In 1954, Chiara met Pavel Maria Hniliça (Chiara later called him Father Maria), a bishop consecrated clandestinely in Czechoslovakia. Having grasped the spirit of the charism of unity, he asked Chiara to spread it behind what was known as the Iron Curtain. Shortly afterwards, events paved the way for a group of focolarini to leave for Eastern Europe, and from 1955 onwards the Focolare spread in those countries, beginning a delicate mission at the service of the Church.

Influenced by the dramatic events of the Hungarian revolution of 1956, Chiara began her first ventures in the renewal of the many sectors of society. When Pope Pius XII made his heartfelt appeal, "God, God, God...", to make "the name of God resound in squares, in houses, in workshops...", she responded with the idea of gathering together women and men of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds, to be linked by a single bond, that of universal fraternity, so that they formed an army of Volunteers, the "Volunteers of God".