Dec 23, 2019 | Non categorizzato
A Christmas greeting from Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement Christmas is, for all of us who celebrate it every year, a long-awaited moment, full of emotion, joy and relationships. But in the midst of such a joyful and happy Christmas atmosphere, we often forget that this feast day is rooted in a mysterious event, I would say an almost scandalous event: the scandal of a God who lowers himself and becomes human; the scandal of the Almighty who becomes a weak child; of the Unlimited One who enters the limits of human flesh. God does not do this only out of solidarity, to be close to us and to share our existence. He enters our human condition to show us, through our own language, gestures and emotions, his own life, the life of God: a life capable of repairing rifts, healing wounds and rebuilding relationships. God did this 2,000 years ago and wants to do it again today. In a month, January 22nd 2020 marks the centenary of the birth of Chiara Lubich, the founder of our Focolare Movement. On this occasion I cannot help but remember the core of her message, of her spirituality of unity: the discovery that Jesus can be born today too, where two or more people love each other “with the love of service, understanding, and sharing in the sufferings, burdens, anxieties, and joys of our brothers and sisters; with the love that covers everything, that forgives everything, typical of Christianity”. Hence we resolve to make all our relationships become the crib, the cradle that welcomes Jesus in our midst, who wants to rebuild our fragmented world today. My wish for Christmas is that this celebration will bring deep joy to all, in the commitment to train ourselves every day to attract, through mutual love, the presence of Jesus among us, thus allowing him to transform the world.
Dec 22, 2019 | Non categorizzato
A top figure in Thai Theravada Buddhism, the Venerable Ajahn Thong died on 13 December at the age of 96. Together with Chiara Lubich, they experienced the highest level of Buddhist-Christian dialogue. Midway through the 1990s, Phramaha Thongratana, a Thai Buddhist monk, had the opportunity to meet John Paul II and get to know the Focolare Movement and Chiara Lubich. He became known in Catholic circles as Luce Ardente. Thanks to him, the great master Ajahn Thong spent some time at the Focolare’s little city of Loppiano together with his young follower. After the early meetings that they had with Focolare’s founder, there was great hope for further dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity in Thailand, which, in the monks words, needed to be accomplished “gently, with exquisite compassion, with much love and caring for it with our hearts.” To this he added a fundamental consideration for dialogue: “These two terms – Buddhism and Christianity – are only two words … it is the good and love that unites all people of every race, religion and language, and helps everyone to meet and coexist together.” From that moment his commitment was decided and at times astonishing even: “As long as I breathe and live, I will try to build true and beautiful relationships with everyone in the world.” Chiara Lubich confirmed these sentiments with an invitation and a prediction: “Let’s continue to prepare the way, living according to the light we have received, and many will follow.” With this background the elderly, venerable monk Ajahn Thong arrived at Loppiano, where he stayed at the Claritas spirituality centre, which regularly welcomes those from religious orders of various congregations, who come for an experience of communion between charisms. Two Theravada monks together with Franciscans, Salesians, Jesuits, Dominicans and others: it was prophetic. Venerable Phra Phrom Mongkol was deeply touched by the welcome he received and, meeting Chiara, he commented, “The fact that you invited Buddhist monks to come here to be among your people is something so beautiful.” This was not just simple formality or politeness, although those are characteristic of the Thai people. These were the early steps of a profound spiritual experience, which the monks were already quite aware of. Chiara’s expectation of that first meeting was one of an attitude of listening aimed at learning, not teaching. “I am happy with this visit in order to learn something beautiful.” she said. “What is the heart of your teaching?” From that point, an unforeseen path unfolded. At the start of 1997, in fact, the Catholic leader was invited to Thailand by these top figures of Buddhist monasticism. It was not to be just a courtesy visit. Chiara was invited to address and share her Christian experience with various groups of monks, nuns and lay Buddhists, both in Bangkok and above all in Chiang Mai. It was there, at the Wat Rampoeng Temple, that the great master introduced her with these remarkable words: “All of you, my followers, might ask yourselves why this mother, who is a woman, was invited. I would like you monks and seminarians to forget this question and not think of her as a woman. Those who are wise and able to point to the correct path for our lives, whether woman or man, are worthy of respect. It’s like when we are in the dark: if there is someone who comes to bring us a lamp to guide us, we are grateful, and it doesn’t matter to us whether that person who came to bring us light is a woman or man, a child or adult.” These few words seem to be a condensed version of the great wisdom of this capable man, together with others, who was able to walk the way of dialogue fearlessly, bringing others along with him on this prophetic experience. Lubich herself, touched by this sensitivity and openness, noticed a higher presence in this relationship and turned to the great master with words that feel like a prophecy: “Let’s continue to prepare the way, living according to the light we have received, and many will follow.” And so it was. For 25 years this dialogue has continued and developed. Even in death, there was something in common between this ancient monk from the thousand-year-old Theravada tradition with a Catholic woman who recently founded a movement in the Church. On 7 December, in fact, the celebrations for the centenary of the birth of Chiara Lubich opened in Trento, including an interfaith event on 7 June 2020.The venerable great master had expressed his desire to attend. Theirs is a friendship now destined to continue in eternity.
Roberto Catalano (Co-director for Focolare Interreligious Dialogue)
A conversation with the Great Teacher Ajahn Thong a service of the Collegamento CH of 13 February 2016 https://vimeo.com/155543298
Dec 20, 2019 | Non categorizzato
During the past 15 years, the Focolare Centre “Nueva Vida” has carried out a very important social action, that supports young people and their families in an area on the outskirts of Montevideo,Uruguay. Luis Mayobre, director of this centre has been interviewed about this activity. “The youth are the driving force of ‘Nueva Vida’. This social action challenges and stimulates us not to lose sight of what is most important: mutual love, which we want as the only law for our centre”. Luis Mayobre said these words at the beginning of the interview. He has been the director of Nueva Vida almost since it was started in 2004, when the Archbishop of Montevideo asked the Focolare Movement to continue a social activity started by a religious woman in one of the suburban districts of the Uruguayan capital. This is how Nueva Vida began. Its objectives are inscribed in its name: it wants to instil hope of a new beginning in all those who go to the centre, which forms part of the CO.DE.SO Association (Communion for Social Development established by the Focolari) and collaborates with the INAU, the institute for children and adolescents, a public entity that manages policies for Uruguayan children and adolescents. Mayobre related: “Violence marked the year 2018 and the inhabitants of Barrio Borro lived in anguish and fear. Their life was at risk due to clashes between two families of rival drug traffickers. Shootings took place day and night, and educators and staff at Nueva Vida, together with the rest of the people, had to face this terrible situation. As families were seeking for shelter, the number of people at our centre almost doubled itself. Many were robbed and their poor homes were occupied by drug traffickers”. How did you manage to cope with such a hostile situation? “We reported the situation to the Minister of Internal Affairs, but we had to wait for a reply, which took quite some time to arrive. So we offered shelter and support to some of these families. Later we obtained state services for them and they were given new homes. One of these families – two of their children participate in our youth centre activities – was being threatened with death. Our coordinator contacted another daughter of this family to ask for help, even though she knew there were family problems between the daughter and her parents. Luckily things turned out well; the daughter provided her parents with a piece of land where a new, more dignified and safe house could be built. I also remember a case of family violence. When our team came to know about the situation, the intervention of the local authorities was sought to safeguard the children and their mother. Regardless of threats and insults, we carried on with our work to help the family regain its peace and security”. Who are the ones that come to the Centre and what services do you offer? “Our three projects are: the CAIF, the Children’s Club and the Youth Centre. Living in an atmosphere of violence made us decide to be builders of peace, hope and, above all, joy, so as to overcome hatred and fear. We have tried to create a pleasant environment where 48 children between the ages of 2 and 3 years and 60 younger ones – from 0 to 2 years – participate in various workshops with their mothers. We also organize educational excursions to create spaces of beauty and harmony. This proved to be a very positive experience in which even the so-called “rival” families participated and relationships improved considerably. In our Children’s Club we take care of 62 school-age children, ranging from the age of 6 to 11 years. We are committed to fight early school leaving and we work to ensure that everyone moves on to the upper classes. In 2004, 36% of the children were early school leavers, now there are only 5%. We encourage children to take part in art and music workshops and in other recreational activities to help them become aware and develop the cultural values of coexistence and attention to others, and also to learn the ‘culture of giving’. We educate to abolish violence from all forms of behaviour. Swimming lessons and outings help to promote education in health care and hygiene. 52 young people, between the ages of 12 and 18, come to our Youth Centre. During this year, about 95% of them have participated in after- school activities. We have been organizing these activities and considering them as part of our programme since the very beginning. 6 of these young people attend high school: quite a big success when you consider that most of the children attend classes only during the first school years. We also organize complementary workshops, such as fabric processing, carpentry and communication, to enhance their formation. All these ativities are prepared by Focolare Members on a voluntary basis.”. What kind of relationship is there between the centre and other associations in this area? “Over the years, a network of all institutions that work in Borro has been set up; we collaborate with all of them and we support one another. We also participate in the life of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, which.is the parish in our area.The parish priest and another priest come to visit us once a week. There are also volunteers from other countries who come to give a helping hand. Elisa Ranzi and Matteo Allione, the two Italians, who visited us this year, left an indelible impression. We thank heartily all those who come to help us; their collaboration is of great importance to us. Every help, no matter how small, is very precious to us”.
Stefania Tanesini
Dec 18, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The diocesan phase of the causes for the beatification of Chiara Lubich and Father Oreste Benzi, respectively founders of a Movement and a new ecclesial Community, was concluded during the month of November 2019. Many new ecclesial communities, inspired by charisms, were born during the 1968 turmoil, a twentieth century revolutionary phenomenon that affected countries on various latitudes. Founded by lay people, they touched the lives of youth, spontaneously lay down their foundations and spread in society. Even these ecclesial communities stimulated a revolution, an evangelical one, the prayer to the Holy Spirit invoked by the Fathers who participated in the Ecumenical Vatican Council II, which ended in 1965. At the dawn of the twentieth century there were already some new charismatic realities germinating in the Church. Towards the middle of the century, twenty years before the Council, the Focolare Movement was born. The inspiration that brought with it innovations was given to a young lay woman from Trent, Chiara Lubich, born in 1920. The Second World War raged furiously when this young woman of bountiful faith, realized her dream and gave herself to God on December 7, 1943. The preferential love for the poor, the community life sustained by a collective spirituality based on the Word of God, proved to be the place where the charism of unity incarnated and soon spread to the world. Father Oreste Benzi was born in 1927 in San Clemente, a small village near Rimini. He was ordained priest at the age of 24 and dedicated himself to adolescents. The leitmotif of his life was “a friendly meeting with Christ”. He spent the summer months with adolescents at Casa Madonna delle Vette at Canazei, and the Pope John XXIII Community was born there in 1968. It embraced a constant commitment to love the poorest of the poor in close relationship with Christ because: “only those who know how to be on their knees can stand alongside the poor”. He carried out works considered to be unrealizable: from the daily sharing with the poor and the oppressed to the fight against human trafficking. Chiara and Father Benzi were two different people: a woman and a man, a layman and a priest, a woman from a mountainous area and a man from a place near the sea, but they were both founders of works generated by a charism, a light that became part of history. They founded new realities in the Church, that re-propose the old and new message of Jesus, while involving those who adhere to them in a renewed journey of faith and humanity. The adamant witness of the Gospel does not stop at the founders, but extends itself to members. It was also thanks to Movements and new Communities that at the end of the second millennium, the holiness of people started to advance, and continues to be part of daily life. “Sarò santo se sono santo subito”- (I will be holy, if I am holy right away), this six S slogan was devised by Chiara for those who want to follow Jesus on their path to holiness. There are various Focolare members whose causes of beatification have been initiated. In 2004, when Father Benzi’s Association was granted the final recognition by the Holy See, he affirmed that this was: “an inestimable gift” because “the brothers and sisters who are members of the Community (…) can live joyfully and peacefully in the absolute certainty that the vocation of the Community is a sure way of sanctifying themselves (…)”. The cause for the beatification of the Servant of God, Sandra Sabattini, a member of the Pope John XXIII Association has been initiated. On October 31, 2007 Father Benzi phoned the International Centre of the Focolare Movement; he was eager to inform Chiara about the latest initiative organized by his Association and to ask for her support. This was one of his last telephone calls; unfortunately he never heard Chiara’s positive reply as he passed away the following night. Chiara returned to the house of the Father on March 14, 2008. November 2019 marked their two paths, distinct but very close to each other.
