Focolare Movement
Prevention of Abuse
Media Area
Contacts
Maria Gloria Huille

Maria Gloria Huille

Apr 7, 2011 | Non categorizzato

Teacher of social studies and home economics; at the age of 50 she meets the Focolare and starts a new life beside Chiara Lubich: a summary of Maria Gloria’s radiant 100 years.

100 years old and Maria Gloria still has that same look in her eyes, that same smile, that same simplicity and solemnity, not to mention her clarity of mind and readiness to smile. On 13th March, the day of her 100th birthday, when the other focolarine asked her, “Will we too reach 100?”, she answered, “Luckily it only happens to few!”

Leafing through the pages of her life, we discover that Marie Louise Celine Huille comes from a numerous family of nine children, three of whom entered religious orders.

She started to work at 21 years of age as a Home Economics teacher in Paris (a job that, at the time, had a higher status than that which we give it nowadays). Then she worked as head-mistress and teacher in various social service institutes in France, Portugal, Morocco, USA,…

She dedicated herself to finding new systems for simplifying women’s labour and, with a friend, she developed a project which was revolutionary for its time: applying principles of scientific organisation- like those used in a factory – to housework.

In August 1963, at the age of 50, she met the Focolare Movement. A revolutionary breakthrough in her already committed and worthy life. With the freshness of a young girl she dedicated herself completely to the focolare community and Chiara gave her a new name “Maria Gloria” as a particular encouragement to imitate the Mother of God. When Jean Marie Villot, the Cardinal Secretary of State at the time, asked Chiara if she could send some focolarine women as assistants, Chiara didn’t hesitate to send Maria Gloria.

This surprise-filled adventure later continued when she went to work in Chiara’s house after the Cardinal’s passing. She and the other assistants who had worked for the Secretary of State continued their task in Rocca di Papa (Rome) in Chiara’s focolare right up until the Focolare’s founder passed away.

During those years, Chiara found solace in Maria Gloria’s extraordinary life experience and often listened to her advice. With Maria Gloria, Chiara discovered that things done with care and love are not only beautiful but useful.

To commemorate a century lived in such an extraordinary way, ‘Casa Verde’, the focolare where Maria Gloria now lives with other elderly focolarine women, hosted a celebration. The Mayor of Rocca di Papa joined the festivities, presenting her with a valuable book containing photograph’s of Rocca di Papa along with a parchment that read: “Maria Gloria, a women whose dedication to women and to others kept her young. She shared her talents and strength with the admirable aim of discovering the beauty of creation and helping others do the same, transforming this beauty into daily tasks”.

What happens when we die?

Apr 7, 2011 | Non categorizzato

One of the girls in the class I taught was always withdrawn. They had told me she had Aids.

“What can I possibly do for her?”, I thought.

I started offering her a lift home at the end of the school day. Bit by bit I realised that she was being eaten away by desperation. One day I decided to call her father who I’d never met him before. I was sure that something could be done for this young girl.

When I met him I listened to his tragic life story: 20 years of drug abuse, prison, the death of the girl’s mother… The day after he sent me a note: “I understood that you care for my daughter at school”.

Whilst trying to handle the situation with great care, I managed to create an ever more trustful relationship with her and, engaging others, a chain of solidarity was formed. The teachers found a million and one ways to help her actively take part in school activities. Bit by bit she came back to life.

One day she came to me with a question: “What happens when we die?” I felt compelled to share my life treasure with her. I told her about paradise, about love, about my experience with Jesus. When I’d finished she said, “I too want to live like that”. It was a moment of light for both of us. Her mysterious suffering and pain had a meaning.

Source: http://www.focolare.se

Maria Gloria Huille

Strong Without Violence- Gen Rosso in Germany

Apr 7, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

“All our  warmest greetings from Germany where this unforgettable and unique experience with the junior high and high school kids has by now become a tradition”.

One of Tomek Mikusinski’s impressions of Gen Rosso’s German tour in a letter he wrote to our editorial team on behalf of the whole troupe before they set off for the Czech Rebublic.

The German tour began in Heidelberg- 200 teenagers in the run-up to the sacrament of confirmation freely gave up part of their winter holidays to parttake in “Strong without Violence”, a tried and tested educational project, carried out thanks to collaboration between Gen Rosso and various schools in a number of European countries.

