Sharing stories, healing memories

Lent is a time when Christians join together to face their own sinfulness and need of repentance, a time to turn away from those things which deny life, like war, fear, poverty; to turn towards those things that are life-giving like peace, justice and service to others.

Anglican Father Michael Lapsely is someone whose story speaks of just that: life-giving-peace and forgiveness and service to others.

He tells his story of survival, reconciliation and speaks of his mission as founder of the Institute for Healing Memories which is based in South Africa, but that reaches across the world advocating forgiveness, reconciliation and restorative justice.

Father Lapsley had already undertaken a journey of self sacrifice and social commitment when he became an anti-apartheid activist in Apartheid South Africa. He was working in exile in Zimbabwe when a letter-bomb attack left him without both hands and one eye.

In his own words, he then undertook another journey from victims to survivor to victor helped by the prayers, love and support of people who knew him all over the world.

This gave him the strength and the inspiration to create the Institute for Healing Memories that seeks to accompany other people on their journeys to healing and wholeness, both in South Africa and in many other countries where war, oppression and conflict have created suffering.

Linda Bordoni met Father Lapsely at the American University of Rome where he had been invited to deliver a lecture on young people and peace...

Listen to the interview...