Anni Biografia – Chiara Lubich

1947 – “Here there is the hand of God.”

Among the phrases of the Gospel which was read, meditated upon and lived, there was one that struck Chiara in a particular way. It was: "He who hears you hears me" (Lk 10:16). She and her first companions understood that what Jesus said to the apostles was guiding them to go to their bishop. "We wanted to put it into practice immediately so we presented ourselves to our Archbishop, Msgr Carlo De Ferrari. He was a successor of the Apostles. He listened to us and smiled, saying: "Here is the hand of God", and his approval and blessing accompanied us until his death. This first approval of our Movement by the ecclesiastical authority which was in charge of us had a twofold effect on us: it assured us that the light we had followed and continued to follow was authentically Christian and it accelerated our journey."

Maria Bonnici2023-03-21T18:35:33+01:0021 March 2023|

1945 – “That all may be one” (Jn 17:20)

Chiara and her first companions, at the sound of the air-raid alarm, found refuge in the cellar of the house in Via Travai where Natalia Dallapiccola lived. There, too, they opened the Gospel. "We opened it and read: 'Father ... may they all be one' (Jn 17:21). It was the prayer of Jesus before he died. Because of God's gift that we had received, we had the impression that we could understand those difficult and powerful words and the conviction arose in our heart that we were born for that page; it was almost like the Magna Charta for our Movement: unity, that is, to contribute to the unity of humankind with God and with one another. In that same prayer Jesus continued: "May they also be one in us, that the world may believe...". (Jn 17:21). And this is what also happened around us, so united we were by mutual love. Those who no longer believed, reconsidered their faith; those who believed little, believed more. The changes in people's lives,

Maria Bonnici2023-03-21T18:34:26+01:0016 March 2023|

1945 – the first community

The bombardments of the Second World War became increasingly intense on the city of Trent. The air-raid shelters were transformed into privileged meeting places for the first community that was coming together around Chiara and her companions. The poor, the orphans, the widows, the needy, were those who were close to the heart of that group of young women who wanted to solve the city's social problems. "We opened the Gospel and those words - although we were already familiar with them due to living the new charism - become illuminated as if a light were shining underneath; they set our hearts on fire and we were urged to put them into practice immediately. I read out this phrase for all: Love your neighbour as yourself (Mt 19:19). Our neighbour. Where do we find our neighbours? They were there, close to us, in all those people affected by war, the wounded, those in need of food and clothes, the homeless. And immediately we dedicate ourselves to them. We read: 'Give and

Maria Bonnici2023-03-16T16:16:07+01:0016 March 2023|

1920 baptism in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

The house where Chiara was born overlooks the square which takes its name from the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. She was baptised there on February 1, 1920 with the name of Silvia Maria Elvira. The church, commissioned by the bishop-prince Bernardo Clesio, hosted some of the General Congregations of the Council of Trent and stands on the site of the first place of Christian worship within the city walls. It is a symbol of the Christian roots of the city and its history. Edwin Robertson, a Baptist pastor and English writer, in a biography of Chiara Lubich, referring to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Trent, writes, "The church has not changed much since 1920, when Chiara Lubich was baptized there not as Chiara, but as Silvia. (…) How fitting that Chiara who was to become a bridge-builder between Catholic and Lutheran should be baptised … in a church that was built to be the host church of the decisive Council of Trent 1545-1563"1.[1].

Maria Rosa Logozzo2023-01-24T11:28:57+01:008 June 2022|

1920 birth of Silvia Lubich

Silvia Lubich was born in Trent on 22 January 1920. As a Franciscan tertiary in the 1940s, and in honour of Saint Clare of Assisi, she took the name of Chiara (Claire). She inherited a deep Christian faith from her mother, Luigia, and a strong social awareness from her father, Luigi, who was a socialist and a steadfast anti-fascist. They had four children: Gino, the first-born, Silvia (Chiara), Carla and Liliana. In an interview, Chiara, recalls the harmony which reigned in her family despite their divergent views: "I had a very normal family. Of course, everyone had their own ideas but there was always great harmony among us. [...] My father was a socialist, an idealist like me. He was against fascism, that's why we were never rich: at first, we were well off, but afterwards things deteriorated. Instead, my mother was a really convinced Christian”.

Maria Rosa Logozzo2023-03-11T12:13:59+01:003 June 2022|

2008 a final greeting

Thousands of people came to her funeral on March 18 at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. There were numerous bishops and cardinals, representatives of Catholic movements, Churches and various religions; civil personalities, and politicians of various affiliations. Pope Benedict XVI sent a message, affirming that Chiara was a woman "In full harmony with the thoughts of the popes, that she sometimes anticipated".

Riccardi2022-06-09T00:24:25+02:001 January 2022|

1947 – “Here there is the hand of God.”

1945 – “That all may be one” (Jn 17:20)

1945 – the first community

1920 baptism in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

1920 birth of Silvia Lubich

2008 a final greeting

Centro Chiara Lubich