Lina Ciampi
Dec 16, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Every little gesture of love, every kind act and each smile we give transforms our existence and fills it with a continuous and fruitful sense of expectation. Children’s Choir Jesus is present in everyone and so, before the Christmas holidays, we decided to visit the local hospital with a group of children to bring some cheer to the patients. We were hoping to sing some carols. We were not allowed to enter the children’s ward but we were given permission to perform in the hospital entrance hall. It was surprising to see the complete change in the visitors: many of them came in with a very serious expression on their face but, as soon as they saw the children singing, they began to smile. Several of them came back to listen together with the patients they had come to visit. Other patients who were not waiting for visitors were brought to the large hall to listen to the performance. Some of them even joined in with the choir. The hospital staff were also very happy about the atmosphere that we created. The management team has already invited us for next year and has promised that we can sing on the children’s ward. (N.L. – Netherlands) In the kitchen I work hard as a cook in a kindergarten school. One day, when I was listening to the school-keeper say that he regarded every child as treasure to be protected, I realised that I had never thought of putting any love into what I was doing. Now, however, I have begun to use my imagination because I have understood that every meal is nourishment for people who, one day, will have the world in their hands. Sometimes I hide a little surprise “treasure” in the dishes I prepare or I arrange the food in a different way. The children show such joy and surprise – you really don’t know the impact a little act of love can produce. (K.J. – Korea) The accident My work at the drug rehabilitation centre had become overwhelming. I was taken up by the thousands of things to do but found no satisfaction in anything. I felt a sense of emptiness within and God seemed always further away. One very wet evening, I was coming home when the car I was in skidded, crashed into a wall and ended up on the opposite side of the road. I was taken to hospital and as I waited in the casualty room, the sight of a crucifix hanging on the wall gave me courage. While the doctors were examining me, I felt a gentle sense of peace: it was a feeling I had not known for a long time. Fortunately, apart from minor injuries and bruises, I was not seriously hurt and so I was discharged quite quickly. I needed to rest in bed for some time but there were always lots of people around me, lots of telephone calls and lots of gifts. I was very touched by the fact that many of the people I know who are suffering from various forms of addiction visited regularly. They said, “You survived because you are doing some good in the world.” My work colleagues were also very supportive and it became obvious that we had built a solid bond. Thanks to that enforced rest, I began to want to pray again; I think I have understood why God has not yet taken me to be with him. (Lucia – Italy) Washing dishes In the parish, we organised a party for homeless people and gave them a hot meal. At the end, there was a lot of rubbish to clear up and pots and pans and dishes to wash. In the kitchen, the parish priest had already begun to tackle the washing-up and was, obviously, happy with the evening. I was struck when he said, “Everything is prayer” and I asked him: “Doing the dishes too?” He said, “Your greatest treasure is understanding that everything has immense value because behind that pot you are washing there is a neighbour who needs you.” From then onwards, my heavy work as a bricklayer, my children who needed to be taken to the nursery and even the light to repair … everything became an opportunity for me to go beyond the action itself and transform it into something sacred. (G.F. – ltaly)
by Stefania Tanesini (taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year V, n.6,November-December 2019)
Dec 15, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The phenomenon of forced migration to Europe remains one of the unresolved issues in the debate between EU countries. Too divided by particular interests to identify a common policy, inspired by the principles of solidarity and sustainability. We talked about it with Pasquale Ferrara, Italian ambassador in Algeria. According to the UNHCR*, 75,522 migrants landed by sea on the European coasts of Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Spain and Greece from January 1st to October 21st 2019. In addition, 16,322 migrants arrived by land in Greece and Spain for a total of 91,844 people, of which 9,270 in Italy, 2,738 in Malta, 1,183 in Cyprus, 25,191 in Spain, 53,462 in Greece. Data that follow a decreasing trend ( in migration) and documents the emergency phase, but are not enough for Europe to start a broad and constructive dialogue on the subject: the prospect of the creation of a European system of flow management remains very remote, and in general the comparison at the institutional level does not take into account the perspective of African countries. In Algiers we joined the Italian Ambassador, Pasquale Ferrara: (2ND PART) It has long been said that it is necessary to formally establish a collaboration with the countries of North Africa, but also with those of transit. Good intentions but few concrete facts… To move on to concrete facts, we must take note of the reality, of the fact that the African countries, especially those of the North we consider transit countries, which are themselves countries of destination for emigration. Egypt is home to over 200,000 refugees on its territory, while in 2018 just over 120,000 people arrived in the whole of Europe. The few hundred illegal migrants who arrive from Algeria are all Algerians, not sub-Saharan migrants who pass through Algeria, because often these migrants stay here. Moreover, these countries do not accept programs aimed at creating “hotspots” for sub-Saharan migrants. Here the Turkish model does not work, where the European Union has given 6 billion euros to manage camps where more than 4 million Syrian and other refugees are accommodated. The operation worked in Turkey because there was war in Syria and because of Turkey’s strategic interests. In Africa the phenomena are very different and other ways have to be found. What forms of collaboration could work? We don’t need asymmetrical collaborations but equal partnerships. We must bear in mind that it is not only we Europeans who have a migration problem, and so it is necessary to respect these countries with their internal needs, including those of migration. Only then can we try together to manage the phenomenon. For example, there are already cooperation agreements between Italy and Algeria dating back to 2000 and 2009 that work well. What do they include? The joint management of the migratory phenomenon in terms of the fight against exploitation and trafficking of human beings, the trans-national criminality that uses the phenomenon to finance itself, the danger of terrorist infiltration. There are also provisions for the agreed, orderly and dignified repatriation of illegal migrants. There is talk that Western countries must support African countries in order to create better living conditions thus discouraging migration. How viable is this? Under the current conditions of the international economy and political culture, I see it as impractical and, all in all, ineffective. Firstly, we are already talking about a billion Africans: no European or world ‘Marshall Plan’ could address such demographic dimensions. Among other things, Africa is very diverse, there are countries in advanced development conditions: Ghana has a higher rate of technological innovation than several developed countries; Angola is a very resource-rich country that is trying to reorganise its economic structure in a more participatory way. We have leaders, such as the new Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali, who is 42 years old and looks to the new generations. He has already planted 350 million trees in a worldwide reforestation program called the Trillion Tree Campaign. Uganda is experiencing a period of strong development. The problem is rather the dramatic and unfair economic disparities, and here the West can intervene by helping to improve the governance of these countries, so that it is more inclusive and participatory. But let us remember that these are the same problems of socio-economic polarization that we have in Europe: unfortunately, we cannot give many lessons in this field. Reflecting on the migratory phenomenon at an institutional level, the economic dimension is at the forefront, while the human dimension is neglected. What does it mean to put human person at the centre of the migratory problem? Behind every migrant there is a story, a family, a rough journey, the difficulty of obtaining money and perhaps debts with criminal organizations. Of course we cannot allow illegal immigration because everything must be done in accordance with the law, but giving value to the human dimension means taking into account this past and not seeing these people as numbers that arrive on board boats or by land. I was deeply struck by the story of that 14-year-old boy from Mali, found at the bottom of the sea with a school report with excellent marks sewn into his jacket. That is a story that leaves us speechless. And behind it is a family tragedy, a human tragedy, a torn social fabric. I recommend Cristina Cattaneo’s beautiful book, “Shipwrecked without a face. Giving a name to the victims of the Mediterranean”. But let’s not forget also the stories of our Navy – in particular that of the commander Catia Pellegrino – who saved thousands of shipwrecked people. People, faces, real events. * https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean (read part 1 of the interview)
Edited by Claudia Di Lorenzi
Dec 13, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Inauguration of the exhibition “Chiara Lubich World City” in Tonadico di Primiero “Chiara cannot be understood without situating her in the context in which she is lived”. With these words, Jesús Morán, co-president of the Focolare Movement on Sunday, December 8th , concluded the speeches of the inaugural ceremony of the exhibition dedicated to Chiara Lubich which opened at Palazzo Scopoli in Tonadico di Primiero the day after that of Trent. “During the war Chiara dedicated herself to her city, Trento, but it was in Primiero, in 1949, that God gave her the key to understanding what she was called to do. Chiara found the light here, in the mountains, but it is necessary to go to Trento and to every city to understand the consequences of her charism. This is the deep bond between the two exhibitions, where Tonadico’s is not an appendix to Trento’s, but the story of a decade of light. 
The gratitude of the Primiero valley was expressed in different tones by the Councillor for Culture Francesca Franceschi (“Primiero represents the origin, the retreat where Chiara found answers to her questions”), by the Deputy Mayor Paolo Secco (“Our task is not only to keep alive the memory, but to be a community that responds to the ideal inspirations that moved Chiara”), by the President of the Primiero Community, Roberto Pradel (“Chiara dedicated herself to building relationships between people: may the seed she sowed bear fruit”). Giuseppe Ferrandi, Director of the Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino, illustrated the deeper meaning of the two exhibitions: “For the first time our Foundation has created an exhibition dedicated to someone: the person of Chiara has to be dealt with by not only Trento but also others. Trentino, which can claim her birth, must discover the dimension of strong attachment to traditions alive in Chiara, the result of relationships, but without stopping at them to open up to the world in order not to be sterile. Who better than Chiara Lubich can guarantee us this capacity for relationships that the world needs today? Alba Sgariglia, co-responsible for the Chiara Lubich Centre, expressed the gratitude of the whole Movement to the Foundation: “We worked in tandem for this historical stage. From here, from these mountains, Chiara projected herself towards the whole of humanity: this is the mission that she understood here. Annamaria Rossi and Giuliano Ruzzier, curators of the exhibition with Maurizio Gentilini, underlined its characteristics: large images, quotations and brief captions flow along the walls of Palazzo Scopoli, right in front of that chalet where Chiara and some of her first companions went to rest in the summer of 1949. On the ground floor of the palace, which preserves the detachments of the frescoes from the chapel of San Vittore, there are some writings and essential memories of that summer and videos of the first Mariapolis, the summer holidays, which until 1959, year after year, were enriched with people of different vocations, cultures and backgrounds. The witness of the “little towns ” of the Movement in the world, the permanent Mariapoli, in which today, as in the experience of Primiero, unity is possible – it is experienced and witnessed to.
Paolo Crepaz
Dec 10, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Schönstatt leaders from various European countries visited the Focolare’s international headquarters at Rocca di Papa near Rome on 20 November. On Wednesday 20 November, leaders from the Schönstatt Movement from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Switzerland visited the Focolare’s international headquarters at Rocca di Papa. The group included Fr. Heinrich Walter, former president of the General Presidium of Schönstatt. One of the goals of the visit was “meeting Chiara” by visiting her house and praying at her tomb. A second objective for the leaders of Schönstatt was to open a dialogue with Focolare about the social and political changes in Europe, the role of the Movement with their charism, and the significance of the communion between them, especially Together for Europe – in the context of ecclesial, political and cultural transformation. The delegation was welcomed to the Focolare’s centre by Co-president Jesús Morán and a number of its councillors. In order to put the charisms at the service of the good of the continent, it quickly emerged in the dialogue that there was a need to carry out cultural projects that were the product of each organisation’s talents, as well as the communion between each of them. The meeting and the dialogue were also made up of less formal activities, which were valuable and productive. This was obviously just a single step on what has become a long journey or communion and collaboration between Schönstatt and Focolare, which began at St. Peter’s Square in Rome on the vigil of Pentecost 1998. Beyond that, for 20 years by now, ever since the beginning Schönstatt has also been part of that network of movements and communities that make up Together for Europe. Fr. Heinrich Walter is an effective member of the committee directing it. Close relationships, characterised by unity between Christians of various churches and confessions, have grown between Focolare and Schönstatt these years, as well as beyond it. It is a unity that requires deep, true reconciliation, which is considered a direct gateway to unity while maintaining the necessary diversity that enriches and completes each other. The Schönstatt Movement was founded by Fr. Josef Kentenich in 1914 at Schönstatt, near Koblenz in Germany, and has an educational charism.
Severin Schmid
Dec 9, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Keep awake: is an invitation to keep our eyes open, to recognize the signs of God’s presence in history, in everyday life and to help others, who live in the dark, find the path of life. Another child “Are you prepared to have more children when you already have three?” asked a friend of mine. I answered that each child is a unique gift and that the experience of motherhood cannot be compared to any other, because the joy of a new birth is beneficial for the whole family. I also spoke about the economic aspect that mysteriously seems to emphasize that every child is wanted by Heaven. My friend, then, shared with me that she was expecting her second child, and together with her husband she was planning to have an abortion. A new creature would compromise the family’s economic situation, she remarked. When we came to part, she stated: “I feel ready for a new motherhood”. (PA. – Italy) Give trust When a cousin of mine came over to visit us, small objects disappeared from our house and then reappeared in his parents’ house. Mum shared this very gently with my cousin’s parents, but they were so hurt that our families ties were broken. As Christians, we wanted to do our best to change this unhappy situation, and the opportunity cropped up when my cousin, now a teenager, was expelled from school because he was caught stealing from his companions. My father spoke to the parents and suggested the name of a specialist who could help my cousin. Amidst great pain and shame, they had to admit that their son was a kleptomaniac. My mother came up with idea to spend our holidays together with them, while she helped us children to be generous and show full trust in our cousin. My cousin was very happy. The whole family benefitted from psychotherapeutic assistence and also medicines. One day, when my aunt was talking about her family, she confided: “Our pride made us feel superior.We were sick of arrogance “. (J.G. – Spain) Justice and understanding I am a magistrate in a locality scourged by the Mafia presence. It happened that while I was questioning for very long hours a prisoner burdened with a lot of crime, I was asked if I would like to have something to eat. I agreed, as long as the prisoner would have something to eat too. Shocked with this simple gesture of mine, the prisoner almost couldn’t believe it. But suddenly I was gripped with the fear of finding myself face to face with the offender during breaktime and I felt like going away. At the same moment another thought flashed to my mind: “If I am here to love this neighbour of mine, I have nothing to fear”. I continued the interrogation with the same attitude towards him: I tried to make him understand the gravity of his deeds, but without judging him and speaking very calmly to him. Sometime later he wrote to me from prison. Did he write to ask for a less severe judicial sentence? No, he wrote at length to share all his miseries and ask for understanding. It was strange that he wrote it to me when I had issued a a sentence against him. Evidently, something must have struck him. (Elena – Italy)
by Stefania Tanesini (taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year V, n.6,November-December 2019)
Dec 8, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Focolare founder’s birth were inaugurated in Trent. The “Seal of St. Wenceslas” was awarded to Maria Voce by the autonomous Province of Trent. “Chiara Lubich city world” is the title of the exhibition that was inaugurated on December 7, at the “Tunnels Gallery”, Trent. This event opened the centenary celebrations that mark the 100th anniversary of the Focolare founder’s birth. This exhibition is under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and is being promoted by the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation in collaboration with the Chiara Lubich Centre. Giuseppe Ferrandi, the Director of the Historical Museum Foundation introduced the speeches delivered during the inauguration ceremony. In these speeches, Chiara Lubich emerged as a figure with a very broad-minded personality, deeply rooted in the history, culture and traditions of the Trentino region, endowed with a charism, through which she spoke a universal language and crossed every geographical and cultural border to promote her message of peace and brotherhood. The exhibition offers an engaging and interactive journey, which helps the visitor to get to know Chiara Lubich, while promoting a commitment towards those values that marked her life. During this celebration, the Province of Trent awarded the “Seal of St. Wenceslas ” to Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement. It was stated that Trent wanted to confer this award to the Focolare President “for her ability and tireless commitment to shed light on the values of unity and peace”. Maria Voce answered: “I am truly grateful and moved by this recognition. And as it accentuates the values of Chiara Lubich and the Focolare Movement, I feel that it is for the whole Movement”. “Two words come to mind when I think of Chiara Lubich: charism and prophecy”. Giorgio Postal, President of the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation said these words during the inauguration of the exhibition. And he continued: “So, questioning ourselves about Chiara and placing her in history becomes a way to face the challenges we encounter both as a society and as individuals”. Maurizio Fugatti, President of the Province of Trent said: “We feel proud to be part of this journey, which provides us with the opportunity to get to know and understand deeper the great message of Chiara Lubich, an exceptional woman from Trent, who managed to give her remarkable message of peace and unity to the whole world” Mgr. Lauro Tisi, Archbishop of Trent, invited everyone, especially the Focolare Movement, to “make the God of Chiara known” so as to contribute towards a complete change in the narration of God. During this year, we are all invited to make known “this God who irrevocably protects all”. “From this vision of God love”, he concluded, “springs a positive vision of creation, of nature, of man and of the body”. This invitation was immediately accepted by Jesús Morán, the Co-President of the Focolare, who recalled that the motto of the Centenary is “Celebrate to meet” Chiara Lubich, a woman who “lived unity at 360°and gave us the navigation chart for the third millennium”. “This centenary will be an extraordinary opportunity to discover Chiara in so many ways”, said Alessandro Andreatta,the Mayor of Trent. “She was a woman of encounter, of dialogue, of unity, of faith, of service, of hope. She was at the heart of the Church and of humanity”. Lorenzo Dellai, former Mayor of Trent, who gave Chiara Lubich the seal of the city in 1995, recalled how she urged the people of Trent to live up to the spirit of this city. “I think that today there is an ever-increasing need for this charism, this prophecy”. Senator Stanislao Di Piazza, under-secretary of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, delivered the message in the name of the Italian Government. “Chiara was a person who had a particular love for Italy”, he said, while he recalled her meetings with politicians from all parties to promote the value of fraternity, so that “a new political model could be created”. Messages were also delivered by the various representatives of similar exhibitions that will be set up during the year in Mexico City, Sydney, Mumbai, São Paulo, Jerusalem, Algiers and Nairobi. This project is under the patronage of the Council of Europe. Although these exhibitions will be similar to the one inTrent, yet each will have its own particular characteristic: for the one in São Paulo it will be the the Economy of Communion project launched by Chiara Lubich in Brazil; the one in Sydney will project the aspect of a multicultural land; Jerusalem, a city that maybe more than any other needs peace and brotherhood. The one in India was represented by the message of Stefania Constanza, the Italian consul in Mumbai. Among those present for the inauguration, there were Veronica Cimino, vice-mayor of Rocca di Papa (Rome); Francesca Franceschi, town councillor of Primiero San Martino di Castrozza; Alba Sgariglia and Joao Manoel Motta, co-responsible for the Chiara Lubich Centre and the curators of the exhibition Giuliano Ruzzier, Anna Maria Rossi and Maurizio Gentilini, the author of the recent biography of the Focolare founder. Numerous relatives of Chiara Lubich were also present. _________ The exhibition at the “Tunnels Gallery” will be open till December 7, 2020 (Tuesday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 18:00). Translations in the main European languages are availlable. Admission is free. Besides the three sections of the exhibition set up in the “Tunnels Gallery”, there is another section that was inaugurated on December 8, 2019. This section has been set up in Palazzo Scopoli, in Tonadico, in the mayorship of Primiero San Martino di Castrozza (Tn). It is dedicated to the years 1949-1959: from Chiara Lubich’s profound spiritual experience lived in Primiero during the summer of 1949 to the summer Mariapolis that took place there until 1959.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
Dec 7, 2019 | Non categorizzato
“Give yourself completely to me” – 7 December 1943 Today the Centenary Year of the birth of Chiara Lubich is being officially inaugurated. It will be celebrated wherever there are people who have made their own her “Ideal” – as she used to say –, the Ideal of unity and universal brotherhood. “Celebrate to meet” is the motto inspiring the most varied events that will take place in 2020. “Celebrate” because Chiara Lubich will be remembered, but in order to give many people the opportunity to encounter the message she lived to the full. Of particular importance is the “Chiara Lubich: world city” exhibition, created by the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation and the Chiara Lubich Centre (Rocca di Papa), which is being officially opened today at the Tunnels Gallery in Trent, her city. Why is this happening on 7th December 2019 and not 22nd January 2020, the anniversary of Chiara’s birth or indeed on 14th March, the day of her death? It is simply because on 7th December 1943, Silvia Lubich became Chiara, so to speak. A few days before, in fact, she had responded to a request from her mother to go and get milk on a nearby farm. Her two younger sisters were reluctant to leave the house because of the cold, and Chiara decided to do this act of love. On her way, she had felt a clear and strong calling: “Give yourself completely to me”. Back home, Silvia had written an ardent letter to the priest who had accompanied her spiritually and, after putting her to the test, he granted her permission to give herself to God forever. Thus, on that 7th December 1943, before dawn, during a morning mass celebrated for the occasion, Silvia, secretly “married God”, as she herself would say. Thirty years later she reflected on that day: “Imagine a young girl in love, in love with a love which is the first love, the purest one, a love which is still undeclared, but which begins to enflame her heart. But there’s one difference. Here on earth, a young girl, who is in love in this way, has the image of her beloved in front of her; instead this girl doesn’t see him, doesn’t hear him, doesn’t touch him or sense his fragrance with the senses of the body, but rather with the senses of her soul, through which Love entered in and invaded all her being. Because of this she feels a joy which is so special, difficult to experience again in life, a joy which is secret, serene, and jubilant”. The young Silvia Lubich had been fascinated by Chiara of Assisi’s answer to St. Francis when he asked her what she wanted: “God!” That eighteen-year-old girl from Assisi, who was so beautiful and full of hope, had been able to encompass all the desires of her heart in that one Being worthy of all love: “God”. With this example before her, Silvia had changed her name to Chiara, because she too had the same feelings within herself. Changing a name is like acquiring a new identity. This change, at first just a heart’s desire, actually came about on 7th December 1943. That morning Silvia married God and became Chiara. Later, the date of 7th December was chosen as the symbolic starting date of the Focolare Movement. By giving herself to God completely, the foundation stone was laid. Years later, the Catholic Church gave the ‘building’, (the Movement that developed) the name “Work of Mary”. With the name “God” Chiara’s divine adventure began and with it that of the Focolare Movement. “God” is what 7th December means to Chiara Lubich. Therefore there is no better date to inaugurate the centenary year of her birth than this.
