Another year at Loreto School has come to an end and the families have returned to their homes in Brazil, Cameroon and the Czech Republic enriched by a gift that will never be wiped away but shared with the world around them. That doesn’t mean that Loreto School is now on vacation: it continues through the summer months. In the month of July there was series of families that showed up from several regions of Italy, Europe and other countries like Korea, Vietnam and Philippines for a period of vacation in the spirit of the Focolare. They lived and experienced the communion of goods. One donated a new lawn mower, which was useful in trimming the green areas around the lodgings. Another donated an electric sander that was used to brighten up the framing, doors and benches. . . Working together to fix up the flats, welcome the families, cut the grass and prune the trees, created an atmosphere of communion, lightened the work and created a sense of joy. People passing through Loppiano also got to shared in that family atmosphere and wanted to learn more about Loreto School and the New Families Movement. There were also opportunities for couples to discuss family issues in a relaxed setting with the help of experts, and the opportunity to take part in events at the permanent Mariapolis. There were many meals in the open air, field trips, moments for relaxation together – all in an atmosphere of evangelical brotherhood which is the law of Loppiano where Loreto School is located. One family from France was there on July 14th in Nice, the day of the terrible massacre along the sea, but they had fortunately decided to watch the fireworks on a hill overlooking the city. This experience taught them that life is a gift, and they felt called to spend the rest of their lives together spreading love to others. When it came time to leave Loppiano, the families, one by one, expressed their wish to return for the same experience next year, saying that despite the hard work they felt completely restored!
Student accommodation “I live with six other students in a rented flat. We divided the chores and cleaning shifts,but Franz was not helping out and thus created tension in the group. I tried in vain to remind him. One day, precisely his family was coming to visit, and as an act of love for them, I started cleaning the bathrooms and also Franz’s room. His parents and sister were so pleased with the order they found that before leaving, they went to shop for loads of food that filled the fridge. Since then Franz has become very thoughtful and caring towards others. (F.F. – Austria) The poor helping the poor “That couple was extremely poor and ashamed of it, and their worries reached a peak with the arrival of their first son. The love of other friends warmed their hearts. Struck by the story of an equally poor family, but that believed that God who is a Father never abandons his children, they thought of sharing some of their food with another poor family. And the next day to their surprise, they saw all sorts of foodstuff arriving at their doorstep. In addition, there were also the things their son needed, a cradle, baby clothes, bathtub….…” (J.E. – Brazil) Praying for rain “That evening I felt very tired and wanted to tell the kids to say their night prayers by themselves in the room so I could immediately go to bed. But John, our eldest, asked if we could say the rosary to pray for rain: in fact, it hadn’t rained for a long time and the corn and sweet potatoes we had planted really needed it. To our surprise, that same night it started to rain and continued up to the afternoon of the next day.” (B. M. – Uganda) The armchairs “In our place, most parents incur so many debts for the weddings of their daughters and consequently have to work all their lives to paythem. For my wedding I made my parents spend as little as possible, confiding in Divine Providence. One day I went with my mom to the furniture shop. At the end he said,«Usually the other girls are never satisfied with what they find… but you are different. I would like to ask you to pray for my son who is very sick.». I assured him that I would do so, and he gave me two armchairs as a wedding gift: it was exactly what I needed.” (C. J. – Pakistan).
“It’s the day after the earthquake that shook central Italy. As we write, the number of victims has reached 247 people and is rising. Many were children because they are often left with their grandparents during the summer months in Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata and Pescara Tonto. More than 4,000 people have had to leave their homes in the two regions most damaged by the quake: Lazio and Marche. The aftershocks never end.” “The real face of this growing tragedy is the generosity of the many volunteers that arrived on the scene immediately and in great numbers, working non-stop at digging, first with their bare hands, then with buckets and finally with more sophisticated equipment. The willingness of the local people was also immediate providing basic needs, standing in lines for hours at the hospital to donate blood and to sleeping in tents in order to continue offering help and comfort.” “Ever since yesterday at 3:30 when we were awakened by the first shock, we have been directly following events in constant contact with the many people of the Movement that live in these regions. We were glad to hear about the Gen and his grandfather who were removed alive from the rubble; also the father-in-law and sister-in-law of a married focolarina. We were holding our breath all day long wondering about Rita, her niece and nephew – fourteen year old Elisa, twelve year old Gabriele and their grandmother who were still buried in the rubble. In the evening we received a message from their mother: “They all went to Jesus.” Other members of the Movement who were vacationing in Amatrice managed to reach safety.” “For all of us it was an opportunity to pull together in unity and live for others. From Umbria they write: “Thank you for your prayers and unity that have spread like a chain through the whole Movement in Umbria and supported us during this night of fear and trembling. Hearing that we were all alive made us thank God, and then our thoughts went to the ones who were still trapped beneath the rubble and to those who had lost everything. The fact of going online supported us and allowed us to follow events in the worst areas in real time. Elisabetta from Assisi told us that our message arrived at precisely the worst moment and brought her peace. We feel like a family more than ever. The Gen are online ready to offer support and are in the process of going into the worst hit cities to offer help. The adults are also willing to get involved concretely. Meanwhile, we promise to pray for those families that have suffered great loss.” “Right away messages were being sent out that told of the needs and the possibilities of assistance, primarily with the help of the Civil Protection and others. In Ascoli where we work alongside other associations, we began a clothing drive. The same was true in Lazio where the people from Abruzzese who are experts after the earthquake of Aquila (2009), mapped out lodging sites for the evacuees. Other regions have also offered lodging.” “We continue to stay connected with everyone and gradually understand how we can concretely respond to all this suffering in which we see the “face” of Jesus Forsaken.”
