The ribbon-cutting ceremony in the presence of civil and religious leaders in Cremona, Italy, marked the inauguration of the Bible Expo on Saturday, November 11, 2023, on the premises of the Cremona Adventist Church.
The occasion was attended by Monsignor Antonio Napolioni, bishop of the Cremona diocese; Prof. Franca Zucchetti, president of the municipality's Culture Commission and a delegate representing the municipal administration; Andrea Rosa, president of the Council of Waldensian and Methodist Churches of Cremona and Piacenza; Don Federico Celini, a delegate for interreligious dialogue of the diocese; Don Stefano, Don Felice, and Don Ettore, local parish priests; and some journalists from the daily newspaper La Provincia.
It was a witness-worthy experience that involved the entire local community and the Adventist communities in the area. Bible Expo was open to visitors every day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. until Sunday, November 19. "At the end of this wonderful journey of faith and community witnessing, we thanked the Lord for the wonderful experiences we had with the visitors who came," commented Pastor Franco Evangelisti.
Numbers and Comments
A total of 171 people attended, delineated as follows: 9 authorities, 70 external visitors, 50 members of the Cremona Adventist Church, and 42 members of the neighboring Adventist communities (Parma, Mantova, and Sesto San Giovanni). The contribution of the 12 volunteers who collaborated in the weekly course was important.
"We lived this experience in an intense way, made visible throughout the city by the local media," Pastor Evangelisti continued.
Dr. Rinaldo Lampugnani, endocrinologist and director of a polyclinic, left this dedication: "Knowledge of history brings believers and non-believers closer together and unites religions in generating the right thinking of a better world."
Stefano Seghezzi, professor of Italian, history, and geography, accompanied the eighth-grade students from the Sacra Famiglia public school to visit the exhibit and left this testimony: “Thank you for the passion with which you recount what has affected your lives so much, and for the kindness with which you have welcomed us.”
In the first months of the new year, the Bible Expo experience will be held in the other two Adventist churches in the district: Parma and Mantua.
The Exhibit
The Bible Expo is a traveling exhibit organized by the Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Churches, in collaboration with the Bible Society in Italy. It offers an engaging and fascinating cultural and educational itinerary. It displays precious specimens of great historical value associated with the Holy Scriptures, as well as modern versions in more than 50 different languages. In addition, visitors can browse among the scale models of the tabernacle of Moses, Solomon's temple, and Noah's ark; they can also see the ark of the covenant and the high priest dressed in the characteristic breastplate, stand in front of the life-size statue of Daniel 2, read the scrolls of the law, leaf through the different versions of the Bible in various languages, and much more. It is a true immersion into the stories of Scripture.
The Bible Expo was inaugurated in 2017, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation catalyzed by Martin Luther. It was the European reformer who translated the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek texts into German, the language in the country at the time. His work is considered fundamental in the development of the modern German language. Furthermore, the Bible was the first entire book printed by Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the movable type technique.
The original version of this story was posted on the HopeMedia Italia website.
