The South East of Europe is made up of a mosaic of different peoples. In Serbia, a country where the majority of the population is Christian Orthodox, there are some Catholic villages particularly near the border with Hungary, where Serbs and people of Magyar origin live together, and also gypsy and Ruthenian minorities.
Fr Jozsef Nagy got to know the spirituality of unity in 1978. When he was entrusted with the parishes of Szenta and Gornji Breg (on the border with Hungary) he began his ministry trying to put the Gospel into practice and helping others to do the same.
This is his witness: “After the fall of communism and during the Balkan wars, all the factories in the area closed and there was widespread unemployment and an economic crisis. More and more people found themselves living in poverty. Many children began fainting at school due to malnutrition – some hadn’t eaten in two or three days! Initially the teachers would bring some food from home, but then they didn’t have anything to eat as well, so the town council turned to me. In this way the Caritas group took off. It started with providing hot meals for 50 children but soon the number doubled. Then, adults were added as well.
For the past twenty years a communal kitchen has been providing a hot meal for 520 people from Monday to Friday. We take the meals to three schools for the needy children there, to an old people’s day care centre and to whoever is sick and alone. This kitchen maintains itself solely on ‘providence’: God intervenes by way of the generosity of many. Of course there are many difficulties. A number of times we were on the brink of closing, but the face of Jesus forsaken who cries out in these people, always gives us new courage to continue, believing in the love of God.”
The people who are involved in this evangelical experience develop spiritually more and more. They communicate their experiences, sharing joys and difficulties. Jozsef Varga, a married permanent deacon, who has four children, tells us: “Our group, we realize, is involved in many activities in both of the parishes, taking with us the spirit of unity. We experience this particularly when we manage to reach a unanimous decision. Some of us are on the Pastoral Council, others are catechists or working in the Parish office. Others look after the church building, the cemetery and do other charitable works. One of us is a driver; another looks after the provisions for the communal kitchen. Still others help distribute the meals.”
Eva is a nurse and is responsible for the home care of about 100 old and sick people: “I try to organize the work”, she tells us, “keeping alive the relationships both with my colleagues and the sick people, and the Word of Life is a great help in this. There are many people to visit and there is never enough time. Often I am tempted to rush things. But I discover that for these people it is important to be listened to. The knowledge that I have a community behind me keeps me going and gives me courage.”
Fr Nagy concludes: “These experiences help us experience the power that the parish community can have when we try continuously to renew ourselves and the parish by living mutual love. We see that when Jesus is present it is he who shines his light into our peripheries.”
Synopsis Jesus promised the hundredfold in this life to those who love God. This little book contains a selection from the many thousands of experiences of that hundredfold in the lives of ordinary people who live the Focolare spirituality.
For the opening ofUnited World Week, teenagers from all over Portugal were welcomed to Mariapolis Arco Iris by the local band and over twenty groups that animated the afternoon with a variety of activities: judo, music (many songs written for the occasion), dance, Indonesian gamelans and 90 dancers from Cape Verde. Along with the media, several civil authorities also attended the event. Both the president and vice-president of the region attended, and numerous clergy brought youth groups from their parishes. Among them wes the head of youth ministry from the diocese of Lisbon. It was not only the Focolare that contributed: over 20 groups and associations gave their contribution to the Expo on Fraternity: a small living exhibit of the United World Project in which particpants were called on to share their experiences of Fraternity. A parliamentarian, a musician, an actor, a scientist and a mayor were on hand to share their expertise. The programme had five sections exploring the theme of fraternity, through music, testimonials and dance. They showed that the culture of brotherhood can be extended to all sectors of life, from the arts to the economy. An open discussion with economist Luigino Bruni turned out to be very meaningful. The workshops that followed invited the young people to become more actively involved in society, for the building of a more united world, and this was expressed in the impressions that were left by some: “Changing the world depends on us: this is the strongest impression I take with me from this day. Thank you for having given us your experience, because if we have the key for facing the difficulties, then a united world is truly possible.” “This was my first experience with the Youth for a United World. I’m amazed by this spirit of sharing, reciprocal assistance and true love that I have had the opportunity of knowing and living here. I leave here with a new life!” “In times marked by individualism and indifference, it is nice to see so many people fighting for a better world, and they don’t stop in the face of adversity. Today I realized that fraternity is truly within everyone’s reach, and takes place in daily life. It depends on me as well, to “take on the world” and try to make it better.”
Each year, the university institute which is based in Loppiano, has an open day to communicate its educational project to anyone interested in learning more about Sophia. This event took place on 2nd May and offered an opportunity to live a typical day at the university, including lessons of economics, politics, Trinitarian ontology, moments of sharing, and dialogue with teachers and students.
At the heart of it all lies the choice of a new interdisciplinary academic approach, combining study and experience, helping students from different continents to acquire a “global vision”, as explained during the presentation.
The testimonies included that of Fabio Frisian, age 23, from Messina: “After three years study of Psychological Sciences and Methods, I enrolled in Sophia. The main reason for my choice was rooted in the substantial difference that I found between the traditional academic world and a world which was not just a course of study in order to feel satisfied, but something more. It was already the end of the summer and, after my degree in psychology and an experience of volunteering in Africa, I was still undecided. The last few years had given me so many doubts: should I continue to study following a pathway in which a strong “technologizing” of knowledge and unbridled competition among students prevailed?
Fabio Frisone
I felt quite sad. Despite my desire to return to Africa, I felt that I would have to give myself time to acquire a more complete education, also in order to be able to understand, in a less superficial way, the reality of Africa. I had heard of the Sophia project and I sensed that it could be the best solution for my needs. Now, after six months of this experience, I can say it was the right decision”.
And with regard to the itinerary of Sophia, Fabio continues: “From the professors, to the students, to the staff, the IUS is a new academic pathway. At the heart of the curriculum is the opportunity to gain knowledge and develop interdisciplinary skills. The constant search for this complementarity is an essential feature of the dialogue that takes place in the classroom between the different disciplines, and also in our personal relationships. The challenge of the Institute is to experience a new way of studying and doing research, to develop culture and to share it.
This produces a specific teaching methodology: the exercise of thinking requires you not to be in a hurry and to allow time for questions, so as not to end up confused by approximate conclusions. The invitation is to ask one more question each day, to get to the roots of the problems and to rework them, abandoning ideological solutions.
Each person becomes the protagonist of social and political change, confronting the problems and endeavouring to untie the most complex knots at the service of our cities and our peoples. I feel my way of thinking is becoming more and more open. It is a commitment that is renewed every day. If what drives us is the aspiration to build universal brotherhood, we know that to fly so high we need to start from the testing ground of everyday life.”
“It all began two years ago,” recounts Maria Pia Redaelli, who is the contact person for the NFA non-profit organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the Petite FlammeProject has been underway. Two of our teachers attended a training course offered by the Focolare in Douala, Cameroon. When they returned to us they decided to apply some of the ideas already implemented by other schools. One was the Children’s Parliament. Almost immediately the children took ownership of their school environment and became actively involved members of the school community. In previous years it was difficult to keep the classroom areas tidy, also the outdoor areas; but now there’s never a paper on any pavement.
Each parliament is comprised of a president, vice president and several ministers, depending on the number of children. Each of them is in charge of something. Mbuyi Idrisse, director of the Petite Flamme, Ndolo, which has 400 students, recounts: “I arrive just before 7:30 every morning. I’m there to welcome my schoolmates. I check to see if their uniform is clean and neat. If it isn’t, I send them home.”
Makwatshi Donnel is vice president:I assist the president in maintaining discipline, especially when the children are entering the classrooms and leaving at the end of the day.”
“I’m Minister of Art,” says Biamungu Bienvenue. “I intone the anthem as we begin the school day. Whenever there are festivities, I assist the teacher in preparing the performances.”
Minister of Finances, Beyau Vianney: “My job is to help my schoolmates to reach out to meet the needs of other students who are in need of support. For example, if someone loses a parent or sibling, we try to find money from our own pockets to offer help. The same is done when we come to know of children suffering in other parts of the world. I’m in charge of collecting the monies and handing them over to the school director.”
Luwala Precieuse is Minister of Health: “When I get to school, I go to fill up the water tanks and add a few drops of antispetic, to protect the children from illness. Then, during the ten o’clock break, I go to the kitchen to taste the bouille to see if it is good and has enough sugar to make my schoolmates happy.”
Losambo Jepthe: “I’m Minister of Sport. This year I tried to put together a few teams of both girls and boys. We practice every Wednesday and Saturday, and during breaks we hold matches between classes.”
Nakamuwa Pembe, Minister of the Environment: “I make sure the school is tidy; when I see a schoolmate tossing something on the ground, I invite him or her to place it in the trash bin. I also check to see that the toilets are kept clean and tidy.”
Luwula Preieuse, Minister of Culture: “I ensure that the children are speaking French, which is the authorised language of the school.”
Lastly, Binia Exauce, Minister of the Public Order: “Every morning I verify that there is chalk at the chalkboards, and i give a whistle that gives the sign for school to begin and end.”
Maria Pia concluded saying: “With the Children’s Parliament we’ve seen a qualitative improvement in the children’s involvement at Petite Flamme, and when they move on to other schools, the teachers admire their sense of care and involvement. Even recently the Italian Ambassador visited Petite Flamme and was very satisfied with the environment he found, the climate of harmony and mutual respect among all. He offered the teachers words of great esteem and encouragement.”
In African society women and children are considered to be inferior creatures. I had asked Dieudonne what the conduct of a Christian would be like in that regard. We discussed this for two hours, but he wasn’t able to convince me. I had just said goodbye to him when a noise from behind made me turn. A small girl who was carrying a water jar on her head fell to the ground just a few metres away from us. While everyone else laughed without lifting a finger to help her, I watched as Diudonne hastened to help the little one out of the mud. And he didn’t stop at that; then he went back to the fountain to refill her water jar and carried it to her home. I was speechless as I contemplated the scene before me, as were the others – all of them dumbfounded that Dieudonne had acted in this way towards a child. That one gesture was more eloquent than the whole of our discussion.” A. B. (Cameroon)
Taking the Plunge
“I had always considered myself to be on good terms with everyone, but when my daughter began to take drugs my confidence collapsed. I realized that I had to take the plunge and overcome my isolation and reach out to others. I had the opportunity to approach two of my daughters’ friends who had recently been released from prison because of drugs. I went up to them without any judgements. A friendship was formed and, as my daughter found a new relationship with me, these two girls also found strength to return to their families.” M. T. (Italy)
All She Could
“When our daughter telephoned us that she was on the verge of a divorce, it was a great blow for us. There was no use in rebelling or giving sermons, but only sharing the pain. I tried just the same to make her feel that she wasn’t alone, even though she lives in another State. When she came to visit for a few days with her children, we did our best to make her feel our love and affection. We were so happy when, returning home, she informed us that she was willing to do all she could to rebuild the marriage rather than pursue the divorce.” J.S.-USA
“Building bridges in Europe through gestures of reconciliation and friendship that reach beyond borders. A new wave of hope has begun, inspired by the Gospel. . . .” And this is the purpose behind the European St Ulrich Prize, which was awarded this year to the Together For Europe Orientation Committee, on May 3, 2014 in the historic city of Dillingen, Germany. Through Together For Europe 300 Christian movements and communities have joined together to work for reconciliation and friendship among the peoples of Europe. Participants include Catholics, Evangelical-Lutherans, Evangelical-Reformed, Orthodox, Anglicans and Christians of free churches.
The prize-winners represented by 50 communities and movements were welcomed by both religious and civil authorities: Mayor Kunz; Catholic Bishop Zsarda di Augusta, regional Evangelical Bishop Grabow, and leaders from the financial and cultural worlds.
The laudatory speech was given by Brazilian Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation for the Consecrated Life: “I look upon the ecumenical witness of Together For Europe with much gratitude. Through it more and more new spaces are created in which it is possble to come together as brothers and sisters, generating reciprocal love among the Churches and opening newer and newer ways of approaching the things that still divide us.”
Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz and Landrat Leo Schrell
The European St Ulrich Foundation began in the city of Dillingen, in 1993 on the 1000th anniversary of the canonisation of the Bishop Ulrich. Its purpose was to promote the unity of Europe according to the Western tradition. The president of the administration council, Bishop of Augsburg, Bishop Konrad Zdarsa presided at the religious ceremony together with his Evangelical-Lutheran colleague, Bishop Michael Grabow. Previous prize winners include: ex-chancellor of the German Federal Republic, Helmut Kohl; ex-president of the German Republic Roman Herzog; Polish ex-presdient and Peace Prize Winner, Lech Walesa; ex-archbishop of Prague Cardinal Miroslav Vlk; and Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant’Egidio community.
President of the St Ulrich Foundation, Landrat Leo Schrell: “The striking variety of movements involved makes it obvious that the intution of Together For Europe is supported by people of different Churches and backgrounds, who have the same goal: to contribute to European unity.” According to Schrell this journey: “is capable of pointing a path for the future.”
The donation sum of 10,000 € will be used for young people from Eastern European countries to take part in Together For Europe, especially in its next convention in 2016.
Gerhard Proß from the Esslingen YMCA, and representing the Orientation Committee of Together For Europe, gave thanks for being awarded the prize. The prize is considered an encouragement to continue the good work: to uncover the rich diversity of Europe, in this historic period of rising nationalism: “The future of Europe lies in the Together.”
Ubuntu: “I am what I am because of who we all are.” This ancient concept found in many African cultures is the main focus of the Sharing With Africa Project. On April 27 – May 4, 2014, a hundred young people from 29 countries gathered in Nairobi, Kenya. Professor Justus Mbae, who is Dean of the Catholic University of East Africa, explained it during an open discussion: “Any situation regarding me personally comes after the community, because each person is part of that community; the community comes first. It is then through the relationship with those other people that compose the community, that I become a person.” At Sharing With Africa, in the Focolare town in Kenya, the young people also shared their projects and stories as they try to respond to the challenge of their lands. Their creativity and commmitment were impressive, as they were able challenge even some public institutions. Their mission statement is inspired by a speech by Chiara Lubich, who was the founder of the Focolare, in which she suggested some positive steps for changing a city: find some friends who support your project; focus on the least and the needy, help them in their need, and turn to God for what is lacking. In this way you will be laying the foundations of a new city, and your gaze will begin to expand across the world. Benedicto is a young nurse at a hospital in Iringa, Tanzania. Blood is a very precious commodity in his country. The lack of blood in the public blood banks results in many deaths. One day many women were sent home from the maternity ward because there were no more bags of blood in the hospital. Benedicto informed the young people from the Focolare with whom he had already been sharing a spiritual journey of care and concern for the needs of the least. The solution came right from the group. Why not invite the public to donate blood? “It’s true that in our country we don’t have much to share; at times the misery is overwhelming, but everyone has blood, it’s inside us.” A request letter was sent and in a few hours they had 22 bags of blood. The head of the blood bank confessed that he had never witnessed such generosity. That was 2010. In the last 4 years the project expanded to the point of becoming an official reference for all the institutions of public health in the country. In January the students at Ruaha University in Iringa and the Islamic Institute of Dar el Salaam, became voluntary donors. This is only one of the 800 examples of fraternity that have been recorded since 2012. They’re called “fragments of fraternity” to show that even though they are small, they are able to generate change. The others are found in the Atlas of Fraternity, which came out during this 17th edition of United World Week, which is the annual event that displays to international institutions projects that are making fraternty possible among people. The official opening was on May 1, 2014 in Nairobi, with twenty minutes of live streaming that linked people from around the world with Sharing With Africa. In her message of greeting, Focolare President, Maria Voce, congratulated those who took part in the project for their “stubborn courage” and efforts “immersed as they are in the complex affairs of the contemporary world.”She also referred to the ongoing work for the Atlas, mentioning that it is like working at a “massive work site, but that it’s the dream of God, as Chiara Lubich loved to describe it. And this is a also great garuntee. Universal Brotherhood is no Utopia: on the contrary! Even though it is a strenous journey, it is an ustoppable vision.” This year’s goal will be to engage national UNESCO delegations in officially recognising United World Week for the contribution it offers to the unity of the human family. To the Young People for a United World: good work!
What is it that Christians of many different Churches find so attractive about the young Jewish girl who gave birth to Jesus? This book does more than hint at an answer. Chiara Lubich’s gospel-based intuitions are a source of new insights for Christians of all traditions. Not only do we see the beauty of a human being who gave birth to God made flesh, not only do we taste the essential poetry of this unique event in history and enter more fully into all it implies, but we are made able to translate this vision into our daily lives. Mary becomes less a person we admire, an object of veneration, and more a source of inspiration, an example on which we can model our lives.
What are 10 good reasons for being an architect today? What living space should we take on to meet the new needs, expectations and dreams of the people of today? Planning living spaces that contribute to human wellness. These are some of the topics that were taken into consideration by the Dialogues in Architecture (DA), in one of the many workshops at the 7th World Urban Forum promoted by UN-Habitat United Nations Agency. The workshop was called Urban Equity in Development. Cities for Life.
The worldwide Forum was held in Medellin on April 3-11, 2014, and attended by 20,000 people from around the world. Six hundred parallel programmes were held in conjunction: seminars, workshops, conferences and exhibits. One interesting display offered reflections on the growing inequality in many of the world’s urban centres.
Dialogue in Architecture (DA) presents itself as a place for cultural deepening as well as a stimulus for civil and professional imagining, planning and constructing living spaces of communion and reciprocity in contemporary cities. The workshop, which was promoted by DA, was held on April 10, 2014 in one of the 16 Urban Libraries of Medellin, and it drew attention to some local experiences, such as the one in Barrio de la Merced, Bogota. Laura Sanabria from the Urban Observer of La Salle University, together with architect Mario Tancredi, showed how it works – with the help of other colleagues – trying to make connections between public institutions and local people; and the creation of a Mobile Health Clinic to serve the needy in the community. They stressed the importance of the value of universal brotherhood as the motor behind an architecture at the service of the human person.
La Merced
How does dialogue work in the context of Latin American metropolis like Bogota and Medellin? Tours of Bogota and Medellin were given by some young Columbian architects as part of the Forum. Fernando Bedoya recounts: “At Barrio de La Merced, entering into the lives and the history of the people was like being in an open classroom. The concrete interaction with the children and those who run the Social Unidad Centre, which was begun by the Focolare Movement together with people from the barrio, was the first powerful immersion in the wounds and challenges of that people who, with the power of love and faith manage, day by day, to gain their rights and live a dignified life.” Juliana continued to say: “At the Barrio de La Candelaria we were introduced into the historical and cultural heart of the city, which has drawn artists, writers and intellectuals; also foreigners who fill the theatre district, libraries and cultural centres. We saw some of Rogelio Salmona’s architecture in which the construction of the collective space is central. The last stop at the Gold Museum transported us to the origins of the rich Pre-Columbian culture.
Juliana Valencia concludes: “Today’s world is asking for a different architectural vision, the fragility of the environment is our point of action so as to stay on our feet amidst the crisis. Beauty is now relative, looking at the world from a particular perspective or academic field no longer works. For this reason our point of departure can only be the human person along with his or her needs and relationship to the environment.”
Msgr Livio Maritano (far right) with Chiara Lubich, the parents di Chiara Luce Badano, and Maria Grazia Magrini, Vice-Postulator for the ause of beatification of Chiara Luce.
Msgr. Maritano’s relationship with the Focolare Movement became particularly significant after he met Chiara Luce Badano, a young member of the Movement, who lived in his diocese and suffered from a terminal illness, beatified in 2010.
He came to know her during the last part of her life and was struck by her radiant Christian testimony, “by the depth of spirituality, by the great love for God that gave her the strength to face her illness”.
At the news of his passing away, Maria Voce said: “He was able to perceive sanctity in Chiara Luce’s everyday life”.
After the death of the young Badano, while verifying the growing interest that continued to emanate, he recognized in her life signs of universal holiness that touched the hearts of many, especially of young people. Thus, he saw in Chiara Luce a model that could be offered to them, as Benedict XVI pointed out on the occasion of her beatification. Later, it was Msgr Maritano himself who related her experience to many in various places all over Italy; he was called by many to speak about her.
Msgr. Maritano met Chiara Lubichseveral times. His esteem for Chiara and her charism, which he saw incarnated with particular intensity in the life of the young Chiara Luce Badano, led him to keep in touch with the founder of the Focolare Movement even through an epistolary relationship.
“The Focolare Movement remembers Msgr Livio Maritano with gratitude and appreciation”, Maria Voce said. “We unite ourselves in prayer with his family, friends, the diocese of Acqui and the whole Church”
“What would you answer to someone who holds that true dialogue among different cultures and religions is not possible?” This was a question addressed to Chiara during a meeting with Muslim friends of the Focolare in 2002.
The Focolare Movement expresses its hearfelt closeness to the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor on the passing away of Fr Casimiro Bonetti.
Divine Providence wanted Fr Bonetti to be very specially related to the beginnings of the Focolare Movement.In fact, he was the one to receive Chiara Lubich’s consecration to God on December 7, 1943.And it was he who in various circumstances proved to be God’s instrument.
Think of the words he said to Chiara when he was touched by her act of generosity: “Yes: God loves you immensely!” Or of his idea about the moment when Jesus suffered most during his passion, expressed on January 24, 1944, when he said he believed that this was when Jesus cried: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27,46).
Such statements, that even amazed Fr. Bonetti when he realised that they were the work of the Holy Spirit, had a particular resonance in Chiara Lubich’s soul. Thanks to the charism God gave her, these statements, together with other intuitions she had, became in time the foundations of the spirituality of unity that animates the life of the Focolare Movement.
Fr Casimiro Bonetti will always be remembered. Together with all those who in various ways form part of the Movement, I promise our prayers for him with gratitude and appreciation.
On April 23-26, 2014 over ahundred young consecrated men and women, from 36 countries and belonging to 56 religious families rallied around the slogan: “We choose the Gospel!” at the permanent Mariapolis in Loppiano, Italy.
The meeting has been in preparation for some time in view of the year 2015, which will be dedicated to the consecrated life, but also to the common choice of the Gospel which goes beyond the different charisms and is shared by all.
On the first day there was a theological discussion with Fr Alessandro Clemenzia, a professor of Trinitarian Theology, including personal experiences and experiences from some of the residents of the Mariapolis. This was followed by a tour of the Mariapolis, Mass at the Shrine, and supper in focolare-communities and family homes.
On the second day there was a workshop on: the relation between Gospel, life and studies; the Gospel and the spirit of poverty; communitarian relationships; and a poor Church for the poor. Then there was a visit to the Sophia University Institute and an evening of entertainment with young people from Loppiano.
On the last day there was quite a comprehensive dialogue with Cardinal Braz de Avis, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. “Father Joao,” as he loves to be called, first expressed his happiness at seeing so many young people. “This spirituality of communion,” he told them, “must enter into all the charisms, it must become the soul of all the charisms” and all must “have a living experience of it.” Then he added: “For me, the other person is not only my great penance, but the opportunity for me to experience God: I can love, only if I am near to someone . . .” Regarding the difficulties in following this path, he added: “You need to discover and understand the meaning of Jesus’ cry on the cross,” because without the measure of giving our lives that was given to us by Jesus, “we will never come to the point of loving one another.”
Encouraged by the Cardinal’s direct and familiar style, a very open discussion followed. The young people posed many questions regarding the challenges that religious communities are facing today: “How can we continue what we experienced here when we return home to our communities?” How can we be truly free while living within structures and under vows? How can we avoid living like patients in a plaster cast? How can we grow more in the spirit of unity? How should we look at the problems in our congregations and in the Church?”
The Cardinal’s answers were just as direct: “When you return to your communities, don’t talk, but live. If you want to be free, ‘return to Galilee,’ as Pope Francis says, to where God first looked us in the eye, and cultivate a freedom that begins from within . . . returning to the style of the Gospel.” He also said: “Wherever there is attachment to wealth and power, there is no longer the Church . . . we should enter into the wounds of the Church and humanity, as the Pope invites us to do . . . look to the past with gratefulness, to the future with hope and live the present with passion . . .” After opening his heart about his fraternal relationship with the Pope, he announced some of the upcoming events for 2015, especially the September 23-26 global meeting for young consecrated people. Then he told them: “The Pope loves you, and our congregation is your home.”
