tragedy struck at the heart of the whole community; it has becme part of our history.

 

Such a dramatic event has been transformed over the years, thanks to the great example of the committment of 8th October Committee, into a symbol of the tradition of civil participation that makes great our city.

 

For fourteen years, the families of the victims have been doing a concrete and endless action of fostering awareness, studies and proposals that led to constant improvements in the safety of the entire air transport system.

 

Thanks to all of you, Linate tragedy activated in Milan lots of energies and skills: no comparisons with any other cities in the world.
Thanks to your commitment and fortitude, Milan has now become an international model for airports safety.

 

The beautiful representation that La Scala has staged this year, however, is also an opportunity to recall the figure of who, for so long, has been promoter and host of this work.
Today I want to remember with you the President of the Committee, Paolo Pettinaroli, who passed away last April.

 

Pettinaroli was a reference point for the families of the victims; with his tenacity and his endless work he left a heritage of commitment and civil responsibility that do credit to Milan.

 

I believe that the music and art of a great institution such as La Scala, are the best way to say goodbye and thank Paolo Pettinaroli for what he did during these long years.

 

I think it is the best way to thank you all who spend your time in a truly exemplary dedication to people’s safety, to turn pain into a way of participation and commitment to the common good.

 

Thanks to all of you, on my behalf, on behalf of the Administration, on behalf of all Milan’s citizens.