What is Focolare?

That question came to my mind while reading the book Jan van Burgsteden, bishop for the people, which was published this spring. The book is a 'life interview' with the ever-sympathetic monsignor, skilfully conducted by Christian van der Heijden. To find out more about Focolare I decided to do some research, and logically I ended up with monsignor Jan. The conversation was as in the book: 'You ask the questions, I give the answers'.

I had prepared beforehand by consulting the, incidentally excellent, website of Focolare. The Focolare movement originated in the middle of the Second World War in Trento in northern Italy. Because of heavy bombardments Chiara Lubich (born in 1920) regularly had to take shelter in the air-raid cellar, and in that time of tension and danger she developed, together with a number of her friends, a spirituality of their own based on the Gospel of John: 'Father, may they all be one' (John 17:21). Chiara and her friends did not leave it at words but committed themselves, it is said with great radicality, to putting into practice each time a passage from the Bible, and they shared with one another the experiences gained in doing so. Making the word come true every day.

Monsignor Jan, who also met Chiara personally in 1962 in Castel Gandolfo, was struck by what she stood for and what she brought forward. He was also present when her parents were in the Netherlands and heard them speak about their daughter. After her death in 2008 Chiara Lubich was admitted to the so-called first step towards beatification, 'Serva di Dio' Contactblad voor de gemeenschap van de Begijnhofkapel (servant of God). Her friend from the movement, Luce Badano, has in the meantime already been beatified.

After the war the still young movement spread from Europe to other parts of the world, and in 1962 it obtained official approval from the Catholic Church. Focolare now counts 140,000 members closely involved in the movement and some two million sympathisers. What is remarkable is that most followers are indeed Christians, but that Jews, Muslims, Hindus and non-believers also find points of connection for their faith or their life in the movement.

Bishop Jan became acquainted with the Focolare movement already during his philosophy studies with the Jesuits in Nijmegen. If there was time left over between the various lectures given at different locations and to which you cycled, 'in between I looked up the focolarini'. It reminded me of my own student days in Wageningen, when we also cycled from one building to another to attend the lectures in the various subjects.

Chiara Lubich also focused on Father Eymard. There the connection with the congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, 'our Sacramentines' in the Begijnhofkapel, becomes clear. Father Eymard advocated reading not only the Gospel but also the lives of the saints. The saying 'Our time is sick, because there is no adoration' is also his.

In the Netherlands the Focolare movement meets at Marienkroon, in Nieuwkuijk near Den Bosch. Every year around Ascension Day there are meeting days; this year the theme was In vuur en vlam (On fire). Recently the book Wijsheid van Chiara Lubich – 365 gedachten, voor elke dag van het jaar (Wisdom of Chiara Lubich – 365 thoughts, for every day of the year), which had been sold out for several years, was republished. I still have something to spend from my birthday recently. That will be it!