Their discussion lasted for two hours and was a total immersion in the life of a Church that is questioning herself, without hiding anything, a Church that is being motorised by Pope Francis to enter into a deep and radical renewal that engages every one of us in a personal way, every community and family, the basic cell of society. The encounter concluded with all the residents of the Mariapolis at St Mary Theotokos Shrine, with the holy Mass in the presence of the local Bishop, Mario Meini.
“What would you answer to someone who holds that true dialogue among different cultures and religions is not possible?” This was a question addressed to Chiara during a meeting with Muslim friends of the Focolare in 2002.
A renewed commitment emerged from this second seminar which took place at Mariapolis Ginetta, Brazil on April 12-13, 2014. It was attended by 70 representatives from these agencies, as well as other Focolare agencies involved in social action: New Humanity, Youth for a United World and New Families. Ninety people represented the Economy of Communion, who had met in the days leading up to the seminar. The seminar strengthened ties at a continental level and came up with a “charter of intent”. It also laid the foundations for the construction of a network linking projects, oranisations and social movements who have in their DNA evangelical brotherhood as a means for the transformation of society. This objective was also in harmony with the Aparecida Document of the Latin American Bishops Conference, which calls “the preferential option for the poor and excluded” the compass for guiding the Christian community in Latin America and the Caribbean. That is not an exclusive or excluding option but one that sets the priority for the action and the style of Christian life. One significant moment was an open discussion in which Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti, president and co-president of the Focolare Movement took part. Conquests as well as sufferings surfaced during the discussion, and a sense of isolation. The solutions, illuminated from the perspective of Jesus’ testament, that all may be one (Jn 17:21), opened a new horizon, not only for the social organisations but for the entire Focolare Movement. Maria Voce remarked: “You are totally immersed in the charism, in its roots:” what you are doing is exactly what Chiara Lubich and her companions did when they first began in Trent, Italy. They went out to the poor. They kept notebooks in which they wrote down the names and addresses of the needy. Then they came together to find out what each one needed and to pool their resources. It was a network of mutual assistance like yours. Exactly what you are doing here!” Then Maria Voce added: “Every social project should serve for the renewal of society, for turning it into a community where you live for a shared goal, where you put in common both your needs and your talents. You give more complete visibility to this action of the charism [of unity], which is not merely spiritual but social. You show it.” Giancarlo invited everyone to “be mindful of the fact that we are accompanied on this path by many others, from many different fields.” Maria Voce concluded saying: “Everyone has the same goal: the transformation of society, although in different ways. We need to rejoice that in the house of God there are so many callings and such treasure of responses. Each of us is like one tile in a huge mosaic from which we can feel the greatness and the strength.”
In this moving collection of writings from his final year in this world, we hear John Paul II’s voice again as he calls us to build a society that recognizes universal human rights, to listen to our neighbours cry for help, to build bridges and to share in one another’s gifts. Read more
This faith in the love of God, however, cannot remain closed up within the inner depths of each individual person. As Paul explains very well: God has given us the ministry of bringing others to reconciliation with him (see 2 Cor 5:18) by entrusting to each Christian the great responsibility of witnessing to God’s love for his creatures. How can we do this?
Our way of behaving should make this truth credible. Jesus said clearly that before bringing our offering to the altar, we should be reconciled with our brothers and sisters if they have something against us (see Mt 5:23–24).
And this holds true first of all within our communities: our families, groups, associations or churches. In other words, we are called to break down all the barriers that block harmony among people and nations …
“On behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
“On behalf of Christ” means “in his name.” Our aim then is to take his place, to live with him and to love one another as he loved us, that is, without being limited by attitudes and prejudices, but being open to accepting and appreciating the positive values of our neighbors, even ready to give our lives for them. This is Jesus’ commandment par excellence, the characteristic of Christians, which is as valid today as it was in the time of the first followers of Christ. Living these words means becoming reconcilers.
In this way, if our every gesture, every word, every attitude is imbued with love, they will be like those of Jesus. Like him, we will be bearers of joy and hope, of concord and peace — that is, what all creation is waiting for: a world reconciled to God.
The worldwide link-up will start from Nairobi (http://live.focolare.org/y4uw/) when on the 1° of May, at 1 o’clock Italian time, youth from five continents will be linked together to launch the United World Week 2014 (UWW): “Bridging cultures”, a galaxy of activities and actions of the Youth for a United World (YFUW) in the five continents, centered on reciprocal sharing. Other link-ups are foreseen with Japan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Algeria, Portugal, Brazil. In Nairobi (Kenya) about a hundred young people have arrived: half of them represent the African peoples of the sub-Saharan area and half from the other continents.
“Sharing with Africa”. This is the motto to express the reciprocity that the 2014 edition of the UWW would like to realize with the African continent, emblem of colours, culture and challenges, to deepen some pillars of the African culture, in a reciprocal sharing of treasures.
Loppiano (Italy), just like every year, will be transformed into a big plaza (#Spiazzaci) to give visibility to an different Italy with the initiatives that are going on regarding legality, interrelogious dialogue and immigration.
Maria Voce,president of the Focolare Movement, expressed to the youth her gratitude for the “committment” and the “stubborn courage” they have in “pursuing the objectives of the United World, immersed in the complex situations and in the diversified realities of the world today”. It is “a huge construction site” she added, but we are dealing with God’s dream, as Chiara Lubich loved to call it.” Assuring all those who “ identify themselves with the ideals of the Focolare Movement” of her support, she recalled the wish that John Paul II directed at the YFUW: “Only those who look to the future will make history”, concluding, “It is history, as leaven in thedough, that we are building here and now” with many others.
The 1° of May, aside from the above, will launch the Atlas of fraternity, a first report on 800 fragments of fraternity, courageous actions that propagate in the cities, that build bridges between people, groups and cultures, that open roads of dialogue and indicate new pathways for the communities. An ideal journey among the meridians and the parallels of the Globe that demonstarte how fraternity in action can cover the world. It makes up the first document of the United World Project (UWP) after the Genfest 2012 in Budapest, it can be found on www.unitedworldproject.org.
The course was opened with words by Chiara Lubich: “The charism of unity [. . .] fell upon a young Christian woman who God wished to be Catholic. But [. . .] it wasn’t only for the Catholics; that wouldn’t have made any sense, it’s for all Christians.” The course on Pentecostalism was presented by the Focolare’s office for ecumenism and held in Castelgandolfo, Italy. Pentecostalism is a renewal movement in Christianity that began in the United States in 1901 (with antecedents in previous centuries), and it continues to grow.
Udo and Ilona Knoefel, founders of the Jesus-Gemeinde SohlandPentecostal Community – (C) Thomas Klann
Five lectures were presented by experts: Professor Teresa Rossi from the Angelicum Pontifical University of Rome; Msgr Juan Usma from the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity; Pastor Albert Pataky, President of the Pentecostal Church of Hungary; Michelle Moran, President of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal (ICCRS) and the Jesus-Gemeinde Sohland (Sohland Jesus-Community)Pentecostal Community founded by Udo and Ilona Knofel in Germany. The course was attended by over a hundred people – Pentecostals, members of the Reformed Church, Catholics, one Lutheran and one Orthodox Christian – from twenty European countries, Brazil and Korea. Professor Rossi outlined the history and development of Pentecostalism. Msgr Usma described the dialogue with the Catholic Church, stating that it is “a complex phenomenon with which the Vatican had agreed to dialogue.” It should be noted that there was Pentecostal observer at the Second Vatican Council. He cited the Aparecida document, published by the Latin American Bishops in 2007, which underlines the fact that many Catholics are migrating towards Pentecostalism, not because of doctrinal or theological reasons but because they are looking for God. President of the Pentecostal Church of Hungary, Albert Pataky, regularly attends an ecumenical group promoted by the Focolare that meets once a month to reflect on the Word of God. “Our Movement,” he recounted “was begun in prayer, which continually strengthens and renews us.”One community, which was formed around Udo and Ilona Knofel in East Germany during Communism, was not accepted by the local Evangelical Church because of its charismatic style. Through its contact with the Focolare Movement in 2004, the community sought reconciliation. Now it is spreading Jesus’ name in regions of Europe that are considered to be the “most atheistic”.
Olivier Fleury and Raphael Tanner (Switzerland), Mons. Juan Usma Gomez (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) – (C) Thomas Klann
There were many experiences tied to the dialogue of life, which is the particular contribution of the Focolare. That dialogue is based on the art of loving which creates the conditions for Jesus’ promise to be spiritually present among Christians who are united in his name (Mt 18:20). In Bari, Italy there is a lively exchange among Focolare members and a Nigerian Pentecostal community. In Venezuela such an ecumenical relationship has developed over the years that an ecumenical Forum, which included a Venezuelan Pentecostal pastor, could be presented at the American Missionary convention that welcomed 4,000 delegates in November 2013.During the course at Castelgandolfo, after listening to Chiara Lubich’s speech on mutual love, one of the participants asked forgiveness of the Pentecostals in the audience, for the prejudices she was holding in her heart. With her words she expressed what many were feeling. Pastor Pataky from Hungary stated: “Love is the most important thing. Pride divides; love unites. The truths of the faith contained in each Church will unite us if we live in love for one another. The work of the Holy Spirit longs to unite us.”
“With some friends of the Focolare of Bangkok – Luigi Butori, one of the protagonists of the event shared – we have for some time now been bringing concrete help to some families of refugees from Myanmar belonging to the Karen ethnic group, who have settled in the north of Thailand. We shared this experience with some of our Italian friends who were helping us from afar and to who we would periodically send some updates and pictures.
In particular, after the visit of one of us in Italy in October 2013, a special relationship was created with the children of the kindergarten of I.C.G.Giuliano in Latina, who immediately showed a great desire to do something for their peers who were so far away, but who they now felt to be close to them.
Their help was directed in particular to an orphanage in Mae Sot, in the northern part of Thailand.
It was truly a touching experience for us to reach this place knowing that we were the messengers of children who were 10 thousand kilometers away, who did all they could to be able to send their humble help.
The faces of the children brightened up while they were opening the big boxes, and we also added some chocolates, milk and other good things, fruit of the sharing of our Buddhist, Christian and Muslim friends. It was a celebration for the children to see the toys: mini-motorcycles, fireturcks and small gadgets that we ourselves didn’t know how to use: the “Karen” children, in a matter of seconds, were already experts! We were able to distribute help also to other children in the refugee camp and in other “villages” (in reality, they are just huts grouped together near a factory, or maybe in the rice fields).
Yes the gifts are important but each time we experience that it is more important to look at the person in the eyes, to extend our hand, “to touch the other”, to make him or her feel that we are there for them. In the beginning, they were very suspicious; but then, gradually their faces lit up with joy, with hope and – even if we didn’t understand their language – it seemd as if they told us: “Thank you, today you made me happy… All these things are given free of charge? When will you come back?”. “Look I am here for you and I live for you… Don’t be afraid”.
This experience has gone ahead also this year and once more the customs office of Thailand did not ask us to pay any fees, as they admired the original and funny designs that the little ones of Latina put on the 30 big boxes that they sent.
We brought these things among the ricefields and canals of Mae Sot, where those without documents strive to survive as much as they can.
But we were also touched by how this experience is changing the life of the families of the children of Latina. A fatehr said: “The life of our children and also our life has changed from the moment we started to do something for the Karen people, whom we never knew existed before”. And a mother: “Thank you for having given us this chance to do something for the others; many of us have always wanted to do something concrete, but we didn’t know what and how. The television gives us a lot of bad news, instead this is a breath of joy and of hope”. Then a teacher: “The children are electrified by the idea that their toys arrived to the other part of the world by travelling on a big ship to reach children who have nothing. A little girl couldn’t contan herself when she saw her doll in the arms of a child in the orphanage of Mae Sot”.
The eyes never lie and those of the parents are sincere. We will continue to work so that this dream, this miracle of love that unites Latina and a forsaken place, in the midst of the mountains, in the northeast of Thailand, can still continue”.
“. . . how wise and true are the words of Pope John XXIII: ‘I must do everything: recite each prayer, follow each rule as if I had nothing else to do, as if the Lord had placed me on earth solely for accomplishing that action well, as if my sanctification depended on it, without a thought for before or after’.”
