PRESS RELEASE
The Sun, Elvia Faggin and the young creators of the diocese light up the 2025 Toniolo Award
Great enthusiasm and unanimous approval for the final ceremony in Pieve di Soligo
The story of the Christian band's new life of faith, fulfillment, and hope "The Sun", the path of science, ethical values and love of Elvia Faggin alongside her husband, an internationally renowned physicist and inventor Federico Faggin, the contagious enthusiasm of the groups of young Catholic creators of the diocese, “OraPieve“ e “RoadtoGmg”These were the main themes, much appreciated and applauded, of the final ceremony of the 2025 Giuseppe Toniolo Award, tenth edition, held on the evening of Tuesday 7 October in the Battistella Moccia auditorium in Pieve di Soligo, presented by Elisa Nadai.
"Life to the full, following the example of Blessed Toniolo, to be a gift to others and pilgrims of hope in the society of our time.": this was the title of the 2025 competition, always linked to the figure of the illustrious professor from Treviso (1845 – 1918), whose 180th birthday we commemorate this year, who rose to the honours of the altars in 2012.
In a room packed with people in every seat, the event was introduced by greetings from the president of the Beato Toniolo Institute, Annalina Sartori, of the councilor for culture of the city of Pieve di Soligo, Eleonora Sech, and of the Bishop of Vittorio Veneto, Monsignor Riccardo Battocchio, who praised the initiatives and activities implemented by the IBT to raise awareness and promote the thought and work of the great Catholic sociologist and economist to whom the Prize is dedicated. At the beginning, a very evocative video from La Tenda TV—which, as always, hosted the evening's live broadcast—retraced the first nine years of the Giuseppe Toniolo Prize.
So, in a heartfelt and effective dialogue with the IBT scientific director, Marco ZabottiElvia Faggin spoke about her marital partnership and commitment to culture and science with her husband Federico Faggin, also through the Foundation named after them both, following the broadcast of a recent interview with the great Vicenza-born physicist in which he reiterated his interest in the ethical foundations of the study of matter and the use of technology, in line with the vision of Blessed Toniolo. The national "Pensiero" Award, presented to Federico Faggin, was donated by Banca Prealpi San Biagio, represented on stage by Vice President Flavio SalvadorInstead, it was the turn of the president of the Rural Families Association "Giuseppe Toniolo", Alessandro Toffoli, to present the Action & Witnesses Award to the very well-known band “The Sun”, present in Pieve di Soligo with the musicians Francesco Lorenzi, Riccardo Rossi, Matteo Reghelin and Gianluca Menegozzo, and also with the staff member Michele RebescoAnswering Zabotti's questions, singer Francesco Lorenzi moved the audience by recounting the group's new life in light of their encounter with spirituality and the great Christian values of love and brotherhood, a factor that has changed the name, style, and content of their musical productions, the fruit of an interior journey marked by the fullness of meaning and the gift of their lives, in contact with young people from around the world, through music, a messenger of beauty, cooperation, and peace. Faggin and The Sun also received two packages of Prosecco DOCG from the Colli del Soligo winery as a gift. For the Youth section, reserved for the diocese of Vittorio Veneto, space was given to groups of Catholic creators.RoadtoGmg” of Codognè and “OraPieve" of Pieve di Soligo, very active in their social media communication projects dedicated to moments and events of the Christian message and ecclesial communities. A wave of unity, joy, and enthusiasm characterized the video performances, photos, and words of the two delegations, festive and colorful, accompanied by their respective parish priests – Don Lucio Marian e Monsignor Luigino Zago – on the auditorium stage where they were awarded by Councilor Sech on behalf of the city of Pieve di Soligo. And then a big, smiling group photo of the "new generation" with their idols, The Sun!
On the occasion of the final evening, two special parchments were also awarded: the tribute to the memory of Joseph Paludo, from Oderzo, who throughout his life was exemplarily committed to cooperation and social issues, a touching memory shared on stage by his wife Marisa, and the certificate of gratitude to Francesco Introvigne, from Tarzo, a generous and esteemed leader of volunteering, former president of the Alpini section of Vittorio Veneto, with the mayor present with him Balliana and the commissioner De Nardi, Vittoria, and the councilor from Tarzano bag.
Meanwhile, we are already looking at the edition 2026 of the Giuseppe Toniolo Award. In fact, at the end of the evening, the delegate for social and labor pastoral care, Don Andrea Forest, illustrated the general theme of the next year, which will be "The urgency of peace today, throughout the world: towards an alliance of culture, society, and international institutions, also in the spirit of Giuseppe Toniolo."
The final ceremony on October 7—the anniversary of the blessed professor's death and the closing date of the Tonioli Month 2025 in Pieve di Soligo—was preceded in the Cathedral by a solemn Eucharistic concelebration presided over by the Bishop of Vittorio Veneto, His Excellency Monsignor Riccardo Battocchio, who also paid homage at the tomb of the distinguished professor from Treviso by reciting the choral prayer for his canonization.