Michel Vandeleene
Dec 4, 2019 | Non categorizzato
From a talk given at a press conference on 18th November by Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant’Egidio Community and personal friend of Chiara’s. A few days before the official opening of Chiara Lubich’s centenary on 7th December, we share part of a speech given at a press conference on 18 November by Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio. As a personal friend of Chiara’s with whom he worked to build pathways for unity among various Movements in the Church, he offered a reflection on Chiara’s humanity and historical authenticity, much of which is yet to be discovered. Time sometimes reduces great figures to “prayer cards” which gather dust and are gradually forgotten. Chiara’s heart was full of Holiness but she was much more than a prayer card. She was a real woman, a “volcanic” woman, a native of Trent who was open to the world. Starting from Trent she went all over the world; that was Chiara’s story: from Trent to Rome and the world. What is said of her is true, that if you visit some of the remotest parts of the world, even in Africa, not only do you find Chiara’s followers, you also feel her presence and her thought. A hundred years have passed since her birth. A hundred years is a long time. Chiara was born in 1920, the same year as John Paul II, and whenever he saw her he would call her “my contemporary”. Both were influenced by the tragic events of the Second World War. Chiara felt its effects deeply in Trent where her charism matured – so to speak – in the midst of the Second World War, in a world that was deeply divided and torn by the pain of war. Chiara is also, in my view, an important figure outside the Church. She was not just a figure within the Church, even though she was deeply rooted in the Church, in unity with it, but she was always projected outwards to the world. She was not merely a “Sacristy Christian”; she loved and look outwards to the whole world. Chiara was an historical figure. Twentieth-century Christianity was made up largely of men who left women to engage in a little bit of mysticism or some experience of charity. Instead, Chiara was a woman who made history in the round. Not only mysticism and charity but also politics and a passion for real change in life. This is the person I met. She had a great capacity for personal relationships and friendship: she had the charism of friendship, everyone was unique for her. She was a woman who met thousands of people, and yet, for her, no two people were the same. Then she had another great skill: that of communicating a passion. She was a passionate woman, passionate about the unity of the world. Unity is the key to understanding her existence and her quest for peace which is also ecumenism. She was deeply sensitive to ecumenism – more than many experts in ecumenism – and I would like to recall, in this regard, her relationship with Patriarch Athenagoras, about whom I have also written a book. There is also a letter that I published which stated “It is said of Miss Chiara Lubich that because she is a woman and is not a theologian she is too fervent”, but today I would like to say that, precisely because she is not a theologian and is a woman, Chiara understood more than the technicians of ecumenism. Unity also means dialogue to achieve peace. Chiara wrote, “The children of God are the children of love, they fight with a weapon that is the very life of humankind”. Life is a gift and through the gift of life we struggle to change the world and to change others and achieve this ideal. Chiara was consumed by a passion for the ideal. And this seems to me to be a fundamental point to come back to and reflect on. Maria Voce mentioned that we are in a time of division. I would add that we are also in a time of small passions. Chiara might be very unpopular today, precisely because the world believes in divisions and lives with its own small passions. But I believe that the year you are dedicating, that we are dedicating, to remembering, reviving the memory of and meeting Chiara Lubich is also a year that challenges both these little passions and being resigned to a divided world. Chiara wrote: “We hope that the Lord will bring about a new world order. He is the only one who can make humanity one family. Only He can bring out the distinctiveness of all peoples so that, in the splendour of each one being at the service of the others, the one light of life may shine forth. In this way our earthly homeland will be more beautiful and become a foretaste of the eternal homeland”. I think that celebrating this centenary is a service to humanity and to the thought of our time, which lacks vision. Her contemporary Wojtyla wrote “the world suffers, especially for lack of vision”. I believe that this world of ours can flourish again with Chiara Lubich’s vision. Just a word of warning: we need to be careful when we use the word celebration. Maria rightly prefers to speak of an encounter. It is a demanding encounter and this encounter, dear Maria, must also be history. We must have the courage to rewrite Chiara Lubich’s story in her time, to better understand how her action has changed history. I am thinking, for example, of the adventure of sending focolarini to Eastern Europe and how this contributed to the fall of the Berlin wall. Chiara did not choose to seek refuge in the West and be resigned to the wall. And so I am sure that this centenary year, which begins today, will make the person of Chiara grow in a new encounter with our times, and not diminish her.
Dec 4, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The president of Azione Cattolica Italy met with the Focolare’s General Council, and what emerged was a shared commitment for Albanian earthquake victims. On the afternoon of 29 November, close to 50 people – including members of the national administration of Azione Cattolica, members of the Focolare General Council, and Focolare directors in Italy – came together at the movement’s international headquarters at Rocca di Papa. From the start there was a great, tangible harmony that, as the meeting unfolded, showed all the richness of communion. “It is an opportune time, and the Spirit urges us in this direction,” said Matteo Truffelli, president of Azione Cattolica Italiana (ACI). “By staying close to other realities in the Church, we experience an abundance of ecclesiality,” affirmed Jesús Morán, Focolare’s co-president. Following a prayer by Monsignor Gualtiero Sigismondi, the ecclesial assistant for ACI, Focolare President Maria Voce explained the movement’s specific calling to unity. Truffelli in turn presented the areas of focus for his association: the missionary activity that Pope Francis has invited Azione Cattolica to take part in – a challenge that they aim to take on enthusiastically and universally. A sharing of experiences from the two organisations in various fields followed. Those from Focolare retraced Chiara’s inspirations in ecumenical, interreligious and cultural dialogue: from Evangelicals, to Orthodox, to Anglicans, and today with movements from various Christian churches on the path of Together for Europe. The key to interreligious dialogue can be found in human fraternity. The relationships with the founders of movements in other religions have also been productive. In this age of diversity, the challenge is to manage cultural differences, rejecting others, and the risk of fundamentalism or assimilation. There is a vast range of projects in the fields of politics, economics, disarmament, environment and education, but the aim is also to show the Church as it truly is. Children and teens play a lead role in responding to the most important contemporary issues. Asking themselves how best to make their own experience of faith tangible in everyday life, ACI began the Fuori Sede (“offsite”) project for young people, students and workers, who aim to carry out their tasks wherever they find themselves. A Marian pilgrimage is aimed at adults who gravitate towards more popular religiosity. Finally, they are also collaborating with the Italian bishops conference through the Policoro project. As the afternoon of communion drew to a close, Truffelli proposed a common project to support those who had been struck days earlier by the strong earthquake in Albania. Moran spoke for many with his positive reaction. Experts from the two organisations are already developing a plan of action to achieve this collaboration.
Lina Ciampi
Dec 1, 2019 | Non categorizzato
What is the vision from North Africa of the migration towards Europe phenomenon? How is it possible to make it person centred, thus moving from a purely economic to a human vision of migration? Interview with Pasquale Ferrara, Italian ambassador in Algiers. According to the UNHCR*, 75,522 migrants landed by sea on the European coasts of Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Spain and Greece from January 1st to October 21st 2019. In addition, 16,322 migrants arrived by land in Greece and Spain making a total of 91,844 people, of whom 9,270 in Italy, 2,738 in Malta, 1,183 in Cyprus, 25,191 in Spain, 53,462 in Greece. This data shows a decreasing trend (in migration) and documents the emergency phases. It is not however enough so that Europe starts a broad and constructive dialogue on the subject: the prospect of the creation of a European system of flow management remains very remote, and in general the analysis at an institutional level does not take into account the perspective of African countries. In Algiers we joined the Italian Ambassador, Pasquale Ferrara: Mr. Ambassador, what is the vision from North Africa of the migration towards Europe phenomenon? Seen from Africa, migration is a historical and structural phenomenon, especially intra-African, because the vast majority of migrant and refugee movements take place between African countries: more than 20 million people live in a country other than their country of origin. Migration to Europe is different and people fear an uncontrolled influx. To speak of migration in terms of differences in development is only part of the picture. In Europe, a distinction is often made between political refugees and economic migrants. But often African economic migrants are the result of bad political management in countries, because there is a problem of governance, of appropriation of resources by oligarchies, of social inclusion. Therefore, in some way, economic migrants too can qualify as political refugees. Over and above the issue of illegal migration, as far as North Africa is concerned, it would be necessary to restore in the Mediterranean the circular mobility of populations that has always been observed in history. It means, for example, the possibility of coming to Europe for a period of study or work, and then returning to the country of origin. At the moment, these movements are subject to the granting of a visa, but it is very difficult to obtain one because of the many and necessary controls. For many people it is challenging, so the temptation of those who receive visas, even if they are well-intentioned, is often not to return to their country of origin. The visa must be maintained, but with a view to encouraging circular mobility, it is necessary to think of a more structured system. Then there is another factor that stimulates migration, and that is the difference in the quality of services that a society offers: health services and social security services in general, whose lack of availability and quality also influences, together with other factors such as endemic violence, the sense of security, or school services, so that even those who are not in a situation of absolute poverty try to come to Europe to give a better education to their children. We should therefore invest more in the training of the ruling classes, professionals and educators. In Algiers, even though the numbers are small, we are trying to do so, increasing the scholarships for young Algerians who go to Italy to study music, art, restoration, as an investment for their professional future. Is the West responsible for the impoverishment of African countries? I would be very cautious. This is a narrative that is useful for certain Afro-African oligarchies to dismiss their responsibilities when faced with a governance that is dubious in its legitimacy and in its results. The colonial period has marked Africa a lot and the past responsibilities of the West are ascertained, but at least 50 years have passed since decolonization and it is difficult to attribute to the West the problems of today’s African societies. The quality of governance is of great importance. Rather today in Africa there is a strong presence of China with programs related to natural and mineral resources in almost all countries. China considers Africa a large market, but the exchange is asymmetrical in favour of Beijing. However, to compensate for this imbalance, China carries out infrastructural works, stadiums, theatres and cultural centres for billions of dollars at its own expense. Europe is taking uncertain steps in managing this phenomenon. There is a lack of Community policies and it seems that the principle of shared responsibility does not warm the hearts of Europe. The choice of solidarity cannot depend on the good will and changing direction of individual governments. The migration issue must be dealt with exclusively by the European Union as such, as is the case with the trade policies for which the EU states have given Brussels exclusive responsibility for negotiating agreements with non-European countries. Today, however, on the one hand, because of a matter of national sovereignty, the states want to retain control over migration and borders, and that is understandable. On the other hand, they accuse Europe of inaction, but they do not give it the mechanisms it needs to operate effectively. But it seems to me unlikely that there will be progress in this area, given the resistance that this issue encounters in relation to internal policies. * https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean End 1st Part
Edited by Claudia Di Lorenzi
Nov 29, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The local Focolare community and Emergency Coordination of the Movement, together with Caritas and other religious families, are working to help those affected by the earthquake. The night between 25th and 26th November, a powerful earthquake struck the northern coast of Albania, in the city of Durazzo. To date there are at least 47 dead, 600 wounded and thousands of people displaced, but there seem to be many people still under the rubble. The earthquake produced enormous damage, buildings collapsed and hundreds of people are now homeless. The quake was felt in other areas of Albania and the Adriatic coast. The local Focolare community is working together with Caritas Albania, diocesan Caritas, many parishes and religious families in mapping the territory to survey houses, schools, churches and damaged buildings, and in planning coordinated assistance. Our people in Tirana wrote, “We are with Caritas and other groups and, as always, we work together.” Particular attention is being given to villages and areas far from the largest urban centers – unknown to the media – which have also suffered significant damage. They emphasized, “Creating bridges, fostering communication channels, networking needs and resources is a shared priority.” The Focolare Movement are helping concretely: welcoming families and people who cannot return to their damaged homes and offering accommodation in the homes of other families in areas not affected by the earthquake. They also offer the possibility of making a technical estimate of the damage suffered. Moreover, the Focolare is providing psychological assistance to the victims of the earthquake who are also affected by the state of continuous alert due to continuous tremors. Solidarity was expressed by the Focolare centers in Macedonia. The youth of the Movement are working to bring help too. There is a clear awareness that a concerted effort is the priority of these first days of the emergency, while in the coming months the need to make a reconstruction plan will follow. Pope Francis has expressed his spiritual closeness and paternal support towards the affected people and territories: “I am close to the victims, I pray for the dead, for the wounded, for the families,” he told the General Audience on Wednesday 27th November. “May the Lord bless this people that I love so much.” ________________________________________ For those who want to collaborate, the following current accounts have been activated: Azione per un Mondo Unito ONLUS (AMU) IBAN: IT58 S050 1803 2000 0001 1204 344 Codice SWIFT/BIC: CCRTIT2T Banca Popolare Etica Azione per Famiglie Nuove ONLUS (AFN) IBAN: IT11G0306909606100000001060 Codice SWIFT/BIC: BCITITMM Banca Intesa San Paolo PURPOSE: Earthquake emergency in Albania ————————————————————– The contributions paid on the two current accounts with this purpose will be managed jointly by AMU and AFN. There are tax benefits for these donations in many countries of the European Union and in other countries of the world, according to the various local regulations. Italian taxpayers will be provided deductions from taxable income, up to 10% of the income and with the limit of € 70,000.00 per year, with the exception of donations made in cash.
