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2 Oct 2012 | Focolare Worldwide
Brulica la vita at the Loppiano Farmstead (Fattoria Loppiano), in Tuscany’s Chianti hills, has been teeming with life during this harvest season. Also in the surrounding areas which have historically been the location for other important farmsteads that over time have made this place flourish agriculturally and in the development of the local community. The arrival of the Focolare in Loppiano, in the mid 1970’s was a noticeable boost in the development of the region, also with the construction of the Cooperativa Loppiano Prima, in 1973 which, in nearly forty years, has had surprising developments. “The Loppiano Farmstead was begun in 2004 in order to put the well-known Cooperativa Loppiano Prima on track with new Italian legislation on agricultural cooperatives,” recounts Giorgio Balduzzi, who is the general director of the Farmstead. “The Cooperative sold its strictly agricultural activities to a new company formed by the worker-members. Thus was born the Loppiano Farmstead of which the Cooperative is a majority supporting member.” Beginning with the numbers: the farm consists of 200 hectares of land, distributed among vineyards, olive groves and arable land used for certified organic planting. Products include those typical of the Tuscan hills: Chianti wine, vin santo, grappa, cereals such as barley and durum wheat pasta. In addition there are 5,000 olive trees of different varieties, which yield extra virgin olive oil obtained by cold pressing. 
In recent years, some apartments have been renovated to be used for agricultural tourists. With their local Tuscan décor, they offer warm and welcoming accommodations for visitors to the farmstead. Aside from the guest lodgings, the farmstead also offers other amenities: pool, mountain-biking, private tennis lessons and tours of the farm with opportunities to enjoy its tasty products. Staying overnight on the farm allows for more daytime activities at the “teaching farm” for student guests from primary and secondary schools, universities, families and groups from other European countries. Staying overnight at the business company will enable a guest to take part in activities in the “production, sales and profit, but also the foretelling “Economy of Communion” with its emphasis on fraternity and reciprocity. How do these words come together in reference to the experience of the Cooperative and on the Farmstead? Giorgio Balduzzin continues: “At the basis of it all is the will to bring about a new way of running a business based on listening to one another and understanding, welcoming the ideas of others even when they are different from ones’ own; showing respect for others and accepting diversity as an enrichment of thought, having a collegial outlook for the good of the business.” This challenge is not something that is taken for granted. There are difficult moments as well, “moments in which we have to remember the reason why we are working together, respecting and coordinating our roles, the hierarchy; setting as our target every morning fraternity, which is the foundation of our choice in life.” Despite the present crisis, the peace for moving forward is the fruit of important experiences, which have been aimed at appreciating and valuing people’s talents, personal relationships and the goods of the business. Thanks to this open sharing of problems, a vital and propelling energy is injected into the group which makes each worker be part of a united body, capable of finding innovative solutions that look to the future, and are faithful to the Gospel in the concrete events of each day. Compiled by Paolo Balduzzi
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1 Oct 2012 | Focolare Worldwide
‘The spirituality of unity or of communion gave me the chance to understand and live with greater self-giving the sublime vocation of baptism, my consecration as a friar, as a priest and a bishop.’ These words, summing up his work for God and the Focolare contribution to it, contain the spiritual memorial of Msgr Lucas Donnelly, the bishop of Deán Funes in Argentina who died on 31 August at the age of 91. For twelve years he lived in the Focolare little town (Lia) in O’Higgins, which is 250 km from Buenos Aires. A lover of classical music, especially Chopin, he was for many a real witness to the love of Christ in the last and difficult moments of his life. ‘I am losing my memory,’ he confided, ‘but I find tremendous comfort in prayer and meditation.’ He was born in 1921 of Irish parents, the last of six children. When he was still a child he felt the longing to give himself totally to God. For his consecration to God he chose the Mecedarian Order with its specific vocation to free people from every kind of contemporary slavery. He became master and guide of his community during the closing years of dictatorship in Argentina. Bishop Donnelly showed a pastoral respect for each person’s freedom of spirit. He was also a man of great intellectual clarity. He understood ‘that an important change was about to happen in the Church … that would come about under that form of and be sealed by the Second Vatican Council. I always like experiencing new things, without losing sight of the most important,’ which is to say, love for God. At the end of the 50s he met the Focolare Movement and got know its founder, Chiara Lubich, personally. He did a great deal to make the charism of unity known to many and to develop the branch of the bishop friends of the ‘Work of Mary’. In 1980 he was made bishop of Deán Funes and he was ordained bishop by Pope John Paul II. He said of the Pope: ‘I had a deep relationship with him. Every time I went to Rome I met him personally. I was presented to him in twenty audiences. After a year at Claritas, the international centre for religious at Loppiano, near Florence in Italy, he became a bishop citizen of the Focolare little town called Lia in Argentina, where he lived for twelve years. When he went there, Chiara Lubich wrote to him: ‘Welcome to the first little town that has the joy and honour of welcoming as one its inhabitants a successor of the Apostles, a bishop who has given so much to the Church.’ In a passage of his spiritual memorial Bishop Donnelly told of his experience there: ‘In this centre I have come to know what love means as a living experience, what it means to live with “Jesus in the midst” in every moment and circumstance of daily life. Like this I have been able to understand better the mystery of Jesus Forsaken, the key to unity with God and among people, and I have discovered my brothers and sisters as a sure path to union with God.’ Today many people remember him. He was a hard worker in the little town and, at the same time, a quiet presence pointing others to follow Christ, fulfilling perfectly what Chiara Lubich had written to him twelve years ago: ‘With the your presence and your wisdom, Jesus in the midst will grow in the little town and will shine out still more splendidly.’
