Focolare Movement

Lia Brunet

Feb 4, 2011

A Gospel Revolutionary (25 December 1917 – 5 February 2005)

Lia Brunet met Chiara Lubich in Trent, Italy in 1945. In 1958, together with Fiore Ungaro, a focolarina from Rome, and Marco Tecilla, the first focolarino, she made the first trip outside European boundaries. They were years of great social unrest throughout Latin America. During that trip the first knots were tied of a network of love that would produce spiritual and social renewal in those countries where Lia went on to spend 44 years of her life in limitless self-giving. On Christmas Day 2004 Lia turned 87. On the following February 5th she left for the next life. The first trip to Latin America was a leap into the unknown. Visiting the poor districts of Trent together with Chiara, Lia had experienced the Gospel’s transforming and propelling force on society. During their first12 intense months in Latin America, Marco, Fiore and Lia visited Recife, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Santiago, Chile. Lia described their strategy in her book “Diario di un Viaggio” (translated as “Diary of a Journey”) with these words: “Ours is also a revolution, which makes use of the most powerful weapon – the Love brought by Jesus on earth. As did St Paul, we speak of putting on the “new man,” and doing away with our “former selves.” Ours too is a matter of life and death: its aim is: “that all may be one.”

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Newsletter

Thought of the day

Related post

Earthquake Emergency in Venezuela

Earthquake Emergency in Venezuela

The donations, collected through Action for a United World (AMU) and Action for New Families (AFN), will be used to provide essential aid and support for the reconstruction of homes for the people of Venezuela affected by the powerful earthquake on June 24, 2026.

Unity: A Priority for Maria Voce (Emmaus)

Unity: A Priority for Maria Voce (Emmaus)

On 20 June 2026, we mark the first anniversary of the passing of Maria Voce (Emmaus), the first President of the Focolare Movement (2008–2021) after Chiara Lubich. As we remember her, we asked ourselves: how did Emmaus live out unity in everyday life? The focolarine who lived with her during her final years recount a number of small episodes—little “acts of love” if you will —that reveal how mutual love, lived faithfully in every circumstance, lays the foundations for receiving unity as a gift from God.