Nov 28, 2019 | Non categorizzato
With the motto “Celebrate to meet”, the opening, next December 7th of Chiara Lubich’s centenary was announced to the press. The launching in Trento will inaugurate the international exhibition “Chiara Lubich world city “.
© CSC Audiovisivi
© CSC Audiovisivi
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Nov 27, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Published by Città Nuova and entitled ” History and prophecy: Chiara Lubich’s way to unity”, this book will be presented in preview on November 30 in the Auditorium of the Gemelli Clinic, Rome. At the moment, it is available in Italian only. The author, Maurizio Gentilini who is an Italian historian, has chosen the title “History and prophecy: Chiara Lubich’s way to unity” for his work. This is the latest biography written about the foundress of the Focolare Movement on the eve of the hundredth anniversary of her birth. Translations into English, Spanish and Korean are planned. For those who live in the Rome area, it will be possible to meet the author on November 30 at 4.20 pm, in the auditorium of the Gemelli Clinic. The book is one of the publications prepared by the Città Nuova Publishing House for Chiara Lubich’s centenary year. This begins on December 7 – a symbolic date because on that day in 1943 Chiara consecrated herself to God, thus beginning the adventure of the Focolare Movement. The volume represents an attempt to reflect upon the biographical journey of the foundress of the Focolare Movement one hundred years after her birth and twelve years after her death. The biographer’s aim was to produce a book which would appeal to a wide range of people but would also provide a deeper presentation of individual aspects and major issues related to the person of Chiara and the Focolare – the laity in the Church, Vatican II, the world, ecumenism and peace. It wants to offer a presentation of her life within the context of the many and complex historical events that she witnessed, thus enriching this aspect of the many editorial works which have already been produced. The author, who likes to define himself as a “simple baptized person”, tries to read the events he describes by making constant reference to sources and by applying a historical-critical method. He understands everything that has happened with the sensitivity of a believer and through the hermeneutical key that finds its synthesis in the relationship between spirituality and action, between history and prophecy.
Stefania Tanesini
Nov 25, 2019 | Non categorizzato
An important anniversary was celebrated at the ecumenical little town of Ottmaring, then sealed with a ceremony in the city of Augsburg, Germany. There was a renewed commitment to be ambassadors of reconciliation and signs of hope in the various churches and society.
Foto: © Ursula Haaf
Foto: © Ursula Haaf
Andrea Fleming
More info: https://www.together4europe.org/en/
Nov 24, 2019 | Non categorizzato
“In a divided world, united in Christ” was the title of an annual meeting, which for the past 38 years has been bringing together bishops from various Churches. This ecumenical event, from 21st to 25th October, has been termed historic for the island of Ireland. “Powerful reflections across the ecclesial spectrum on witnessing hope in division. Prophetic … Holy Spirit breathe!” This tweet from Darren O’Reilly, co-leader of the Koinonia community based in Belfast, gets right to the heart of some exceptional days, between 21st and 25th October in Northern Ireland, for the 38th meeting of Bishops from different Churches, friends of the Focolare Movement. This year’s focus was on sharing reflections and testimonies on the challenge of unity in Christ, in a world as divided as it is today. 
These meetings, promoted by the Focolare Movement, offer bishops a space of dialogue and sharing on the spirituality of unity. This year 30 Bishops, belonging to 18 different Churches, from 14 different countries, were welcomed to the cities of Larne and Belfast. As every year, the location was selected for its symbolic meaning, this time for the “peace process”, an experience of commitment towards reconciliation within a divided society. The participants got to know something of the history and current state of the ecumenical journey in Ireland. They could not but be impressed by the constructive relationships and noteworthy fruits they saw. Bishop Trevor Williams of the Church of Ireland, delivered a well-received presentation of the history of Christianity in Ireland, and afterwards commented, “It was heartening to hear the Bishops’ concern for our ‘unfinished business’ of peace building and their joy at witnessing so many activities undertaken by Christians from different traditions to heal the divide”. The local Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, Noel Treanor gave a significant contribution by outlining the ecclesial, social and political panorama. The Bishops visited significant places in the peace and reconciliation process, such as the East Belfast Methodist Mission, where they were welcomed by pastor Brian Anderson, currently President of the Irish Council of Churches. They participated in liturgical services in Presbyterian, Anglican and Catholic churches. In the Catholic church of St Patrick, in front of a congregation from different Churches, the Bishops witnessed to how they live the New Commandment of Jesus, renewing a “pact” among themselves: a solemn commitment to love the other’s Church as their own. This pact is always one of the highpoints of these meetings. But it was in the afternoon of 23rd October, that an open session at Larne touched the hearts of many and has been termed “historic”. The Catholic Bishop of Limerick, Brendan Leahy, described it as such, “It was like the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus who felt their hearts burning as Jesus was among them and explained and talks with them”. Over one hundred people participated from all over Ireland, from many different Churches (Apostolic Armenian, the Church of Ireland (Anglican), Orthodox – Patriarchate of Antioch, Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Moravian, Lutheran and Syrian Orthodox). The President of the Methodist Church in Ireland was there and a representative of the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, representatives of the Irish Council of Churches, the Irish Interchurch Committee, the Dublin Council of Churches, as well as different movements and groups. The participation of Bishops from different Churches highlighted the fruits of the “dialogue of life” which was always encouraged by Chiara Lubich: a dialogue exercized by the people, including its pastors, a people united in Christ through the love lived by everyone. For example, the witness of true friendship in Christ and collaboration between the two Archbishops of Armagh, Eamon Martin (Catholic) and Richard Clarke (Anglican), both primates of all Ireland. This “dialogue of life” finds expression in the commitment to address, in the most varied of ways, the challenges, social and civil wounds of Ireland. Such as “Embrace Northern Ireland” – assisting refugees; the “Four Corners Festival” – promoting encounters and friendship across the geographical and sectarian divides which still affect Belfast; the Dublin Council of Churches involving 14 Churches. Rev Ken Newell, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, described the meeting as a “new Pentecost, where Christians of different Churches from all over the world were one in the Spirit, where the unity of the Church was felt … for the well-being of the world”.
Stefania Tanesini
Nov 21, 2019 | Non categorizzato
“To love in a Christian way we must “make ourselves one” with every neighbour […] We can enter as far as possible into their hearts and minds in order to truly understand their needs and share their sufferings and joys. It means ‘bending towards’ others, somehow becoming them, making ourselves them. This is Christianity. Jesus became man, he became like us to make us like God. In this way, people feel understood and supported” . (Chiara Lubich) Pupil to be excluded One of my colleagues confided in me her concern about a particular pupil we both taught whom she felt should be excluded from school. I asked her if there were any subjects he was doing well in: “Shouldn’t we try to help and support him?” She started to change her viewpoint: “Well, he’s actually quite good in some subjects”. Together we discussed what we could do for him. We invited the pupil to have a chat with us and explained the situation. Within a few weeks, things changed in a way we could never have imagined. One day, when I was with that same colleague, she said to me: “This story has also done me good with my children. I was awfully angry with the eldest one who wastes time on his guitar and neglects everything else. After the effort we made with this pupil, I started encouraging my son and one day he sang me two poems that he had set to music. It was a complete surprise to me and my husband but his siblings, knew how talented he was. When you do something for someone, your heart dilates and you see things you didn’t see before. (C.A. – Poland) Wife and mother-in-law One of my friends shared with me how hard it was for him that his wife and mother-in-law didn’t get on: their quarrels and resentments were affecting the whole family and the children were suffering because of it too. I listened to him for a long time. All I managed to say was not to take sides but to listen to both of them. I also tried to stay close to the family by offering them cakes or other gifts. After some time my friend came to see me at work. Everything had been resolved in a most unexpected way. “It was the way you listened to me that gave me the strength to do the same”. (J.F. – Korea) Give and there will be gifts for you I had recently offered a homeless man the bottle of water that I used to fill every day and take with me in the car. One day, feeling thirsty, I stopped to take a drink at a fountain but it was proving very difficult: a bottle would have made things much easier but of course I had given mine away. Just as I was leaving, an elderly gentleman who was putting some bottles in his car asked me if I was thirsty. “Yes but as you can see, I can’t drink from this fountain”. At that moment, wanting to make me happy, he gave me one of the bottles he had just put in his car. This filled with joy because it reminded me of the phrase “give and there will be gifts for you”. (R.A. – Albania) The strength of a friendship One day as I speaking to a friend from the parish, I was surprised to hear her say I should give more time to my family. What would she know? She’s not even married was my first reaction but her words turned around in my mind. I started to think about my relationship with my four children. Everything seemed to be fine but… something wasn’t quite right with M. One day he was listening to music in his room, so I decided to go in with some excuse and asked him what he thought about a certain matter. After a while he just broke down in tears. It was so unusual because he was normally such a strong, confident lad but after a while he started to tell me what was wrong; how he had been badly let down by his girlfriend and had come close to committing suicide. I was completely shocked. My friend had opened my eyes, and I decided I needed to pay the same “attention” to my other children. I had always thought I was the perfect mother. I had always taken care of everything but something was missing: the love of the present moment; that love that is ready for the unexpected. (F.G. – Philippines)
by Stefania Tanesini (taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year V, n.6,November-December 2019) _____________________
Nov 18, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Focolare Movement’s contribution towards dialogue between Christian Churches. Maria Voce spoke at the Angelicum, in Rome, on the 25th anniversary of the Encyclical Ut unum sint “It all started from discovering that God is Love”. Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement indicated this as the starting point that led to the progressive intuition and definition of the spirituality of unity, that animates the Movement founded by Chiara Lubich. She was speaking at the St Thomas Aquinas University in Rome, where a monthly cycle of conferences is being held to mark the 25th anniversary of the Encyclical Ut unum sint. 
During her speech she highlighted the contribution towards unity among Christian Churches offered by the charism God gave to Chiara Lubich and the spirituality of communion derived from it. The key ideas of this spirituality indicate the steps that lead to the unity of the human family, to the realization of Jesus’ prayer “…that all may be one”, “the goal of the Focolare Movement”. The discovery of the Love of God, Father leads to the awareness that we are all brothers and sisters. And, therefore, as Chiara Lubich used to explain “loving God as children means loving our brothers and sisters”. So, love towards our neighbour is another key idea of the spirituality of unity – Maria Voce affirmed. In other words, this means that one is to follow the path of the Gospel. Quoting Chiara’s words, she said: “Immediately, we perceived that the charism of unity is […] a light to understand the Gospel better, to see it as a source of love and unity and a strength to live it with determination”. She related that soon they realised that Jesus’ new commandment, “… love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34), indicated the measure for their love. They had “to be ready to give their life for one another”, as Christ did. Thus, the first focolarini started to live mutual love, and they made a pact of unity among themselves. This was “the beginning of a particular lifestyle suggested by the Holy Spirit: it had a communitarian dimension”. Whilst putting mutual love into practice, Chiara and her companions experienced the presence of Jesus among them. The Focolari President quoted Lubich: “We saw our lives take a qualitative leap foward: we felt a new peace […] We realized what was happening, when we read the Gospel words: ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them’ (Mt 18:20). Mutual love united us […] Jesus present among us sealed our unity”. Maria Voce explained that seeking to have the presence of Jesus in the midst contributed to the name “Work of Mary” by which the Focolare Movement is also known. This name expresses the Movement’s commitment to imitate Mary; just as she gave birth to Jesus, the Focolare members live to give birth to the spiritual presence of Jesus in the midst through mutual love . It was soon realized that the spirituality of unity could be lived in various situations. Maria Voce related: “At the beginning of the 1960s, Chiara Lubich met brothers and sisters of the Lutheran Church; then she met Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Orthodox and members of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and it was discovered that this presence of Jesus in the midst could also be established among Christians of different Churches”. This discovery opened the path to dialogue, both on a theological level and on the level of “life”. It was supported by the experience of unity among Christians of different Churches , already a reality within the Movement. However, experiences of lack of unity may also occur. Focolare members consider these as an opportunity to “work” for unity and rebuild it. While quoting Chiara Lubich’s words, Maria Voce explained that the road to unity is Jesus foresaken: “Since Jesus covered himself with all our evils, we can discover his face behind every pain […], we can embrace him in all sufferings […] and say our yes as he did. […] and He will live in us, as the Risen Lord”. She continued: “Later, Chiara discovered the face of Jesus foresaken also in the divisions between the Christian Churches. Even here, ‘the main work of the Focolare Movement’ is to heal the divisions and work for unity”. Then, she highlighted the contribution that an experience of unity among theologians of various Churches “could offer to ecumenical dialogue”: “If theologians let themselves be guided by being one in Christ”, Jesus “will facilitate the understanding of the different theological points of view” and “together they will rediscover the truth”. The last part of her speech was dedicated to the charism of unity as a road to holiness. Maria Voce recalled that the diocesan phase in the cause of the beatification and canonization of Chiara Lubich has been completed, and the process now goes to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican.
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Nov 15, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Pope Francis’ words to the university institute: “I leave you with three key ideas: wisdom, the pact you make together and going out to others. I ask you to continue your journey with joy, vision and decision.” “I am happy with the road you have covered in twelve years since your life began. Push on! The journey has just begun!” These were Pope Francis’ opening words when he greeted the academic community of the Sophia University Institute today in a private audience. “In the path that lies before you, there is no shortage of reference points: there is the charism of unity from which your University was born and there are also the points that I outlined in the Apostolic Constitution Veritatis Gaudium which your academic and formative project wants to reflect. Your participation in the preparation and development of the Global Educational Pact is evidence of this.”