Chiara Lubich copied these words in her diary and often referred to them in public when emphasising the importance of becoming holy by doing the will of God in the present moment. She found a confirmation in the words of John XXIII. On the same page she writes:
“I often find my soul invested by two or three things in the present moment, two or three things to be done at once. This causes it [my soul] to become anxious. I often find that my desire to reach everyone, to do everything, to embrace the whole world, is interpreted by me in a mistaken way. It becomes a spiritual avidity that comes from the old self (see Rm 6:6), even though it is so tinged with zeal.”
This is no way for a Christian to live. Even someone in a shop full of edibles, eats either one or the other, but not all of them at once and never the whole store-full. We need to nourish ourselves, and content ourselves with what God wants from us in the present moment.
I’ve tried to do it these past few days. It’s been a wonderful experience. Violently severing away anything that is not the will of God in order to immerse myself only in that, I’ve experienced what it means to have a satisfied soul. It’s peace, gladness, happiness! It’s a sort of beatitude.”
On the occasion of the canonisations of Karol Wojtyla and Angelo Roncalli we offer a brief video which Chiara Lubich presented to the Holy Father in 2003, for the 25th anniversary of his Pontificate.
“Giorgio and I were married after being engaged for three years. As our relationship grew we thought of having a family.
A few years later we had a wonderful daughter with a slight malformation of the heart. I was happy. I felt that her birth had united us even more. But a year later while in hospital for a regular check-up, she died suddenly. It was horrible. I was overcome with darkness and angry with God for having taken away what was most dear to me. My husband supported me, without his love I would never have made it.
A year later Sofia was born and we were happy again. Later we adopted a boy. As the years went by, I noticed that Giorgio wasn’t at peace, he wasn’t involved with the children. Even though he loved them very much, he left decisions about their lives to me. One day he decided to leave his job and begin some new activities. So we began to spend time with other people, most of them single who enjoyed travelling the world and keeping late hours.
At first I tried out of love to follow my husband in this lifestyle, but then I realized that I didn’t have anything in common with these people and so, little by little, our lives began to follow different paths. I knew that my husband loved me and the children, but he was troubled and searching for something. I thought we could use some help as a couple, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He said there were no problems. Meanwhile his business deals were failing, also because he was surrounded by people who had no scruples.
One day he decided to leave us because he “didn’t feel like being a father anymore,” even though he still loved us, he needed to find himself. I couldn’t believe after so many years together it was all going to end like this.
I wasn’t able to think, I felt desperate. What hurt the most was the sense of failure, and I felt like it was my fault. It was a difficult period: during the day I tried to be strong for the children who were 11 and 14 years old, but in the evening all the suffering would come pouring out along with a thousand questions. What will I do now? Will I be able to raise my children at this delicate age of their life? I tried to make them feel that I was near and that their Dad loved them, even though he was rarely around.
I didn’t go out with my friends anymore, they all had families and I was alone. The only thing that kept me going was the love for my children, our relationship deepened and grew. My family was also close to me, even though after a while they began to tell me that I was still young and could begin a new life. But for me matrimony was still a sacrament, even if my husband was no longer there.
Then someone invited me to a Focolare event for couples experiencing separation. Surrounded by so many people who were experiencing the same pain, I felt loved and accepted, and our friendship united to journey of faith that we were sharing together helped me to overcome my sense of failure. I experienced for myself that love is greater than suffering, I realized that I was still a sacramental sign and, whenever I received the Eucharist I felt that Jesus was saying to me: ‘I will never abandon you!’ This gives me strength each day to stay faithful to the yes that I said on our wedding day, even though civilly we are separated. I know I’m not alone because God is with me and helps me to look at my life the way He sees it: with all his love and mercy.”
Klaus Bruschke, Director of Cidade Nova Press states: “Brazil is going through a moment of speedy transformations not devoid of contradictions. It is the world’s eighth economy, yet the twelfth on the list of countries with the most inequality, although in recent years 40 million Brazilians have emerged from a level of misery. Chiara Lubich pointed to the priority of working for social justice in this land through love for the most underprivileged, in harmony with the Latin American Church and now Pope Francis.” Bruschke went on to say: “In Recife, the Island of Santa Teresinha is one ofthe poorest quarters in Brazil where the Movement has been carrying out social projects from the moment it arrived. As she stood in front of the wall that separates this slum from the shopping centre on the other side, Maria Voce remarked that the wealth didn’t lie on the other side of that wall, in the shopping centre, but on this side among the community on the island, because the [real] wealth is communion.” In Mariapolis Ginetta Calliari, near Sao Paulo, Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti linked up with numerous Focolare communities around the world via internet, and shared about their visit to Brazil.
What is your impression as you leave Brazil? If you had to give a title to your experience, what would it be? “Brazil has enchanted me, and if I had to give a title to this trip, I would use one of Chiara’s own phrases: “embroidered in gold”, because all the wonderful fruits that have been brought about by Chiara here in Brazil are woven into my heart. I think of the many social projects that are carried out mostly by young people, the Economy of Communion businesses. . . . but also of all the new communities, ecclesial movements and people who took their inspiration from Chiara’s charism, who live the Word of Life, who love Jesus forsaken, or who answer to Chiara’s plea: “Give me everyone who is lonely”. They’ve brought about beautiful works, which we had the opportunity of seeing during this visit. We admired in them the abundant fruits of the spirituality of unity whose root lies in the Focolare Movement, in the spiritual family of Chiara. But the root is glad for the fruits that were born beyond it, and it offers thanks to God. And the fruits are grateful to the root, because they feel the nourishment that comes from there and they want to continue to be nourished. Therefore, it’s a great act of mutual love that shows up these embroideries of light that are spread throughout Brazil.”
The establishment of the Chiara Lubich Chair in Recife shows that many are able to share in the spirituality of unity . . .
Giancarlo Faletti: “During this Easter season in which we hear the words of Jesus’ testament resounding: ‘that all may be one’ (Jn 15:17), I have the strong feeling that through the charism of unity, the paradigm of universal brotherhood is being applied to many academic disciplines, even in large universities. Therefore, it has been a very dynamic experience that is linked to the testament of Jesus.”
During this visit you’ve listened to many stories, known and shared in the life of many local communities. Where would you go from here?
Maria Voce: “I really think we should continue to embroider these embroideries of light that I mentioned earlier. We should do it within the humility of the present moment, carrying out whatever God may indicate to us, moment by moment, never losing sight of the final design which is universal brotherhood, the design of a united world. Therefore I feel that each of these beautiful projects that I’ve seen are part of this universal design and that together they could offer a model to the world, an example of a unity that is born from the variety of God’s gifts in Brazil and in the world, so as to never lose sight of God’s dream: to make all peoples into one family.”
Klaus Bruschke’s final comment: “These days have given us a strong push to convey this message of unity that overcomes inequalities and embraces diversity – a richness that expresses the very richness of God.”
We have still impressed on our minds the tragic pictures of the Haiyan or Yolanda (‘the bird of storms’) Typhoon that was unleashed on several Pacific countries, especially the Philippines, in November 2013. It was one of the most powerful cyclones ever recorded and from all over the world countries and organizations reacted in solidarity sending help to the victims of the disaster.
Focolare communities, especially in the surrounding countries, also gave their contribution. An example of this comes from the immense archipelago that makes up Indonesia (245 million inhabitants), a country that is not exactly swimming in richness. In the city of Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, young people and adults of the Focolare got organized to do something. They didn’t have any money, but – they said to each other- “there is always something to give.” And so they organized a collection of superfluous things from their own homes, to set up a ‘Bazaar’. “We set up a committee to coordinate the work,” they tell us, “The Focolare Centre became the collection point for all the donations, so there was a constant coming and going of people sorting the items and putting them into different categories, all done with great joy and enthusiasm.”
The Bazaar was fixed for the 3rd and 4th of March, in a Parish Hall 20 km from Yogyakarta. But in the meantime the Sinabung and Kelud volcanoes erupted, “and the victims were our fellow nationals,” Tegar recalls, “We asked ourselves if anyone would still support our initiative for victims who were further away in the Philippines.” They didn’t give up, and though not ignoring the new emergency, they went ahead with the intention of helping those brothers and sisters who were even more needy. “I was chosen to coordinate the event,” Endang tells us, “I myself was the victim of an earlier earthquake and I knew what that meant and how much sadness you experience. So I took on this responsibility, and even though I didn’t have any money, I could give my time and energy. A few days before the Bazaar took place, I was at a meeting and understood the meaning of the phrase that you often hear in the Focolare Movement – when we meet in the name of Jesus, he is present among us. We experienced, in fact, that if we get together and work in his name, he optimizes our work.”
Also for William “it was an incredible experience. I really threw myself into this project. We aimed above all at the people of the village who came to mass on Saturday or Sunday. There were about twenty of us helping out. Someone directed the visitors, others served the ‘clients’ as little by little they came to look and to buy. There was even someone who organized our tea break! It was a beautiful experience: to experience that when you love the others God gives you back happiness in the depth of your heart.”Altogether 5,115,700 Rupiah (452 US$) were collected, a significant sum considering that about half the population lives on 2 dollars a day. “Everyone was happy not just because we managed to collect a good sum of money,” William is keen to point out, “But for the love and the contribution that each one gave to help the victims of Hurricane Haiyan.”
“I think that through this Bazaar”, Wulan concludes, “We managed to give a little happiness not only to the people who will receive the money but also to those who contributed with their ‘purchases’. I am sure that this love will not stop here but will expand to many other places as well.”
“I was on my way home in the car with my wife when we noticed a hitchhiker. We pass him, but we felt the absurdity of having passed by pretending not to see him. We decided to go back. He is a student from Senegal on his way to Antwerp, and he had been standing on the road for quite some time already dressed in his summer clothes. He was feeling very cold and so we invited him for lunch at home. After having eaten I offered to drive him to Antwerp (25 km from our house). He was so happy and was deeply moved. When I dropped him off and greeted him, I felt that I could not just abandon him like this, in the cold. I gave him my coat, the best one that I had. On the way home I alone, I was singing”. L. H. – Belgio
Quarrels
“On a day in which I was particularly agitated, it was my wife who went to market. Hoping to release my bad mood, I left the house and spent the afternoon with our neighbours, boring myself in front of the T.V. As soon as I arrived back home, the stern voice of our little Milos startled me: «Papà, don’t you know that Jesus doesn’t want people to quarrel?». It was a healthy lesson. I ran to give my wife a kiss. The children are the real “thermometer” of unity in the family”. Stjepan – Croatia
Laziness
“Sometimes it is difficult for me to commit myself to a task because of my laziness. Like that time: I was supposed to fix the library where there was a great confusion of books on the floor, but I didn’t feel like doing anything. Suddenly it seemed as if someone was telling me within: «Be love!». So I decided to do everything for God and for those who would be using the library. When I finished, I felt a great joy in my heart and I understood that this joy was a gift from God”. T. – Brazil
«… Easter is drawing closer and it seems that it was just Christmas. I have the impression that time is passing quickly and I feel in the depth of my heart – I confide this to you – that I have resigned to let it pass quickly as long as it is all love. That is, as long as at the eve of each day I can say: “Also today I have loved.”
… On this Easter that reminds us of how Jesus, after dying, was resurrected, and how we too will one day rise up with our bodies, I would like that all of you would live so that each evening you can say: Also today I have loved.
… We do not know how long we have left to live, but how bitter it would be to draw closer to death with only a few days lived in love. What regret! We would say: “I could have loved and I didn’t do it.”
So there is Easter to remind us that every day must be a resurrection for us: always up, always ready to love whoever we meet without looking whether we like them or not. Love, love, love. Never getting tired of loving. Never stopping our revolution.
This will give us great joy and will make us savour the Easter Celebration because it is the Celebration of the Alleluia.
Just as the first apostles and Christians went out to everyone to tell them that Christ was risen (and so that we will also rise), so too those who know us should be able to say that we have spiritually resurrected from a life without meaning to a life full of light and fire.»
