Focolare Movement

Chiara Luce at WYD 2011

Jul 12, 2011

Six days, hundreds of events, thousands of people, one common goal. Madrid 16–21 August.

Thousands of young people from all over the world in Madrid for the 11th WYD. The events will take place this summer on the streets, auditoriums, public squares, colleges, schools, and parks of Madrid. There will be concerts and exhibits, museum tours, theatrical performances, and a cultural program entitled: “Youth Festival”. Among all the events, there is one that is particularly special – as shown by the great interest of the organizing committee. This is the presentation of Chiara Badano, a young Italian girl, better known as Chiara Luce, who was recently beatified. She will be presented during a show that will weave together music, theatre, acting, and dance. It will be held on 17 August at 22:00 in the Pilar García Peña Auditorium, located in the Pinar del rey Park. Three-thousand persons will be able to attend this event which promises to be unforgettable. This presentation would like to manifest that “Love” with a capital “L” that gives happiness, as shown in the life of Chiara Luce who Benedict XVI called a “ray of Light” at the Angelus of 26 September 2010, the day before her beatification. It will be a feast for young people, “who can find in her an example of Christian living,” as the Pope said. Pablo Alcolea, a music professor who is actively involved in the preparation of the event, tells us that it has been an experience of God for him: “It involves a lot of work, matching the tasks to the volunteers, but it’s a beautiful opportunity to let ourselves be taken by the hand of the Father and trust in Him.” Another Spanish youth, Pablo Garrido, who is co-responsible for the music assures us: “The first word that came to my mind was “folly”. In my opinion attempting to prepare something of this caliber falls into the realm of the miraculous, but it’s very gratifying, seeing how everyone immediately got to work in building this experience of unity.” Another member of the music group shares with us how this is something very personal for him, “as if Chiara Luce herself had asked me to participate in this with my own two cents, helping to communicate her lifestyle, her ideal of living for unity even beyond time and space.” “What a fantastic opportunity,” continues Pablo Alcolea, to contemplate through music the life experience of Chiara Luce Badano.” Other events which everyone is looking to are the Gen Rosso concerts, an international musical group of the Focolare Movement whose performance “Indelible Dimension” will be held on the 16th and 18th August. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akWjPRkdgJA.

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