© Servizio Fotografico Vaticano
© Servizio Fotografico Vaticano
Tamara Pastorelli
Nov 13, 2019 | Non categorizzato
“Challenging the future: men and women in dialogue”. This was the title of a meeting held at Castel Gandolfo, (Italy) from 18 to 20 October 2019, organised by the Focolare Centre for Dialogue with People with non-religious beliefs. It was an opportunity to express hopes, needs and ideals from different cultural perspectives through a wide-ranging dialogue between people without a precise religious affiliation and Catholic Christians. Two young Muslims were also present at this meeting entitled “Challenging the Future: men and women in dialogue”, held at Castel Gandolfo (Rome, Italy) from 18 to 20 October, organised by the Focolare Movement. The choice of theme stemmed from the search to understand in depth today’s women and men, adults and young people, belonging to different faiths and non-religious affiliations. What holds us all together? What is the specific contribution of male-female collaboration for a peaceful future and effective work for the common good? When does education on male-female relationship start? “Everyone is different, but at times young people are excluded because of what they look like. Real heroes don’t do this, even if it’s not always easy”. These are the opening words of the short film “Real Heroes”, by Belgian director Erik Hendriks, which opened the conference. The documentary, filmed with a cast of students, was followed by a wide range of contributions which proved to be a source of enrichment for all those attending at the three day meeting. The focus of the meeting was the Focolare’s distinctive approach to work: working together and with co-responsibility between men and women. An important contribution was made by Piero Taiti, a medical doctor and pioneer of the Focolare’s dialogue with people of non-religious beliefs, on Chiara Lubich’s prophetic message. Moreno Orazi is an architect who describes himself as a ‘troubled Christian’, still searching, with many questions about faith. He presented examples of the masculine and feminine in the social environment. “We recognise the strong influence that the difference between the feminine body and the masculine body has from a psychological point of view. At the same time I also perceive a substantial reciprocity of feelings from the point of view of existence and affectivity, at the deepest level. For both men and women, solitude and a lack of recognition of the person, of their hopes and expectations, cause deep suffering. There is an inner voice emanating from the body of women, to which men have reacted ambiguously in the past, amplifying or ignoring it according to their own interests at the time, but never perceiving it as the key to ascertaining the essence of the feminine”. For psychiatrist Giuseppe Auriemma, reciprocity, which springs from the relationship between men and women, is a valuable resource for overcoming differences. “Reciprocity calls for effort and commitment. It involves overcoming the rigidity of opposing positions, resisting the temptation to resolve differences in victory by the strongest; overcoming a mentality of taking and possessing. In reality, it is a hard journey towards liberation. Men and women must be aware of their specific characteristics, which can be gifts and a source of enrichment as well as limitations. Only in this way can they live in a relationship, a true meeting, because each will have something to give and something to receive”. Donatella Abignente, lecturer in Moral Theology, outlined a perspective from the Catholic Church: “There is a lively debate going on now in the Catholic Church. At the Synod of Bishops on Amazonia, the Pope asked for women’s ministry of the Word to be officially recognized. This was met with resistance from those who place too much importance on individual rights and particularly on the rights of the strongest; so that women only become important when they acquire enough strength to make their own rights count. Rights should be acknowledged on the basis of fellowship. As regards reciprocity, it can only be built freely, which does not mean neglecting one’s own fulfilment, voluntarism based on mortification, or altruism which resembles the search for one’s own perfection through service. It is not about becoming women or men, but of becoming persons within the free giving of fellowship, committing ourselves in a transformation that will last our whole lives”. Valuable contributions were offered by people from beyond Europe. Vania Cheng spoke about the man-woman relationship in China; Ray Asprer gave a perspective from the Philippines; Mounir Farag, Haifa Alsakkaf and Giovanna Perucca reflected on women in Islamic societies. In her talk, “Interpretative keys to interpreting the history of man-woman relationships” sociologist Giulia Paola Di Nicola presented an overview of history, outlining some of the changes which have developed over the centuries, the division of roles, hierarchies and values which over thousands of years have characterized approaches to the ordering of society.
By the editorial team
Nov 11, 2019 | Non categorizzato
An interview with Brother Gino Alberati who has been a missionary in the Amazonian sub-continent since 1970. Now that the media spotlight upon the green lung of the earth has faded because the forest fires have been extinguished and the Catholic Church’s Synod on the Amazon has produced its final document, we feel it is important to continue to publicise news about the people who live in the Amazon and contribute to its development every day. There is a great risk that we could regard this piece of land as something from an exotic postcard and very distant from the life of our big cities. It is one of the most extensive multi-cultural workshops on the planet. This aspect of the area certainly makes less of a stir than the environmental issues with which it is associated but respect for this fact is equally central to the survival of its population. For this reason, taking up the cultural challenge in the Amazon and supporting human education and training is of vital importance.
© ACN Kirche in Not
Stefania Tanesini
Nov 10, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The diocesan phase of the Cause of Canonisation and Beatification of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, ended on Sunday 10th November. Over 500 people filled the Cathedral in Frascati (Rome) where the last session of the diocesan inquiry took place. Participants included Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the President of the Focolare Maria Voce (Emmaus) and the Co-President Jesús Morán, some relatives of Chiara Lubich, two representatives of the Orthodox Church, several mayors of towns in the Lazio region, priests, lay people, men and women religious, as well as many friends who knew Chiara and the charism of unity of the Focolare.
The last 3 of the 75 boxes are sealed
Lorenzo Russo Focolare Movement Communication Office
Text: State with greeting by Maria Voce
Nov 7, 2019 | Non categorizzato
St Paul’s words “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15) invite us to “make ourselves one”, to put ourselves “in someone else’s shoes”, as an effective way of living real love. When we put this into practice, we notice things starting to change around us, beginning with our family relationships, our schools, places of work and our local communities. With gratitude we discover how our love, when given freely and sincerely, sooner or later will be returned and become reciprocal. Welcome A woman with a troubled past came to live in our locality. When we realised who she was, we did not want to have anything to do with her. In fact, we discovered she had murdered her own son, and had not been sent to prison because she was pregnant and suffering from depression. Our parish priest reminded us not to condemn her, but actually every time we saw her, it was extremely difficult not to think of what she had done. As time passed, helped by the parish priest, this woman became the measure of our capacity to welcome others. And with our sustained effort to “look at the other person through new eyes”, the whole quality of our community life improved. We reflected it was precisely through this woman in need and our mercy towards her that God was giving us an important lesson from the Gospel. And we received a real gift one day when, through her tears, she shared her story with us: all her sufferings and the violence she had herself endured. She thanked us because we had proved to her that love exists and that the world is not only evil as she had known it up to then. (M.P. – Germany) Supporting deaf and dumb children Our institute is funded partially by the State and partially by our own efforts, through selling our own hand-made craft items. But there are always so many in need. One day the parent of one of our pupils came to tell us they couldn’t find the money to solve a serious problem. I took the last money we had and give it to him. Later that same day a visitor came whom we had never met before. She told us, “I saw the statue of Mary in your garden and stopped to pray. I respect what you do here, it is admirable. I don’t know what I can do for you, but maybe this will help”. And she gave us two bank notes totalling exactly double what I had given away in the morning! (J. – Lebanon) On a cruise trip I’ve never known my mother to be healthy. She has always been unwell and for decades confined to bed. My father despite his brilliant and successful career, stayed close to her, ensuring she had everything she needed. One day I was invited on a cruise trip and I accepted immediately, making any number of excuses to myself. On that trip, while my colleague was talking about his family, I realised that I had very little to say about my own, it seemed I almost felt ashamed of the ongoing suffering in my family. However, when he asked about my parents and I started talking about my father’s dedication to my mother, I found I was actually so proud to have a father like this, and I began to understand that suffering is of value. When I returned home, I immediately went to ask forgiveness from my parents, not so much for having left them to go on holiday, but because I had not been able to recognize that they needed me. With that “cruise trip” my life changed. And the last days of my mother’s life became a gift for the whole family. (S.S. – Spain) Asking forgiveness Early one morning in the kitchen, my wife and I were agitated over unresolved problems. We could see no way out and, as on other occasions, a furious argument was about to explode. I paused just for a moment and asked myself if all the promises I had made to God to make a new start were valid or had they all gone up in smoke? I went to my wife and, even if I did not find it easy, I asked her for forgiveness. Immediately, she responded, saying that she was the one to blame … By the time the children arrived in the kitchen, they found not only the breakfast ready, but their parents who were growing with them, striving to transmit to the children the right key to living well. (R.H. – Slovacchia)
edited by Stefania Tanesini (from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, anno V, n.6,novembre-dicembre 2019)
Nov 5, 2019 | Non categorizzato
People of all ages, from East and West, had an important experience of openness, knowledge of different cultures and dialogue in Europe. https://vimeo.com/363570320
Nov 3, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Focolare’s “culture lab” came to a close on October 27 at Castel Gandolfo, Italy. Its objective: create synergies between professions and disciplines in order to understand how to build a more united society in a world that is continually evolving. Try imagining tomorrow’s world. Try projecting yourself forward into the future and asking yourself what our planet will be like 20 years from now. Dare to have the most utopian ideas, and dream of changing the world today. There is an ancient African proverb that says, “If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” It does well to express the challenge of managing the world’s complexity together, not as individuals, but by creating a network of singular talents. It is a challenge being taken up by an international, multicultural group of adults and young people, academics and professionals, who gathered at Castel Gandolfo, Italy. Coming from more than 40 countries, participants got into things straight away, taking in proposals from various experiences and reflections. By opening up a wide dialogue, each will sustain and develop tangible proposals in their own fields. “Change the changing world” was the title of the final day and a half, which was run by young people and aimed at their age group. A number of them signed up to the call to attend “The economy of Francesco” event in Assisi on March 26–28, where the pope will address young economists, entrepreneurs and change-makers. The idea is to make a pact together with them, beyond any differences in beliefs or nationality, to change the current economy and give a soul to tomorrow’s, so that it is more just, sustainable, and with those excluded playing more of a lead role. Speaking of taking a lead role, Adelard Kananira, a young Burundian, showed how the Together for a New Africa project (T4NA) is driving towards creating the foundations for a new ruling class and a new model of leadership in Africa. The first training sessions for this project were held in Kenya this year, with more than 150 participating – young people, educators and professors from East Africa. Their goal is to tear down the walls that exist between tribes, political parties, ethic groups and countries, in order to reach the common good of development and peace. Giada and Giorgia, instead, hope to bring change through their commitment to the reality where they work. Giada, 23, works in the film industry as an assistant director, which is extremely demanding work that she wouldn’t trade for anything else in the world. She hopes one day to make films that transmit harmony, which she works to create every day with her colleagues, sure that cinema can be a powerful means that can truly contribute to changing the world. Giorgia, 32, is a member of a local council in Italy with a mandate for youth, innovation, participation and the local economy in her district. Her dream has already become reality: in her town there are shared financial statements, the objectives of Agenda 2030 are front of mind, new development models are sought out, and projects to safeguard the environment such as urban gardens are progressing. Through their commitment, both young people and adults are already influencing the future by fulfilling their ideas and spreading and instituting best practices. They are already aiming to change, at this very moment, a changing world.
Patrizia Mazzola
Nov 1, 2019 | Non categorizzato
A serious illness and unexpected hospitalization in a foreign country led to a deep bond of friendship and sharing between two Focolare communities in Colombia and Venezuela. We never envisaged that a telephone call we received one evening would lead to an unthinkable chapter in our lives. We were informed that a relative of a Focolare member in Venezuela was admitted to one of the hospitals in the city of Bogotá (Colombia). This Venezuelan, who arrived in Colombia as a migrant, in precarious conditions, worked as a bricklayer. He had to be hospitalized because he was seriously ill. The next day, two Focolare members, who both felt God’s call to show love to this brother, who was a stranger to them, met at hospital when they went to visit him. They introduced themselves to him and assured him that he could count not only on the two of them, but also on the larger family of the Bogotá Focolare community. He told them that he was in Bogotá with his son, who was now replacing him at work. The doctors warned that his condition was very serious. When we contacted his son, we found out that they were living in a poor hut. Through an appeal to our community, we managed to provide clothes and shoes for them. Later, the son had to stop working to dedicate more time to his father. So, some of us started to see to his breakfast, his lunch, his need to rest; we wanted him to feel the warmth of a family. Others took turns to visit the father in hospital, so that the son could be relieved. Meanwhile we continued to see to their basic needs. The time came when the father expressed his wish to return to Venezuela. He shared with us that his experience in Colombia made him feel God’s love and brought a true conversion in his life. He wanted to see his little daughter again, to be with his wife and die in peace. He could not travel by land, so money was needed for the necessary documents and for the flight. The doctors and nurses were also greatly touched by this situation, so they helped in various ways and collected a large sum of money. In the meantime, he needed specialized care and despite difficulties, after some time he was admitted to a specialized medical centre. Here, the doctors realized that there was nothing more they could do. He should have been discharged out hospital, but considering his situation, they decided to keep him there until his departure for Venezuela. We asked a priest to visit him, and he was able to confess and receive the anointing of the sick. On the day of their departure from Bogotá, there was a blackout in Caracas (Venezuela) so the plane could not leave. They had to wait for three more days; they stayed in a hotel near the airport, until finally they were able to depart. When the son contacted us, he expressed a lot of gratitude for the love received; he told us that his father managed to arrive home and passed away very peacefully after some time.
The Bogotá Community(Colombia)
Oct 29, 2019 | Non categorizzato
How are things in Fontem? Many people are asking for the latest news from this the first Focolare small town in Africa, in South East Cameroon, an area afflicted by an ongoing armed conflict. Here is a recent letter from Etiènne Kenfack and Margarit Long, the Focolare coordinators for Fontem, who are currently living about 300km south, in Douala. Dearest friends of Fontem all around the world! Our thanks for expressing such concern about our situation. Your participation gives us joy, comfort and the courage to carry on. The socio-political crisis of this region, which has led to acts of violence, remains unresolved. The sound of gunfire has ceased at present, but the situation remains tense. Life goes on. People are still arriving at our hospital looking for help, even though now we are only able to offer a much reduced service. Over the past few months 1,894 people have come for a consultation. 644 of these were admitted for treatment, including 36 pregnant women who have since given birth. It’s now the rainy season, so we’re trying our best to keep up with essential maintenance on the electricity sub-station which supplies power to all the main infrastructure in Fontem. A small group has remained looking after the Mariapolis Centre, and together with others they’ve formed an amazing team taking care of the grounds in order to prevent the tropical forest from taking over the land. Recently, to everyone’s great joy, Bishop Nkea sent a priest to Fontem once again. This is an unequivocal and tangible sign of the Bishop’s care for the Bangwa people. The new priest is in close contact with the local leaders of our Focolare community there, and of course his presence has facilitated participation in the sacraments, especially Sunday and daily Mass. Also in this most recent period, the anniversaries of two Fontem pioneers – Pia Fatica and Fides Maciel, both buried in our cemetery – were solemnly commemorated. We are very concerned about the exploitation of the media for political gain. All too often we’ve noticed news being circulated which is most definitely incorrect. So we’re appealing to you to regard any news about Fontem, including on personal social media platforms, with the greatest responsibility and prudence. Please try to verify the original source of any such news before sharing. Our own “strategy” in this crisis is to increase the communion and collaboration between everyone who has remained in the little town, in order to achieve joint decision-making. As you can imagine, this is not always easy! It can take time and effort, again and again, to listen to one another really well. However, it’s clear to all concerned that this is the only way to go ahead together and continue witnessing to the life Chiara Lubich brought to this land. Aracelis and Charles are responsible for the Focolare community in the first little town in Africa. They tell us about the current situation and explain how life is going on in Fontem today. https://vimeo.com/363570844
Oct 27, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The story of Dorotka and her family “An eXtra Something” is a film telling the story of Dorotka, a teen from Bratislava, Slovakia. She has Down syndrome, a genetic anomaly. Despite the difficulties this brings, it soon proves to be an “added value” for those around her. Her mother Viera explains what happens at the heart of a family when they learn they are expecting a child with Down syndrome. 
