Focolare Worldwide | Movimento dei Focolari

She lives and works in the province of Genoa, in a city of the North West, a very pleasant area between the sea and the mountains. Her role as president of one of the consortia of the social enterprise network with about seven hundred employees in the social service sector, welfare and job placement for disadvantaged people and regional representative of AIPEC (Italian Association of Entrepreneurs for an Economy of Communion) have in no way diminished her spontaneity and simplicity. Her testimony was closely listened to during a conference at the Italian Embassy in the Vatican, on May 3, 2018. The title of her talk was “Chiara Lubich and the Economy of Communion”: “I wanted to do a job that would be useful to others. As soon as I graduated, I won a public competition as an educator for the social integration of disabled children. I felt useful, but the job was paid by the hour and the contract was temporary. There were other girls in the same predicament as me, who had the same desire to develop themselves in the field of social service. One of them told the rest of us about some people who had been working in a cooperative for several years caring for disabled people. Meeting with them was definitive. They gave us a work space where we could work, dedicated time to us and offered their experience. That’s how our cooperative began, from a gift, from a gracious gesture that we embraced and then replicated. We later learned that that gesture was rooted in the Economy of Communion. This way of living that comes before the work, has marked and characterized the style of our own company.”

Thus, in 1996, Il Sentiero di Arianna was begun as a cooperative formed initially by nine young women who pooled the resources earned and reinvested them in training and the development of the company. From that initial group, today the company has more than 130 members, 85 percent of them women. “The more we followed the values of the Economy of Communion, the more our cooperatives developed and gave value to the entire community. The more we filled our minds with words like work, innate dignity of the human person, reciprocity, formation, mutual assistance, the more we managed to overcome the inevitable critical moments. The strength of female entrepreneurialism has been crucial. Chiara Lubich set us on a clear path that generates possibilities for change. Her vision of a fairer world and her idea of economy fascinated us “.

With this spirit, the Gruppo Tassano has helped support the development of other businesses. “The strongest enterprises are the ones begun as an expression of a given territory. Through the national networks to which we belong as cooperators, we are working on themes of development based on ethical values, respectful of human beings and the environment. Through AIPEC we meet companies and entrepreneurs who belong to different sectors but share the same sense of social responsibility. Together we are committed to present a new economic model which is inclusive, supportive and based on sustainable development “. What does it mean to Simona to be an Economy of Communion businesswoman? “ It means to always be oneself: welcoming, respectful, coherent, protective of natural resources, connected to the others and, at the same time, free. A person is still herself in different times and places, and the same is true of a business.” Chiara Favotti

Joyful anticipation

May 8, 2018 | Focolare Worldwide

«What did you do when you were my age? What games did you like best?». 10-year-old Luis Francisco from Mexico, now in Loppiano, has these questions in mind as he awaits the arrival of Pope Francis. Together with all the residents of this international Focolare town, Luis has been counting the days to May 10th since early February when the Pope’s secretary first announced this surprise visit to the Christian communities of Nomadelfia and Loppiano, both located in the Tuscan hills. Pope Francis is coming in person to see how life is lived “in the school of the one and only Master”, as he once described Loppiano, the first of 24 Focolare towns around the world. Focolare President, Maria Voce expressed “surprise and profound joy” at the news of this totally unexpected visit. Loppiano is full of life, its streets illuminated by the happy smiling faces of young people who came in their hundreds to spend the last week of April together. With thousands more, they have just celebrated the all-Italy “Genfest” on May 1st when their joy could not be dampened even by the threat of rain. Now, as the big day approaches, the atmosphere of hopeful anticipation is becoming even more palpable. Video camera in hand, we walked through Loppiano, speaking to residents as they carry out their daily duties in this countdown period to the papal visit. Benedetta came to Loppiano for formation in the school of the Focolarine (the consecrated members of Focolare). She is welcoming the Pope’s visit as a personal gift from God as it comes on her own birthday. «No matter how short the visit, I hope he finds a family. That’s what we try to build among us every day». Since 1966 Loppiano has been home to Gen Rosso, a band inspired by Chiara Lubich’s desire to spread the message of a more just, peaceful and united world through music. The musicians strive to express this spirit in their own lives and not just in their songs, with a lifestyle of communion and fraternity. Michele Sole joined Gen Rosso a few years ago. He is preparing to sing “Sweetest of Mothers” on the steps of the town’s church dedicated to Theotokos, Mother of God. Michele is grateful to the Pope for having «the courage to take the name Francis. I don’t know how easy it was for him to choose a name which means preferential option for the poor and the least». The notes of “Turn on peace” float through the air, as Gen Rosso rehearse nearby with fellow Loppiano-based performers, the distinctively international band Gen Verde. The artist Ciro, born Roberto Cipollone, has lived in Loppiano since 1977, where he exercises his gift of transforming discarded and waste objects into captivating works of art. This artist breathes new life into trash items. From his workshop emerge sculpture, craftworks and paintings, created in the fusion of an artistic imagination with love for the natural world. Ciro’s perspective on the forthcoming visit: «I hope the Pope may find some of his innermost desires fulfilled here». Aranza came to Loppiano with her family from Mexico to participate in the “Loreto School” for families of different countries and languages who together deepen their knowledge of the spirituality of unity. The annual courses which run from September to June provide a unique experience of cultural exchange and mutual enrichment. Aranza’s question to the Pope would be: «How can we young people best overcome the conditioning stereotypes the world tries to impose on us?». Natalia, is a Brazilian student attending Sophia University Institute in Loppiano. She would like to ask the Pope about the role of young married people in the Church. So many different questions, hopes and wishes, united in such joyful anticipation. Chiara Favotti