500,000 young people have taken part in the project to date. The European Union sponsors this project based on the group’s musical Streetlight: the true story of Charles Moates who grew up in one of Chicago’s ghettos in the 60’s. Following the ideal of a united world Charles was always opposed to violence and this choice cost him his life in 1969.

Drawing on this inspirational figure, the project strives to transmit values that help young people combat violence, marginalisation, bullying and other problems facing teenagers in their urban environments. The conclusion of the teenagers’ work was displayed in the Eppelheimer Rhein-Neckar-Halle, with 1,100 paying audience members. The novelty of this year’s tour was the “Doku-Workshop”: participants made a documentary which covered the whole week’s activities right including the build-up to the show and the audience’s arrival in the theatre. Its photos and interviews about Gen Ross’s daily life and their work on the road was screened during the evening.

The next leg of the tour was in Bonn with 13 workshops and over 500 participants. After that came a strongly multiethnic school in Dortmund. Last off was Cologne where the troupe had a particularly special experience with young students with hearing difficulties. “I am proud of my students”, said the principal of  the LVR-Johann-Joseph-Gronewald School, “because putting on a musical despite hearing difficulties is obviously a huge challenge. I thank those who had the idea for this indispensable project and  for the huge opportunity given to my students”.

“Gen Rosso, you absolutely must keep this project up because it really, really helps us young people!”, wrote one of the participants on the group’s Facebook page, confirming the worthiness of an idea that is spreading more and more among students throughout Europe.

Maria Gloria Huille

A time set aside for Life

Apr 5, 2011 | Non categorizzato

I don’t know what the word “possible” brings to your mind but for me it means one thing: these 40 girls in front of me, these “possible focolarine”.

We can make lots of choices in life, wonderful choices. These girls decided to come and spend some time together- “a time for life” as we called it with a precise slogan: “Here I am”, meaning ‘I am ready for anything’.

I have to say that they were invigorating days for me too. The Lord God has a great imagination and each of these girls’ life stories is more beautiful than the other; unfledged and with room for development but budding signs for a promising future.

Micarla from Recife, in the North East of Brazil came not only to look for the truth but to find it; it’s always been the bee in her bonnet. Today she is happy!

Grisel, 27 years old, from Mendoza (Argentina), loves revolution and discovered that Mary of Nazareth is the greatest revolutionary of all time. “I wanted to be like her”, she told us. “What fascinates me about the vocation to the focolare? I see men and women who are completely fulfilled, people who give God to those they meet. Giving my whole life to God was a logical consequence: if He loves me immensely how can I not give him everything?”

Vida, a 24 year old from Lithuania: “I have had a lot of doubts, common doubts: can I manage to follow God completely for my whole life or should I start a family? What gave me peace and assurance was the freedom I felt every time I said my yes to Him: freedom to love the whole world.”

Emma is Mexican: “It’s not easy to follow Jesus”; she confides, “It seems that everything goes against a life given to God: from the world of communications to some aspects of education and the values proposed to us. We think that if we don’t have “extreme” experiences we get bored. This led me to think that I had to give more to God because nothing quenched my thirst, nothing satiated me.” She considers life in a focolare to be like a rollercoaster ride: a breathtaking, fascinating and at times tortuous journey, but a journey where your gaze is set on a goal : being face to face with God. “This is what I want more than anything.”

Priscilia from Geneva, is 23 and studies French literature. She is here to understand if God is really calling her. She wants to give everything to Him so as to live an adventure that “is, in my eyes, beyond compare: contributing to building a united world,” and she then concludes, “I want to have God as my Spouse as of right now”:

Nuam comes from a small village in South East Asia. She was fascinated when she saw the simple yet extremely deep life of a focolare house. Then in 2005 during a Genrosso concert “those songs, though sung in another language that I didn’t know, transmitted God and His love to me. I felt that I had to respond in some way. Now I want to give Him everything so as to be able to bring Jesus to everyone; I want to do my part so that humanity may become more and more like one family. The Ideal of Unity has helped me open my heart to the whole world”.

What comes to mind is an excerpt from Chiara’s commentary to March’s “Word of Life” that helped us do the Will of God. Chiara Lubich wrote: “Let’s say before every action, ‘May your will be done.’ By doing so, we will accomplish — one moment at a time, one piece at a time — the wonderful, unique and unrepeatable mosaic of our life that the Lord has always had in mind for each one of us”.

Now, in the meeting hall beside us there are about 40 boys who also want to give everything to God and who have wonderful things to tell us. Keep your eyes open for their upcoming article.

