Dec 31, 2018 | Non categorizzato
Losing your job at 53 years of age, with three dependent children, would test anyone’s resolve. But Mirco didn’t allow himself to get discouraged. He went back to college and launched himself on a new career using dance to help people to connect and express their emotions. «Someone asked me, “Why don’t you transform your passion into your work?” And so began the challenge – far from easy – to create a new professional identity for myself». Today Mirco Castello is an Art Counsellor, but only after losing his “secure” job in the textile and fashion industry in 2008, after which it became harder and harder to balance the family budget. «I tried to listen to the advice people were giving me, but most of all to a “voice” inside of me which kept prompting me not to miss this opportunity. In fact, for many years I had dedicated my spare time to my real passion: mime, acting and dance. I started looking for ways of transforming this passion into a service which could meet the needs of others, particularly of children. I launched a dance and music play project in a nursery and primary school». As child psychologists maintain, dance has the power to help children find new balance and harmony within themselves. But a good idea and enthusiasm are not enough. To work in a professional educational environment, the right credentials are required. So Mirco went back to college, successfully studying for an Arts Counsellor diploma and a Masters degree in Family Mediation. He then contacted schools across Italy, in both the state and private sectors, he set up his own website (www.ledanzedimirco.it), and began offering training for teachers and sessions for children. «Since 2008 I’ve been managing – just – to make a living for my family, always hoping that no unexpected expense will crop up. But I have to say that we’ve never actually been lacking. With the profound relationship of unity with my wife, and with my friends in the Focolare Movement to sustain me, I’ve been able to entrust myself completely to God. I find He shows me the steps I have to take. Through my work, I can testify to the experience that He loves me and does not abandon me. I consider Him to be my new employer!».
Currently, Mirco is running a project in Italy and other European countries involving 2,000 children annually. «I engage children in play through music and can immediately recognise many forms unhappiness. How children suffer these days! So many are lacking in values, the security of boundaries and rules, their own autonomy, or are living through the separation or even conflict between their parents». Together with his wife, Mirco also runs a project for adults, facilitating «openness, assertiveness, understanding, forgiveness». And Mirco’s horizons continue to widen. «You know, for ten years, my wife and I could not even think about taking a holiday. Now, we’ve been invited to go to Kenya in January, to work with children in two schools and an orphanage. We’ve also received another invitation to go to Russia. Tell me, if this is not the love of my new employer!»
A cura di Chiara Favotti
Dec 29, 2018 | Non categorizzato
This year too as Christmas approaches there is a lot of buzz among the children of the Focolare Movement who are serious in sharing to others the invitation to welcome Jesus in those who are suffering
Pope Francis, during the Christmas of 2017, invited us to see to it that: «Our heart is not closed like the houses of Bethlehem were»1. Taking this invitation of the Pope seriously, with the support of their assistants, the involvement of their parents, teachers, classmates, their activity called «Jesus is left out!» (Hanno sloggiato Gesù) (HSG) is directing itself towards supporting projects of hospitality to help those who are marginalized or who suffer due to wars, injustices, those who are homeless or are forced to leave their homeland.
In this unique «framework» of hospitality, they have set-up small workshops to make little statues of Baby Jesus to offer in the streets, the town or city squares, in the most varied places so as to share with everyone that the real meaning of Christmas is Jesus who is born for everyone, today like yesterday, and that He is waiting for us to welcome Him in all those who are in need. The action of “HSG” conducted by the littlest ones, brings with it the profound values of Christmas: giving oneself, gratitude, unconditional love, generosity. This indirectly also reinforces these values in adults and in families. The production of the little statues promotes manual, creative and immaginative skills, collaboration, planning and self-expression. It develops in the children a sense of active citizenship, solidarity, fraternity, also through the fund-raising activities that provide concrete answers to the needs of children in different parts of the world. It stimulates the desire to give. Many people in fact, spontaneously leave a donation to support these initiatives. Experiences have been shared by adults who have received the message from the little ones on how, with love, they would like to find a home for Jesus at least this Christmas. «It is really life-changing to enter a supermarket and be welcomed by these children who smilingly offer you Baby Jesus», exclaimed a gentleman from Florence. «We think we can find everything in a supermarket but I never imagined that I would go home bringing Jesus with me!».
