The Adventure of Unity: The Beginnings /1

24 Nov 2013 | Non categorizzato

Sylvia, the baptismal name given to Chiara,Lubich, was born in Trent on 22 January 1920. She was the second of four children, Gino, Liliana and Carla. Her father, Luigi Lubich, a wine-seller, ex-typesetter, anti-fascist and socialist, had once been a close colleague of the once socialist Benito, and later the unyielding political opponent of the fascist Mussolini. Her mother, Luigia, was animated by a strong traditional faith. Following his medical studies, her older brother, Gino, joined the Resistance in the famous Garibaldi Brigade. Then he dedicated himself to journalism, working for the Communist newspaper, L’Unita (Unity).

When she was 18, Sylvia received her teaching certificate with full marks. She would have liked to continue her studies, and she applied to study at  the Catholic University. It didn’t turn out: she came in 34th place for the only 33 full scholarships available. Since there was not enough money in the Lubich home to pay for her studies in another city, Sylvia was forced to find work. During the 1940-41 academic year she taught elementary school at the Opera Serafica in Trent.

The decisive beginning of her human-divine experience was revealed to her  in 1939 during a trip to the shrine of Loreto: “I was invited to a meeting for Catholic students in Loreto”, Chiara writes, “where, according to tradition, the little house of the Holy Family is kept within the walls of a great fortress-like cathedral. . . . I attended the course at a nearby college with everyone else. But, whenever possible, I would run to the little house. I knelt beside the wall, all blackened by the vigil light of the vigil lamps. Something new and divine was enveloping me, nearly crushing me. I contemplated in my mind the virginal life of the three (…). Every thought weighed upon me, squeezing my heart, my tears were falling uncontrollably. During every break, I ran there. Then the last day arrived. The church was filled with young people. A thought clearly entered my mind, a thought which was never erased: “You will be followed by a host of virgins.”

When Chiara’s students and her parish priest met her after her trip to Loreto, and saw her so radiant and happy, they asked if she had discovered her way. Chiara’s answer was disappointing for the priest, because she would only say which vocations she didn’t feel were hers, the traditional ones: not the convent, not matrimony, not consecration to God in the world. This was all she was able to say.

In the years following her visit to Loreto – from 1939 till 1943 – Sylvia continued to work and study and to be involved in the service of the Church. When she became a Franciscan Tertiary, she took the name Chiara.

In 1943, when Chiara was already twenty-three, as she was on her way to fetch some milk a few kilometers from home, in a neighborhood called White Madonna, standing beneath a railroad overpass, Chiara heard the call from God: “Give yourself totally to me.” She wasted no time and, in a letter, she requested permission from the Cappuchin priest, Father Casimiro Bonetti, to consecrate herself totally to God. Following a deep conversation with the priest, she finally obtained this permission. On 7 December 1943 at six o’clock in the morning, she consecrated her life to God forever. On that day Chiara didn’t have the slightest intention of founding anything: she was simply “marrying God.” And this was everything for her. Only later did this day come to be identified as the symbolic beginning of the Focolare Movement.

Continued on: The Adventure of Unity: The beginnings/2

Natalia Dallapiccola: A Biography

21 Nov 2013 | Non categorizzato

“I set out to write this biography treading softly and with a healthy dose of holy fear.”With these words Matilde Cocchiaro begins her biography on Natalia Dallapiccola who was the first to follow Chiara Lubich. Natalia has had a special role in the history of the Focolare, so much so that Chiara had said that if she had not met a person like her, so prepared by God, perhaps she would never have been able to give a start to the life that was so revolutionary and based on the Gospel.

Because of her relentless and unchanging love towards all, Chiara had nicknamed her Anzalon which in the Italian dialect of Trent means Big Angel.

She played a determining role in the spreading of the ideal of unity among the countries of the communist bloc, beyond the Iron Curtain, as well as in the field of interreligious dialogue for which she spent energy and talent for 30 years until the last days of her life on earth.

