Mexico
Quito
Maria Voce
In 1963, she felt the unexpected and “overwhelming” call of God to follow in the way of Chiara Lubich and she immediately responded. She gave up her promising career and went to attend the school of formation for focolarine in Grottaferrata, Rome. Chiara gave her the name Emmaus, and this is how she continues to be known in the Movement. This name recalls the story of the two disciples who walked with Jesus following his Resurrection, and it recalls what is at the heart of the Focolare’s charism: Jesus makes himself present “where two or more are united” in His name. From 1964 to 1972 she was in Sicily, in the Focolare Centres of Syracuse and Catania. From 1972 to 1978 she belonged to Chiara Lubich’s personal secretariat and, in for the following ten years she lived in the Focolare Centre of Istanbul where she established ecumenical and interreligious relationships, especially with the then Patriarch of Constantinople, Demetrius I, and with numerous metropolitans including the now Patriarch Bartholemew I, as well as with representatives of various Churches. As a law expert, from 1995 she was a member of the Abba School, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies chaired by Chiara Lubich. And from 2000 she was also co-responsible for the international commission, “Communion and Law,” a network of academics and professionals involved in law. From 2002 until their approval, which came in 2007, she worked directly with Chiara Lubich in updating the General Statutes of the Movement. On 7 July 2008 she was elected president of the Focolare Movement and she began by revealing her presidential style would be to remain committed to “giving priority to relationships” and continuing to strive with all her strength towards the goal for which the Movement was born: to seek unity at all levels, in every field, pursuing the various paths of dialogue that were opened by Chiara Lubich. On July 27, 2008, at the conclusion of the General Assembly, Maria Voce was received by Pope Benedict XVI at his residence in Castel Gandolfo, together with the Co-President Giancarlo Faletti and an international representation of the Movement. On April 23, 2010 Pope Benedict XVI received her in a private audience. The pope spoke of the “charism that builds bridges, that makes unity” and recommended that the Movement continue in implementing the charism with renewed commitment through an ever deeper love and striving for holiness. In October 2008 she participated and spoke at the Synod of Bishops on “The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church.” On 24 November 2009 Benedict XVI appointed her as a Consultor for the Pontifical Council for the Laity. She has made several trips to meet communities of the Movement around the world and to continue contacts with people in civil and ecclesiastical environments, in cultural and political environments, and in ecumenical and interreligious environments. These important steps strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation constructed during almost 70 years of the Focolare’s life and they bring newer developments on the path to brotherhood. Maria Voce was re-elected for a second consecutive term in September 2014. The Holy See immediately confirmed her election, as prescribed by the Statutes of the Work of Mary. Cardinal Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, wrote: “At the beginning of this second term we invoke the special assistance of the Holy Spirit for Maria Voce, and we entrust her service to the maternal intercession of Mary Most Holy whose Holy Name we celebrate today.”
Mariapolis Piero
Križevci
Midwest – Ohio
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Mariapolis Luminosa (Hyde Park, NY)
Southwest – Dallas, Texas
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
West Coast – Los Angeles
Please note: The geolocalisation feature on this website – which displays cities and towns where Focolare centres are present – is only meant to be a guide. The markers on the map do not necessarily point to a specific address and they must not be relied on for navigational purposes.
Vancouver
Montreal
Toronto
Welcome to our new focolare.org website!
Lancio del sito da Maria Voce in un collegamento video dalla Spagna, 22 gennaio 2011.
Since her departure for heaven on the 14th of March 2008, Chiara Lubich has been very close to us. Chiara was a great communicator. As soon as she discovered that “God loves us immensely”, she wanted to tell everyone about it, using the means available to her in those times. The hundreds of letters she wrote testify to this. She wholeheartedly embraced all means of communication and new technologies and saw them as an opportunity to spread her ideals of a united world. This is obvious in her talk “Mass Media: a Vocation for a United World” published especially for the opening of this new website.
We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to Chiara. This new international website of the Focolare Movement is dedicated to her.
We have been working on the development of this new website for over a year with the help of many collaborators: the first companions of Chiara Lubich, the editorial staff which is composed of representatives of the various branches and realities of the Focolare Movement, our technical personnel and graphic designers, our translators, the zone delegates around the world and regional counsellors. It has been a great team effort and we thank each one for making it all possible.
