Today, 75 years ago, it all began

With her unconditional “yes” to God, Chiara Lubich carried out a simple, transformative act that continues to generate life, organizations and culture.

On December 7, 1943 Chiara gave her life to God for always. In 2002 she told some Focolare kids about that cold morning 75 years ago, when she had no intention at all of founding anything.
“I had married God! I expected everything of him.”

Today more than 2 million people have embraced her spirituality, which has gone beyond geographic and cultural borders worldwide. What happens when someone’s life path comes across Chiara Lubich’s spirituality? We asked Maria Celeste Mancuso and Arthur Ngoy – she’s from Argentina, he’s from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Maria Celeste (teacher): “I got to know about Focolare during the military dictatorship in my country. My 24-year-old brother had been taken and executed, and my family was destroyed by the pain. That was when I met a group of young people from the Focolare who spoke to me about Jesus’ cry of anguish on the cross, and how I could unite my own pain to his. I found the strength to forgive my brother’s killers, and I chose to respond to the call to love everyone, just as Jesus had. Professionally I dedicated myself to teaching young people with disabilities, not just to offer them cultural foundations, but to restore their dignity and respect. Today I no longer feel Argentinian or even South American; I belong to a new culture that views someone else, someone different, as a sibling and that reads history as a journey towards fulfilling universal fraternity.”

Arthur (doctor): “I had recently lost some friends in an accident that I had been in. I was at rock bottom, and it was during that time that I heard about Chiara, how she had discovered God’s love during the absurdity of World War II. I understood that my life could also be guided by the Gospel. So I decided to not give in to extortion and corruption, which is so common in my country, and to carry out my profession as a doctor, putting the good of patients above all else. One of the most difficult times of my life was in 2007: my oldest son was killed after an accident. It was an episode that, in African culture, was open to a number of interpretations. There were those who advised that I get a divorce, quit work or even leave my country. Only certainty in what Chiara had taught me – keep loving – helped me to overcome this ordeal and once again find peace at home. I want to thank Chiara for having brought the spirituality of unity to the African continent.”

 Stefania Tanesini