Messages have been pouring in at the website following the earthquake near Amatrice and Norcia, between the provinces of Rieti and Ascoli Piceno in central Italy. Some tell about extracting a grandfather from the rubble safe and sound; others about rushing a cousin to hospital where they are still waiting. Some express their deep distress over what has happened, while others are trying to help or at least be close to friends and acquaintances who have suffered damage and casualties.” So writes the editor of Città Nuova, the Focolare’s press office in Italy, about the strong 6.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred between the villages of Norcia and Amatrice. The Focolare Movement worldwide expresses its closeness to the populations that were hit by the earthquake in central Italy and offers prayers for the victims, their families and everyone who has suffered material or moral harm. Some Focolare members are all ready at the scene working together with many other volunteers in the arduous task of rescuing people from the ruins and trying to comfort those who have lost loved ones. Coordinated assistance has begun and contributions can be made to the following accounts: CAUSE:Emergenza Terremoto Italia
Contributions made to either of these accounts for the earthquake emergency cause will be jointly administrated by the Focolare’s Action for a United World (AMU) and New Families Association (AFN). There are tax benefits attached to such contributions in many countries of the European Union and in other countries.
To hear them talk they sound like small heroes, but they don’t feel that they are. They simply believe they are doing the right thing. We not only refer to the established business people from the Economy of Communion (EoC), but also the 30 young aspirants who jumped body and soul into a 5-day adventure of sharing. Thanks to the EoC, Xandra managed to overcome the difficult period her family was going through when she was a teenager, and now she is the one hiring a pair of teenagers in her own beauty salon where she tries to build relationships of reciprocity with customers, suppliers and the society around her. Dalila had to close her business but then was able to get back on her feet and start over again. She swears that despite the crisis in Brazil she isn’t experiencing any of its effects. She says that this is because of the “secret partner” which is how the EoC refers to God’s providential intervention. It is a requirement in a summer school for business owners to talk about their failures and learn from each other, especially since the values of the EoC are not often understood by people outside that world. This was the case with Germán e Matías whose projects were ruined and earnings lost because of dishonest partners. The programme that was largely comprised of question-and-answer sessions offered a presentation of the EoC that highlighted the cultural novelty of the project, given by philosopher Cecilia Blanco; the secret of how to overcome difficulties “without fleeing from problems” by building contractor Raúl Di Lascio; a proposal on how to distribute profits and have the foresight to avoid creating dependency in the people that receive assistance; knowing how to distinguish between healthy ambition and status and being well-off. Yamil from Mexico explained the way he managed to involve thirty business owners, young like himself, in promoting interaction. The university noticed that their projects were serious and provided them with resources and know-how. Their “active networking” project that includes fortnightly meetings where personal knowledge can be shared that provide interesting topics for discussion is being welcomed with enthusiasm and results precisely because of the way it creates commercial and operative synergies. Luis Alonso from Mexico presented the new EoC-IIN Economy of Communion International Incubating Network. The “school trip” included a visit to the San Miguel di Capiatà quarter’s Focolare social project, the EoC’s Dispensa Santa Rita and Todo Brillo businesses. All were quite impressed by the children from the Unipar School of San Miguel who seemed to shine with the love they learn (and teach!) using the Dice of Love, and by the young and old people in that neighbourhood who have become masters of their own destiny thanks to the efficacious efforts at empowerment. Julio and Ninfa run the Dispensa Santa Rita in the popular quarter of Areguá. In order to avoid smuggling they never purchase basic need items in the city of Clorinda on the Argentinean border, but “give up time” arranging local goods in packages that are more appropriately priced for their customers. This made Matías from Paraguay remark: “I understood that the size of a business doesn’t lie in its revenue, but in the values that are lived inside that business.” Uruguayan professor Juan José Medeiros gave a presentation on Wealth and Poverty in the EoC” and Paraguayan historian Diana Durán brought an original touch with her presentation on the similarities between the EoC and the social and economic culture of the Guaraní indigenous people whose lineage can be traced back to the very roots of Paraguay. There was a long and stimulating Skype conversation with Luigi Bruni, Anouk Grevin and Luca Crivelli from the EoC’s Central Commission, and another discussion with Rebeca Gomez Tafalla and Florencia Locascio from EoC-inn which concluded the programme.Upcoming events: September conference in Salta, Argentina; EoC-INN, in Cuba. Source:EoC online
Another year at Loreto School has come to an end and the families have returned to their homes in Brazil, Cameroon and the Czech Republic enriched by a gift that will never be wiped away but shared with the world around them. That doesn’t mean that Loreto School is now on vacation: it continues through the summer months. In the month of July there was series of families that showed up from several regions of Italy, Europe and other countries like Korea, Vietnam and Philippines for a period of vacation in the spirit of the Focolare. They lived and experienced the communion of goods. One donated a new lawn mower, which was useful in trimming the green areas around the lodgings. Another donated an electric sander that was used to brighten up the framing, doors and benches. . . 
Student accommodation “I live with six other students in a rented flat. We divided the chores and cleaning shifts,but Franz was not helping out and thus created tension in the group. I tried in vain to remind him. One day, precisely his family was coming to visit, and as an act of love for them, I started cleaning the bathrooms and also Franz’s room. His parents and sister were so pleased with the order they found that before leaving, they went to shop for loads of food that filled the fridge. Since then Franz has become very thoughtful and caring towards others. (F.F. – 