Following her death on April 1, 2008 – eighteen days after the death of Chiara – many people had words of gratitude and appreciation for Natalia: “Between me and Natalia,” says Rabbi David Rosen of Jerusalem, “there was a very strong bond. I will forever guard as a treasure her loving and noble spirit.” In the book’s preface Nichiko Niwano, president of the Japanese Buddhist Rissho Kosei-kai Movement states: “For many long years Natalia played the role of an open window which linked us with the Focolare Movement . . . lavishly pouring out the finest qualities of her heart and mind . . . An ancient saying says: “Know the past and you will find what is new.” It means: Study history, study the tradition with care and you will obtain new wisdom. That is all I wish, therefore, and I hope that Natalia’s biography becomes a precious guide for the journey into the future.”

From India, Shantilal Somaiya, Kala Acharya and Lalita Namjoshi of the Somaiya Bharatya (Hindu): “With great reverence we remember her visit to our institute and her silent but always edifying way of drawing dialogue forward.”

From Skopje. Azir Semani, speaks directly to Natalia in the name of the Muslim Friends of the Focolare from Macedonia: “Thank you for your hand that was always reaching out!  . . . We have totally embraced your invitation: ‘that all may be one’. God’s voice through you was a call of love and trust for which we Muslims are honoured to have been able to walk together with you towards a united world. Blessed be your love!”

Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, Archbishop Emeritus of Prague, who for many years was responsible for the Bishop Friends of the Focolare Movement, offered the following testimony: “I can truthfully say that Natalia was the mother of the ideal of unity in our lands. From her life, she transpired the light she had received from the charism of Chiara, without a lot of speeches; and she transmitted this charism to us in all of its depth. In 1968 Natalia was in the mountains of Tatre,” the Cardinal continues, “about 6 hours from the Czech Republic where she helped organize the first Mariapolis. Officially it was a holiday vacation, and to avoid a police investigation they would take long hikes. Then they would stop and Natalia would tell us things . . . The life she was presenting to us was very authentic, everyone was always struck by her simplicity that was completely Marian. Her love conquered because it was so natural and supernatural at the same time.”

“Natalia never left a written narrative about herself, because she was always so accustomed to going beyond herself in giving to others” the author concludes. I have tried to reconstruct her life . . . that irreplaceable contribution of the first focolarine who together with her had lived with Chiara Lubich at the dawning of the Movement. I was also able to draw on several spiritual thoughts of Natalia, which are very precious, written by her on loose pages or sent by voice to the people who worked with her, who then wrote them down.”

(Matilde Cocchiaro, “Natalia: la prima compagna  di  Chiara  Lubich”, Città Nuova Editrice, Rome, 2013. Collana Città Nuova Per).

A trip to Cuba

15 Nov 2013 | Non categorizzato

 “Cuba is a beautiful land. It has the atmosphere of a country, which in the 1950’s was in its bloom. Aside from a few buildings and quarters that have been restored in the centre of Havana and other cities, generally there is a state of abandonment.” Agostino and Maris share something about their trip to Cuba. They are a family of the Focolare of Vicenza, Italy. After eleven years in the Dominican Republic, they now live in Italy near Rome. “We could say that we lived those days in Cuba being constantly deeply moved by the genuineness we found in people. We would even go as far as to say that the way they are forced to live in that situation is downright heroic. One family told us how with great effort they had put aside $20.00 for a pair of shoes for one of their children. One Saturday afternoon they went out to buy the shoes, but weren’t able to find anything worth buying at that price and decided to give up the idea for the time being. On their way home they met a very poor family – mother, father and child – whose shoes were destroyed. They looked at one another and decided to give a part of their money for the shoes of that family’s boy. They wouldn’t be the best shoes, but surely better than the ones he was wearing. A few days later grandmother came to visit them. She carried an envelope with some money inside that had been sent by relatives, and she thought she would share some of it with them. It was the exact amount that was lacking to buy the shoes for their own boy. We travelled some 3000 km with several means of transport; in the city we went about on foot, on bicycle, on horse and buggy and with taxi-bikes. We met with families in Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Florida, Holguin and Banes, also with engaged couples, to delve into the spirituality of unity and how it is lived in the family. The groups often included people who didn’t have any religious faith, but it was precisely these people who said that this spirituality was for everyone. We had lunches and dinners with many families. What a beautiful experience it was to be welcomed into their homes and share their lives! The shared many stories of concrete love. One family had gone to visit a couple who had given birth to a baby boy: they realized that the sugar was running out, which they received each month from the State, and it would be quite costly to buy more. When they returned home, they took the sugar they had for themselves and gave it to the family who had none. The couple were surprised and exclaimed: “Now what will you do?” That same evening grandma knocked at the door. She brought her portion of sugar that she was no longer able to use because of health reasons. As we shared in the joys and hardships of our new friends we seemed to understand why this spirituality had begun during war time. Chiara Lubich didn’t wait for better days to begin loving with actions and deeds, but precisely in a time of great difficulty. This confirmed for us that it was possible to live the Gospel in any situation.”

