By Caroline Smith
For members of the Focolare movement in Perth, following in the footsteps of foundress Chiara Lubich means engaging with the world in a way that encourages fellowship and unity, whether it’s befriending newly-arrived refugees, meeting with people from other faiths, or reflecting on the Gospel.
The movement – whose name means ‘hearth’ or ‘fireside’ in Italian – was founded in the city of Trent during the Second World War, when Chiara and her friends went out to visit and to help those affected by regular bombing raids on the city.
Later, these friends continued to gather – often at retreats in the Dolomite Mountains – to reflect on the need for unity in a world torn apart by hatred and division. Their retreats came to be known as ‘Mariapolis’, inspired by Mary, and the movement spread across the world, reaching Australia by the late 1960s.
Focolare Perth members Aida Barbosa and Coris Taffertshofer, said that gathering to reflect on God’s word and its practical implications was a key formation activity for the group in Perth, through monthly ‘Word of Life’ meetings.
“We have different aspects within the Word of Life which emphasises different topics, such as the will of God, love your neighbour, love one another,” Ms Barbosa said.
“So as time goes on, we are able to develop a kind of spirituality that focuses on those things in particular. In that way, we are Christians, but we just stress certain points more.”
She added that members would often take the messages from these meetings and use them in their working and social lives.
“Young people or families or people who are working in different areas as professionals might develop their spirituality according to their own interests. So they might be actively involved in their communities and bring their Christian faith into their environment, so that they can create something more concrete.”
One recent initiative for the group involved providing support for recently-arrived refugees in Perth, through a connection between Focolare and Father Elias Kilzi, Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Annunciation Melkite Catholic Church.
“One of our members, Clarissa, had a meeting with Fr Elias who said that he was keen that we help but none of us knew how,” Ms Barbosa said.
“The first thing we did was share with our friends in Focolare about it, and let them know how these people needed help with conversational English and goods for their home: mainly food and furniture.
“People could put a call for support in their parish newsletters, and we had support from ASETTs (Association for Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors) and the Edmund Rice Centre, to help these families and support them through different classes.”
Fellowship with refugees was a continuing part of the Focolare group in Perth, according to Ms Taffertshofer, who said that developing a mutual relationship was integral to this.
“For example, they might have something to share with us, and we can share something with them.
Reflecting on how Focolare came to Perth, Ms Barbosa said that fellowship between families had a lot to do with it.
“It started with the International Eucharistic Congress which was held in Melbourne in 1976. “A Perth couple Brian and Denise Mills came out and they had been invited to represent the parishes of Perth,” she said.
“While they were there, they were invited by the Focolare community to visit for an open day with their children. They were very touched by what they were told about the movement starting, and how members of the Focolare group lived.”
After their return to Perth, the couple maintained a connection with the movement in Melbourne, hosting some members who came to visit and attending Mariapolis retreats that were held in Melbourne in the following years.
The first Perth Mariapolis was held in 1978 in Point Peron, bringing together several families who had become interested in the movement locally, along with visitors from interstate and overseas.
The Mariapolis now take place in Perth annually and carry a theme relating to the teachings of Chiara Lubich.
The most recent one – held in the Chittering Valley – carried the theme ‘The Window’, based on Chiara’s concept that it was through Jesus’ anguish on the cross that God entered into the reality of human suffering.
In attendance were members of both the Catholic and Anglican communities in Perth, along with some refugee families. Speakers included Focolare members from Melbourne and Rome.
Reflecting on her own faith journey, Ms Taffertshofer said she had encountered Focolare as a teenager growing up in Germany, at a time when she was challenged in her own beliefs.
“I had three older brothers and they lost the faith in their teens, around 14 or 15. I was unsure myself about my faith and asked a lot of questions,” she said.
“In Germany at the time, there was a lot of talk about psychology and philosophy and it made me question my faith as well. In this time, I met members of the Focolare and they were so convincing and attentive – I felt something significant was there.
“I was spending time with this Focolare group, then going home to my family and friends, who had very different ideas: so I was very in-between at that time. Then I read a bit of the Gospel which says, if you love me, I will reveal myself, so I said to myself: do now what you are saying. So I was challenging God a bit. And indeed, after four weeks, I felt the presence of God so strong in me, so I was able to put aside my indecision and join Focolare.”
From pages 20 and 21 of Issue 11: ‘Adult Faith: Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Book of Numbers’ of The Record Magazine