Fazenda da Esperanca began thirty years ago with a young man named Nelson Giovannelli. Moved by the words of St Paul I became weak with the weak, Nelson reached out to a group of young drug addicts in his quarter of the city. From the beginning he was encouraged by Father Hans Stapel (Frei Hans). Fazendas were begun in many countries where they continue to offer recovery programmes based on living the words of the Gospel. One Brazilian bishop called the Fazenda “a shrine of the New Evangelisation.” On April 15, 2014, six hundred young people from the Fazenda along with young people from 70 Fazendas around the world who were linked up via internet enjoyed a moment of profound sharing with representatives from the Focolare, including Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti.Frei Hans gave the opening address, in which he described the “experience of God” during his recent recovery. This was followed by music, excerpts from the history of the Fazenda, experiences and dialogue. The testimonies of those who had come out of the hell of drug addiction were moving. One of these was the testimony of Mario, who eventually consecrated his life to God and founded new communities in other Latin American countries. During an open discussion with Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti, the young people discovered that the spirituality which was at the root of their recovery was the spirituality of unity that is shared by the founders of Fazenda. Many issues were covered during their dialogue: scars of the past; sexuality and chastity; and the significance of the charism of the Fazenda – understood as a gift from God given to one or more people for the good of humankind – and its relationship to the experience of Chiara Lubich. This was truly the novelty of the meeting: “A charism, which is the fruit of the charism of unity,” said Giancarlo Faletti. “This shows God’s life in action, his presence in our history. Coming here today with all of you we’ve had a great experience of God’s ‘productivity’!” Maria Voce added: “Considering the charism of unity even after meeting other charisms that have blossomed from it, I see it as a tree with many branches and each branch is laden with fruit. And each fruit is the magnification of some specific detail.” She went on to say: “When I think of the Fazenda, the problem of drug addiction comes to mind. That is Jesus who took upon himself the drama of drugs and cried out the Abandonment [of the Father]. The Fazenda focuses only on this detail, but it’s such a large detail that has evolved into a great and marvelous work. Another work focuses on the shortage of child education. That is the ignorance, which Jesus forsaken took upon himself. And a work was born that, which is offering a new educational approach based on the charism of unity. Even though the root is hidden and you can only see the branches and fruits, the root is rejoicing! And the fruits are thankful to the root.” Frei Hans reaffirmed this as he expressed his hope for more intense mutual collaboration, and that rehabilitation workers be nourished with the spirituality of unity. Maria Voce concluded saying: “It seems that all the charisms we’re coming to know and many others we still don’t know or are still to be born, fit in with the charism of unity because they’re linked by reciprocal love that shows up the particular greatness of each one. And they all contribute together to the fulfillment of the Lord’s prayer ‘that all may be one’.” So I say: “Hurrah Fazenda Esperanca!”Follow the journey ontheMariapolis Journal– Login requiredWebsite: www.focolares.org.br/sitenacional
The resurrection of Christ, who makes us sharers in his life, obliges us never to despair. It gives us the secret to pick ourselves up again after every fall; it is the sacred, visible, sign, of our resurrection. Ours is a religion of life: the only one in which death is victorious, and if we want it, permanently banned. Lent was – or should have been – an examination of conscience, through which we could contemplate the negative things that buzz around deep down in our souls and in our society. Many of us live a Christianity which has become routine, without thrills or surges, like a sail when there is no wind.
The resurrection of Christ has to be a reason for the rebirth of our faith, hope and love, victory of our deeds over our negative tendencies. Easter teaches us to overcome evil in order to be reborn. Each of us born afresh, united in affection with our neighbour, and every people working in harmony with other peoples. In divine grace there is the strength to remove every form of evil.
Jesus prayed, “… that they may all be one”. Love culminates in unity, and even politics as an effort that unifies is love in action, Christianity being practiced. And love is the solution to suffering and death. Where there is love there are no masters and tyrants, there are brothers who communicate goods of time and eternity with one another. So let’s love one another, replacing any hostility by seeking our brother, to help us to live. In this way we will rise again.
Igino Giordani: Le Feste , Turin International Publishing Company, 1954
The Mariapolis stands out for the green vegetation in which it is immersed and the harmony of its buildings. Its over 200 inhabitants come from all over Brazil and from several different countries: Italy, Congo, Portugal, Holland, Germany, Peru and Ecuador. Since the beginning of the sixties Chiara Lubich dreamt of setting up model towns like this, not only with houses, schools and churches, but also with factories, examples of how to live together in communion, governed by reciprocal love. And it was here that the first Business Park was started fulfilling this “dream”. It was here in fact in 1991 that Chiara launched a project that proposed a new approach to economics, the Economy of Communion; and founded the Business Park, which is a prototype of a renewed economy, right here in the vicinity of this little town. In a prophetic way she outlined its role: “A small town like this,” she wrote in her diary, “In Brazil, where the division between rich and poor is a massive social scourge, could become a beacon and a sign of hope.” The heroic faith of the first pioneers and their supporters, helped that prophesy become a reality. With its six companies, the Business Park is a focal point for academics and economists and has attracted the attention of high level politicians: from Hon Franco Montoro, a Councillor of the Republic and ex-Governor of San Paolo, to Dr Marco Maciel, the Vice President of the Republic; to a group of politicians from different parties, members of a multi-party commission for the battle against and elimination of poverty. Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti are here on the last leg of their trip to Brazil. During their visit to the Park, a businesswoman present recalled Ginetta Calliari, one of the first young people to follow Chiara, and to whom much is owed for the spread of the movement in Brazil and the development of the Economy of Communion. Maria Voce underlined the key to its success: “It is communion, which comes first and is the proviso for productivity.” This communion governs relationships at all levels – between the managers and workers within the company, between the companies in the Business Park itself and with other similar Business Parks throughout the world. In an attempt to help solve some of the social problems in the area, since the end of the seventies some direct action has been taken in two areas around the Mariapolis: in Jardim Margarida, which is right in front of it, and in Bairro do Carmo a neighbourhood with mainly people of African descent. Two community centres cater for children and adolescents during out of school hours, keeping them away from the risks of violence and drugs that try to ensnare them. The results are surprising. The changes in behaviour, brought about by the pedagogy inspired by the “art of loving” which is a characteristic of the different activities – from sport to I.T. – also influences the local schools and has awakened a growing interest in the municipal institutions giving rise to many forms of collaboration. Actions aren’t enough to bring about change however, ideas must also be spread through the media. This awareness has been there for over 50 years, when the Publishing House and Cidade Nova magazine were set up and whose Head Office is at present in the Mariapolis. The Publishing house has not been unaffected by the crisis in the world of publishing brought about by the digital revolution. The President and Co-President gave it a new impulse. “Brazil is developing very quickly,” Giancarlo Faletti observed, “We need cultural media that knows how to straddle history, that is not bowed down by it, but knows how to interpret and enlighten it with the charism of unity.” Follow the journey ontheMariapolis Journal– Login requiredWebsite: www.focolares.org.br/
At the beginning of February the representative of the African continent on the International Commission of the Economy of Communion, Genevieve Sanze, received a telephone call from the Apostolic Nuncio of Ivory Coast, Mons Joseph Spiteri, informing her of her nomination as member of the Pontifical Council of the Laity. “I had absolutely no idea that this was coming,” Genevieve tells us, with the open question about what it might entail. Genevieve, who is originally from the Central African Republic, lives in a Focolare community in Abidjan in Ivory Coast. The only African among the lay members appointed by the Pope, Genevieve was chosen because of the role she plays within the Economy of Communion.
“I’m very happy with this nomination, particularly for the fact that of all the roles I play in the context of the Focolare Movement, the Economy of Communion was the one mentioned,” she explained shortly after she heard the news, sharing her feelings on the subject. “It is a great joy for me to be able to work for the Church, because I chose to do this in my life, serving the Focolare Movement and the Church.”
A few days after the nomination,Genevieve Sanze was in Kenya working for the preparations of the upcoming Economy of Communion Assembly in Nairobi in 2015. She was able to meet with the Nuncio when she got back. “It was a very beautiful and profound moment. Mons Spiteri gave me the document with my nomination, with his advice to live this service for and in the Church. Maria Voce, President of the Focolare movement, wrote to me as well: ‘I am very happy with this appointment’, assuring me of her prayers and support. I feel that it is only together, in great communion, that we can be of service to our brothers and sisters and the Church.”
The Central Commission of the Economy of Communion wrote to Genevieve: “Heartfelt congratulations on this new and beautiful challenge: from how we know you, you have all the qualities needed to face up to it”. Luigino Bruni summed up the joy of everyone: “This is the Africa that the world needs to know: wise, bright, soberly joyful, sisterly, regal, Marian.”
Luiza Erundina and Maria Voce – (C) CSC Caris Mendes
Two hundred members of the MUP in Brazil, including federal deputies, mayors, city councilors and young people testified to the innovation that the practice of fraternity is bringing to their lives and work environments.
Is fraternity compatible with the political battle? For federal deputy Luiza Erundina the answer was “no” when she was young and struggling against the dictatorship. It became “yes” when she met Chiara Lubich who launched the Movement for Unity in Politics (MUP).
For Mayor of Sorocaba, Antonio Carlos Pannunzio the most important thing is the revival of the understanding that we are first of all members of the one human family, all children of one Father. “We can disagree with our political colleagues, but this doesn’t mean we turn them into our enemies.”
And if the wall of emnity rises, it is not impossible to bring it down. “I was a bitter opponent of Luiza Erundina, when she was mayor of Sao Paulo and I was a councilor,” says federal deputy Walter Feldman. “Now we talk with each other every day. Dialogue becomes possible when contraries meet to arrive at a synthesis: the common good.”
“ You need to be among the people in order to be in tune, to heal the division among politicians and society. Change begins with personal behaviour,” said federal deputy Luis Carlos Hauly referring to the example of Mandela and Gandhi.
Pedro Paulo Fiorelli is a young man who is attending the Civitas School for citizenship training, so that one day he will be a better politician. The basic lesson is: politics is not for winning elections, but an art for the transformation of society, with a preference for the forgotten members of society.
Maria Voce remarked: “This enlightened political action that places the value of proximity and relationship at the centre, beginning from the least and their needs that cry out a longing for fraternity, is more than necessary.” Giancarlo Falettireferred to these politicians as “experts in humanity,” “prophets of a new world,” “prophets of hope”.
The meeting ended with a very significant gesture, the naming of a street in Porto Alegre after Chiara Lubich. Then someone sang a song based on the words of the Focolare founder, in which she described politics as the “Love of loves”. That song was adopted as the anthem of the Movement for Unity in Politics in Brazil.
The next event will be international: a worldwide convention in March 2015. It was announced in a message from the international president of the MUP, to present “the rich political thought of Chiara Lubich, which prophetically prefigured a world united by reciprocal love, not only among individuals but among peoples.”
“Everything in Brazil tells of the resurrection – the flowers, fruits, colours and fragrances – and it is natural here to wish everyone Happy Easter!
During Holy Week, I’ll visit the National Shrine of Brazil dedicated to our Lady of Aparacida.I’ll take to Her all your sorrows, joys and desires – especially those of Her Brazilian sons and daughters who have made Her family grow throughout the world.”
Twenty years ago, Pina’s country of Rwanda, was struck by an absurd civil war that resulted in the death of at least 800 thousand people in a few short months. “For the past twenty years my people have continued to mourn the victims of the war and, at the personal level individuals visited private cemeteries.” On April 6, 1994 President Juvenal Habyarimana’s aeroplane was struck by a missile attack. None of the passengers survived, and the war that was already brewing broke out.
In that moment Pina was living in the Philippines where she was following her vocation to the spirituality of unity that she had been living since she was a child. She recounts: “My family was also impacted by the war. Thirty-nine of my relatives were murdered. I was taken by despair. Gradually I felt emptied of those sentiments that had filled my soul up until then, I felt that nothing made sense anymore.”
She was transferred to Kenya in order to follow the situation more closely. She worked at the Red Cross and assisted the wounded and refugees from Rwanda: “but I wasn’t able to look at the people of other ethnic groups in the face, the ones who had taken part in the massacres.” The pain was too vivid. One day she came upon some people from another ethnic group and couldn’t avoid catching their eye. The animosity grew. “I thought about revenge, but I felt confused. I had come to a crossroad: either I would close myself in my pain and anger, or I would ask God’s help.”
A few days later at the office, she recognized some people from the enemy group who were living right there in the city. “They recognised who I was and felt uneasy, they began to turn back and walk the other way. They also saw me as their enemy.” Pina saw that forgiveness was the only hope for social reconciliation. She had learnt this from the Gospel. “With a sense of power, I walked up to them and spoke to them in their own language. I didn’t mention my own family, but only tried to show interest in what they needed. Just then, something loosened within me.” A glimmer of light had been given to Pina.