When the Gospel Is Lived/2

14 Nov 2013 | Non categorizzato

Together It’s Possible

Some friends for high school were coming from the villages, from a situation of marginalization; they had been through the worst. My first year was difficult, being isolated. After becoming friends with a boy who, like me, wanted to live in a Christian way, we agreed to reach out most especially to our classmates and peers who were most poor or had serious problems. In front of our school there was a handicap community. We also felt urged to go to them as well, to help them and help them not so unfortunate and alone, and we managed to draw some of our friends into this experience. The last two years of high school were truly filled with enriching and beautiful experiences for all. (G.Z. – Italy)

The Most Beautiful Photo

I’m a photographer by profession and I’ve always looked at people through my professional lens. I’ve always looked at people and the things around me as if they belonged to me somehow. What do God and love have to do with photography? However,  I no longer felt satisfied by my work. One day at a conference I was about to take the most beautiful photograph of my life (we photographers always think like this!), when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said my name. It was a toss-up: should I snap the photo or respond to the person who needed me in that moment? There was a moment of suspension and then I turned away from the object I was photographing, and I was filled with a deep joy at who I saw. (M. T.- Argentina)

Two Cases

On the road we met a distraught woman. She was young and her mother had left her with enough money for only three days. Now a week had gone by and the mother still hadn’t retursned. We decided to help her, giving her all that we had in that moment. She was shocked and gladdened by such a gesture, because she would now be able to feed her two brothers. When I arrived home there were two religious sisters who had come to visit us with two cases filled with groceries for us; much more than we had given away. We saw the words of the Gospel coming true: “Give and there will be gifts for you.”  (O. M. F.-Bolivia)

Source: Il Vangelo del giorno, (Rome: Città Nuova Editrice, November 2013).

In love with the mystery of Africa

13 Nov 2013 | Non categorizzato

“I loved the torrential rain and the hurricane winds that fall on the Equator without warning in mid-March, wrapping everything in their path with their fury. This is a fury that does justice by restoring a certain balance to this small portion of creation. The overgrown branches of a tree that snap; palms that have grown so tall topple over leaving behind nothing but a small stump, a memorial stone … The nests that are not sufficiently fastened to the arms of the tree are flown into the river, as do the rooftops of many a human dwelling. The thunder and lightning grow louder and stronger, as if in angry search of someone. The waters pour through doorway, window and roof .

Nature has arrived restoring the works of creatures to their proper states reminding us all that all of us stand naked and nothing is our own. This force in nature has always seemed to me a beneficial return to the origins. It never frightened me. No, it only gave me peace. It’s like a renewed encounter with the Creator who strips us of our excess, only to remind us that all is vanity.

“I loved the mud that in the rainy season is the ever-present reality that must be faced whether walking or driving a car. And whatever thing you touch leaves that reddish mark from the mud that is forever there to accompany you, or obsess you if you don’t love it: It’s on your shoes, books, clothing and even in the hair on your head. But if you love it, it makes you smile and becomes your friend.

from left: Lucio dal Soglio, Georges Mani, Dominic Nyukilim, Teresina Tumuhairwe, Benedict Murac Manjo, Marilen Holzhauser, Fr Adolfo Raggio,
Nicolette Manka Ndingsa

“I loved the dust. You don’t know what dust is unless you’ve experienced it in Africa. During the dry season, the dust is part of the atmosphere. It’s the desert arriving with a predictive threat: the Harmattan, that violent wind that sweeps the Sub-Sahara between October and March. It darkens the sun, envelopes both people and things in a radiant dust heat of blinding glare. It’s the dust from the streets and dried out fields that has been lifted and become one with the Harmattan which makes all of creation one big fireball. The temptation is to rebel, to run away, to hide somewhere, to protest. But to whom will you protest? Where will you hide? As usual, the only protest possible is the one against one’s self: you need to see with different eyes, and love the sandy dust. I called it sterile dust and allowed it to fill the nostrils and enter the lungs. It couldn’t hurt because by then it was . . . sterile. I let it dry my lips until they split and the blood poured from my nose. It was already my African dust!

