The idea about the service or mission came before the idea of the Group. It was at the full fury of the Second World War. And while Europe was inflamed by hatred and death, there were some persons of vision with the insight that the new name of peace was brother/sisterhood among human beings and between peoples. One of these persons was a young Jesuit priest by name of Riccardo Lombardi (1908-1979). As a youth he had become alienated from the church – almost we could say “providentially” – but at 20 years of age he came to faith thanks to his concern for the destiny of people and for the universal common good. He decided to spend his life for the good and the salvation of all. This path reinforced his insight about “brother/sisterhood” being the word of the future, to be placed beside “equality” and “freedom”. The message that Fr. Lombardi – first alone and later with others - passionately proclaimed in the 50’s and 60’s around the world and to the whole church was always essentially the same: the world needs to be re-made.The Group that developed around him was officially born on 10 February 1952, from the “proclamation for a Better World” by Pius XII.