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28 Sep 2012 | Focolare Worldwide
‘From the moment I learned that last year was going to be dedicated to living the Word,’ Maria told us, ‘I thought about when I got to know the Movement as a girl. Chiara Lubich encouraged us to write the Gospel with our lives. In the month of March we were living the words: ‘Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’ (John 6:68) and in her commentary Chiara affirmed that when the words of Jesus are lived they change our way of thinking and acting. Well, some workers came to do a job in our garage. One of the people in our apartment block, who did not know they were coming, was upset and moaned at the plumber. By chance I found myself in the middle of the discussion and I tried to make peace. I spoke with our neighbour to explain why the work needed doing and I spoke with the worker to explain why my neighbour was complaining. The tension was broken and calm restored.’
Luigi continued, ‘One of our daughters was having difficulty in one subject when the teacher changed. The problem affected a lot of them in the class, and many parents got involved criticizing the teacher. We thought we should do something to quieten things down. The words from the Gospel: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49) helped us to have the right attitude with everyone – our daughter, the other parents and the teacher. We took on the responsibility of writing letters, meeting with parents and the principal, speaking to the teacher, listening to everyone’s explanations and trying to get everyone to move to a constructive dialogue. It would appear there was no happy ending, because about half the class fell behind in the subject. It seems to us, though, that it was a chance to bring a different spirit into the school and, above all, we shared this “defeat” with our daughter, helping her overcome the obstacle, ready with her to respect her teacher and praying also for him every evening.’
Maria spoke again, ‘In May one of our daughters was diagnosed with a dangerous tumour. It was a shock: why does God ask this of us? We were confused … it was not easy to go beyond our pain. The Word was a help to us yet again and bit by bit we tried to accept deeply what God was asking of us. My relationship with Luigi and with our daughters grew stronger. We felt the love of many people who shared the suspense of this experience of with us. The operation went well. In the room with Letizia – I was able to be with her the whole time she was in hospital – there was a woman whose family lived a long way off. She hadn’t eaten for days because of the treatment she was having. The Word of Life for that month was: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27). I felt I could offer her this “food” through what I said and little acts of service. One day I lent her the magazine New City and later on I saw that she was reading the Word Life column in it.’
‘When summer came,’ continued Luigi, ‘we went back to the town where we were born. There was family trouble awaiting us. One of Maria’s aunts needed a lot of medical treatment and her was husband sick in hospital; both of them were elderly and they had no children. Maria’s uncle was fully aware how ill he was. We stayed with him right up to the moment of his death. We spent several moments in the last few nights whispering prayers in his ear. It seemed to us that bit by bit he was prepared for his meeting with God.’
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25 Sep 2012 | Focolare Worldwide
Three halls linked together, 3000 people and live streaming – these things show the tremendous sense of expectation caused by the launch of a book-long interview with the Focolare Movement’s President, Maria Voce. She gave a full response to questions across the board from the journalists Michele Zanzucchi and Paolo Lòriga (respectively the director and the chief editor of the twice monthly magazine Città Nuova). ‘What are the focolarini thinking after Chiara Lubich’s death? Are there progressives and conservatives? Do they seek positions of influence in the Church and in politics? Are they just superficial “hail fellow well met” types who smile too much?’ The title of the book, La scommesa di Emmaus, translates as Emmaus’s Challenge. It was previewed and presented on 22 September in a conversation between the Focolare President and Lucetta Scaraffia (historian and leader writer for the Osservatore Romano) and Marco Politi (author and leader writer for Il Fatto Quotidiano). Scaraffia and Politi were eager to grasp the opportunity of speaking with Maria Voce in person and the interview ranged over the most varied topics: how the Movement can cope with developing a public image after a period of going unnoticed; the need for the Focolare to be involved with big issues such as the promotion of the laity; ecumenism; inter-religious dialogue and dialogue with people with non-religious convictions; women; euthanasia; the family; work; Muslims in Europe; Chiara Lubich’s charism as a woman seen as a gift for the Church; the diminishing number of focolarini making a radical life choice in comparison with the numbers of people in the whole of the Movement; and still more items. 
