ITALIAN FEMALE YOUTH OF CATHOLIC ACTION. - It is one of the branches of Italian Catholic Action (A.C.I.), which gathers unmarried women up to the age of 30.
I. ORGANIZATION
Founded in 1918 in Milan, it was extended the same year by Benedict XV to all of Italy and considered as the youth section of the Union among Italian Catholic Women. It became an autonomous association in 1919, with the constitution of the Italian Catholic Women's Union, a coordinating body of Catholic women's forces. It was the first of the branches of the A.C.I. to have a parish and diocesan structure, gathering in the parish circles unmarried women up to the age of 30, constituting diocesan councils in every diocese, and calling the same young women, elected by the members, to preside over the Association at every organizational level.
The foundress and first national president was Miss Armida Barelli of Milan, who held her office for about 30 years.
The need soon arose to give an apostolic orientation to the education of girls and little girls. Thus there arose: in 1920 the Aspirants section for girls from 11 to 15 years of age; in 1923 the Beniamine section for girls from 6 to 11 years of age; in 1933 the Piccolissime section for little girls from 4 to 6 years of age. At present the Aspirants reach the age of 14, and members from 14 to 18 years of age constitute the Giovanissime section.
In 1922 the internal associations arose at orphanages and boarding schools. The preparation of the members of the various social categories for the apostolate of their environment came about through the category sections: students, factory workers, office workers, young ladies, teachers, graduates, each represented by its own category councillor on the councils of the various levels. At present some of the category sections have given life to youth movements of penetration, in which the members of the G. I. F. of A. C. are the active element. These are: the Student Youth (G. S.), of which the Congress of Florence in the autumn of 1949 is remembered, which gave a notable contribution to the plan for school reform; the Italian Catholic Working Youth (G. I. O. C.), of which the Congress of Milan in Sept. 1949 is remembered; the Movement of Housewives and Young Ladies (G.I.C.C.). A Federation for recreational activities has also arisen
(F.A.R.I.). The numerical development of the G.F. of A.C. in 1950 is as follows: diocesan councils 310 (in all the dioceses); associations 16,613, of which 15,360 parochial (72% of the parishes), 1,243 internal; 32 associations are among the Italians abroad; effective members 220,983; Giovanissime 146,241; Aspirants 225,696, Beniamine 272,519, Piccolissime 109,438. The general formation of the members for religious, family and social life is based first of all on the press. The periodical press appears in 12 different editions for the leaders and for the members of the various ages and categories, with a total print run of 1,248,000 copies monthly. Then come the books for the presentation of the annual program of the various sections and of the four specializations: rural, houseworking, students, in eight editions, distributed for a total of 100,000 copies in 1949; the texts of religious culture for the various sections, distributed in 1949 in 550,000 copies; the recreational books and those for children, distributed in tens of thousands of copies. Another fundamental element is given by the systematic study of Christian doctrine. The national competition of religious culture in 1949 saw 50% of the members sit for the examinations. Finally, mention must be made of the courses of spiritual exercises, specialized by age and by category; the study courses for the technical and organizational preparation of the leaders; the courses of orientation to life and preparation for family life for members and non-members.
II. ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FIELD OF THE APOSTOLATE
In the parish the youth activity is carried out in collaboration with the initiatives promoted by the parish priest in the religious, cultural and social fields. In the missionary field, besides supporting on their own account an Institute of Chinese virgins, named after Benedict XV, the young women validly supported the Pontifical Missionary Works.
The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart found in the G. F., from its very rise, immediate understanding and the most enthusiastic help.
For the apostolate among young women in the religious-moral field, from 1933 the «Weeks of the young woman» were promoted in all the dioceses of Italy with an imposing participation of young women; the «Crusade of purity»; the great pilgrimages to Lourdes, Loreto, the Holy Land, etc.
Affirmations of ever-growing vitality were the national congresses of members, Effective, Aspirants, Benjamins, up to the unforgettable Congress of the thirtieth anniversary of foundation held in 1948 in Rome, which saw gathered at the feet of the Pope fully 200,000 young women.
The activity of these last years is directed above all to preparing the young woman for her new tasks in civic and trade-union life, and for the most urgent forms of Christian-social apostolate. The trade-union campaign, the activity within the Civic Committees, and that within the framework of the recent campaign for the «great return» are confirmation of this. The assertion of the rights of the young woman, with the presentation to the public authorities of the «Charter of the young woman», the active presence of these in every field of social life, give the measure of 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.