A year later she returned to Rwanda. She hardly recognised her sister, the only family member who had survived the massacre. She learnt that the man who had betrayed their family – a very close friend – was in prison. “Although I was in pain and opposed to the people who invoked the death penalty, it was clear that I could pull back now that I had taken the first step toward forgiveness.” She took her sister who had witnessed the massacre. “And so we went to the prison together, to visit this man. We brought him cigarettes, some soap and whatever we could find. But mostly we went to tell him that we forgave him. And we did it.” Her sister, Domitilla, would soon adopt 11 children from several ethnic groups, without making distinctions between natural and adopted children, and later won a national award.
This year, Pina explains, “on the 20th anniversary we have something new: Tutsi and Hutu together in carrying remains to the National Cemetery for burial – all of us Rwandese.” They are the true heroes of this country. “This is an important step forward,” Pina remarked, “we are returning to the way we were before the war.” The project was named The Flower of Reconciliation, so that it might continue to bear fruits of peace in Rwandan society.”
Unemployed The factory has for some time now been showing signs of great difficulty. We found ourselves on the street without any possibility of obtaining any aid in time from the unemployment fund or from other sources of providence. Unemployed, without doing anything at home, I was entering into a deep feeling of frustration and uselessness. We were living on the salary of my wife. Then, certainly helped by our faith, I told myself that I could use my time to do odd jobs around the house that my wife had been asking me to do. So I started to repaint the doors and windows, put up the wallpaper… The other members of the family also got excited about it and they started to help me. It wasn’t important anymore to bring home a salary, but the real capital which the family needed was love, unemployed or not, I could love. L. R. – ItaliaHuman justice n spite of the fact that I had prepared myself with the best of intentions, this Monday the audience at the court hearing was sad and lifeless. At the end of the morning I was discouraged by this state of justice that sometimes is so easy to just get over with. I felt that I had to do something. In the meantime the last defendant presented himself. He seemed much older than his age. He was already imprisoned before and this time he was caught with a stolen car. I came to know from him that when he left prison, he was able to get a regular job; his employer was satisfied with his performance. So I modified my closing argument and I asked the court for a prison sentence to be enforced during his annual leave. In this way he could keep his job. The court accepted this. A few days later, a television journalist telephoned me expressing his surprise at my action. I answered him that I just did my job, using all the resources of the law. During the television program, that journalist recounted the fact concluding in this way: «Applying the law with heart and intelligence can make justice more human». A.B. F. –FranciaBuilder of peace I am a seminarian. In the difficult situation of ethnic conflict in my Country, my village too was divided. Two factions were fighting in the absence of any police presence. Even if I knew of the risks that I faced, I asked God the strength to be a builder of unity among my people and, going through a barricade of tree trunks on the road, I was able to reach one of the two groups that took refuge in the parish grounds. I asked to speak to them and I was able to tell them sincerely how unfounded were the reasons for this hate and division. After listening to me, the asked me to also go and talk to the other group. Maybe I was convincing, because in the end everyone went back to live together. Gilbert – BurundiTaken from:Il Vangelo del giorno (The Gospel of the day), Città Nuova Publishing House.
The title of the event was: “The merciful love of the Holy Trinity in the theological vision of Father Dumitru Stăniloae and of Chiara Lubich in the context of contemporary ecumenical dialogue”. Commenting on it, Professor Vasile Stanciu, Dean of the Faculty, said it expressed the depth of the subject endeavouring to compare the theology of one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the last century, so Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae is considered, with the charism of Chiara Lubich.
Theologians from three churches took part: Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran. Five Romanian Orthodox Professors from the Theological Faculty of Cluj, Alba Iulia and Sibiu, and five from the Focolare Movement – from the Sophia University in Loppiano , from the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, from the Oriental Institute of Regensburg and from “Centro Uno” the Focolare’s secretariat for ecumenical dialogue.
The symposium began with a prayer and the greeting of Metropolitan Andrei in whose metropolitan area the meeting took place. The Orthodox Auxiliary Bishop, Somesanul Vasile, who participated at various times said: “Yet again, I can’t but be impressed by the warmth of the love with which you come to Cluj, the warmth we find every time and cherish in our being, in our daily life … we certainly try to transform that love into life, as did Fr. Stăniloae and Chiara Lubich”.
Experiences on mutual love of Orthodox and Catholics – young people, families, priests – emphasized that a life [of faith] is essential for Christians; theology understood in a very vital way and the path of ecumenism understood according to the trio of terms, “love – life – truth.” Stanciu highlighted the risk that theology can often remain at the level of theory and is difficult to put it into practice, it needs to be lived.
For Prof. Sonea, pro-dean of Cluj – “doing theology” is not an abstract discourse about God, but about the living God, in God and about God. This way of doing theology is specific to Chiara Lubich and provides an element on which we can build a dialogue that is not seeking the conversion of the other, but the discovery of the other. In the spirit of love we are in unity. We need to give a common witness to the world .
Metropolitan Andrei
As pointed out by Prof. Stefan Tobler from Sibiu at the conclusion, in the radicalism of love and in theological rigor, “we really are together.”
Prof. Ruxandra from Bucharest testified that she knew both Chiara and Fr. Stăniloae. ” I met Chiara first, at a meeting of young people in Rome which revived my faith in God and brought me back to the Church. Then when I was a student I heard Fr. Stăniloae talk about the great love of God towards men and about the love from the heart of the Blessed Trinity, the model of supreme love, the model of love in the family. For me, as an Orthodox, it was amazing to see how Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed theologians have found a common spirituality in the thought of Chiara Lubich and of Father Dumitru Staniloae, both theologians of love. It was a wonderful experience.”
With this meeting another step forward has been taken, opening up new perspectives on this journey together.
«The small town of Fontem in Cameroon deserves to be mentioned today. Its name could truly be this: “You did it to me.” It’s like a fairy-tale story. In the bush of the Cameroon there lived a people who were once very numerous. Almost all of them were pagans, but very dignified, morally sound and rich in human values. We could say that they were a naturally Christian people. They belonged to the Bangwa tribe, but the population had been decimated by sickness. In fact, ninety-eight percent of the children were dying in their first year of life. Not knowing what to do, those Africans, with a few Christians who were among them, asked themselves: “Why has God abandoned us?” Then they acknowledged: “Because we don’t pray.” And so, all together, they decided: “Let’s pray for a year; who knows, maybe God will remember us!” They prayed, day after day, with only one thought in mind: “Ask and you will receive; knock and it will be opened to you.”(Mt 7,7). They prayed the whole year long. At the end of the year, however, nothing had happened.
Fontem, 19 January 1969. Chiara prays during the Mass celebrated for the inauguration of the hospital “Mary Health of Africa”
Without becoming discouraged, the few Christians said to the people: “God didn’t answer us because we haven’t prayed enough. Let’s pray for another year!” And so they prayed for another year, the whole year long. The second year passed and still nothing happened. They met again and asked themselves: “Why has God abandoned us? Because our prayers don’t have any value in the eyes of God. We are too bad. Let’s collect some money; we’ll send it to the Bishop who can ask a more worthy tribe to pray, so that God will have pity on us.” The Bishop was touched by this and began to take an interest. He went to them and promised a hospital. Three more years passed but there was no hospital. At a certain point, focolarini doctors arrived, and the Bangwa people saw this as the answer of God. The focolarini were called ‘the men of God.’ The focolarini understood that in this place what mattered was not to speak. They could not say in those circumstances: “I wish you well, keep yourselves warm and eat plenty” (Jas 2:16).They said: Here we need to roll up our sleeves and get down to work. And they set up a dispensary in the midst of unspeakable hardships. I went there three years later. That large crowd of people gathered in a vast open space in front of the living quarters of their king, the Fon, appeared to me as being so united and eager to be dignified, that they seemed to me as a people long prepared by Mary for Christianity in its most integral and genuine form. Even then, the village was already unrecognizable. Not only because of the works, roads and houses that had been built, but also because of the people themselves. The previous work of the missionaries, who could visit the region only rarely, had already laid very solid foundations. Small nuclei of Christians had already risen up here and there, like a seed waiting to develop. But now the movement towards Christianity had assumed the proportions of an avalanche. Although the priests effected a rigorous selection, every month they baptized hundreds of adults. A government inspector who had made the rounds of the zone to inspect the elementary schools, declared: “All the people are strongly oriented towards Christianity because they have seen how the focolarini live it in a concrete way.”
1974 – The inauguration of the Church attended by the Fon of Fontem
And we must say that the work of evangelization carried out by the focolarini during those three years was almost exclusively based on witness. There was a lot of work to do, indeed, almost only work, and under the most difficult conditions: because of the inadequate means and ability of local workers, and the rough roads and difficulty in receiving supplies. So there were no regular meetings, no large day-meetings, no public talks. Just a few private talks in casual encounters. And yet, every Sunday, the tent-like church became increasingly crowded. Together with the group that was already Christian, there was an ever-growing number of Animists who wanted to know more about Christianity. Now the church was overflowing, with more people outside than the packed crowds inside. Thousands of people assisted at Mass, several hundreds received Communion. Fontem was a unique experience for us. It seemed that we were re-living the development of the early Church when Christianity was accepted by all in its wholeness, without limitations and compromises. And the experience of Fontem already began to interest other African communities, like that of Guinea, Rwanda, Uganda and Kinshasa in Zaire[1],, so that Fontem increasingly assumed its role as a pilot center for the surging of a characteristic evangelization. Now Fontem is already a large town, with all the essential aspects of a town. And it is also a parish.The focolarini became credible because they did to Jesus what they did to the Bangwa, giving the witness of love first of all among themselves and then with all the people.» Chiara Lubich Excerpt taken from a talk at the meeting of the Men Religious Movement at Castel Gandolfo, April 19, 1995 _________________________________ [1] Current Democratic Republic of Congo.
From right: Fon Njifua Lukas (Fontem) , Chiara Lubich, Fon Njiendem Joseph (Fonjumetaw)
Winnie Nwafor and Frantisek Slavicek from the Focolare community of Fontem informed us of the news: “On April 2, 2014, the Fon ofFontem, Njifua Lukas , died suddenly. He passed away while being rushed to hospital.” We remember the historic encounter between Fon Lukas – who had inherited the legacy of his father Fon Defang – and Chiara Lubich in May 2000 when Fon Lukas conferred on Chiara the title, Mafua Ndem (Queen sent by God), making her an honoured member of the tribe. The ceremony was given in the presence of the entire population of the Bangwa tribe in the natural amphitheatre in front of the Royal Palace in Azi. Chiara responded by narrating the history that was shared by focolarini and Bangwa ever since 1964. She invited everyone to make a strong and binding pact of mutuall love “in which they commit,” she said, “to live in peace with one another and to re-establish peace if it is ever broken.” Chiara invited Fon Lukas to make the same pact with the Fon of Fonjumetaw as a way of drawing other peoples to unite in the same spirit.” From here the New Evangelisation project was born, and it was entrusted to the “twin Fons” as they came to be called from that day. From that moment a close correspondence began between Chiara and Fon Lukas, who kept her abreast of all the meetings, developments and impact of the New Evangelisation among the population. Fon Lukas had been in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, where he was working as a State Senator. From Fontem they write: “The news of his death took us completely by surprise and the population was overcome with sorrow. Everyone headed for the Royal Palace in Azi, with any means possible – on foot, car or motorbike. The Fon’s body arrived at the Palace between three and four o’clock in the morning and was given a traditional burial in the morning. In the days that followed many members of the Focolare community went to the Palace to comfort the family.“ Focolare president Maria Voce sent condolences and prayers from the Focolare Movement “at the sudden departure of a dear brother and friend.” In 2001 Fon Lucas had been awarded the Luminosa Award and in his address at the permanent Mariapolis in Hyde Park, NY, he said: “The New Evangelisation launched by Chiara Lubich in 2000 gains more and more footing in Fontem. The fruits have been so many that we pray God that it will be possible for the whole world to experience it.”