“I loved the humidity and the mould; the mould would soften everything and even detach the soles from their shoes; the suffocating aroma of mould fat that hit you whenever you opened a wardrobe, that stuck to you together with your shirt, that you breathed in the classroom or in the church. Mould is a compound that encompasses all the odours, and a permanent reminder of the decay of all things.

“Over time I learnt to understand and to love all these things. By loving them, I found myself to be part of them, and I never tried to detach myself from them again”.

(Lucio Dal Soglio: “Presi dal mistero, agli albori dei Focolari in Africa”, Città Nuova editrice, Rome, 2013).

Language: publication currently in Italian only  (English and French translations pending)

Enquiries:  +3096 947989  (Focolare Movement), +3906 96522200 (Città Nuova Publishing House). Email enquiries: info@focolare.org,

Women and Church: A Challenging Issue

13 Nov 2013 | Non categorizzato

Woman of charism or woman of action. There should also be place for the woman of thought, yet her contribution to the teaching authority of the Church is not perceived as essential. Few women are involved in the pastoral care of the family, few hold chairs of Theology and their presence in the formation of priests is very rare.

“The picture of the current situation is quite precise. There is not much consideration of the woman in her contribution to human thought, also because she had very few possibilities to develop it. Only recently has she been accepted in the Pontifical colleges, where Theology is studied. It’s certainly true that there have been wise women and women who have given a contribution to human thought. But their contribution is sometimes more from the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit – like the great women who became doctors of the Church – than from having developed their thought through comparative studies with other thinkers. The woman always had to fulfil other roles in the Church and in humanity.”

On the topic of the woman, Francis only offered some hints. He counts on the fruitfulness of encounters more than on speculative moments. What would you think of a possible initiative of his that would give rise to a permanent committee, an F8, formed by women with great responsibilities in the Church?

“I think that there is still a long wait for us to see an all female corpus before the teaching authority of the Church. However, I prefer that the woman be together with the men, not someone separate to manifest her own difference. Thus it’s necessary for her to enter the systems of consultation, thought or decision, which are developing little by little in the Church, and to make her female voice be heard. Hence, I’m not thinking of an F8 but an 8 of some kind where men and women are represented, because each one has their own peculiarity, and it’s that distinctive feature that the Church needs. This type of body would appeal to me.”

What do you think of the conclave with the presence of superiors and general superiors of religious orders and presidents of international ecclesial organizations? Would it be an acknowledgement of women?

“I would like to distinguish the conclave as an assembly of preparation for the election of the Pope and the conclave as the moment of election of the Pope. I think it would be very useful if in the first phase there were also the presence of persons who carry out a role in the Church and can contribute their experiences. Their contribution would certainly be different but not less important than the one of the cardinals.

“From what Pope Bergoglio says, the meetings before the election revealed to be crucial for his current stance and for his way of leading the Church towards specific goals. Thus, if those consultative dialogues developed in a vaster ecclesial context than the one limited to only cardinals, I’m sure that more precious contributions would have been offered to our present-day Pope. Then, that these people be allowed to vote in the Pope’s election is something secondary for the moment. We’ll see the future developments, the history of the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit.”

Tomorrow your cell phone might ring and it’s Pope Francis inviting you to meet up with him for a dialogue on the woman and the Church. Which topics would you prioritize to discuss with him?

“Precisely this Pope who tells us about his grandmother and mother, I would ask whether this experience with the women of his family helps him to inspire also an openness to women in the teaching authority of the Church. Well, I would really like it if he would draw from those family experiences in order to highlight that women can have even greater influence than that of a spiritual director or a professor.

Moreover, in his long pastoral ministry in Argentina he must have met many women, also leaders of religious orders. In fact, his characteristics, his way of interacting and behaving make me believe that he had profound and authentic relationships with women. May he count on those rapports today so as to draw out the best from the women in the Church.”

by Paolo Lòriga

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