“It was a shock! We didn’t expect it that and we had never even seen someone with Down syndrome before. But Dorotka looked just like our other four children. We knew that panicking about an unknown situation doesn’t help, although keeping a cool head does. “Yet secretly, somewhere in my soul, I was afraid we would not be able to love her. In the time that followed, extraordinary things began to happen. Many precious people came into our lives, they helped us a lot, and they still help today. And our relationships in the family have become stronger. Our four older children have become more sensitive, loving, and the whole family is united as never before.” How does feeling surprised change to feeling gifted? The name Dorota means God’s gift. She already had this name during the pregnancy, and we believed that God never gives bad gifts. We just received something we don’t understand yet, and we felt it was a little test of our trust in God. At the time we began to hear many ideas and reflections, in which we sought God’s will in the present moment. It helped us a lot, as we clearly felt that this was God’s will for us. A friend of ours sent us a note that read, “This is true happiness, because it is built on pain”. How did you decide to share your experience with other families? Early on a doctor introduced us to other families who had children with Down syndrome. Together we did different therapies, we shared our experiences and eventually established an association called “Up-Down Syndrome”. We longed for the children to grow together, so that they were not only attached to their own family, and prepare them so that they can continue together on the road to some independence. We then founded the “Dúhadlo“ theatre, which opens new horizons for children through drama therapy. How did the collaboration with the University of Bratislava begin? A friend of ours teaches medical ethics at the Faculty of Medicine. Nine years ago she invited me to tell our story to students and get them more acquainted with the Down syndrome diagnosis. I am very grateful to have had this possibility. We felt that young doctors could still be influenced positively, and over the years we have always had positive feedback from students. “An eXtra Something” is the name of a documentary film that tells the story of Dorotka in her daily life, her joys and struggles. Why this title? Our original intention was to make a short video for World Down Syndrome Day. Pavol Kadlečík had no experience with Down syndrome and was so amazed that he decided to make a longer film. None of us knew that such a beautiful documentary would eventually be produced. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which the 21st chromosome does not form a pair, instead it forms a triplet. Therefore, this diagnosis can also be called Trisomy 21. This means that these people have one extra chromosome, and often it is called the chromosome of love. There’s something extra in them, and they have this special ability of unconditional love. There is no fiction in this film. It shows the daily life of the main character and her family, classmates, friends from theatre and music, and includes the struggles, joys, successes and disappointments. It bears witness to the love in this family and their “yes” to life. Dorotka, did you enjoy shooting a movie about you? When I was standing in front of the camera, sometimes I was a little anxious, and I had stage-fright. It was hard not to look directly into the camera. But the cameraman was great, and I enjoyed it. Palko made everyone happy with the idea of this film, and I would like to continue with a new one. What would you say to people reading this interview? I became an actress to make you happy. Try to love others.
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Oct 25, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Youth for Unity from Oceania went to Lake Mungo to find out about the life and culture of the aboriginal people. It was a unique experience that opened hearts and minds. https://vimeo.com/362748693
Oct 23, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Beating an addiction to gambling is possible, but not alone. Here’s the story of Christian Rigor from the Philippines, who found God at Fazenda da Esperança, as well as his life’s deepest meaning. The idea of “aiming high brings to mind various things: work objectives, personal projects, dreams worth fighting for. They are often all-embracing challenges that we dedicate a good part of our lives to. Yet there are goals and then there are goals; some have a more subjective value than collective. To reach loftier goals you have to follow a path of growth, put yourself in question, develop a sense of responsibility for the collective and open your horizons to faraway worlds. Then there are lesser goals that turn us inwards, that close a person within their own self-interest, isolate them and eventually become destructive. The objectives we choose guide our way of life. Although you can always change which path you’re on. Christian Rigor, a 30-something from the Philippines, knows this well. A peaceful childhood in a well-off family allowed him to study and specialise in Europe. As a teen he had a full social life, but he wanted to make “easy money”, without working for it. His taking things lightly was fatal from the first moment he entered a casino. Thus began his road to gambling addiction, caught in his need to recover his inevitable losses. It was a dark chapter of his life, aiming for misplaced goals. Along the way he lost friends, work, a fiancé, and the trust of his relatives. He also lost his personal wellbeing, which from the edge of the 24th floor of a building, reached its lowest point. The turning point came when, encouraged by his mother, he decided to move to Fazenda da Esperança, a project with houses set up throughout a number of countries around the world. In its DNA is the Focolare’s spirituality of unity., which inspired its founders. The rehab programme there is dedicated to people who suffer from various forms of dependency. “During the programme I learned to look beyond myself, beyond my egotistical and superficial worldly desires, and live for a greater goal. I learned to aim high and found God. That’s how I learned how to love God and those around me, in everything that I do in the present moment, even when it is painful or difficult.” At Fazenda da Esperança, life is organised in three dimensions: spiritual, collective, and work. Each provides an opportunity to grow personally. “As a Catholic, I learned to go deeper in my personal relationship with God, to listen to his word and live it, to look for unity with him at Mass and to pray as if speaking with a friend.” Collective life taught him that to “love God fully, I need to love those around me, to see the presence of Jesus in them.” It trained him to go beyond differences to serve each neighbour – sharing food, listening to friends who were down, taking care of things at home. At work, whether particularly heavy or just normal, Christian learned to give the best of himself. “I didn’t care how difficult, physically taxing, boring, dirty or gross it was.” Along his road to recovery, he was called upon to be a coordinator for his group. “It was difficult for me to be both gentle and firm, especially during arguments. One time I was unjustly accused of stealing, and I did not feel appreciated. I wanted to give up, but then I decided to stay because I wanted to heal my addiction and be a new person. I dove into loving in each moment, despite others’ judgement. I asked God for help and I felt closer to him.” Today Christian takes on the challenge of his life beyond the protected space of the Fazenda, and when faced with the temptation of gambling, he finds refuge in God. In reality he’s discovered that true happiness lies in aiming for other goals. “I realised that I find happiness when I love God, when I feel his presence during prayer, in the people that I meet, in my activities, and when I love in the present moment. To aim high, you don’t need to accomplish who knows what; you just need to do everything with love. Today, this is my lifestyle.”
Claudia Di Lorenzi
Oct 21, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Ana Clara Giovani is a Brazilian journalist who made a video-blog of the event. https://vimeo.com/363569902
Oct 20, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Ten days of protests with hundreds of people arrested and five victims. An appeal for dialogue by the Ecuadorian Bishops’ Conference and the United Nations finally bears fruit. The Focolare Movement’s commitment to contribute towards peace. On October 2 Ecuador’s President, Lenin Moreno announced a package of austerity measures. The decision to end fuel subsidies caused a rise in the price of a number of necessary commodities that triggerred immediate protests, and a state of emergency was declared. Ecuador, a Latin American country with more than 17 million inhabitants (71.9% mestizos, 7.4% montubio population, 7.8% afro-Ecuadorian, 7.1% indigenous Ecuadorians and 7% white Ecuadorians), found itself forced into peaceful protests, that did not need much to become violent and provoke repressive action by law enforcement agencies. “Peace is over” wrote a young Ecuadorian, who also sent me a video showing anti-riot tanks in the square. A friend who wrote to me a few days later, related: “I heard xenophobic expressions and stories about mestizos and indigenous people, who were betrayed and then attacked. It is so painful to hear about women and children who lost their lives. It has been said that five were killed during unexpected bombings at dawn. Despite all this suffering, people are peaceful and the weapons used during their protests were large bucketfuls of water to extinguish the fires caused by bombs, bicarbonate, vinegar, masks against gases and eucalyptus branches. On the front line there were youth, aged between twenty and thirty, who were not afraid to die. At the square, there were no indigenous people in the evening, but there were about 30 thousand others, people of all ages and colours, all feeling let down because the government was not doing anything about the situation. The National Assembly declared to be on vacation leave, and so there is no channel for dialogue”. In this delicate situation, the first to come forward were the bishops who together with the UN/Ecuador proposed dialogue, in particular between the indigenous people and the Government. After meeting the parties, they convened a meeting on Sunday October 13. They wrote: “We rely on everyone’s good will to establish a dialogue in good faith and find a prompt solution for the country’s complex situation”. Even the Focolare Movement expressed its commitment towards peace. “We are living this painful present situation by being generous, overcoming fear and putting aside our convictions, while we try to understand the others and put ourselves in their shoes. We feel a sense of helplessness when we see brothers fighting against one another. We would like our actions to be a compendium of heart, mind and hands, while we ask ourselves: is what I feel, think and do an expression of true love for the other, whoever he may be? Do my actions contribute towards dialogue, towards peace? We believe that every citizen has the right to demonstrate in favour of justice and democracy, while we reject all forms of violence from wherever they may come. We would like to highlight our preference for the less privileged, as the Pope teaches us. We want to be more radical in living the Gospel by our love for Jesus forsaken, who is presently revealing himself in the suffering faces of our indigenous brothers, in injured policemen, in young men’s faces smeared with blood, in those who mourn their loved ones killed unjustly, in journalists who have been assaulted, in those who attack others because of different opinions, in the ones who prefer to ignore what is happening, in those who spread false news and in stigmatized immigrants”. Promoting dialogue among the many different cultures present Ecuador is a primary commitment for the Focolare Movement in this country. Today, this dialogue seems to be compromised. Theysaid: “This difficult situation could lead us to think that all our arduous efforts in favour of intercultural dialogue and unity have been in vain. But no, they aren’t! Maybe God is calling each one of us to intensify our Christian living and act as builders of peace wherever we are”. And they concluded: “Let us ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten us all on how to proceed in these difficult times”. The “time-out” for peace is a daily appointment. As I write (while there have been more than 700 arrests and 5 victims), an agreement has been reached. The directives issued by the Government on October 3 have been revoked and both parties will be involved in drafting new ones. We hope that all protests will stop and that social peace will be restored.
Gustavo E. Clariá
Oct 18, 2019 | Non categorizzato
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One priceless treasure that Jesus himself left us is his word, the word of God. This gift “involves a great responsibility on our part… God gave us his word so we might bear fruit, and he wants to see it carried out in our lives and actions to bring about that deep transformation in the world that he can do.” Renewed faith Our financial situation had become quite insecure. One Sunday we were disappointed at having to give up going on a trip, not even having enough money for petrol. We walked to church, and during the Mass the readings seemed to be particularly for us, especially the words, “The jar of meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail”. We returned home full of renewed faith. That afternoon, by chance we met someone who just a few months before we had not been able to sell a plot of land to. Discussing it right then and there, we reached an agreement in just a few minutes. (L. and S. – Italy) It taught me what consistency means After my father died there were some dark years, really negative experiences and serious disappointment at not being accepted to flight school, which was so important to me. Around then I met someone, a true Christian, who was quite committed at home, work, in the union and with neighbours. His example taught me what it means to be consistent with Christian ideals: being one with God and at the same time available for each neighbour. (Ettore – Italy) A gift at every birth When we were married, I was working the night shifts on my own and my wife was a physiotherapist. We lived off a small amount of money, but it didn’t seem to us a good enough reason to not welcome life. Each birth of a child (now we have four) coincided with a new career step, almost like a gift that each newborn brought with them. Still today we experience tangible love from on high each day. It is so abundant that we manage to put some money in common with others. (Michele – Italy) The postman I had ordered an iron and ironing board that were supposed to arrive in the mail. The postman had only delivered the first, saying that the board did not fit in his car, and telling me that I could pick it up directly at the post office. When I went to the office, an employee there became really angry, telling me that the postman was required to deliver the board as well, perhaps by loading it at the end of his route. The day after, the postman told me that he had received a good telling off and apologised. “No need to mention it further,” I told him, “we can stay friends like before!” The next Sunday, during a small party, I received a gift of a paper tree with the Word of Life that month: “Rejoice in the Lord always”. Straight away I thought, what if I give it to the postman? I did just that, and the next day I placed it above the letter slot. When I returned home I found a card with a heart on it and the word “Thanks”. (Monica – Switzerland)
edited by Chiara Favotti
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Oct 17, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Ecuador was hit by a terrible earthquake in 2016. The Esmeraldas Province, which was already fragile, suffered serious damage. The survivors found themselves in a very difficult situation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ykobg_KQys
Oct 15, 2019 | Non categorizzato
On 10 November, the diocesan phase of the process of beatification of the founder of the Focolare Movement will end in Frascati (Italy). It will continue in the Vatican, at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The Diocesan phase of the cause of beatification and canonisation of Chiara Lubich will end at St Peter’s Cathedral, Frascati, at 4.30 pm on Sunday 10th November, with the holding of the last session of the Diocesan Inquiry presided over by the Bishop of Frascati, Most Rev. Raffaello Martinelli. With the definitive closure of this phase, all the documents of the inquiry will be sealed and sent to the Vatican. This follows almost five years of investigations and research into Chiara Lubich’s life, virtues, reputation for holiness and signs thereof. After this stage, the study of the documents will continue at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The process initiating the cause started on 7th December 2013 – five years after Chiara Lubich’s death – with the presentation of the official request to the Bishop of Frascati by the Focolare Movement. On 27th January 2015, Bishop Martinelli responded to the request by solemnly opening the cause. On that occasion Pope Francis sent a message in which he recalled the shining example of life of the founder of the Focolare Movement to those who “preserve her precious spiritual heritage.” He also urged the Focolare “to make known to the people of God the life and works of the one who, by accepting the invitation of the Lord, lit up for the Church a new light on the path to unity.”
