Saturday, September 12, was a memorable day for the HopeMedia Italia (HMI) center at via Casilina 939 in Rome: its radio and video production offices and studios were officially inaugurated.
At the Adventist church in Piazza Vulture, Pastor Ignazio Barbuscia, secretary of the Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Christian Churches (UICCA), opened the morning by welcoming attendees. Alongside him were Andrei Crețu and Roberto Buonaugurio—president and treasurer of UICCA, respectively—and the host pastor, Robert Thomas Iosub.
In the hall were numerous guests and professionals from international Adventist media. Among them was Vasily Makarchuk, director of Adventist World Radio (AWR) for Europe. In his remarks, he quoted Romans 10:14–15: "How can they hear without someone preaching to them?" Makarchuk invited everyone to be a light where they are, announcing the creation of an integrated platform to spread biblical knowledge as part of the OneVoice27 project, which will involve the global church until autumn 2027.
Retracing Past Steps, Looking to the Future
An emotional Daniele Amodeo, production director of HMI, presented a video on the history of Adventist media in Italy and the organization's operational team, stating: "My father, who is no longer with us, came to know the Word of the Lord by tuning in to Adventist radio stations."
Reaching Hearts
Pastor Crețu, UICCA president, thanked God for the day, drawing attention to the fact that "as a nonprofit institution, we reached this milestone through His grace and through the many people He called who believed in His mission". Quoting Matthew 24:14—"this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world"—Crețu added, "This center is a virtual pulpit from which to preach to the world. We thank AWR and the Inter-European Division (EUD) for their financial support, as well as those who touch hearts every day through their dedication, commitment, and expertise."
Rúben de Abreu, EUD secretary, opened his Saturday morning sermon saying, "We are in Rome, and I would like to recall that the Romans built roads to conquer the world and created the communication network necessary for the spread of the Gospel. Peter, Paul, and thousands of anonymous believers walked those roads to carry the message of Christ. Today, we have a formidable network of communication tools at our disposal."
"Technology," de Abreu continued, "has multiplied roads and created bridges; however, as Pope Francis also pointed out, 'the desire for digital connection can end up isolating us from our neighbor, from those closest to us' if media remains an end in itself."
Commenting on the healing of the paralytic in Capernaum (Mark 2:1–5), he concluded: "His friends, determined to bring him to the Lord, used an unusual and surprising method: they lowered him through a roof. Having the same creativity as the early Christians by using media tools expands the possibility of reaching people, but personal relationships remain fundamental. Podcasts, videos, and social networks are—like the roof of Capernaum—a means for the mission, but the ultimate goal is to bring people closer to Christ, the Savior."
Greetings from Guests
In the afternoon, the event moved to via Casilina 939. Before the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony and the tour of the newly built headquarters featuring its prominent blue logo, Klaus Popa, director of HopeMedia Europe (based in Germany), wished his Italian colleagues success while praising their spirit, courage, strength, and qualities. Joining him were leaders from sister organizations: Eric Belloy (HopeMedia Switzerland), Matthias Maag (HopeMedia Ticino), Gabriel Begle (HopeMedia Spain), and Emanuel Ban (HopeMedia France).
Mission and Responsibility
Vincenzo Annunziata, director of Ente Voce della Speranza (VDS), which manages the new center, shared some significant milestones in the history of UICCA communications: "This inauguration is a tangible sign of a long journey in which communication has been recognized as an integral part of the Church's mission."
"This momentum was already present in 1979 when the first FM radio station was born in Florence. Ente VDS—created in 2003 to house 8 other Radio Voce della Speranza (RVS) stations [that were] formed into a network—integrated various media into a common framework in 2017, giving a unified vision to radio, video, web, news, and social media. After nearly 50 years of activity, the Rome media center becomes the home where various channels converse in a single communicative ecosystem, equipped with adequate spaces, modern equipment, and seamless integration among professionals."
Daniele Amodeo highlighted several productions, such as the video series “Il Giubileo nella Bibbia” ("The Jubilee in the Bible"), “BenEssere” ("Well-Being"), and HopeMedia Europe's project, “My Greatest Victory”. "The goal is not just to create good content, but to truly spark hope. This is the mandate Jesus left us," Amodeo emphasized.
Longtime Contributors to Adventist Media
The event continued with remarks from collaborators who work alongside HMI's speakers and editors. Francesca Evangelisti, from the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department of the Italian Adventist Union, presented the collaborators: Luca Baratto, secretary of the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy (FCEI) and editor of the Evangelical Service broadcast on Rai Radio1; Raffaella Di Marzio, director of LIREC (Center for Studies on Freedom of Religion, Belief, and Conscience); and Maria Elena Lacquaniti, member of the Globalization and Environment Commission. Lacquaniti co-hosts the monthly feature “Radio GLAM” with Radio RVS, focusing on environmental and sustainability issues.
Also present was Naomi Cino, editor of Notizie Evangeliche (the FCEI news agency), along with several internal leaders: Davide Romano from the Adventist University Institute; Silvia Vadi from the Voce della Speranza courses; Roberto Iannò from Adventist Family Ministries for UICCA and EUD; and Giuseppe Cupertino from Il Messaggero Avventista, the official publication of the Italian Adventist Union.
Touchingly, special recognition was given to media operators who are retired or entering a new stage of life: Daniele Benini, longtime director of RVS; speakers Mario Calvagno, Luigi Caratelli, Claudio Coppini, Roberto Vacca, and Carmen Zammataro, who made history in Italian Adventist media; Lina Ferrara, editor-in-chief of Notizie Avventiste; and Vincenzo Annunziata, director of communications and of Ente VDS.
Special mention was also made of volunteers—true missionaries—who arrived from Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and other countries to offer their time, skills, and talents. While helping HMI grow over time, they became key figures in the story of Adventist communications in Italy.
The celebration concluded by highlighting the value of the Adventist Otto per Mille (“eight per thousand”), a percentage of annual income tax allocated to religious denominations or the Italian state, which translates into numerous social and cultural projects reflected in media productions.
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