However, the fact we are online doesn’t mean that the website is complete. On the contrary, it will be a constant “work in progress”. It will keep evolving with your suggestions and input. The aim is to present the life of the Focolare Movement in its unity and variety.
What’s new?
4 menu headings give you an overview of the whole Focolare Movement.
8 themes act as cross references to the contents, covering subjects such as economics, politics, sport, education, communications and spirituality.
Focolare Worldwide: you will be able to select a nation and find useful information about it: a map, links to Focolare sites, news and events, and contact information for significant places.
A glance at the past: A direct link on the Home Page takes you directly to “Chiara Lubich – founder”. A similar link is dedicated to Igino Giordani.
Spirituality: the Focolare “Word of Life” is one of the most popular features of the current site. The new site will continue to give access to relevant and enriching experiences with increased use of multimedia, and will now be extended to the children and youth versions.
Headlines: a top banner will highlight current news. Colour coded photo framess will indicate the theme of reference.
Multimedia content: Photos, audio and video will be grouped together in the “media gallery”, directly accessible from the Home Page. There will be Photo galleries for important news and events.
Towards Web 2.0: The first steps towards interactivity and sharing. With one click news can be shared with the main social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc.
Direct access for children and teens, with a different content style.
Interaction with other sites: A box that brings together news from other sites with Rss feeds (Città Nuova, NetOne and others)
Catalonia, first stop on the visit of the Focolare president
On pilgrimage to Montserrat 
On 17 January, near to the end of her stay in Catalonia, Maria Voce went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, who is the patroness of Catalonia. She was accompanied by the Abbot, Dom Josep M. Soler. The meeting was cordial and full of mutual esteem, in continuation of the fraternity and communion which has marked the relations between the Focolare and the Benedictines. While visiting the Monastery of Montserrat in 2002, Chiara Lubich remarked: “Oftentimes, the movements give the example of charismatic and evangelical freshness, as well as an abundant and creative evangelisation. But the movements have much they can learn from the witness of consecrated life, which guard and preserve many treasures of experience and wisdom.” The abbot said that he was gladdened to learn that Chiara Luce Badano, the young woman recently beatified in Rome, was at Montserrat shortly before her death. “Another thing that unites us!” exclaimed Dom Josep. Still on Monday, the 17th, the Cardinal of Barcellona, Lluis Martines Sistach welcomed Maria Voce with great affection, recalling Chiara’s visit in 2001. In the evening the president met the Archbishop of La Seu d’Urgell and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, Bishop Joan-Enric Vives i Sicília. The journey ended with a visit to the Basilica of the Sagrada Famiglia, which was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI last November. Then there was a visit to Ciutat Nova, the Catalan edition of Citta Nuova. Now they are leaving for the land of Andalusia, Seville, in the south of Spain.
Focolare Skopje
Focolare Abidjan
Focolare Town “Arco Iris”
Focolare Venezuela
Focolare Paraguay
Focolare Quito
Focolare Bucarest
Focolare Sofia
Focolare Belgrade
Focolare Vilnius
Info Letonia
Chiara Lubich, June 2000
Economy of Communion: it’s Africa’s moment
Economy of Communion: A new paradigm for the African Development is the title of the first Pan African Summer School of the Economy of Communion, which will be held from January 23 to the 25 at Mariapolis Piero in Nairobi (Kenya). There will be 110 aspiring young entrepreneurs who want to learn how to start businesses of communion, together with experts in the Economy of Communion from the United States, Philippines and Italy. The youth expected are from all over Africa (Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Cameroun, Central Africa, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Angola); they speak 4 different languages: English, French, Portuguese and Italian.
Formation, reciprocity, and enculturation are the fundamental pillars of the school. “The Pan African Summer School is based on three assumptions,” said Luigino Bruni, responsible for the worldwide EoC project. “The first: today, cooperation in development is done with people, not with capital. Without quality universities, no serious development can take place. Second: the method of the school is reciprocity. There will not be any professors from the West who are coming to teach the African youth. Starting from the high esteem that we hold for the culture, everyone will learn from everyone. Thirdly: development cannot happen without business culture, and this is what Africa is missing today. Africa needs to open itself up to the market while saving the “community” roots that are so strong in its culture’s DNA. So, one can understand how “Economy” and “Communion” can truly be an important opportunity here.”