prepared by Rosi Bertolasso
Dec 28, 2018 | Non categorizzato
A quarterly journal for those who work at all levels in the ecclesial ambit. The subheading “Pathways of Communion and Dialogue” describes the type of content that characterises it. Born in synergy between the Focolare Movement and the Città Nuova Publishing Group, this journal, in both printed and digital form, released its first issue in Italian, but articles in English are also foreseen. Other language editions are expected to be published in the near future. It is presented as an instrument of formation, as an aid for action and as a source of inspiration in the search for new ways and expressions to share the Gospel with the men and women of our time. It is aimed at pastoral workers and animators, members of religious organisations (consecrated persons and laity), people involved in parishes or dioceses, people belonging to ecclesial movements or associations, but it will also dedicate space to the relationship between different Churches and world religions, to the encounter between different beliefs and cultures, to the renewal of Church and society. Each issue will focus on a particular theme. “The Greek word ekklesía means ‘assembly’, people who know they are summoned and called together to be protagonists in the journey of a people,” reads the editorial of the first issue. “The subheading pathways refers to the experimental and in-depth nature of the publication; communion and dialogue defines the direction in which it is heading but also its style. We hope that the journal, in both printed and digital form, and in all its subsequent language editions, may express and be of service to the community.” The authors include: Piero Coda (theologian), Vincenzo Zani (Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education), Tiziana Longhitano SFP, Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi (Archbishop of Aquila), Gerard Rossé (exegete), Brendan Leahy (Bishop of Limerick, Ireland), Jesús Morán (Co-President of the Focolare Movement), Fabio Ciardi OMI (expert on consecrated life), Susana Nuin (communications expert from Columbia), Callan Slipper (Anglican theologian) and Stefan Tobler Evangelical theologian. More details and journal subscription: www.cittanuova.it Email: ekklesia(at)cittanuova.it / abbonamenti(at)cittanuova.it
Dec 27, 2018 | Non categorizzato
Twenty-five years of the Focolare in Albania “We, who have followed the developments of the Focolare Movement in the world and in Albania, have noted the Focolare’s concrete response to our need for unity.” Words pronounced by Donika Omari, an Albanian journalist and translator without any religious convictions, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the arrival of the spirituality of unity in the ‘Land of Eagles’. Albania still suffers from social, regional, ideological and religious divisions. A country made up of Muslims, with the presence of the Sufi religious brotherhood of Bektashi; Christians, mostly Catholic and Orthodox; and many people who do not recognize themselves in any religious belief. “Chiara Lubich’s message of unity overcoming divisions of all kinds among people – continues Donika Omari – has been healthy for our land.” 
In 1991, the first focolarino, Gigi Franco arrived in Durazzo and was welcomed by a family. Then, the second focolarino arrived and the male Focolare centre was opened in Tirana, followed some years later by the female one. Since then a community has been forming, which includes today Christians, Muslims and people without a religious belief. “The spirit of ‘becoming one with the neighbour’, the brotherhood among people without distinction of social category, race, nationality, ideology – explains Donika Omari – are messages that have attracted me to this Movement from the beginning. We feel this need for our country where old and new upheavals have hindered the normalization of human relations.” The country has experienced very painful moments, such as the 1999 war in Kosovo, but the Focolare Movement all over the world helped us. They helped to raise funds, take in over 500,000 refugees, and also helped out in reconstructing the country after the war. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Focolare in Tirana, a public event was held in the Great Hall of the Catholic University “Our Lady of Good Counsel” where Chiara Lubich’s book in Albanian, “Una via nuova”, was presented. There were about two hundred participants, with representatives from Kosovo and Macedonia. Among them was the Apostolic Nuncio, Msgr. Charles Brown, the Catholic Archbishop, Msgr. Frendo, the Cathedral of Tirana’s Orthodox Bishop, Asti Bakallbashi, and a Muslim Pedagogy professor from the University of Skopje, Prof. Shehu. “This anniversary is a sign of continuity and development. It gave me the joy to see that despite the invasion of consumerism and the anxiety for a precarious future, leading many to think of expatriation, the family and social values of Albanian society are still intact even among the youth,” says Livio Brianza, who has lived in the Focolare of Tirana for twelve years. The Focolare Movement’s President, Maria Voce, sent a message to the Albanian Focolare community in which she expressed: “nourished and strengthened by continuous mutual love and by an ever more intense presence of the Love of loves among you, may you contribute in making your cities ‘shine like gold’ with increased commitment.” “Twenty-five years ago I wanted to change the world – says Madi Roço, an Albanian and a legal expert in environmental legislation – I was very confident that I would see the world united with my own eyes. I still have the same dream, loud and clear. Seeing the Focolare ‘family’ grow and join me, has ‘armed’ me with the courage to move forward.”