But now it’s time to catch up with the groups who are off to visit the little town of Loppiano.

All the best to these wonderful girls!

Sharry S.

Maria Gloria Huille

Sportmeet: moving people and ideas

Apr 5, 2011 | Non categorizzato

The sports world meets the social sphere on many levels. Their paths cross in politics and economics, they overlap in areas of health and communication. Sportmeet’s main aim therefore, is to contribute to a culture of sport inspired by universal brotherhood based on the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”- a universal truth. On this basis, Sportmeet’s objectives and methods are now shared by people of many different beliefs, cultures and religions.

Through Sportmeet, athletes, professionals and others who work in the sports world have organised numerous sports initiatives of social worth: ongoing projects on different scales and in different parts of the world with a special focus on developing countries, war zones and socially disadvantaged areas. Sportmeet gives financial support as well as cultural and human resources to assure solidity and continuity to these projects.

The congress from 8- 10 April will address the issues of dignity and responsibility in sport and the attempt to go beyond the show business profile so as to rediscover its capacity to be a catalyst for social and cultural change. The title “moves people, moves ideas” expresses the desire to create new and positive relationships because changing sport means changing society.

The program will include talks by experts, personal experiences, round table discussions, workshops and games. Amongst the guest speakers are Italian and European university professors from various sport-related disciplines as well managers, psychologists, teachers, coaches and athletes. Names include Gianni Rivera, youth and school coordinator for Federcalcio Italiana, Valerio Bianchini and Marco Calamai, professional basketball trainers, Oreste Perri, athlete and head coach of the Italian Olympic Canoe team, now mayor of Cremona.

The convention is open to athletes of every category and discipline, trainers and coaches, teachers, managers, professors and students of physical education and motor skills development.

The program, registration form and video commercial for the event are on the website www.sportmeet.org

Maria Gloria Huille

Fiftieth anniversary of the Focolare in the New World

Apr 3, 2011 | Non categorizzato

It could have been the finale of a Broadway musical. Men and women wearing black shirts, girls with yellow and blue scarves, dance routines, and a medley of well known songs about the joys and worries, the hard times and the dreams of Americans.  The lengthy applause expressed joy and gratitude for “an unforgettable day for the whole of north America”, that, as one of the presenters put it, “took fifty years to prepare.”

The occasion, in upstate New York, marked 50 years since the Focolare Movement arrived in North America. There were 1,300 people, representing the many communities in Canada, the United Sates and the Caribbean, and those present included Jews and African American Muslims. “This country is particularly suited to the spirituality of the movement”, Chiara Lubich had said during her first visit to the USA in 1964, “there is a true sense of internationality.”

After that first visit she returned six times, confirming her feelings about the strategic importance of this part of the continent. With each visit the founder introduced something new, like the dialogue she opened with African American Muslims (she was the first white woman to speak in New York’s Malcolm X mosque), and the collaboration with actors, directors and producers in Hollywood.

The arrival of the Movement in the New World was somewhat unexpected. It happened that Julia Conley from Detroit who had attended the Mariapolis in Fribourg in 1960, wrote afterwards to Chiara Lubich and Pasquale Foresi asking them to send someone to the USA as her guests. There was no immediate response, but she was not giving up, and with true American determination she wrote again, this time including the money for two airline tickets.  At the time Chiara wrote in her diary, “This is a sign from God.” She therefore sent Silvana Veronesi one of her first companions and Giovanna Veronucci. A year later in 1961 Giovanna (Giò) returned with Serenella Silvi (who was present at the celebration), and Antonio Petrilli, and two focolares began.

With a sketch involving mobile phone “apps”, a couple of young people led the audience through a tour of North America using photos, and both live and recorded personal stories, presenting the activities and life of the movement in the various States. Of course, it was loaded with special effects, and the West Coast community, on the Pacific, which includes Hollywood, began their presentation in Twentieth Century Fox style with spotlights lighting up the sky, the familiar music, and the name West Coast Focolare in huge letters.

The high point of the day was when Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti went up on the stage and responded to a number of questions. It was a conversation that lasted seventy minutes. The eleven questions covered many key issues:  the fear of pain and death, the relation between wellbeing and the gospel, the sexual abuse scandals in the USA Church, relationships with the mass media.