In the days that follow the school, from January 26 to 28, 2011, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi will host the International Conference on the Economy of Communion, in which 300 people are expected to participate. It’s the first time that the Economy of Communion will be presented in an African University. Dr. Aloys Blasie’ Ayako, Dean of this prestigious university’s Faculty of Commerce, has strongly encouraged this event – which will pay special attention to “business culture” – as he sees great hope for his people in the Economy of Communion culture.
To give continuity to this important moment, there is a professional development course in the works at CUEA. It is aimed at spreading an economic business culture for Africa and will be entrusted to a group of economists and scholars that work throughout the world developing the Economy of Communion.
Info Estonia
Info Bosnia and Herzegovina
Info Montenegro
Centrum Mariapoli Praha
Info Czechia
Contact Nicaragua
Focolare Guatemala
Focolare Tegucicalpa
Focolare El Salvador
Focolare Bogotá
Youth and Democracy
The difficulties that Europe’s democracy is going through was the topic suggested for a training seminar on politics held on the 13th of January for the youth of Cagliari in Sardegna, Italy. The context was indeed a difficult one. In Sardegna social tensions have been increasing. Despite the fact that disillusionment, disorientation and uncertainty about the future appears to be widespread among the youth, this event once again attracted many participants.
What does universal brotherhood have to say to Political Science and to modern democracy and all its paradoxes?
This was the main point of keynote speaker Daniela Ropelato, Professor of Political Sciences at the University Institute Sophia located in Loppiano (near Florency, Italy). She shared with the audience the main ideas of a reflection that involves politicians and scholars, citizens and government officers, who have found in the charism of unity the cornerstone for their public commitment.
The school on politics in Cagliari is not an isolated experience: it is one out of ten such schools born recently in Italy. They are part of the international network of the Schools of the Movement for Unity. “Learning communities”, as they are called in Argentina, are for those young people who do not wish to yield to current trends in politics but who have decided to practice a “politics of communion”.
The young people from Sardegna attending were the main protagonists of the event: their example is a concrete answer to the need for unity.
“An extra drive to become more active, also in our small way,” said one of the participants, “to become citizens who are aware of the contribution we all can give”. “We can do politics at home, in a waiting rooms, in a shop, in a square, by giving our opinion and witnessing with our life”.
Their School has being named after “Domenico Mangano”. He had moved to Viterbo from Sardegna. He was convinced that the light and logic of the Gospel had to lead our actions in politics. He was a justice builder and developer who was at every bodies service. He had many high administrative responsibilities in the city of Viterbo. He witnessed that a positive relationship among generations may be the key to the so needed innovation the public sphere needs.
26.09.10 Beatification of Chiara Luce Badano
Maria Voce in Spain – January 2011
chiaraluce.org vi aspetta su Internet
The aim of www.chiaraluce.org is to make Chiara Luce’s experience known as widely as possible and it will have a special emphasis on the collective spirituality. The website seeks to reach everyone. Apart from Italian, it is translated into English and Spanish and it seeks to focus on the life experience of Chiara Luce which many of us can relate to. This is why the site has simply been called Chiara Luce. It’s not meant to be a commemorative site but rather a site which speaks about a friend who is close to us. It is divided into three parts: LIFE, LOVE, LIGHT. The choice of words is not random. In fact, the site wishes to be a continuation of that evening celebration for Chiara Luce held at Pope Paul VI Audience Hall, at the Vatican, on 25 September 2010. LIFE: this first section, which focuses on the life of Chiara Luce, is what is currently active. It is subdivided into 7 sub-sections: her parents’ wish for a child, Chiara’s childhood and teenage years, her sickness and death, her beatification and the ensuing phenomenon – each section is enriched with images and videos. The second section, entitled LOVE, aims to deepen the collective spirituality and will gather the most relevant experiences from the whole world. Finally, the section on LIGHT, is expected to go online in February and will be geared towards the most social and dynamic aspect of the Internet. It will be connected to the most such social networks as Facebook, Orbit, Twitter, YouTube and grant visitors access to everything that the online network has to offer on the topic: past, present and future events surrounding Chiara Luce. Ample space will be given for comments and feedback. Welcome to www.chiaraluce.org !