Focolare Movement Communications Office
Oct 14, 2019 | Non categorizzato
195 young people from 67 countries, between 17 and 35 year of age, represented all Focolare youth as they met to get to know each other, discuss together and plan for a more united world. https://vimeo.com/363570137
Oct 13, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Don Mario Bodega was a priest from northern Italy and spent thirty years in the diocese of Milan ministering as parish priest, spiritual director of a college and chaplain in the Niguarda Hospital. He also lived at the Focolare Centre in Grottaferrata, Rome, and for the last ten years of his life was parish priest of the parish church of Loppiano, one of the Focolare Movement’s “little towns.” Thinking about Don Mario Bodega makes you recall Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” for a variety of different reasons. Firstly, joy really was a distinctive characteristic of his, secondly, this piece of music was one of his favourites and thirdly, he often played it on his harmonica. He had learned to play in the seminary and music had been important to him during many phases of his life. As a young hospital chaplain, at Christmas time, he used to go from room to room playing his harmonica. As soon as they heard his first notes, people in the hospital used to say, “Now it really is Christmas.” A prisoner in Bollate, near Milan, wrote, “When you played the ‘Ode to Joy’ for me, I realised that not everyone here comes to make judgements about me – some people just come to love. Thank you for helping me to find God again because I thought he had abandoned me.” Mario Delpini, Archbishop of Milan, also spoke of joy when he announced the news of his death, “Let us accompany this man of God, a priest and friend, to the joy of his meeting with God. A beautiful smile, indicative of deep, personal happiness has been his characteristic throughout life – during the days of his youth and in old age and sickness; when he had many pastoral commitments and during the time when lack of health meant that activity was greatly reduced.” Don Mario was born on 15 September 1942, during the Second World War, in Lecco, in northern Italy. After finishing primary school, he entered the seminary and, through the rector, he got to know the spirituality of the Focolare Movement. He was ordained priest in 1968 and carried out many different ministries during the thirty years he spent in the diocese of Milan. Then, when invited by Cardinal Archbishop Martini, he began to work with the Focolare Movement. During the eleven years he spent in Grottaferrata, Rome, he deepened his relationship with Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Movement. In the course of his life, he wrote 135 letters to her. In one of her answers, she indicated a Word of Scripture that he could particularly focus on living. It was, “Following his mercy, they have abandoned the vain and false realities.” (cf Jonah 2:9) “I Believe in Mercy” is the title of the book he produced. It contains many of his experiences. Bishop Meini of Fiesole gave a copy to all the priests of the diocese on Holy Thursday 2018. In 2009, Don Mario came to Loppiano as parish priest. There, in addition to creating a deeper communion among the inhabitants, he was a sure guide on the spiritual journey for many people. He played an important role in the “Paths of Light” programme for couples experiencing difficulties in their marriage. He also contributed to the development of the Sophia University Institute. The dean, Professor Piero Coda, wrote, “His house and the San Vito parish church in Loppiano are a stone’s throw from our Institute. They became our home and Don Mario’s presence and guidance have been a source of light and balm – a school of life. Our Institute also became his home. So much so that , among the most moving reactions to his death, were those those shared by our Muslim friends who are part of the ‘Wings of Unity’ project.” In 2018 he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination. Shortly before as Loppiano was preparing for Pope Francis’ visit, Don Mario said that, given his very poor health, he did not think it was appropriate to be introduced to the Holy Father. With great paternal love, the bishop convinced him to change his mind. Don Mario told Pope Francis that he was a parish priest who was sick and walked with difficulty. He said he felt he could no longer work. “If you can’t work standing up, work sitting down” was the Pope’s response. And that is exactly what he continued to do, with great tenacity and joy, for his remaining 365 days of life. In fact, he died exactly one year later, on 10 May 2019.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
Oct 11, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Every Christian has a “mission” in his or her community. It may be to create a united family, to educate young people, to engage in politics and work, to care for vulnerable people, to bring the light and wisdom of the Gospel to culture or to live a life consecrated to God for the service of others. Holidays My husband and I have different ways of relaxing. I like sports and swimming but he likes to visit new places and museums. This year, as the holidays approached, I felt more than ever the need to rest and recover my strength, but a voice inside me kept telling me not to express and impose my preferences, but rather to adapt to what my husband would like. But he also tried to do the same with me. This meant that both of us were detached from our personal projects and this made our holidays more beautiful and restful than ever before. (B.S. – USA) Setting an example A young migrant man who was trying to sell socks knocked on my door. We were talking and I was trying to get to know him a little when a neighbour of mine passed by. I knew this neighbour had a negative attitude towards migrants but, to my surprise, she invited him to come to her house too because she had something for him. The next day I heard that she had given him shoes and medicine, and she had also promised to provide further support. I really wouldn’t have expected that! (C.V. – Italy) Serving others Our son suffered from depression. We couldn’t help him no matter how we tried and eventually he ran away. One summer afternoon he decided to end his own life. I felt a deep sense of guilt and thought I was being punished. However, slowly, with the support of the parish community, I began to pray and I made myself available to people in need. Sometimes, I offered practical help, a word shared or a smile. One day a mother came to me. She had lost a child just as I had. I told her how I was trying to fill that void by putting myself at the service of others. Although she was not a believer, she too found a certain serenity by doing the same. (G.F. – Italy) From enemy to sister One of my nursing colleagues did everything possible to make my life difficult. Her actions made me suffer. One day, I went to work with a bouquet of flowers and offered them to her with a smile. I will never forget her expression of amazement. It was the beginning of a new phase in our relationship. Now we have become like sisters. (Annamaria – Italy)
Edited by Chiara Favotti
Oct 9, 2019 | Non categorizzato
As Peru continues to welcome thousands of refugees, mostly Venezuelan, Gustavo Clarià reflects on the Focolare’s response. I was familiar with the content of Pope Francis’ ‘Message for the 105th Word Day of Migrants and Refugees 2019’. But listening to it being read to a hundred or so migrants, mainly from Venezuela, was something else! The words resonated in a new way, some paragraphs in particular, and it touched me deeply. 
I was meeting many of these people for the first time, as they arrived at the Focolare’s “Fiore Centre” in Lima, Peru, which is active in receiving migrants during the current situation. I listened to them explain why they had left their own country, with what suffering, often going through the anguish of leaving a spouse, children or elderly parents behind, their efforts – often futile – to help those relatives by sending money back. They spoke of their loneliness, their experiences of rejection and discrimination, of being condemned by local people for ‘stealing our jobs’, of continually being regarded with distrust and suspicion. They helped me understand the Pope’s message from a new perspective and to recognise its importance more clearly. I started to see what lies behind the so-called migrant phenomenon. According to statistics, 70.8 million people have been forced to flee their countries around the world, of these nearly 26 million are refugees. It’s a shocking number. Pope Francis concentrates the response to the migrant challenge into four verbs: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. They do not apply only to migrants and refugees. They apply to everyone, as the Pope goes on to explain, “the Church’s mission( is) to all those living in the existential peripheries” including “migrants, especially those who are most vulnerable”. The Pope’s full message was read to our group by Silvano Roggero, who is the Venezuelan son of Italian immigrants and a member of the Focolare’s International Commission for Migrants . Koromoto, from Venezuela, expressed his reaction, “We got here through the Lutheran Church. At first we were so frightened about what would happen to us and what we would find. But they gave us such a generous welcome, we were made to feel like family, like we do today among you here with the Focolare”. I saw such gratitude to the county which has welcomed them in, a sincere desire to integrate themselves, while still keeping strong ties with their roots. I’ve understood their anxiety to help the loved ones they have left behind in their home country and to repay the help they have received. Our day together continued in a family atmosphere with a celebratory lunch, accompanied by some of them singing songs from their homelands. We all got to know each other better and hope to meet up again, Peruvians and Venezuelans (and others) , as we continue to vitalize the four verbs proposed by Pope Francis.
Gustavo E. Clariá
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/messages/migration/documents/papa-francesco_20190527_world-migrants-day-2019.html
Oct 8, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Tonadico in the Dolomite mountains: “Aim high” – voices and faces from the European Mariapolis. People of all ages, from East and West, had an important experience of openness, knowledge of different cultures and dialogue in Europe.
https://vimeo.com/363570650
Oct 6, 2019 | Non categorizzato
300 telephone conversations made by Chiara Lubich during conference calls with Focolare communities worldwide have been edited into one volume. Maria Caterina Atzori, one of the steering committee members entrusted with the “Works of Chiara Lubich”, at the Chiara Lubich Centre in Rocca di Papa (Rome), is interviewed about this book. Conversations is the second volume in the series “Works of Chiara Lubich”. The first volume, “Words of Life”, was published by the New City Press, in collaboration with the Chiara Lubich Centre, in 2017. Can you tell us more about this second volume? In the book “Conversations” there are 285 spiritual thoughts, which Chiara Lubich wrote between 1981 and 2004. She shared them personally with Focolare communities in various parts of the world during telephone conference calls made from time to time. These rich thoughts speak about life and delineate a spiritual journey in its various stages, lived in the light of the charism of unity. Chiara traces a path to collective holiness, one that opens a new road marked by its communitarian dimension and that leads us to God “together” with our neighbour. She was the first one to embark on this journey, but at the same time she was joined by those, who were led by her example and guided by her “telephone calls”. They accepted her invitation to set out together on this “Holy Journey” of life, an expression Chiara used to define this journey which recalls Psalm 83. Has Chiara Lubich created a “new literary genre”? Chiara had no intention of creating a new literary genre. In fact, the texts in this volume were not meant for a written publication. This came later on. Initially, New City Press published them in small booklets, as they were widely requested not only by Focolare members, but also by others who met the Charism of Unity. These texts were written one at a time; they were written to be “spoken”, to be transmitted through the use of the telephone set. The novum of their “literary genre” lies in the fact that during each telephone call the speaker managed to create an immediate dialogue with her listeners; she formed a family worldwide, a family united in its commitment to walk the “Holy Journey” of life together. Later on, these same texts were put together for publication. So, in this sense, one can say that “Conversations” brought to life a new literary genre: a genre that combines word, communicative methodology and life, and establishes an intimate and profound dialogue between the author and her interlocutors, in a broader sense between broadcaster and listener, writer and reader. What are the characteristics of these texts? The text of each telephone call is presented in the book as a letter. Although each one is contextualized in time and space, yet it is still aims at establishing direct contact with its new readers, who are addressed with the opening words: “Dear all”. These “conversations” are still happening, not through the telephone set but through the pages of a book. Chiara uses a language rich in warmth and colour; that goes well with both young and old, people from different social backgrounds. From time to time, she engages in contemporary reality, interprets man’s life in the light of the Charism of Unity, recounts her experience about the thought she wants to transmit, interacts with her interlocutors, proposes a motto to be lived till the next telephone appointment (in the book: till the next letter). She expresses her spiritual thought through concrete daily images, familiar to her interlocutors. Frequently, she uses similarities, metaphors and slogans that are lively and easy to remember. Thus, her message is clear, engaging and “easy” to live. And each of these texts continues to invite the reader to live the message. We have been told that the “Opera omnia” (the complete work) of the Focolari foundress is to be published in a series of volumes. The first one was “Words of Life”, and now we have the second one. May we know what are the next scheduled publications? We prefer to speak about “Opere” (works) rather than about “Opera omnia”. In fact, the documentary material signed by Chiara Lubich is very substantial and there might be further acquisitions. This material needs to be sorted out and catalogued, a process that takes quite a long time. However, we already have the possibility of editing a corpus of works, drawn from both published and unpublished material, that offer the legacy of her thought in a systematic way. The series “Works of Chiara Lubich” is to meant to achieve this. It will consist of 14 volumes, organized into three main thematic areas:1.The Person; 2. Spirituality (the first two volumes published by New City Press, Words of Life and Conversations, are part of this second section); 3. Work (the next volume, which will contain speeches in the civil and ecclesial spheres, falls under this third section. It is work in progress, expected to be finished within the next year). Are these texts only published in Italian? Are there any publications in other languages? The volume Words of Life is currently being translated into English. We hope that Words of Life and Conversations will soon be translated into several languages. Both the individual spiritual thoughts and the comments on the Words of Life have already been translated into various languages for immediate communication with non-Italians; so we hope that the volumes of the series “Works of Chiara Lubich” will soon be in bookshops in a wide range of languages.
by Anna Lisa Innocenti
Oct 4, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The Focolare Movement rejoices with Chiara Amirante and the New Horizons Community she founded, at Pope Francis’ surprise visit to their ‘Sky Citadel’ (‘Cittadella Cielo’) near Frosinone, Italy. “If I start answering your questions, it will be words, words, words… which I think would risk spoiling the sacredness of what you have just said. Because what you’ve spoken are not words but lives, your own lives. Your stories. Your journeys. Quests, yes, but quests of the whole person, flesh and spirit together”. This was Pope Francis’ spontaneous response to five young members of the New Horizons Community who had presented their own powerful testimonies of suffering and rebirth during the Pope’s private visit to the Community’s centre in Frosinone province, Italy on 24 September. “Each of your stories speaks of a ‘glance’, a ‘look’,” continued the Pope. “At a certain moment, you felt a glance, unlike any other: a look gazing on you with love. I too know that glance. With that glance, Someone takes you by the hand and lets you go, without taking away your freedom”. The Pope arrived in the ‘Sky Citadel’ at 9.30 in the morning to an emotional and joyful welcome. It is the headquarters of New Horizons, which offers a Gospel-based approach to healing and self-knowledge that has succeeded in allowing many young people to escape from the infernal tunnel of suffering and dependency and in their own turn become witnesses of hope for other troubled youth. This “fruitful witness” was highlighted by the Pope in his talk. “Your witnessing is sowing, and what you are sowing is not an idea but fact: the fact that God is love, that God loves us, that God is always seeking us out every moment, that God is close to us, that God takes us by the hand to save us. (…) We are women and men of the Magnificat, of Mary’s song, proclaiming how God has looked upon me, has gently touched me, has spoken to me, has won. And He is with me. He has taken me by the hand and brought me out of hell”. The Pope spent time greeting Community members and Centre leaders from Italy and abroad who were gathering for their annual central Assembly. He celebrated Mass with them, shared lunch and planted an olive tree in the garden. There were representatives from all five ‘citadels’ of the New Horizons Community, founded by Chiara Amirante. Chiara got to know the Focolare spirituality as a child, and knew Focolare foundress Chiara Lubich personally. As a young person, Chiara Amirante was struck by the sufferings of the young people she met on the streets and listened to their cries for help to escape from the hell of all they were living through. In response, she felt called to create a community which could welcome them. And New Horizons Community was born. This recent visit by the Pope follows his telephone call and video message in June this year to congratulate the community on its 25 years of life. In her welcome to Pope Francis, Chiara recalled the beginnings of her adventure, when, in contact with ‘people of the night’, she was guided by the certainty that encountering “the Risen Christ would bring life once more to where I could only see death”. In 1994 the first community was formed in Trigoria, Rome. In 1997 a community offering welcome and formation was established in Piglio, Frosinone province, Italy. Today there are 228 centres of reception, formation and re-integration, and many initiatives promoting solidarity, human and social development in different countries. In 2006 Chiara launched “Knights of the Light” (“Cavalieri della Luce”) for people who commit to living the Gospel to renew the world with the revolution of love, and in particular to witness the joy of the Risen Christ to the most desperate in our societies. So far, more than 700,000 have accepted this challenge. As Chiara explained to Pope Francis, “There are new forms of poverty which constitute a real emergency, causing millions of ‘invisible’ deaths ignored by the majority” … the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs, anorexia, bulimia, depression, compulsive gaming and gambling, internet-addiction, bullying, sexual addiction and abuses. “Now more than ever,” concluded Chiara, “we feel the urgent need to do everything possible to respond to the unanswered cry of so many”.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
Oct 2, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Only weeks before the Pan-Amazon Synod, Gustavo E. Clariá traveled to a Peruvian village in the Amazon rainforest. He tells the story—not of fires, deforestation, oil companies, or precious-metal seekers—but of Jenny and Javier, who chose to live in the South American Amazon with the desire to bring, as a family, the light of the Gospel to “poorest of the poor.” 