Cristina Tomelleri
Dec 25, 2018 | Non categorizzato
On the way to sainthood: an Italian teenager who lived the Focolare spirituality. On 10 December the diocesan phase of the process of Pietrino Di Natale’s Beatification was launched at a solemn ceremony in Teramo Cathedral. In a year in which the Catholic Church has dedicated great attention to the youth, it seems fitting that Pietrino’s name was proclaimed as a model for all, in a packed Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral, in the heart of ancient Teramo, in the Abuzzo region of Italy, on what would have been his birthday. In 1984, Pietrino De Natale was a 17 year-old high school student when he drowned in the waters off Silvi, a coastal town near his home. Every year since then on 20th August an increasingly large crowd gathers at the small cemetery of Colledara to pass on testimonies, remembering his example of being a “cornerstone”, a fulfilled Christian, someone whose life “has to do with holiness”. Pietrino – “little Pietro” – was named after his father who died in a work accident before Pietrino was born. He grew up in the small village of Ornano Piccolo, which offered a protective environment for the young widow, Adelina and her son. At 11 years old, Pietrino got to know the Focolare spirituality through two young parish priests, don Gianfranco De Luca, now Bishop of Termoli-Larino, and don Giovanni D’Annunzio, currently responsible for the Focolare’s Diocesan Movement. It was a crucial meeting for young Pietrino. He drew from it the gift of a luminous certainty in the love of God, which propelled him to seek Jesus in every day life. Don Giovanni recently wrote: «Pietrino’s heart was only for God. An important step ahead was his participation in the Focolare congress for young people in 1978. (…) When he came back from there, I noticed how launched he was in living every moment profoundly. His race towards holiness had begun». In the months ahead, testimonies of those who knew him will be collected. In the meantime, there is a short biography in Italian (Teresa D’Orsogna, Pietrino Di Natale. … sono scattato ad amare…, ed. Palumbi, 2018) for those who would like to get to know more about this young man who continues to inspire many young – and not so young – people to follow Jesus along the pathway to unity.