LIVE STREAMING from Loppiano on 10th May at 10.00 (CEST) http://live.dev.focolare.org Vatican Media Live: from 8.00 am to 12.00 noon

http://vimeo.com/268796719

Pope Francis in Loppiano

May 7, 2018 | Focolare Worldwide

In Loppiano all is ready to welcome the Holy Father. Around 6,000 people from all over Italy are arriving, but thousands will be linked up in streaming in the five continents. We asked Maria Voce, Focolare President, how this encounter will take place. “We want to present to the Pope.” she explained, “this tiny town, the first among other 24 diffused worldwide, which wants to offer a model of coexistence founded on the evangelical principles of solidarity and fraternity, certainly unique, but able to be spread and repeated elsewhere. In Loppiano, the Pope will not only meet the 750 inhabitants, ” Maria Voce continued, “but also a representative group of the Focolare’s global family. We shall ask him some questions on themes that we hold dear: the challenge of fidelity to the charismatic idea of Chiara Lubich in contrast with the changed conditions of today; the education of the young people in a culture of fraternity; and Loppiano’s model of coexistence as a contribution to the current announcement of the Christian message and the overcoming of barriers, nationalism and prejudices.” The Focolare Movement is a variegated constellation that places at the core of its actions and dialogue a lifestyle that concurs to construct unity and peace in the world. It counts over 2 million members belonging to many Christian Churches, but also of different religious beliefs and lay inspirations. It undertakes around 1,000 social actions underway in various countries, and around 800 enterprises worldwide that work according to the principles of the Economy of Communion. The Sophia University, based precisely in Loppiano is now in its tenth year of life. Upon his arrival in the town, the Holy Father will go directly to the Church of Maria Theotókos, where he shall stop briefly to pray. He will also pray before the painting of the Madonna with Child, the work of a painter belonging to the Hindu religion and symbol of the dialogue which is one of the many pillars of coexistence in Loppiano. Then in the churchyard, Maria Voce will greet the Pope on behalf of the Focolare Movement. A moment of dialogue will follow in which some citizens of Loppiano will ask him some questions. This session will be interrupted with music pieces of artists from various countries and religious environments. Lastly, around 30 citizens will personally greet the Pope who will leave to return to the Vatican, after the benediction.

Live streaming 10 May 2018, 10.00am till 12.00 noon (CEST): Vatican Media Live http://live.dev.focolare.org