Maria Voce seemed to feel she was in her own living room with a couple of friends. She was unruffled and replied without hesitation and with clarity: ‘We are not suffering the sickness of trying to hide ourselves, we just don’t think it important to seek publicity for ourselves. We would prefer, in fact, people to get to know whatever positive things we manage to inject into human affairs. As Maria Voce I don’t feel that I have significant things to say, but as the Focolare Movement I do.’ ‘Lay people don’t need encouragement, rather they need to be left free to act in the Church context with greater trust,’ she says in the book. This statement, particularly appreciated by Scaraffia, was the basis for reflecting upon the laity and upon women: ‘Chiara liked to say that women have, as their specific characteristic, a greater capacity for loving and suffering. This is seen most clearly in motherhood. And so I would say that women have, in a particular way, the capacity to build the family…. In a Church that wishes to be more and more a family, to be communion, the summary of all the aspirations of humanity, women have an important role. But, as Chiara always said, I am convinced that women and men are equally responsible before God. In the Gospel it is written: ‘There is neither man nor woman, neither Jew nor Greek’ and so the important thing is that both women and men should become what they should be, that is, Christ in the Church.’ After a musical break Marco Politi suggested that ‘a focolare of dialogue’ (that is, a space to discuss in the spirit of the Focolare) should be set up. Here there would be the possibility of reflecting regularly upon the big questions. Maria Voce fired back, ‘This is a challenge more than a question. It would be more in keeping with our style, our way of doing things, because it wouldn’t be so much sharing big ideas together, but experiences, as has been done lately, for instance, in the two-day “LoppianoLab”. The witness we would like to give is of our relationship with the person next to us, not with great systems of thought.’ 
On the ‘question of the construction of mosques, for example, I believe that the most important thing is that Muslims feel they are welcomed and understood by Christians also in their way of expressing their religious life.’ Maria Voce continued saying that the Movement does indeed think about the big questions, according to its own style, which brings people together, in a living experience. ‘For instance, in a school, in a hospital, people from the Movement get together and they share their experiences of doing things in a Christian manner. From life itself there comes about a reflection that generates the specific initiatives to be taken together and an outline of the thinking behind them that can then also be offered.’ ‘The charism in itself has the answers. The questions change according to the times. New questions demand new ways for formulating the answers which, nonetheless, are present in the charism.’ On ecumenism: ‘I believe it is a difficult journey. It’s shameful for all Christians to be divided. If we are aware of it, we suffer. And all of us sharing in the same suffering cannot but make us do what is needed to overcome the division. Like this it is possible that steps towards unity, despite the effort, will be made. To reach unity it is necessary, for all of us, to know how to lose things, and this costs. We believe that the Movement’s role is precisely to put itself into the crack of this division.’ ‘We must keep on the journey! I believe it is something we all have to search for together.’ On the small number of focolarini: ‘Precisely because it is a radical choice, being consumed in unity – which means loving one another, losing oneself completely in the other, so that God may be among us – is a demanding choice and not everyone is called to it, even if the choice of God is made by everyone in the Movement.’ And in conclusion: ‘What interests us is that the idea of universal brotherhood should progress. It is God who guides history, so we shouldn’t be afraid.’ The hour passed in a moment. Among the three of the stage and the 3000 in the hall a sympathy had been built up and no one wanted to disturb. But by this time ‘Emmaus’s challenge’ had been offered and had been accepted.
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24 Sep 2012 | Focolare Worldwide
Four days to talk about economy, culture, politics, the region and the young. Many concrete examples of “active citizenship” were shared at LoppianoLab in a programme that unfolded in workshops, seminars, testimonies by business people, an area for the Economy of Communion, courses on political involvement by the Political Movement of Unity and the Sophia University Institute. A close-up on “what the focolarini think now that Chiara Lubich is gone” through a presentation of the new book, La scommessa di Emmaus (the challenge of Emmaus), an interview with Focolare president Maria Voce. An early count of the participants places the number at around 3,000 people from every Italian region, plus another 5,000 who were linked up via internet with the different moments of the programme. Some came to Loppiano for the day. One social network had allowed the social network public to interact in the events, involving 300,000 contacts.
The major topics that were discussed included electoral law, interculturalism, legality, art, sustainable development and many others that were presented in fifteen laboratories that led to the Saturday afternoon event, entitled “Italia Europa. Un unico cantiere tra giovani, lavoro, innovazione” (Italy, Europe, a single field between youth, work and innovation). A lively discussion followed with experts on economy, training and Europe in which the young people were very involved in making a contribution toward the rebirth of Italy.