“From Argentina, we decided to move to Lámud, Peru,” said Javier, “the town where Jenny was born, in what is called ‘Ceja de Selva’ (half jungle, half mountain). It’s located near to where the great Marañón and Amazon rivers begin. We wanted to be close to her parents, who are now elderly and in delicate health.” Javier is Argentinian. He met Jenny while she was studying in Rosario, Argentina. They have three daughters, aged 2, 4, and 17. They sold “what little they had” and left for the Amazonas, Peru’s poorest region, 1,600 kilometers from Lima and 14 hours from the nearest Focolare house. Moving from a big city like Rosario to a town with 2,500 residents at 2,300 meters elevation was a big change for the family. “We knew we wouldn’t be making a return trip,” he said. Moving from a big city like Rosario to a town with 2,500 residents, at 2,300 meters elevation, was a big change for the family, and it was especially challenging for Javier. At a young age, both Javier and Jenny met the Focolare’s spirituality of unity; they now wanted to live the Gospel as a family. That’s why “their biggest concern” was to get to a place where they “would be alone,” with no one with whom to share this ideal of unity. They decided to do everything they could to bear witness and proclaim the Gospel with their lives, so that even in the Amazon, a seed of the spirituality of unity would be planted. They decided to live the commandment of reciprocal love so that Jesus would always be spiritually present in their family, according to his promise: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt 18:20). With the conviction that, as Chiara Lubich once said, “one of the fruits of Jesus in the midst is giving birth to a community,” they left for Peru. A few days after arriving, the local bishop visited their town. They introduced themselves as a “Focolare family.” The bishop blessed them and encouraged them to continue in their commitment. They began by touring the periphery of the village by visiting “the poorest of the poor.” They went to people’s houses—if you want to call them that—where they found elderly people who “didn’t even have a decent bed to die in, such was their poverty!” They met many families and children who could afford to eat only once a day. “We would bring them something to eat, hug them, look them in the eye, and give them a word of encouragement,” said Jenny. Sometimes, they would stay two or three days with them, “sharing their pain, their poverty, their brief joys and hopes.” 
Hopeful that they could help bring to life a small community in their town, they began to organize meetings of the “Word of Life,” but with no success. They changed tactics several times. “We never got discouraged,” said Javier. “We knew that Jesus has his time and the important thing was to stay in the game.” They invited their neighbors again to meet about the Word of God, and gradually some people joined, including some of the mothers of the children in kindergarten with their daughters. They also organized a children’s program. This felt like the beginning to them, a small calling. Then the parish priest asked them to take on the family catechesis of the village and ten other surrounding villages, including some located two hours away. Recently welcomed their first visit from the Focolare community of Talara, a city located 650 kilometers and 12 hours by car from Lámud. It was a visit that marked them in a special way, “a before and after in the life of our community.” Jenny and Javier share in the joy of those who have found their place in the world. “We are few, but something was born!” they say. “We don’t want to set expectations, but we believe that Jesus has a soft spot in his heart for the Amazon, for the poorest of the poor. This is so perhaps because he was also born among the poor, and he stayed with them. We don’t know the roads he wants to take us, but they’re the only ones on which we want to travel! Like Him, we want to give our lives for our people.”
Gustavo E. Clariá
Sep 30, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The annual meeting of the delegates of the Focolare Movement concluded in Rocca di Papa. Among the priorities for 2020 is a new commitment in the field of human rights and justice, the centenary of Chiara Lubich and the next General Assembly of the Focolare Movement. 
Finally we made it! An extended communion among the participants of the annual meeting between the delegates of the Focolare Movement worldwide and the General Council, was held from September 14th to 28th 2019 in Rocca di Papa. It highlighted the principle that had got the conference underway and that will be the guiding principle for the entire Movement in the coming year: everything that is done in the name of the Movement in the ecclesial, social or cultural fields, as an activity for children or adults, families or those engaged in politics, makes sense only if it is characterized and guided by the presence of Jesus in the midst of those who love one other as He taught. This does not mean that the Focolare is becoming entirely spiritual. In fact, the first part of the meeting was dedicated to gathering the life of the Movement. With the distinctiveness of the different ecclesial, political and cultural environments in which the Movement is located, social and educational projects were presented, as well as the commitment to refugees in areas receiving little media coverage, artistic initiatives and actions promoting human dignity. 
During this exchange it was clear that the reform, which has been underway for some years under the title “New Set Up”, is bearing its first fruits. In many parts of the world, leaner structures seem to release new creative energy. New forms of proclamation and evangelization have developed, synergies between the various branches of the Movement and with other ecclesial and lay realities. There is also a new balance being achieved in the relationship between central government and geographical areas, that is, between global sensitivities and local action. While respecting the diversity present within the Movement – such as those of cultures, confessions, strengths and resources- in this balance it has been possible to identify together the priorities to be addressed in the coming year 2019/2020. 
Under the motto “In time for Peace” the Movement will commit itself in the fields of human rights, peace, legality and justice following a pathway proposed by young people. Efforts will be made to try and involve other people and institutions to take concrete and important steps in these fields. The centenary of the birth of Chiara Lubich will take centre stage in the coming months. The activities that begin on December 7th , 2019 with the title “Celebrate to meet” want to offer the possibility of a living encounter with the foundress and her charism. Finally, 2020 will also be marked by the General Assembly of the Movement , which takes place every six years, offering new perspectives. “But everything we do has a single purpose” – said Maria Voce, President of the Focolare, at the end of this meeting. “We want to transform the world, giving visibility to the presence of Christ in it, through the mutual love among us”. This is – so to speak – the typical “soft skill” of the Focolare, its “transversal expertise” . It is not produced with methodologies and programming, but it is the foundation of everything , the starting and finishing line.
Joachim Schwind
Sep 29, 2019 | Non categorizzato
This year once again the Focolare Movement all over the world invited men and women, young and old, people of every background to experience the Mariapolis – whereby a temporary ‘city’ is created which is built on fraternity. 
While the settings may be different, the experience is the same: the Mariapolis is the typical expression of the Focolare Movement where those who participate in these gatherings – usually held in the summer – are invited to experience a few days of utopia: a society based on living the reciprocal love of the Gospel. A very big European Mariapolis was held in Fiera di Primiero this summer where the very first Mariapolis took place sixty years earlier. It ran in four stages, each lasting a week. In many other parts of the world the Mariapoli attracted people from very different backgrounds. This year there were 235 Mariapoli around the world with bringing together around 46,000 people. Our editorial team has received letters and reports from Wales, Vietnam, Peru, Canada, Finland, Italy, Bulgaria and Brazil. 
In Turkey the Mariapolis took place in Şile, a little town on the Black Sea near Istanbul, a resort that provided a holiday atmosphere which everyone appreciated. The 70 participants came from Ankara, Iskenderun, Izmir as well as other countries. The main theme – personal and collective sanctity – was developed by presenting some of Turkey’s best-known saints: St. John Chrysostom, St. Ephrem, St. Helena and St. Thecla whose lives have had a great influence on the Church of the early times. In Kerrville, Texas (USA), the theme of the Holy Spirit and the Church was explored which has guided the life of the Focolare Movement all over the world this year. Out of the 350 people present, 100 were participating for the first time in a Mariapolis perhaps because studying the Church was particularly attractive to people at a time that has been marked by so many scandals and sufferings. The same subject, presented with an focus on ecumenism, was at the heart of the Mariapolis in Sweden held in Marielund-Stockholm with Lutherans and Catholics taking part. Two Buddhists as well as those who do not profess a 
specific faith were also present. The participants came from different cities in Sweden and a good representation from Norway. Despite the diversity it was possible to deepen the idea of “the Holy Spirit as the one who is the Church’s vital energy and who gives each person the particular grace to realize their own calling through the unity of all the members of the mystical body of Christ”, in their own words. The participation of newer generations to the program gave the Mariapolis in Lviv, Ukraine, a joyful touch. Young adults, teenagers and children were entrusted with the preparation and running of an entire day which they did in a lively and engaging way. At the start of each day it was the children who “taught” the adults by telling them how they had lived the words of the Gospel of the previous day. The Mariapolis in Penang, Malaysia, was characterized by the diversity of languages, cultures, ethnic backgrounds and people travelling great distances with participants from Singapore, for example, travelling 700 km. “The effort made to keep mutual love alive among us” – they wrote – “and thus give space to the presence of Jesus in our midst, the commitment to face and overcome difficulties and the willingness to give up one’s own ideas, made this undertaking possible”. The Mariapolis of Boconó in the west of Venezuela was intended to offer participants the opportunity to rest, in view of the difficulties of daily life which is exhausting because of extended periods without electricity, interminable queues for fuel and economic hardship. At least twice as many people as were expected responded to this attractive offer – both physically and financially. However, on the first night, a hurricane with hail, rain, trees being uprooted and strong winds caused a power cut that lasted until the end of the Mariapolis which meant that everything collapsed: no water in the bathrooms, no facilities for cooking or no way to keep the food cool. However, through the deepening of spirituality, the invincible love of God became a real, existential experience: they found a way to cook with wood, a neighbour offered the participants their generator and everyone’s attention for the needs of others grew. “God is never outdone in generosity,” they wrote at the conclusion of this wonderful experience.
Joachim Schwind
Sep 27, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Twelve songs which are part of the history of this music group become a collection, taken from their world tour “Life”, a tour that will continue in the coming months. Among their plans for the future Gen Rosso will also be involved with delivering courses, educational projects, co-productions and the third edition of “Gen Rosso Music and Arts Village”. 
After more than fifty years of life theirs is an artistic proposition capable of continuous renewal. At the same time, they keep the compass fixed on some key points: a life lived under the banner of fraternity, a collaborative production between artists of various nationalities that speaks of unity between peoples and nations, a message that proposes a culture of giving and sharing – attentive to the challenges of our planet. This is Gen Rosso an international music group, made up of musicians and technicians of different vocations from Europe, Asia and Latin America. Recently their “Life” tour became an album with eighteen tracks chosen from the songs recorded by Gen Rosso over the years. We talk about it with one of the group, Michele Sole. – On July 1st your live album from the “LIFE” Tour was released. How was this new album conceived and what are its characteristics? From the autumn of 2018 until today we have had some beautiful concerts all over Italy with our production “LIFE” and since the audiences were enthusiastic, like we were ourselves, from there we had the desire to create a cd ‘Life – live’. Once the recordings made on stage were re-created, we mixed them trying to keep all the energy and emotion that we breathe in our concerts. You can hear the audience singing with us, their applause and their voices, giving the listener the feeling of being right there with us on stage. In short, a real live recording! – 
Recently you have created, in the international little town of Loppiano where you are based the “Gen Rosso Music and Arts Village”. What is this and what are the objectives? The “Gen Rosso Music and Arts Village” will be held this year from December 27th 2019 until January 5th 2020, this will be the third edition. It is an artistic experience, the sharing of values from the perspective of the charism of unity. It involves young professionals and students, aged 18 and above, from different disciplines such as music, dance, singing, theatre. The teaching methodology is designed by Gen Rosso tutors together with teachers who have recognized artistic skills and experience. The program includes an in-depth study of specific themes from the art world, the exchange of experiences, creative spaces and practical workshops that will converge in a final performance. You can register at village@genrosso.com. The programme will start on December 27th 2019 and will end on January 5th 2020. 
– In your travels, you participate in events that promote peace and friendship between peoples and universal fraternity. Is there a recent one that you remember in particular and why? Yes, in the spring we had the joy of being in Jordan, thanks to “Caritas Jordan”, to carry out the project “Be the change” . We worked with hundreds of students from different social classes, different religions and different nationalities, It is a project to foster dialogue and promote a culture of peace and friendship, with the participants themselves being the promoters of a change in their lives and in their cities for a better future. – What are your plans and future appointments? First of all, we will resume the world tour with the concert “Life” along with educational projects and the inclusion on stage of young people prepared during various workshops. The tour will begin in Italy (September 28th in Venosa; October 12th in Piacenza; October 23rd and 24th in Acerra; October 26th in Prato, November 1st in Teano). Then an Asian tour in Indonesia for almost the entire month of November 2019. 
Meanwhile, we will continue with courses in the little town of Loppiano, sharing experiences, training and art. From October 15th to 17th we will examine in depth light design, a course intended for people interested in expanding their knowledge of the use of light and colour. In addition, to support young emerging artists, we have started co-productions. The first is Stabat in Silentium, the staging of a play by the young writer Francesco Bertolini. This play is the result of a profound experience of solidarity that emerged after the earthquake in Amatrice (Italy). “How can one still believe in God after an earthquake?” is the “uncomfortable” question which is the starting point of this work. The protagonists are the young victims, but also the volunteers who leave their quiet life to go where tragedy has occurred.
Anna Lisa Innocenti
Sep 25, 2019 | Non categorizzato
At the Mariapolis in Arny, 35km south of Paris, the first “Ambassadors of a United World” course was held from 2–7 September. There were 16 young people from 14 countries who participated. 
“Better Together” was the catchphrase that guided them. The programme was sponsored by New Humanity, an international non-profit organisation, which is an offshoot of the Focolare Movement and takes its inspiration from the spirit and values behind it. The goal was to strengthen the expertise of a group of young change makers, peace builders and community leaders, training them in the culture of unity, peace and fraternity, in order for them to become true “ambassadors” of a united world, capable of being spokespeople for the NGO nationally and internationally. The 16 who participated were from Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, South Korea, Ecuador, the Philippines, Kenya, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain and the U.S. “This was New Humanity’s first training course,” said Chantal Grevin, New Humanity’s main delegate at UNESCO in Paris. “It was an effective experience that allowed us, in just one week, to give them the necessary skills to become active workers in our NGO.” 
“We talked about what we mean by a ‘united world’, what peace, human rights are, and as a result what we mean by ‘person’”, explained Marco Desalvo, the NGO’s president. “We made an effort to translate all the best practices that our young people promote each day in the world, into a language that can inspire the international institutions, to spread the spirit of universal fraternity in every area of society at every level, just as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims.” The young ambassadors were welcomed by UNESCO officials from the humanities and social sciences (youth branch) and the education sector (global citizenship and culture of peace). “An open and free dialogue sprang up, allowing these delegates to discover New Humanity’s activities in a better way, through experiences from the young ambassadors, who were able to act as one, seeing all they had learned in recent days and their positive experiences of global citizenship,” added Grevin. Each young person was given the possibility of personally meeting the UNESCO delegate from their country and express their vision regarding the huge challenges of peace, the environment and fraternity. 
During the training course, the young people also had the opportunity to meet and speak with Monsignor Follo, a permanent observer to the Holy See, and Marie Claude Machon, Philippe Beaussant and Patrick Gallaud, who are the president, vice president and ex-president respectively of the liaison committee between NGOs and UNESCO. “Thanks to this course I learned so much about the United Nations system and NGO activities worldwide”, said Luciana, an Italian lawyer, at the conclusion of the experience. “Yet above all I rediscovered the true motivators that drove me towards this world. As an ambassador of New Humanity, I would like to promote the idea that supporting each other can make a great difference in creating a more united world. I understood that small 
gestures can have a great impact on people’s wellbeing. This is why I feel so privileged to be a part of this fantastic project!” Pascal, who is Lebanese, shared: “When I first arrived, I was discouraged at not being able to find solutions for my own country. Then I found courage and hope, and I understood that we can persevere, we can truly work to reach a united world. I know it will happen! I am quite happy to be going back to my country and start working.” And Noè, from Mexico, said: “I arrived here with my friend Josef from the U.S. We live just a few kilometres from the border separating our countries. We are already working together on projects to help migrants. When we go back, we’ll be able to put into practice what we learned here.”
Tamara Pastorelli