Simon the Shark

May 6, 2018 | Focolare Worldwide

Simon Barlaam

“As you can tell by the colour of my hair, I am a few years older than you! But I’m part of the Genfest family just like you are. The Genfests I attended in my youth left an indelible mark in me. What did I learn from those experiences? Two things. Firstly, for me, coming from a little town in Abruzzo (Italy), each time was like plunging into a global experience. Secondly, at the Genfest, I realized that we are protagonists of our own destiny: my future depended on me. Since then, this is what I have been trying to focus on in my life in the pursuit of my ambitions, even the most complicated or seemingly impossible ones to achieve. This is what my wife Claudia and I have always tried to convey to our children. I like to think that there is a bigger plan for each one of us. The hard part is to turn on the light to be able to see the plan when there is no light out there. Like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, life’s events come together, they are intertwined, and it seems hard to find their right location but, suddenly, the pieces start falling into place. In January 2000, Claudia and I were in Sydney, Australia, on our honeymoon and we were strolling through the brand-new Olympic park that was going to host the Olympic Games a few months later. We were making plans and laying the foundations for our future family. Simon was on the way, and we were so happy and full of love and expectation. We felt invincible. Then Simon was born, and his arrival brought us concern right from the start. We found out he suffered from Hip dysplasia and coxa vara. It meant a permanent disability which was made worse by a fractured femur. Basically, one femur was about 15 centimeters shorter than the other, and it was as brittle as a piece of glass. Over the years Simon had to undergo twelve surgeries: limb lengthening, hip correction procedures, bone grafts to strengthen his weak femur neck. Each operation was followed by endless months in a cast that blocked him from the chest down. During those long months in bed, Simon learned to draw, which was the only thing he could do while he was lying down. He loved to draw fish, especially sharks because of their power and speed, so much so that a close friend of ours nicknamed him Simon the “shark”. When he was in a cast up to his chest, we used to watch Nemo the animated movie, which was set in Australia. Simon, just like Nemo, had (and still has) one fin shorter than the other. I felt like Marlin, Nemo’s father in the film, anxious about his future. And filled with fear of what might happen to him. But just like Marlin did with Nemo, at one point I realized that Simon could face his “ocean” on his own, without any fear, even though he had a shorter fin. At a certain point Simon started playing sports. Swimming was the only sport where he could move his muscles without the risk of breaking his crystal-like bone. He began to compete. A few years later, he started training with the Italian junior swimming team. Every day, after school, he would practice in the swimming pool for two and a half hours, which turned into five hours in the wake of the most important competitions. When he was 17, Simon competed at the Paralympic world championship held in Mexico City in December 2017, and won two gold medals, for the 50 and 100 meter freestyle events, and one silver and one bronze. They are considered the fastest races in swimming. Now, exactly 16 years after our honeymoon, Simon is an exchange student in Australia and keeps training at the highest level: that is why he is not here today. He keeps practicing, studying, and competing with the best Australian swimmers at Sydney’s Olympic Aquatic Centre, in the same place where Claudia and I had taken him before he was even born. Well, if someone had told me a few years ago that one day I would have a son who would be twice world champion, I would have told them that they were crazy! One of Simon’s fins is smaller but stronger than we all thought it would be. He had the courage to spread it and fly away. My wish for you is that you all spread your wings too. I urge you to be brave. And learn how to fly. Follow your passions. Work hard to get where you want to be. Don’t settle for less.” Riccardo Barlaam

Beyond One’s Limits

May 4, 2018 | Focolare Worldwide

“My family is Christian and refuses to kill or carry weapons,” says George, a young Syrian from Homs. We’re in Loppiano, the Focolare international town near Florence, Italy where hundreds of young people from all over country have gathered for a meeting that include testimonies, sharing and much festivity. This year the event was held in anticipation of the much larger international Genfest, which will be heldnext month in Manila, Philippines (http://y4uw.org/it/events/genfest-2018/). The May 1st gathering was the Italian edition where 3700 young people took part in a one-day celebration of fraternity with reporting on projects, social action, personal experiences in which people came face to face with the personal dramas and pain of humanity. As in the case of George and Michael who left everyone breathless with their description of what they have been experiencing for years years in Syria. “We’ve seen many people die,” says George. “For a period of time I even had to carry a knife to protect myself, to defend myself in case of danger. Years of hatred, death and loss of dignity had emptied my heart and I began to think that love didn’t exist. Only the Mariapolis was able to remove this thought from my mind (several days spent living in the light of the Gospel, an annual gathering of the Focolare). After that Mariapolis I never carried a knife again and decided to start responding to hatred with love.” The final appeal to the young people was strongly embraced: “Don’t complain about your life. It’s beautiful, you just don’t realize it.” The conducting thread of the event, which was entitled “Beyond Me”, was the desire to go beyond one’s limits and boundaries in order to bring about a personal and, especially, a social change. Roberto Spuri and Elena Sofia Ferri bore witness to this as they told about the experience of the earthquake in Central Italy; Alessio Lanaloni and Maria Chiara Cefaloni, with their efforts for a disarmed economy; Alessandra Leanza, with the experience of volunteering with Rom children in Sardinia. And Marco Voleri, the internationally renowned tenor and founder of “Sintomi di Felicita” which promotes public awareness of multiple sclerosis; Simone Barlaam, para-olympic swimming champion at the Mexican world games. Michele Tranzuilli, author of the book Una buona idea and promoter of the bridge with Africa YouAid; Sara Fabris, painter. Projects. All the stories that were told at Genfest-Italy were connected to concrete experiences: an association, a social project, which anyone could “adopt” in the coming year. This was the call to action that was launched at the end of the event with an invitation to each young person to choose a project and replicate it everywhere else. To facilitate their work, the associations that are actively engaged in the cities of Italy posted links on the United world project website, according to region. Genfest Italy concluded with a city that “flying” city, a city that was depicted in the final choreography that was based on a meditation by Chiara Lubich: “One City Is Not Enough:” “For God, one city is too little. He made the stars, guided the destiny of Time. With God you can see farther, to everyone’s country, to the whole globe. At the end of life let us not have to regret that we loved too little.” Loppiano is getting ready to welcome Pope Francis on May 10th, and it wasn’t by chance that a group of young people from Nomadelfia was at Genfest Italy bringing the greetings of their community, which will also be visited by Pope Francis on the same day. As we prepare to welcome him our friendship is growing and intensifying. Source: www.cittanuova.it Flickr photo gallery