“Allow me to reflect once more on those two girls who had this huge nation before them,” the president confided, “and now consider how much the family that you represent has grown.” After a short pause, she addressed each person there: “this is Chiara’s mandate, to be a Silvana, a Giovanna, and return to your own town with their same burning desire to witness to the charism of unity.”

Maria Voce, struck by the simplicity, authenticity and generosity of this people, also highlighted their optimism, which has helped them to get through many situations. So quite spontaneously she said something that sounded like a slogan: “After 50 years, there are still things to do, and we will do them!”

In his message for the occasion, Pope Benedict XVI, “aware of the very multicultural dimension of the Focolare in North America” promised his prayers, “so that the bonds built with members of other religious communities may bring abundant fruits for the progress of mutual understanding and spiritual solidarity with the whole human family.”

From our correspondent Paolo Lòriga

[nggallery id=25]

Maria Gloria Huille

USA: Dialogue with young people

Apr 2, 2011 | Focolare Worldwide

Up close and in person, it’s always a different story. In fact these young people had often seen Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti on DVD, their tone of voice was familiar, everyone knew how simple and uncomplicated they are. However, they were always president and co-president of one of the world’s biggest Ecclesial movements. The excitement among the 130 Gen (young people closely involved in the Focolare) who came from all over the USA for the event was therefore understandable. But any tension was dissolved once the meeting began. The backdrop: a snow-covered Mariapolis Luminosa, the Focolare’s ‘little town’ two hours north of New York.

“Your spontaneity has put us at ease and we feel really comfortable around you” one girl said to Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti. Despite the fact that it was a first encounter, everyone was on the same wavelength from the word go and a true chord of harmony was struck, so much so that the two special guests said in unison that they imagined the Focolare’s founder Chiara Lubich looking at those young faces with joy.

Two lively hours of music, graphics and a confiding exchange of experiences and questions. Two gentle yet intense hours where the young people brought their guests up to speed with the youth panorama in the USA today – without avoiding the difficulties and challenges facing young people. Amongst the topics discussed were the difficulties in talking to peers about God and the Church; the conditioning impact of high university fees (from 10- 60 thousand dollars a year); political polarisation between democrats and republicans. They were eager to receive feedback, views and guidelines inspired by the Charism of Unity.

“You are Chiara’s children, bursting with her legacy and aware that you’re its bearers for everyone. The more it’s shared, the more it spreads. You are young and strong and people, without knowing it, are waiting to be engaged in a project of world unity”, Maria Voce said to them and continued, “Don’t lose Jesus’ treasure, He lives, he is Risen and True and wants to be amongst you and to walk with you through the streets of your cities to proclaim, heal and console”. In this perspective Giancarlo Faletti underlined the vital link between the Word and the Eucharist: “Jesus is an incredible force and he is close to you in your hopes and expectations”.

The heart of the American dream (‘anyone can do it’) meets one of its highest perspectives in the spiritual mandate just received. A challenging task which inspires and fascinates these ethnically-diverse young people. Aiming to be number 1 is fascinating but it involves many responsibilities, leading a girl from San Antonio to thank Maria Voce with straightforwardness, “for having accepted the presidency”.

From our correspondent Paolo Lòriga

[nggallery id=24]

Maria Gloria Huille

A lifelong adventure together

Apr 1, 2011 | Non categorizzato

The 460 couples who attended the meeting organised by New Families from 17- 20 March didn’t hide their doubts and fears for the future but nor did they hide their strong enthusiasm about giving a solid base to their relationship.

In 1975 Chiara Lubich had the idea of offering pre-marriage formation. Since then New Families presents the opportunity for engaged couples to verify their project for a lifetime together.

The title “There is only one love” also served as a proposal: to graft human love onto the love which is rooted in God. This strengthens the couple, stimulating values of gratuity, initiative and the capacity to forgive. “What will we bring away with us? The evangelical art of loving- a treasure, a legacy for the married life that awaits us”, commented one of the participating couples.

There were translations in 9 different languages for the participants who came from all over Europe to the Mariapolis Centre in Castelgandolfo (Rome). The group was extremely heterogeneous: newly-engaged couples alongside those who are very close to their wedding day; couples who already live together and others who are civilly wed; young people from the Focolare and other Ecclesial Movements; people from various churches as well as some with no-religious affiliation. However there was one common denominator: the desire to discover how love can stay alive throughout time and to deepen the commitment to marriage.

