The Italian Grail - Who are we?
We are a movement created by women. The Grail movement was founded in the Netherlands in 1921 to promote a more active and responsible participation by women in the social and ecclesiastical life, from which they had been excluded up until that point. The name comes from the legend of the Grail and is a symbol of searching that every women can fully become herself. Originally, the Grail flourished in Anglo Saxon countries, where the presence and actions of Protestant women, who are more liberal in the context of their community, were the stimulus for Catholic women. In Italy, a small group was constituted in Rome in 1960, followed by a group in Milan, in 1972, dedicated to formative activities in the social, cultural, and theological realms. In October 2007, the Grail becomes an Association of Social Promotion.
THE INTERNATIONAL GRAIL
From 1921 until today, thanks to the actions of a group of women who founded the movement, the Grail has expanded into some countries outside Europe to undertake solidarity projects with local women. The Grail has developed a network of groups and centers in the following countries: the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Angola. There are individual members in France, Honduras, Nigeria, and India. The Grail is structured as an international movement with a General Assembly held every 5 years and two other periodic meetings at which delegates from all the countries are present. The Grail has begun the new millennium with the desire to construct a culture of responsibility and solidarity – a “culture of care” – for the future of humanity and the survival of our planet.