Lia Brunet met Chiara Lubich in Trent, Italy in 1945. In 1958, together with Fiore Ungaro, a focolarina from Rome, and Marco Tecilla, the first focolarino, she made the first trip outside European boundaries. They were years of great social unrest throughout Latin America. During that trip the first knots were tied of a network of love that would produce spiritual and social renewal in those countries where Lia went on to spend 44 years of her life in limitless self-giving. On Christmas Day 2004 Lia turned 87. On the following February 5th she left for the next life.

The first trip to Latin America was a leap into the unknown. Visiting the poor districts of Trent together with Chiara, Lia had experienced the Gospel’s transforming and propelling force on society. During their first12 intense months in Latin America, Marco, Fiore and Lia visited Recife, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Santiago, Chile. Lia described their strategy in her book “Diario di un Viaggio” (translated as “Diary of a Journey”) with these words: “Ours is also a revolution, which makes use of the most powerful weapon – the Love brought by Jesus on earth. As did St. Paul, we speak of putting on the “new man,” and doing away with our “former selves.” Ours too is a matter of life and death: its aim is: “that all may be one.”