Fon Lukas Njifua (3rd from right) with Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti during their visit in 2009
In March, 2008 upon receiving the news of Chiara Lubich’s death, he left for Rome immediately, obtaining a visa in record time. He was accompanied by the Fon of Fonjumetaw and became one of the principle promoters of preparations for the “Cry Die” of Mafua Ndem Chiara that was held in January 2009, a grand celebration that had the unanimous support of the entire tribe. Winnie and Frantisek conclude: “We are thankful to him for having supported and watched over the work of the Focolare Movement in Fontem, and for having welcomed all (and there were many!) who came to live in the Mariapolis during his reign, simply because they were members of Chiara’s family, no matter where they were from. The doors of the Palace were always open to us. Now we are certain that he will continue to intercede that love will always reign among his people, as Chiara had said in 2000: “Also in the future the vocation of Fontem will be that of the ‘city on a hill’ so that everyone will be able to see and admire and imitate.”
Rio Tercero is a beautiful city in the Province of Cordoba, in Argentina. Situated in a mainly agricultural and livestock area there was great industrial expansion here in the middle of the 19th century (one the most important factories, Fabrica Militar Rio Tercero, is sadly famous for the fatal explosions which occurred there in 1995) which brought with it great demographic growth. Today there are many social challenges, particularly in the outlying neighborhoods where violence is the order of the day due to lack of work and education. Six years ago Estela, who is a dentist, was asked by her parish priest to take on responsibility for Caritas, with the specific task of introducing the spirituality of unity to this particular structure of the church. She began by asking people’s help coming out of church. If she could do it, with the little time she had what with work, children and grandchildren … surely others should be able to help as well. So together with the team that was set up she went to visit families in the poorest districts: meeting many young mothers with their children and husbands who were either alcoholic or drug addicts. They opened the ‘Tienda’, a shop selling clothes for the whole family. When winter came everyone was looking for warm blankets … but there just weren’t enough to go around. They decided to make them themselves. A workshop was set up involving 28 young mothers.As relationships grew, the women felt valued and appreciated. Estela suggested to everyone that they could include some meditation in their daily routine and to try to live a phrase from the gospel each month. When winter was over nobody wanted to leave. What were they going to do? “We had the idea of making bread”, Estela tells us. “We started with just an ordinary oven. We all brought some flour and yeast and would make bread together for our own families and then some extra to sell, sharing the proceeds. But it wasn’t enough. I updated the parish Pastoral Council about our activities and they encouraged me to go ahead setting aside enough money to invest in a bigger oven. We told all the parishioners about the initiative and everyone started to bring flour. In this way a bridge of unity was built between the people of the parish, which is in the centre of town, and the women from the outskirts who come with their children because they have nowhere else to leave them.” But it wasn’t possible to go to sell the bread with the children tagging along. So activities for the children were started, with an extra-curriculum support programme and fun activities organized by the young people of the parish. “As time went by, the relationship between the mothers and their children began to change. We tried to help the children appreciate the work the mothers were doing and on their part, the children were also spurred on to study harder seeing the efforts their mothers were making to earn something.” As time went on the business became public: the bread is now sold to several shops in the city and the Local Council has got involved setting up a development project. The result? – a real bakery! With 4 large ovens, all the necessary equipment and a large quantity of flour. A micro-business has been set up, where the workers themselves are the owners. At present there are 4 having responsibility for the bakery, serving schools, pizza shops and other bakeries on a regular basis. “Even if it’s only a small business,” Estela observes, “It is still a source of employment; but the most important thing is the integral human formation that has been carried out with each person and with their families.” A process that continues to influence others.
The reflections contained here invite us to ponder our lives and to open our listening hearts to the voice of God, so that our Lent can truly be a Lent in its deepest sense a spring that buds forth new life. Drawing upon classic and current literature, Marc Foley accompanies us in this Scriptural-personal Lenten journey. He does it in a way that invites us to both explore the human condition and embrace the grace the Lord again offers us in order to transform who we are and how we are living. What more than this can you ask of a Lenten guide?
Mariapolis Gloria, with its hundred citizens has more than 40 buildings that blend in well with the natural surroundings. The Mariapolis was begun in the early 1970s as a training centre for the growing community of the Focolare Movement in that region. The generosity of many people not only made it possible to begin the work but provided even more than enough for unforeseen developments. One couple donated a large piece of land, several families settled on the property, and the permanent Mariapolis was begun.
The area is part of Benevides, a small city with some 50,000 inhabitants. The poverty, which is quite visible, generates violence and opens the door to drug trafficking. The first main victims are always the adolescents.
The Mariapolis stands against this background as an oasis. The Fiore School and Welcome Centre’s after-school programme have been in operation for 20 years. There, more than 300 children between the ages of four and twelve are able to find not only tutoring and academic instruction, but a family, a home that welcomes them each day.
Workers at the Centre are all ex-students. They are credible models for the children, because they live in the same environment and give witness to the fact that change is possible. G. cares for the younger children. She teaches computer science. She lives in one of the most violent quarters, but her shining eyes bear witness to the transforming power of love even in her family where relationships were practically non-existent. “In front of the violent attitude of many children, we need to discover what lies behind it. We listen. We only try to make them feel loved. Then, little by little, the change happens,” says Francesca who is the Director of the school. It prompted one drug-dealing father to say: “But what is there in this place that I see my son so changed?”
The press has also shown interest in the project. One journalist interviewed the Focolare president and co-president Giancarlo Faletti during their visit to Brazil. During the interview Maria Voce had this to say: “I admire this place so much, Mariapolis Gloria. Here you focus on the whole person, who is the future of Brazil; you provide great opportunities for human development, for an experience of mutual support among teachers, students and families. I want to offer my full support.”
The Mariapolis is also an oasis of spirituality that nourishes communion among the communities located there – some ancient like the Carmel and some new like the Bethlehem Mission that serve the poorest of the poor – as well as several others. It is a support for people working in politics. This was expressed by two city councillors and several representatives of religious orders and new communities, during their conversation with Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti.
The two arrived at the airport in Belem on March 31, 2014 for the third stage of their journey in northern Brazil. Previously they had visited the North East: Recife in Pernambuco where they attended the inauguration ceremony, establishing the Chiara Lubich Chair. Then there was the visit to the social projects on the island of Santa Terezinha and the visit to Mariapolis Santa Maria. Next, they moved on to Fortaleza where they met with founders and directors of the new communities of the Condominio Espiritual Uirapuru (CEU).
The backdrop for the third edition of the Living Peace Festival, which will take place in Cairo, is the tense situation currently present in Eygpt.
It was in 2011 that a professor of English at El Rowad American College in Cairo started this initiative to educate for peace, and today more than 25,000 students from all over the world are involved in the Living Peace project. On Sunday April 6, 2014, the third international appointment will be taking place.
Living Peace is characterized by the participation of students and teachers, who are involved in creating initiatives to educate for peace, through a global network of people and institutions. Schools taking part are allowed to develop projects according to their ability, while encouraging young people to use their creativity and making them aware of their contribution towards a common aim. This creates a dynamic participation that fills the various components of the school with enthusiasm while reinforcing solidarity among students, teachers, principals and parents, and also leaving an impact on civil society.
In Cairo, for example, Living Peace involves students and teachers, Muslims and Christians, that come from twenty schools. In other countries, the results of the project are presented to civil authorities (Uruguay,Spain,MaltaandLuxembourg) and to the media (KoreaandBrazil). The project is also presented through street activities, where the school involves the city in youth initiatives in favour of peace and fraternity. Of particular importance are those initiatives set up to address crisis situations, as schools in Japan hit by the tsunami in 2011 and those in Syria struck by war.
International organizations have shown interest in Living Peace since its very beginning. Carlos Palma, the mind behind this initiative said, “In 2011we were invited to the World Peace Forum in Schengen, Luxembourg to talk about our projects. Since then, we have attended the World Peace Forum every year and we have created a network of relationships with personalities both in the United Nations and the European Union, who sustain and encourage our efforts for peace”.
The Focolare Movement supports this project through AMU and New Humanity
Lidia and Loris have 3 children who are 11, 9 and 6 years old. Each of them was born in a different city from the other because after their parents married, the family moved to Veneto, then to Alto Adige and then aruond Trentino. When her husband suggested moving back to the city of their origins in Crotone, Lidia reacted: “My first thought was the children and the wider range of opportunities they would have up north, but in the end I was convinced. Our city on the sea is truly beautiful, we know some very gifted people there and our children once adults, would choose their own futures for themselves. We wanted to do something to improve our country, because we love it! But we immediately realized that we were never going to begin a revolution, but at least we could begin with something small. So we began with the world of schooling; me with the classmates of my children and Loris with his students. He teaches German, but his first job in Crotone was as a substitute teacher. To begin with, he contacted the teacher of the boy who had been entrusted to him, to better understand his academic problems and built a relationship of trust with him. Several times, his intervention helped to resolve serious communication problems between school and parents. For almost 3 years we have been running a youth centre in our centre.. When we moved, Loris began the Associazione Amici del tedesco (Friends of German Association) that won a contract with the “With the South Foundation”. We offer children between the ages of 11 and 16 games and recreation, but also tutoring in Literature, Mathematics, as well as Italian and English for foreign students. Recently the Association won a competition connected to redevelopment of property confiscated from the mafia at San Leonardo of Cutro on the Ionian Sea, Calabria. Lidia explained: “We will use it as a hostel for young people and families who are unable to pay for holidays. We have been classified as a youth training project for youths and teenagers who have dropped out of school. We are supported by the Ministry of Youth Politics. We feel that all of this has come from God’s love, perhaps a plan that we don’t yet fully understand, but based on mutual love, because it’s actually not easy to work together. We are so different from each other and this is positive, but at times also difficult because we see things in such different ways. But then the discussions and misunderstandings pass and we begin again. The positive results are also the result of our sons’ love for us. They put up with it all with so much patience, all our organizing and moving around. It often happens that their love is what helps us to face the challenges of the forgotten on the fringes of society. And for them it’s a source of reflection and growth.Source: http://www.famiglienuove.org/
For the president and co-president of the Focolare Movement this is the final stage of their trip to Northeast Brazil before going on to Belem: they visit the CEU (Uirapura Spiritual Condominium), in the heart of Fortaleza, the capital of the Ceara State in Brazil.
Ready to welcome Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti in the foyer of the hotel in CEU, which is run by the Sisters of St Dorothy, are Moises Louro of the Shalom Community, Nelson Giovaneli, who together with Frei Hans Stapel, founded the Fazenda da Esperanca; Fr Renato Chiera, from the Casa do Menor, the Mother Superior of the Carmelite Convent and the Prioress of the Benedictine Nuns. Just to mention a few of the founders and leaders of the communities that have built their houses in this vast area known as the Fazenda Uirapuru. This is the name of the land given by Benedito Macedo, a businessman who dreamt of helping to find a solution to all the social problems of the region.
Renowned for its natural beauty, Ceara State is not dissimilar to other Brazilian States with its serious social inequality, which brings poverty and poor health and education provision as a consequence. A breeding ground for drugs, prostitution, violence and desertion. ‘Cammino’ is a group based at CEU which looks after ex-prisoners; ‘Sole Nascente’ helps those suffering from AIDS discover the possibility of a future; victims of abuse regain their dignity at the ‘Casa di Santa Monica’. Young people discover the beauty of contemplation following the way of the Carmelites or the Benedictines. The long list continues. “We are all here in answer to a double call”, Mother Bernadette, Superior of the Carmel, explains, “Firstly the call of our own charism but also to be a living image of the Church of unity, to witness the fruitfulness and richness of communion among the different charisms.”
And this is what shines out in the testimonies that are given in the Auditorium, packed with the residents of the CEU, together with the Archbishop of Fortaleza, Jose Antonio Aparecido Tosi Marques. A long-awaited meeting, marked however by a suffering: two days earlier Frei Hans, the first to start off this experience of communion, and among the first to invite Maria Voce, had a heart attack. He still wanted to give a welcome to the two guests however, with a brief video message. This was followed immediately afterwards by Moises who in his address defined the CEU as a “fruit of a plan of God”, “a spiritual lung” for the city of Fortaleza.
