The Focolare Movement, founded in Trent, Italy in 1943, is present today in 182 nations, reaches over 7 million people, and is officially approved by the Catholic Church.

Chiara Lubich, the founder who just recently passed away on March 14, 2008, together with a small group of friends, realized that God is the only ideal worth living for and as a result they focused their lives on the Gospel. Many others followed. Their goal became one of striving towards the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer to the Father, “May they all be one.” (John 17:21).

A spirituality of unity came to life and gave rise to a movement of spiritual and social renewal. Wherever it is received, it promotes a new lifestyle which brings about unity and the universal brotherhood in the world. In his Apostolic Letter, “At the beginning of the new millennium,” Pope John Paul II proposed that the entire Church live a “spirituality of communion,” which is exactly what the Focolare promotes.

Focolare is open to all who want to introduce the Gospel into their daily lives and live out the message by loving neighbor and thus attaining union with God, fulfilling Jesus’ last prayer to the Father: “May the all be one.”

Our local group, Word of Life, gathers on a monthly basis, typically the first Sunday. During these gatherings, a Gospel passage is read, lived throughout the month, then our experiences of building unity through living the Gospel are shared. Meetings are presently at the home of Leonard and Debi Miller.

If you are interested, please contact Lori Hungate at lhungate@mac.com  or 459-5222.

Please visit our international website: www.focolare.org