This lifelong dedication implies a choice which is fascinating whilst challenging, because of the responsibility required, and ever more difficult due to the insecurity surrounding work and housing. Openness about the balance already obtained and willingness to learn to make common decisions in the face of life’s crossroads are therefore fundamental.

“They were 4 extremely intense days!!!” Elena remarked, “They were also a bit difficult to tell you the truth because there were some questions to resolve and synchronize between the two of us. During the convention we dealt with them all and it wasn’t pain-free. On the other hand the course was an ultimate blessing: being surrounded by so much love was vital. We are trying to learn the ‘art of loving’… a tortuous but thrilling adventure!!!”

Differences when reciprocally welcomed can be a richness. During the period of engagement the couple therefore needs to evaluate whether or not these differences are compatible for a lifetime together and partners needs to reflect on their capacity to accept each other.

To assist this process the convention offered roundtable discussions, sharing of experiences and dialogue. Married couples and experts spoke on a comprehensive range of topics (affective formation, relationship with ‘family of origin’, work and family finance, sacrament of marriage, communication and fertility) and to further deepen these issues there were group meetings and workshops where, through sharing, there was the chance for partners to get to know each other in an ever deeper way.

April 2011

Apr 1, 2011 | Non categorizzato, Word of

But in the end he submits completely to the Father’s will:

“Not what I will, but what you will.”

Jesus knows that his passion is not a chance event, nor simply a decision taken by men, but rather, a design of God. He will be taken to trial and rejected by men, but the “cup” comes from the hands of God. Jesus teaches us that the Father has a design of love for each one of us, that he loves us personally, and if we believe in this love and reciprocate with our love — this is the condition — he directs all things toward good. For Jesus nothing happens by chance, not even his passion and death. And this was followed by the Resurrection, whose solemn feast we are celebrating this month. The example of the risen Jesus should be a light for our life. We should interpret all that happens to us, all that takes place, all that is around us and even all that makes us suffer as something that God wills or that he permits, because he loves us. So then everything will have meaning in life, everything will be extremely useful, even what might seem in that moment to be incomprehensible and absurd, even what might plunge us into mortal anguish, as happened to Jesus. With him we need only to repeat, with an act of total trust in the Father’s love:

“Not what I will, but what you will.”

His will is that we live, that we joyfully thank him for the gifts of our life. His will is not, as we might sometimes think, something that we must resign ourselves to, especially when we encounter suffering. Nor is it merely a sequence of monotonous acts that we carry out in our lifetime.It is his voice that continues to make itself heard within, inviting us. It is his way of expressing his love and bringing us to the fullness of his life. We could depict it with the image of the sun, whose rays are like his will for each one of us. Each one walks along a ray, distinct from the ray of the person next to us, but always along a ray of the sun, that is, the will of God. So we all do only one will, that of God, but it is different for each one of us. Furthermore, the closer the rays come to the sun, the closer they come to one another. For us too, the closer we come to God, by carrying out the divine will more and more perfectly, the closer we draw to one another … until we are one. By living in this way, everything changes in our life. Instead of associating only with people we like and just loving them, we seek the company of whomever God wills us to be with. Instead of preferring the things that please us the most, we look after those that the will of God suggests to us, and we give preference to them. Being completely intent on doing the divine will in each moment (“what you will”) will lead to our being detached from everything else, and from ourselves as well (“not what I will”). This detachment is not something deliberately sought after — we seek God alone — but in actual fact it is attained. Then our joy will be full. We need only to immerse ourselves entirely in each fleeting moment and in that instant carry out the will of God, repeating:

“Not what I will, but what you will.”

The past no longer exists; the future is not yet here. Just as someone traveling by train would never think of walking up and down the aisle to reach his destination sooner but remains seated, so we should remain in the present. The train of time moves ahead on its own. We can love God only in the present moment given to us by saying our own “yes” — a vigorous, total, very active “yes” to his will.  So let us be happy to give that smile, carry out that job, drive that car, prepare that meal, organize that activity. Let us love all those who are suffering around us.Not even trials or sufferings should frighten us if, with Jesus, we recognize God’s will in them, that is, his love for each one of us. Indeed, we could pray in this way:“Lord, help me not to fear anything, because all that will happen will be nothing other than your will! Lord, help me not to desire anything, because nothing is more desirable than your will. What matters in life? What matters is doing your will. Grant that nothing may depress me or exalt me, because in everything I find your will.” Chiara Lubich