Regarding the realtionships among the generations, journalist Tiziana Ferrario riterated the importance of growing together – young people and adults – in a mutual exchange between passion and experience. “There is a more need for a Europe of the citizens,” declared Paolo Ponzano, counselor of the European Special Commission. His words were echoed by economist Stefano Zamagni, recalling the need for a more mature democracy at an international level, in which the citizens participate daily in the management of public affairs.
A high moment was the double interview with Maria voce, president of the Focolare, who has just been named an auditor of the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization, who responded to the questions of Lucetta Scaraffia (Osservatore Romano)and Marco Politi (Il Fatto quotidiano), on issues facing the Church and society: the role of women, interreligous dialogue and relations with those of “different beliefs”.
At LoppianoLab citizens, experts and professionals spoke of Italy in crisis, but also of Italy on the rise, with the same common denominator: a passion for civil participation. The laboratory entitled “The stalling of the parties. A politics for the technicians. And the Citizens?” in which the issue of electoral law was discussed, which is a very hot topic in Italy. In full harmony with this was the seminar offered by the Courses on participation in politics, twenty four such courses underway throughout Italy today, involving 500 youths. “Provide us with true educators and we’ll provide you with a better world” was the title of a laboratory that pointed out the centrality of education as one resource for a better future. Stories of hopes and battles enlightened the laboratory on legality, such as that of business man Salvatore Cantone, who is engaged on the front lines with an anti-racketeering association and Giuseppe Gatti, anti-mafia magistrate and undercover, which which highlighted that a new legality can only be born from fraternity. The workshop entitled
Comunic@ando presented a series of projects: civic workshops, critical use of the media and a European project that involved Italian young people in a partnership with citizens of four other nations. The 3rd National Convention of Economy of Communion (EoC) was held in Loppiano at the Polo Lionello (Lionello Industrial Park). The novelty this year was the birth of AIPEC, an Italian association of the EoC and the voice of the young people: an overview of the year’s activity at the industrial park that was the incubator for 52 business projects; the Policor project in response to the high rate of unemployment among the young people in Italy. Now that the event has ended, the workshops continue at local sites across Italy. Active participation is the key in looking toward 2013.
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22 Sep 2012 | Focolare Worldwide
Young people, who have made a decision to proclaim the Gospel by music, started the bands Eis (meaning ‘one’ in Greek) and Hope. They come from Teramo and Fermo in Italy. They see themselves as part of the Focolare’s Diocesan Movement and are working in their dioceses. Already they have met thousands of people.
‘Hope started in 1995,’ Fabio says, ‘when Pope John Paul II held the “Eurhope” meeting for young Europeans. It was an unforgettable event and has been followed by many other occasions where Hope has given, as it continues to give, its contribution in the diocese of Fermo and beyond.’
‘Eis, on the other hand, only started three years ago,’ Alice explains. ‘It was during a youth summer camp run by the diocese of Teramo. The group has already met more that four and a half thousand people in 17 concerts.’
What about publicity?
‘The bands are getting known spontaneously,’ says Alice. ‘Someone really likes a concert and then invites us to their own town. Perhaps a journalist writes an article, a local radio asks for an interview… and then shows follow on, one from one another, everywhere from church halls to stages set up in the squares for the whole town. The blogs of the two bands are full of enthusiastic people, some quite young, who really like what we’re doing. It’s not just people liking it though. Often there are chances to meet and even real changes happen in people’s lives!’
But the ‘bands don’t want to be only about the things they do,’ Alice and Fabio both point out. ‘Before all else,’ says Fabio, ‘we strive to be united, so that each of us who makes up the group tries to live with mutual love at the basis of everything. And then we do what needs to be done – we prepare the show, gather everyone’s ideas, take time to do numerous rehearsals…’
It can’t all be easy?
‘Of course nothing’s simple,’ Fabio immediately says. ‘But every time we try to start again, expressing our ideas and, at the same time, being ready to put them aside if they’re not needed. We want everything to be born from the unity of our group, from the unity that makes Jesus present among us (Matt. 18:20).’
Hope and Eis at the moment are doing two separate musicals on the life of Chiara Luce Badano, a young person from the Focolare beatified in 2010. The shows speak of a modern person, one who can be copied. They show a young woman who knew how make her life into an amazing ‘work of art’, managing to accept illness and death at 18 years of ago as God’s love for her and for her family.
‘The written impressions that we have from the concerts are extremely positive,’ Alice says. ‘For someone called Giuliana, of example, the figure of Chiara Luce managed make a whole town wake up to the issue of holiness.’
Chiara Lubich suggested music to young people, at the end of the 60s, as an instrument for evangelizing. The two well-known groups, Gen Rosso and Gen Verde, were started. Other bands also began, like Gen 70 in the parish of Vallo Torinese (in Piedmont). One of the people who formed it, Maria Orsola (who died when she was 15) is currently in the process of being beatified.