Chiara Favotti
Dec 21, 2018 | Non categorizzato
Christmas greetings from Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement. https://vimeo.com/307656906 It’s Christmas! If I look around me, in towns and cities but also in the media, I often ask myself, “What is Christmas really about?” It is as though there is a din all around me, because it seems to be made up of dinners, gifts, decorations, lights and street markets. And all this din seems to be trying to hide – without succeeding – the cry of pain and suffering on the part of so many people in the world who are calling out for solidarity, respect, welcome, peace and justice. They are really appealing for love. And human beings don’t know how to give them love, but God does. God knows how to give love and he does so. The little Child we see in the crib this Christmas, as in all the other Christmases, tells of God’s love. God so loved humankind as to become one of us, becoming small and defenceless, facing all kinds of sufferings, not only facing them but actually experiencing them, all the sufferings of humankind and death itself. Coming to live among people on earth was God’s way of saying “yes” to humankind once more, to reunite them again with him. God’s ‘yes’ to humankind is represented by that little Child in Bethlehem, by that baby whose name people don’t even want to hear mentioned any more. I visited a country where in order to keep the festive atmosphere of Christmas without referring to God, people invented a “Winter Festival” to be able to celebrate. Yet even so, God loves each person and continues to love everyone, telling us so once more. This Child not only shows us God’s love but shares this love with us. He gives us love, helping us to live it and teaching us what to do. He then wants us to do the same, to be witnesses of God’s love to other people, giving God’s love to others, a love like his. God’s love does not have preferences. It is a love that reaches everyone, that does not put up barriers; it is not prejudiced and does not discriminate between people. This love can open our hearts, our hands, our arms, our wallets and our homes. If this kind of love is alive among people, then God himself lives among them. Only God can make everyone feel at home, creating a family among everyone, all brothers and sisters, a real celebration. Christmas is like this. If we live in this way, it is a real Christmas for us. This is the Christmas I wish for all of you. Happy Christmas!
Dec 20, 2018 | Non categorizzato
An award for the body of people that perseveres in promoting initiatives that create fraternity in their area and translates this universal value into civic and political commitment. Nominations for the annual “Chiara Lubich International Award for fraternity” should be made by Jan 15 2019. This award is open to local authorities (provincial, regional or rural communities) from any part of the world, be they large or small organisations. Awards are made to projects that initiate or spread activities promoting universal fraternity usually at the local level. However, projects may also be on a national or international scale. They should reflect an understanding of the meaning of universal fraternity and encourage citizens to show commitment in working for the common good and to play an active role in the community. The projects should facilitate the growth of a culture of active and inclusive citizenship. They should also favour collaboration and synergy among areas of administration, local communities and civil society such as associations, groups and committees and they should make an impact upon these areas. The projects should be typical of a sustained way of working in that area favouring fraternity and should not be “one-off” actions. Presentations of the projects can take the form of text or text with links to audio-visual material. Nominations and supporting material should be sent to Presidenza dell’Associazione “Città per la Fraternità”, c/o Comune di Castel Gandolfo, Piazza Libertà, 7 – 00040 Castel Gandolfo – Rome (Italy). Alternatively, if electronic transfer is possible, they can be sent to associazionecittafraernita(at)gmail.com o info(at)cittaperlafraternita.org The nominations should include the following details: the name of the authority or organisation, the leader’s personal details, the full address and contact details, the name of the project or initiative and an abstract (maximum three sides of A4) that describes the project and how it functions. The award giving will take place in S. Maria Capua Vetere- Caserta (Italy) in February 2019. For further information: Associazione “Città per la Fraternità”, telephone +39 340 4182127 – +39 347 4573988; e-mail: associazionecittafraternita(at)gmail.com – info(at)cittaperlafraternita.org.
