Re-opening of the Centre of Spirituality “Vinea Mea”

Oct 19, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide

Situated near Loppiano (in the vicinity of Florence), Vinea Mea is a school of communion and of dialogue at which, during its more than 30 years of existence, has been a centre of formation to more than 4,000 priests, deacons and seminarians (Catholics and members of other churches) from more than 60 countries. “Vinea Mea,” as Fr Imre Kiss, responsible for the Centre, explains, “offers a permanent formation in the light of the spirituality of communion of the Focolare Movement. The school, which lasts for a year, foresees courses on spirituality, theology, anthropology, ecclesiology, aside from workshops on current issues (youth, family, communications, dialogue with cultures and religions). Through the sharing of life in small communities, it aims to answer to the needs expressed by many priests to concretely experience a spirituality based on communion so as to transmit it to the men and women of our times.” The Centre works in synergy with similar structures in as many little cities of the Focolare: in Poland, Kenya, Brazil, in the Philippines, in Argentina. For 5 years now it has promoted, among other things, annual courses and workshops for seminary educators to support and spread a priestly lifestyle based on communion. A school centred on the formation to a spirituality of communion, as evidenced by the Second Vatican Council, so as to be “ministers capable of warming the hearts of the people, of walking in the darkness with them, of starting a dialogue with their illusions and delusions, of recomposing their disintegration” (Pope Francis to the bishops of Brazil, July 27, 2013). A unified formation for priests and seminarians that places at the centre the fraternity lived in the Church and among the people. These are some of the themes in the convention to be held on October 22, with which the 2013/14 course of the Center is to be inaugurated, in the antique Franciscan convent of the XVI century that houses it, and which was recently restored and renovated by the Centro Ave Arte, so as to better serve the experience of a communitarian life. At the Convention among those who will speak are, Maria Voce, president of the Focolare Movement, Msgr. Mario Meini, bishop of Fiesole and Fr Imre Kiss, the Director of the Centre. Live streaming of the event: 22 October, from 4.00 to 7.00pm (Italian time). For more information: accoglienza.vineamea@gmail.com

Euthanasia issue: an experience from Australia

Oct 18, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide

I’ve been given the opportunity to spend time visiting the terminally ill at home as part of the Special Ministry in our parish, and have seen and experienced quite a few things in the past 25 years of doing so with regard to the sick and dying.

This email came late one afternoon from an ex-colleague of mine. It was like a bolt out of the blue:

“Guess you have never been asked this before (…). I know I have no right to ask this of you but I am searching my conscience and really need help for an answer. I have been asked to escort ‘someone’ to Switzerland to be with him/her as they die. I am sure you know about the euthanasia program that is available there.* The person’s life is a misery, no hope of returning to a so called normal life….he/she has no religious beliefs and has no possibility of returning to a reasonable life… Personally, I have no religious beliefs, so your honesty would be appreciated. If it helps it is a family member I am talking about.”

I sat and read it over, I think, probably 4-5 times before I started to think about an answer. How do you answer such a painful cry for help? What sprang to mind was the “thought of the day” I was living with my Focolare friends:  “Free yourself totally in order to be the living will of God”. But how could I live it? I tried to concentrate on living the present moment, putting aside everything else in order to take onto myself the burden of the person who was asking for my help. I prayed to God for courage to say with sincerity what I was feeling in my heart, without any fear.

All I did was to share my thoughts as asked. I also shared some brief experiences I have personally made with the dying and their families over the past 25 years, that includes the sufferings, the joys and the triumphs. And then I said I wouldn’t take the path her relative had chosen and the reasons why from the depths of my heart, and gave her some contacts in Palliative Care close to her.

My friend, who has always remained grateful for my help, recently let me know that she had shared my thoughts with her relative who decided to consult the resources I had given her and not to go to Switzerland, choosing the palliative care option instead.  In fact she spent nearly 2 years making peace within the family.

R.L. (Australia)

Cameroon: Taking risks for the common good

Oct 17, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide

Patience Mollè Lobè (Cameroon) is a 56-year-old widow, the first woman to hold the position of Vice-Director at the Minister of Public Works in her country. Her story is marked by commitment to her people, which is rooted in a deep evangelical lifestyle. Her decision has led her to begin a foundation for helping teenage girls at risk; promote Economy of Communion projects and help citizens become aware and actively involved in promoting progress in the country. Her decision has also won her some enemies. She has received several death threats, but remains unrelenting in her efforts.       

 “I came to know about the Ideal of unity in 1977,” she explains, “while attending high school. I had always been accustomed to seeing religious sisters teaching catechism, but this time it was a simple woman. Athough she had a nice way of relating to people and this appealed to me: she was a focolarina. I wanted to know more about her life and was invited to her home, the focolare. I left that encounter with one idea in my head: the importance of loving, of serving everyone. My first move was to prepare the food for my aunt, even though I had never liked to cook.”

