GIOVENTÙ ITALIANA FEMMINILE DI AZIONE CATTOLICA. — It is one of the branches of Italian Catholic Action (A.C.I.), comprising unmarried women up to the age of 30.
I. ORGANIZATION. – Founded in Milan in 1918, it was extended that same year by Benedict XV to all of Italy and regarded as the youth section of the Union of Italian Catholic Women. It became an autonomous association in 1919, with the establishment of the Italian Catholic Women’s Union, the coordinating body for Catholic women’s organizations. It was the first of the branches of the A.C.I. to acquire a parish and diocesan structure, bringing together in parish circles unmarried women up to the age of 30, establishing diocesan councils in every diocese, and calling upon the same young women, elected by the members, to preside over the Association at every organizational level.
The founder and first national president was Miss Armida Barelli of Milan, who held that office for approximately 30 years.
The need soon arose to provide the education of girls and little girls with an apostolic orientation. Thus were established: in 1920, the Aspiranti section for girls aged 11 to 15; in 1923, the Beniamine section for girls aged 6 to 11; and in 1933, the Piccolissime section for little girls aged 4 to 6. At present, the Aspiranti reach the age of 14, while members aged 14 to 18 constitute the Giovanissime section.
In 1922, internal associations were established in orphanages and boarding schools. The preparation of members from the various social categories for the apostolate in their respective environments took place through the category sections: students, factory workers, office workers, young ladies, teachers, and university graduates, each represented by its own category councillor on the councils at the various levels. At present, some of the category sections have given rise to youth movements for social outreach, in which the members of the G. I. F. di A. C. are the active element. They are: the Gioventù studentesca (G. S.), whose Congress in Florence in the autumn of 1949 deserves mention, as it made a notable contribution to the project for educational reform; the Gioventù italiana operaia cattolica (G. I. O. C.), whose Congress in Milan in September 1949 deserves mention; and the Movimento delle casalinghe e delle signorine (G.I.C.C.). A Federation for recreational activities (F.A.R.I.) has also been established. The numerical development of the G.F. di A.C. in 1950 was as follows: diocesan councils, 310 (in all dioceses); associations, 16,613, of which 15,360 were parish associations (72% of the parishes) and 1,243 internal associations; 32 associations among Italians abroad; full members, 220,983; Giovanissime, 146,241; Aspiranti, 225,696; Beniamine, 272,519; Piccolissime, 109,438. The general formation of members for religious, family, and social life is based above all on the press. The periodical press appears in 12 different editions for leaders and for members of the various ages and categories, with a total circulation of 1,248,000 copies per month. There are also books presenting the annual program of the various sections and the four specializations—rural women, women employed in domestic work, students—in eight editions, distributed in a total of 100,000 copies in 1949; religious culture textbooks for the various sections, distributed in 550,000 copies in 1949; and recreational books and books for children, distributed in tens of thousands of copies. Another fundamental element is the systematic study of Christian doctrine. In 1949, 50% of the members took part in the national religious-culture competition by sitting the examinations. Finally, mention should be made of retreats, specialized according to age and category; study courses for the technical and organizational preparation of leaders; and courses providing guidance for life and preparation for family life, for members and non-members alike.
II. ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FIELD OF THE APOSTOLATE
In the parish, youth activity is carried out in collaboration with initiatives promoted by the parish priest in the religious, cultural, and social spheres. In the missionary field, besides supporting an institute for Chinese virgins of its own, named after Benedict XV, the young women gave effective support to the Pontifical Missionary Works.From its very beginnings, the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart found in the G. F. immediate understanding and the most enthusiastic support.
For the apostolate among young women in the religious and moral sphere, from 1933 the “Weeks of the Young Woman” were promoted in all the dioceses of Italy, with an impressive participation of young women; the “Crusade of Purity”; and the great pilgrimages to Lourdes, Loreto, the Holy Land, etc.
Proof of ever-increasing vitality was provided by the national congresses of members—Effettive, Aspiranti, Beniamine—culminating in the unforgettable Congress of the thirtieth anniversary of the foundation, held in 1948 in Romr, which saw 200,000 young women gathered at the Pope’s feet.
The activity of these last years has been directed above all toward preparing young women for their new tasks in civic and trade-union life, and for the most urgent forms of Christian-social apostolate. The trade-union campaign, activity within the Civic Committees, and that undertaken as part of the recent campaign for the “great return” confirm this. The affirmation of young women’s rights, through the presentation of the “Charter of the Young Woman” to the public authorities, and their active presence in every sphere of social life, demonstrate the positive and combative orientation of today’s young women.
Presidents: for the three-year period 1946–49, Dr. Carmela Rossi; today (1950), Dr. Alda Miceli.
Milan 1928; id., Ideali e conquiste della G. F. di A. C., there 1928; M. Di Pietro, Ricordi di un ventennio, there 1938; id., Vent'anni di vita (storia della sez. Aspiranti), there 1940; A. Barelli, La sorella maggiore racconta, there 1949.