Dec 19, 2018 | Non categorizzato
The little focolare town in Argentina is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Pat Santoianni, Cecilia Gatti, Adriana Otero and Israele Coelho speak about its contribution to the formation of young people. The little town of O’Higgins in Argentina has just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. It is one of the twenty-five permanent Mariapoli in the world. Considering that its purpose is the formation of young people, 1968 – a year of great protest and unrest among youth – was a perfect time to begin. The little town seemed to have had a star shining down upon it. Nowadays, O’Higgins is known as Mariapolis Lia. It is named after Lia Brunet who was one of the first people, in the 40’s, who shared Chiara Lubich’s life and ideals. She was courageous and open-minded – a real pioneer in this Focolare town in South America. To date, over 3,500 young people from all over the world have gone to Mariapolis Lia for an “experiencia”; in other words, they have chosen to spend a few months or a maximum of two years in the little town, working, studying and experiencing what it means to live in a multi- cultural environment where the spirituality of unity reigns. After this time, they return to their own homes, enriched by this human and intellectual experience that has opened their hearts and minds to other people and cultures. Pat Santoianni, anthropologist and co-responsible for the Formation at Mariapolis Lia said, “Over the years, we have developed the formation process: one of the chief elements is that the whole social body contributes to formation. Therefore, our course is anthropological and existential and impacts upon life, thought and action.” Adriana Otero, biologist and one of the formation co-ordinators said that the course has a holistic approach. She said, “We try to keep up with both the challenges and risks that young people face in today’s society – relationships, choices, freedom, social and civil commitment, dialogue among different cultures and among different generations and technology. Work is also an important element as, for many young people, this is a new experience.” Cecilia Gatti, a researcher in education, said that relationships lie at the heart of the educational process. “Education means relationship. This is a concept drawn from the Focolare spirituality of unity that is central to our formation programme. Relationships with other people enable me to build strong bonds, to see my life in a different way, to contribute to and engage with society. Our school is a little town where everything provides an opportunity to learn – every relationship, every dialogue, every meeting.” In an age of technological advances such as Web 4.0, the obvious question is how can O’Higgins, a small village in the middle of the Argentinian pampas, really work as a location for the formation of these young millennials. Israele Coelho, a Brazilian expert in education and co-responsible for the formation course said the experience itself is proof of its validity. “Although this place, in the middle of nowhere, could seem to be a contradiction in terms, it still continues to be an environment where young people can focus upon themselves, experience an interior silence and develop their relationship with God and other people. For many young people, this “experiencia” is an important time for making fundamental choices in life.”
Stefania Tanesini
Dec 18, 2018 | Non categorizzato
In the “Ecopesce” (Ecofish) workshop and the shop called “E Nustren” nothing is thrown away. This is the philosophy behind a small business based at Cesenatico in Italy that processes and sells fish from the Adriatic Sea, using only refrigeration technology. What reaches the customers’ table is a product that would otherwise not be valued or perhaps even thrown away. All this happens by putting sharing before economics. https://vimeo.com/301634595
Dec 17, 2018 | Non categorizzato
Christopher Jimènez, member of the Focolare Movement community in Mexico, tells about the migrants’ long exodus from Honduras, while remaining weeks at the foot of the wall bordering the United States. “On 12th October, we received several calls through the social network—affirm Christopher Jimènez, who collaborates with the association Promozione Intergrare della Persona (PIP) — making it viral in a short time. More than thousands of Hondurans left San Pedro Sula”, a city, which until 2014, has been considered for years among the most violent on the planet. From that time on, the whole world has been witnessing what has been defined by many as a biblical exodus. “A week after the caravan crossed the border of Mexico, numerous civil society organizations and government agencies have already set out to provide humanitarian aid, first at Chiapas, then at Oaxaca and Veracruz.” At that point, it was no longer a question of a single contingent of migrants, but of different groups that proceeded in waves, on foot or by some lucky means, crossing the country for thousands of kilometres. “At the end of October – continued Christopher – when their arrival in Mexico City was imminent, an interruption of the drinking water was scheduled for the over four million inhabitants of the capital, due to a serious water problem. Yet, many civil and religious organizations, despite the hardships and intense cold, have responded to the invitation of the local Human Rights Commission, setting up a humanitarian camp to the westside of the city. The Focolare also joined. About thirty people, including doctors, nurses, students, housewives, went to the relief and meal-clothing distribution points. Also, another group organized a collection of basic necessities and a civil association, inspired by the Focolare spirit, offered technical and logistic collaborations.” On the morning of 5th November, about five thousand migrants arrived in the capital. Almost ten thousand people received hospitality, food, blankets, and clothing in the following days. “Despite the solidarity of many, their passage was not free from friction and violence. Some incidents have been on the verge of causing serious episodes of xenophobia. Now the wave of migrants is waiting impatiently under the impassable wall that separates the Mexican city of Tijuana from the United States. We are expecting days of great uncertainty. But in their passage, even amid the pitfalls of a very complex path, they have indicated, the direction by which their dream moves, to the heart of the Mexican people.”
Chiara Favotti