When her teenage years with the Gen ended, she decided to spend a year and a half in the Focolare’s permanent Mariapolis in Fontem, Cameroon, because, as she explains, “before going to university I was looking for a deep spiritual experience that would help me lay solid foundations for my life.”

She was the only woman in the School of Engineering. “During the last year at university,” Patience continues, “I was engaged to a young man from my region, and we were soon married. God never gave us children, but we didn’t take this as a loss because we involved ourselves in serving the community on many different fronts: in activities of the EoC and in a foundation for teenage girls at risk. Then, unexpectedly, my husband, who had always been so athletic and healthy, began to suffer stomach problems and a few months later died at the age of 55.”

Now a widow, she carried out her role as Head of Service for the Ministry of Public Works until the Governor wanted her at the Secretariat of the Commission of Public Affairs. “But after a few years,” she recounts, “I saw that corruption had infiltrated the environment, and so I resigned. Then, totally unexpectedly I was promoted as Sub-Director. I tried to carry out this new service according to my Christian principles,” Patience explains “even though it wasn’t easy.”

“A year later, in 2007, I was promoted as Vice-Director of the Ministry of Public Works in the wealthiest area. It was the first time a woman had ever held this position. But the threats quickly began. A few colleagues felt as if their hands were tied; they couldn’t do things as they had before my arrival.  They tried to force me into making mistakes, presenting budgets for work plans that contained errors. I had to thoroughly review each and every contract before signing the grants. I received several anonymous phone calls. One day while I was away in the city 5 people tried to break into my home, 15 km from Douala. The security guard was able to stop them. There would be people loitering around the entrance to my property, which I would report to the police. The police told me to keep them informed of each of my movements. My life became impossible.”

Meanwhile, the Minister, seeing Patience’s ability to help people to work together, wished to transfer her to the Ministry. She was weary from the battle, but “I realized that I had to still ‘give my life for my people.’ I accepted the position as director in order to bring the spirit of the Gospel into that difficult environment, remaining firm against illegality. I carried on because I didn’t have any personal interest. It was my way of contributing something to my country. Now, even though I’m officially retired, I preside at a commission of public affairs. I’ve evaluated hundreds of cases, so that public funds are not be used illegally.”

“The next day, after the nominations were listed, during the night I awoke to a pistol at my neck. . . Even though she was considered the better candidate, without explanation the post was taken by another. “Nevertheless, I went house by house, encouraging people to get out and vote, and this created a nice family atmosphere in my home which, meanwhile had become campaign headquarters. On election day there was another threat: Five armed military men came to my house in search of me. . . but they didn’t find me. I had been warned by the authorities.

The election results would arrive a few days later. Her party would probably win, but Patience says that her goal had already been reached: to work for the good of the country, despite the results; and overcoming the fear and threats witht he strength of the Gospel.

Interview of October 12, 2013 at the international Volunteers Centre of the Focolare Movement, Grottaferrata, Italy

Economy on a human scale

Oct 12, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide

“God writes straight on crooked lines;” we only need to abandon ourselves to his love, despite spite of our limitations.” These were the concluding words of business owner Livio Bertola from Cuneo, Italy during an interview of September 30, 2013 with journalist Gabriella Facondo on the Nel cuore dei giorni show on Italy’s TV 2000.

Livio tells how as a young military man in Rome, he felt a calling in a meeting with a priest from his area, a subtle call which later he felt even stronger when he met the Focolare in 1995. From that moment the spirituality of unity became a way of life for Livio, which spread to his family and also relationships at the company that from then on operated according to the principles of the Economy of Communion (EoC) , leading to unexpected and often surprising results.

The meeting with Chiara Lubich in 1995

Founded in 1946 by Antonio, Livio’s father and two uncles, Bertola srl is a leader in the chromium plating industry. It has about 30 employees and its customers include: Ferrari, Volvo, Kia, Nissan, Ducati, Guzzi and Piaggio. In 1991 Livio took the helm in running the company and four years later, in 1995, there was a big change. Livio recounts: “In the 90s when I heard talk of the Economy of Communion, I wanted to understand it more deeply.” Livio went to Loppiano, a Focolare town near Florence. There he met Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement: “I heard her speak to a group of people composed of non-believers, agnostics and Christians. “The most important thing in life,” she said, “is to love. Love everyone; be the first to love; put yourself in the other person’s shoes. But most of all, love without any ulterior motives or self-interest.”

