Funerale Gis Calliari al Centro MariapoliWith gratitude for “her example of heroic faithfulness to God’s plan for her,” Focolare president Maria Voce, informed Focolare members around the world of her death following a long life spent in its entirety for unity. “Even in the pain of this huge loss,” said Maria Voce, “we are forever one heart and one soul with her.”

Gisella Calliari had been born in Lavis, Trent, Italy on April 18, 1920. She was simply known as Gis, one of the first young women, along with her sister, to follow Chiara Lubich in the “adventure of unity,” which led to the starting of the Focolare Movement and its expansion around the world. She was the youngest of three sisters and met Chiara in 1944 in that tiny apartment that lodged the first hearth in Piazza Cappuccini,Trent. The next day, she decided to follow Chiara along the same path. The first hostile reaction from her family was softened when her mother met Igino Giordani who hired Gisella to be his secretary in Rome.

During her long life, Gis spent more than 40 years living with Chiara. After living in several focolares in Italy – in Trent, Rome, Milan and Florence, she took charge of the women’s section of the focolarinas. Then, she worked alongside the foundress and Oreste Basso in following the development of the Work of Mary worldwide. This provided her with the opportunity to visit Focoare communities around the world. Her whole life was very profoundly linkded to the charism of unity, to which she was faithful until the last.

Focolare.org will soon publish a more extensive biography.

4 Comments

  • Grazie Gis per la tua vita! Auitaci di vivere come te…la tua fedelta’ , radicalita’ nel vivere l’Ideale, la tua immediatezza nel vivere la volonta’ di Dio nel momento presente…salutami tanto a Chiara e tutti nostri li in Paradiso…auitaci di vivere come hai amato sempre Gesu Abbandonato per fare risplendere Gesu’ in mezzo!!! cosi Chiara e’ presente sempre nel nostro focolare! Grazie Gis! 🙂

  • Grazie Gis, sei stata un dono per tutte noi.
    Continua a donarci la tua presenza dalla Mariapoli Celeste e con Chiara e Tutti i Mariapoliti, cresca sempre più in noi e fra noi … l’Amore per Gesù.
    Unico, Nostro, Sommo Bene!

  • Doou-nos o Ideal puro! Permanecemos juntas na Alma.
    Que consigamos deixar à humanidade um rastro da Luz de Deus, como e com ela no Carisma
    Um imenso obrigado. Saúde Chiara por nós!

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