“Here I have witnessed something really great”, Maria Voce said afterwards visibly moved. Just as Frei Hans had mentioned in his video message she recalled a historic fact which gave rise to the path of communion among the movements: their meeting in St Peter’s Square in 1998. The President of the Focolare Movement recognized in CEU “a realization of that invitation to unity launched by Pope John Paul II and of Chiara Lubich’s promise of commitment to it.” And here she underlined another aspect of the novelty which CEU represents: the fact that many communities, each one with its own charism, find in the spirit of unity of the Focolare Movement nourishment for their own community and want to participate in it also and above all to live the not so easy path of communion among the different charisms. And this was the reason for the invitation.
“In this experience”, Giancarlo Faletti added, “there is a special strength, the strength of unity.” And he defined the CEU experience as “a model for the Church”. But the last word goes to the Archbishop of Fortaleza: “This is a path of unity which God wants for the good of our Church and of society”, he said. And he prayed to God for “great strength for what you are doing”.
Eva is a nurse and is responsible for the home care of about 100 old and sick people: “I try to organize the work”, she tells us, “keeping alive the relationships both with my colleagues and the sick people, and the Word of Life is a great help in this. There are many people to visit and there is never enough time. Often I am tempted to rush things. But I discover that for these people it is important to be listened to. The knowledge that I have a community behind me keeps me going and gives me courage.”
For the opening of 
It was not only the Focolare that contributed: over 20 groups and associations gave their contribution to the Expo on Fraternity: a small living exhibit of the 
Benedicto is a young nurse at a hospital in Iringa, 
This is only one of the 
The Focolare Movement expresses its hearfelt closeness to the Order of Capuchin Friars Minor on the passing away of Fr Casimiro Bonetti.
Their discussion lasted for two hours and was a total immersion in the life of a Church that is questioning herself, without hiding anything, a Church that is being motorised by Pope Francis to enter into a deep and radical renewal that engages every one of us in a personal way, every community and family, the basic cell of society. The encounter concluded with all the residents of the Mariapolis at St Mary Theotokos Shrine, with the holy Mass in the presence of the local Bishop, Mario Meini.
A renewed commitment emerged from this second seminar which took place at 
Conquests as well as sufferings surfaced during the discussion, and a sense of isolation. The solutions, illuminated from the perspective of Jesus’ testament, that all may be one (Jn 17:21), opened a new horizon, not only for the social organisations but for the entire Focolare Movement. 
Then Maria Voce added: “Every social project should serve for the renewal of society, for turning it into a community where you live for a shared goal, where you put in common both your needs and your talents. You give more complete visibility to this action of the charism [of unity], which is not merely spiritual but social. You show it.” Giancarlo invited everyone to “be mindful of the fact that we are accompanied on this path by many others, from many different fields.” Maria Voce concluded saying: “Everyone has the same goal: the transformation of society, although in different ways. We need to rejoice that in the house of God there are so many callings and such treasure of responses. Each of us is like one tile in a huge mosaic from which we can feel the greatness and the strength.”
The worldwide link-up will start from Nairobi (
In particular, after the visit of one of us in Italy in October 2013, a special relationship was created with the children of the kindergarten of I.C.G.Giuliano in Latina, who immediately showed a great desire to do something for their peers who were so far away, but who they now felt to be close to them.
But we were also touched by how this experience is changing the life of the families of the children of Latina. A fatehr said: “The life of our children and also our life has changed from the moment we started to do something for the Karen people, whom we never knew existed before”. And a mother: “Thank you for having given us this chance to do something for the others; many of us have always wanted to do something concrete, but we didn’t know what and how. The television gives us a lot of bad news, instead this is a breath of joy and of hope”. Then a teacher: “The children are electrified by the idea that their toys arrived to the other part of the world by travelling on a big ship to reach children who have nothing. A little girl couldn’t contan herself when she saw her doll in the arms of a child in the orphanage of Mae Sot”.
“. . . how wise and true are the words of Pope John XXIII: ‘I must do everything: recite each prayer, follow each rule as if I had nothing else to do, as if the Lord had placed me on earth solely for accomplishing that action well, as if my sanctification depended on it, without a thought for before or after’.”
“Giorgio and I were married after being engaged for three years. As our relationship grew we thought of having a family.
At first I tried out of love to follow my husband in this lifestyle, but then I realized that I didn’t have anything in common with these people and so, little by little, our lives began to follow different paths. I knew that my husband loved me and the children, but he was troubled and searching for something. I thought we could use some help as a couple, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He said there were no problems. Meanwhile his business deals were failing, also because he was surrounded by people who had no scruples.
Then someone invited me to a 
Giancarlo Faletti: “During this Easter season in which we hear the words of Jesus’ testament resounding: ‘that all may be one’ (Jn 15:17), I have the strong feeling that through the charism of unity, the paradigm of universal brotherhood is being applied to many academic disciplines, even in large universities. Therefore, it has been a very dynamic experience that is linked to the testament of Jesus.”
The Bazaar was fixed for the 3rd and 4th of March, in a Parish Hall 20 km from Yogyakarta. But in the meantime the Sinabung and Kelud volcanoes erupted, “and the victims were our fellow nationals,” Tegar recalls, “We asked ourselves if anyone would still support our initiative for victims who were further away in the Philippines.” They didn’t give up, and though not ignoring the new emergency, they went ahead with the intention of helping those brothers and sisters who were even more needy. “I was chosen to coordinate the event,” Endang tells us, “I myself was the victim of an earlier earthquake and I knew what that meant and how much sadness you experience. So I took on this responsibility, and even though I didn’t have any money, I could give my time and energy. A few days before the Bazaar took place, I was at a meeting and understood the meaning of the phrase that you often hear in the Focolare Movement – when we meet in the name of Jesus, he is present among us. We experienced, in fact, that if we get together and work in his name, he optimizes our work.”
Also for William “it was an incredible experience. I really threw myself into this project. We aimed above all at the people of the village who came to mass on Saturday or Sunday. There were about twenty of us helping out. Someone directed the visitors, others served the ‘clients’ as little by little they came to look and to buy. There was even someone who organized our tea break! It was a beautiful experience: to experience that when you love the others God gives you back happiness in the depth of your heart.” Altogether 5,115,700 Rupiah (452 US$) were collected, a significant sum considering that about half the population lives on 2 dollars a day. “Everyone was happy not just because we managed to collect a good sum of money,” William is keen to point out, “But for the love and the contribution that each one gave to help the victims of Hurricane Haiyan.”
During an open discussion with Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti, the young people discovered that the spirituality which was at the root of their recovery was the 
She went on to say: “When I think of the Fazenda, the problem of drug addiction comes to mind. That is Jesus who took upon himself the drama of drugs and cried out the Abandonment [of the Father]. The Fazenda focuses only on this detail, but it’s such a large detail that has evolved into a great and marvelous work. Another work focuses on the shortage of child education. That is the ignorance, which 
The resurrection of Christ, who makes us sharers in his life, obliges us never to despair. It gives us the secret to pick ourselves up again after every fall; it is the sacred, visible, sign, of our resurrection. Ours is a religion of life: the only one in which death is victorious, and if we want it, permanently banned. Lent was – or should have been – an examination of conscience, through which we could contemplate the negative things that buzz around deep down in our souls and in our society. Many of us live a Christianity which has become routine, without thrills or surges, like a sail when there is no wind.
The Mariapolis stands out for the green vegetation in which it is immersed and the harmony of its buildings. Its over 200 inhabitants come from all over Brazil and from several different countries: Italy, Congo, Portugal, Holland, Germany, Peru and Ecuador. Since the beginning of the sixties 
The heroic faith of the first pioneers and their supporters, helped that prophesy become a reality. With its six companies, the Business Park is a focal point for academics and economists and has attracted the attention of high level politicians: from Hon Franco Montoro, a Councillor of the Republic and ex-Governor of San Paolo, to Dr Marco Maciel, the Vice President of the Republic; to a group of politicians from different parties, members of a multi-party commission for the battle against and elimination of poverty. 
Actions aren’t enough to bring about change however, ideas must also be spread through the media. This awareness has been there for over 50 years, when the Publishing House and Cidade Nova magazine were set up and whose Head Office is at present in the Mariapolis. The Publishing house has not been unaffected by the crisis in the world of publishing brought about by the digital revolution. The President and Co-President gave it a new impulse. “Brazil is developing very quickly,” Giancarlo Faletti observed, “We need cultural media that knows how to straddle history, that is not bowed down by it, but knows how to interpret and enlighten it with the charism of unity.” Follow the journey on the 
At the beginning of February the representative of the African continent on the International Commission of the 
Twenty years ago, Pina’s country of 
A year later she returned to Rwanda. She hardly recognised her sister, the only family member who had survived the massacre. She learnt that the man who had betrayed their family – a very close friend – was in prison. “Although I was in pain and opposed to the people who invoked the death penalty, it was clear that I could pull back now that I had taken the first step toward forgiveness.” She took her sister who had witnessed the massacre. “And so we went to the prison together, to visit this man. We brought him cigarettes, some soap and whatever we could find. But mostly we went to tell him that we forgave him. And we did it.” Her sister, Domitilla, would soon adopt 11 children from several ethnic groups, without making distinctions between natural and adopted children, and later won a national award.
Unemployed The factory has for some time now been showing signs of great difficulty. We found ourselves on the street without any possibility of obtaining any aid in time from the unemployment fund or from other sources of providence. Unemployed, without doing anything at home, I was entering into a deep feeling of frustration and uselessness. We were living on the salary of my wife. Then, certainly helped by our faith, I told myself that I could use my time to do odd jobs around the house that my wife had been asking me to do. So I started to repaint the doors and windows, put up the wallpaper… The other members of the family also got excited about it and they started to help me. It wasn’t important anymore to bring home a salary, but the real capital which the family needed was love, unemployed or not, I could love. L. R. – 
The title of the event was: “The merciful love of the Holy Trinity in the theological vision of Father Dumitru Stăniloae and of Chiara Lubich in the context of contemporary ecumenical dialogue”. Commenting on it, Professor Vasile Stanciu, Dean of the Faculty, said it expressed the depth of the subject endeavouring to compare the theology of one of the greatest Orthodox theologians of the last century, so 
Rio Tercero is a beautiful city in the Province of Cordoba, in 
So activities for the children were started, with an extra-curriculum support programme and fun activities organized by the young people of the parish. “As time went by, the relationship between the mothers and their children began to change. We tried to help the children appreciate the work the mothers were doing and on their part, the children were also spurred on to study harder seeing the efforts their mothers were making to earn something.” As time went on the business became public: the bread is now sold to several shops in the city and the Local Council has got involved setting up a development project. The result? – a real bakery! With 4 large ovens, all the necessary equipment and a large quantity of flour. A micro-business has been set up, where the workers themselves are the owners. At present there are 4 having responsibility for the bakery, serving schools, pizza shops and other bakeries on a regular basis. “Even if it’s only a small business,” Estela observes, “It is still a source of employment; but the most important thing is the integral human formation that has been carried out with each person and with their families.” A process that continues to influence others.
Workers at the Centre are all ex-students. They are credible models for the children, because they live in the same environment and give witness to the fact that change is possible. G. cares for the younger children. She teaches computer science. She lives in one of the most violent quarters, but her shining eyes bear witness to the transforming power of love even in her family where relationships were practically non-existent. “In front of the violent attitude of many children, we need to discover what lies behind it. We listen. We only try to make them feel loved. Then, little by little, the change happens,” says Francesca who is the Director of the school. It prompted one drug-dealing father to say: “But what is there in this place that I see my son so changed?”
The Mariapolis is also an oasis of spirituality that nourishes communion among the communities located there – some ancient like the Carmel and some new like the Bethlehem Mission that serve the poorest of the poor – as well as several others. It is a support for people working in politics. This was expressed by two city councillors and several representatives of religious orders and new communities, during their conversation with Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti.
The backdrop for the third edition of the Living Peace Festival, which will take place in Cairo, is the tense situation currently present in 
For the president and co-president of the Focolare Movement this is the final 
And this is what shines out in the testimonies that are given in the Auditorium, packed with the residents of the CEU, together with the Archbishop of Fortaleza, Jose Antonio Aparecido Tosi Marques. A long-awaited meeting, marked however by a suffering: two days earlier Frei Hans, the first to start off this experience of communion, and among the first to invite Maria Voce, had a heart attack. He still wanted to give a welcome to the two guests however, with a brief video message. This was followed immediately afterwards by Moises who in his address defined the CEU as a “fruit of a plan of God”, “a spiritual lung” for the city of Fortaleza.