Livio’s life changed and the centrality of the human person urged him to look upon employees, suppliers, customers and even competitors, with different eyes. Even the firm’s internal operations no longer remained the same. “A genuine friendship was formed with each employee of the company,” Livio affirms, “which continued after working hours.”

A celebration with all the employees

Several employees are Muslim. Right from the start I had also proposed to them that we live the Golden Rule, which is respected by all religions and people of good will: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I often visited them in their homes, showing concern for their personal situations. “Before knowing you,” they told me, “here in Italy we felt like strangers. Today, after coming to know this evangelical love through you, we fell like we are in a family!” One time Livio came to learn of the situation of two non-Europeans. There wasn’t much work in his company at that moment, “but I wanted to trust in God,” he recounts, “and I hired them. For Siamo we were also able to find him a house and some furniture. For these young men life has changed for the better; but also for the company things have become better: almost inexplicably, someone placed a huge order that has enabled us to increase personnel.”

AIPEC’S National Board of Directors

And the crisis? “Naturally, try to find work alternatives in order to acquire new clientele,” says Livio, “but mostly I try to trust, focusing on fostering brotherly human relationships. Trying to do things right for others, you also end up doing them better, and the market notices. An example? One large company that had decided to leave us and give their production to a foreign company because of lower cost has now returned to us because it realizes that quality always wins.”

Bertola has been linked for many years to the network of businesses that adhere to the EoC and, in 2012, several EoC business people spread throughout Italy felt it would be opportune to found the Italian Association of Business Owners For An Economy of Communion (AIPEC). The group is open to anyone who adheres to the EoC. Livio Bertola was elected president of the Association (for information, www.aipec.it).

Augsburg and the challenge launched by Chiara Lubich

Oct 11, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide

On October 23, 1988 Chiara Lubich was awarded the Grand Feast for the Peace of Augsburg prize. Twenty five years later, on 20th September, 250 people met in the main hall of the prestigious Centre of the Lutheran Church in Augsburg. The audience included many personalities from civil society and the Church, members from the network of Christian communities affiliated with Together for Europe, as well as members of the Focolare Movement. Doing the honours was Lutheran Evangelical Deaconess, Susanne Kasch who gave a warm welcome declaring herself “proud that you have come to us.”

The purpose of the gathering was to assess the progress that has been made in 25 years. “Has the Focolare founder’s vision for our city remained a mere prophecy, or is there evidence that in the past 25 years some concrete steps towards unity and universal brotherhood have been made?” This question was the central theme of the event.

On October 23, 1988, Chiara Lubich had highlighted the importance of the city of Augsburg  as the city of peace and had encouraged everyone to look higher in bringing ahead the Augsburg Settlement (between Lutherans and Catholics) by aiming for Augsburg Unity.

Following an exhaustive report on the Focolare’s concrete involvement in the social, political and ecumenical field in Augsburg, Mayor Dr. Kurt Gribl spoke: “The very fact that we are all here asking ourselves how much we have corresponded to the vision expressed by Chiara Lubich is a sign that she was an example. . . In reality, in 1988 Chiara Lubich was only half way in her activity. It is enough to consider that in 1996 she went on to receive the UNESCO Peace Prize, and in 1998 the European Human Rights Award. Augsburg has indeed recognized and appreciated her talent for peace.” And he asked: “Have we succeeded in bringing about what she desired, a civil life that is based on Christian and religious life?”

The Mayor listed what had been accomplished towards the promotion of unity in the city over the past 25 years and especially brought out the great openness that has been shown to refugees who find Augsburg to be their second home. Currently people from 150 different lands are assisted and supported by a vast network of specialists in the immigration sector.

Several groups from the city, who are involved in social work, shared spontaneously regarding their work in welcoming and accompanying recent refugees from Syria. This experience regarding hospitality and welcome was very pleasing to the Mayor who concluded by saying: “Chiara Lubich’s vision, her message, fell on fertile ground. Therefore, Augsburg: a city journeying towards unity. A journey that is always unfolding; and may we never fail to be on the front lines of this journey.”

“The Flowery Path”: Living With Alzheimer’s

Oct 9, 2013 | Focolare Worldwide

“My mother, in her eighties, has begun to make steps on the flowery path: gradually she no longer thought, and saw things with the heart. Finally, her heart gave in and her pure eyes were all that remained. She’s often a child of six or seven and asks about her small friends; sometimes she weeps because of her longing to see her Mamma and Papa; but then she trustfully smiles as she steps in and out of the flowery path. Occasionally, following my Mother, I also step onto the flowery path, and the worrisome burdens of the world are turned into light clouds in the sky; I also become a mere flower within my mother’s secure enclosure.”

The award ceremony took place on September 16, 2013 in the Conference Hall of Coex a Seoul.

Right: Korean author, Maria Goretti Jeung