9th Anniversary of Chiara Lubich

Every 14 March, the death anniversary of Chiara Lubich is for the Focolare communities an occasion to get together, celebrate, bear witness, and renew their commitment.

This event will be echoed worldwide also in 2017, from Singapore to Vilnius (Lithuania), Sydney (Australia) to Houston (USA), and Manaus (Brazil) to Bujumbura (Burundi). It will be a sort of constellation that will literally embrace the world and revive Chiara’s testament to «Be a family.»

The theme that will be taken up this year is precisely that of the family, against the background of the dynamics opened by the Bishop’s Synod and subsequent apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia of Pope Francis.

Chiara saw the family as a «seed of communion for humanity of the third millennium,» as she said in her message at the Family fest of 1993, in the hope that «the inherent values that are part of its nature – gratuitousness, spirit of service, and reciprocity  – may be transferred to the entire human family.»

It is in this light that we can interpret the initiatives that will be undertaken throughout 2017 in various parts of the world. The finality is to gather the pathway of life and ideas during the 50 years of the New Family Moviment, and uphold the anthropological and universal value of the families in the perspective of the “human family.”

The first meeting on the theme The family as a source of hope and joy was held in Cairo, Egypt, with over 300 participants: a programme of joy and testimonials, which evidenced the leading role of the youth and relationships between the generations in families.  The event in Panama Being a family always took place on 12 February: in a society characterised by fast-paced activities, over 400 people decided to meet in the city park for a day of dialogue, games and walks.

An event with a global atmosphere will take place in the international town of Loppiano (Italy), from 10 to 12 March 2017, with the participation of families from all five continents. The main highlights will be the activities on Saturday, 11 March, which will be aired in live streaming (from 3 – 6 pm).

See the press release

and the news: Chiara Lubich and the Family 2017

Live streaming from Loppiano: http://live.focolare.org/FamilyHighlights