Living unity with the Focolari Movement for two months in Loppiano (Italy)

I spent two months in Tuscany (Italy), in Loppiano, the Focolare village. It was a nice transition between my departure from Asia and my arrival in Rome in the next few days. Nice doesn't mean easy at first sight. Once again, I experienced that changing environment always requires time to adapt and therefore patience. I arrived in a religious community, the ‘Claritas’, where there were five religious from 4 different congregations as well as a Buddhist monk. The superior (Egidio) was the only Italian in the group. There was also a Brazilian (Milton), a Maltese (Stephen), two Filipinos (Mike and Jerrick) and a Thai (Pitthaja). This small world was very close-knit and for the first few weeks I didn't feel at ease and I felt my contribution to community life was limited. But knowing well the spirituality of the Focolare, I said to myself: ‘Experience this difficult time in silence, in loving acceptance of what you are going through now, without complaining for not being welcomed as you would have expected’. This slightly complicated period lasted a little over three weeks and then one day, I felt that we had reached mutual trust, and I was able to take on responsibilities in the community and after this period of adaptation, I felt at home.

Gradually, I felt more at ease in Italian. (At the moment, I understand a lot of things, but I still need to make a lot of progress to express myself in purer Italian, free from the imprint of Portuguese, from which I still borrow too much vocabulary and turns of phrase).  I took courses at Sofia University (the Focolare University in Loppiano) in philosophy and spirituality. The courses were given in small classes of four to twelve students, ideal for encouraging exchanges, encouraged by the teachers. The university has been established to encourage an intellectual and practical approach on building unity and living together. Whether in the field of economics, philosophy or theology, all knowledge can aim at building a more united world, or on the contrary focus on personal interests to the detriment of the community. It points towards an ideal, achieved through concrete actions. I see that the teachers are very attentive to the students' needs and that in this multicultural world, everyone finds its own place and enriches the group. At the Claritas religious house, this desire for unity is reflected in our daily life, where we try to put others first. Every morning, after the Eucharist, we have a time of formation where we listen to talks by Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolari movement, or other speakers, followed by a time of sharing. Afterwards, manual work in the house (cooking, gardening, cleaning) or outside (in the village workshops) or intellectual work punctuate our day.

Loppiano is a small village in the hills, with many beautiful walks. On several occasions, I was also able to discover the beauty of Tuscany (Florence, Arezzo, Siena), Veneto (Padua) and Trentino (Trento). The landscapes are magnificent and Italy's architectural and cultural heritage is incredible. I was guided or welcomed by locals, which always adds to the charm of the discovery.

I left Loppiano very satisfied with my experience here and certain that I would return in the future. I knew the Focolari  since childhood. It did me a lot of good to rediscover their spirituality as an adult. After my mission in Vietnam, which was beautiful but exhausting, I needed this sabbatical year. I know that Sabbatical is not to be taken for granted, but I experienced that taking time for oneself is essential at certain stages in life, in order to keep continuing in this life journey. My gratitude to all the members of the Focolare in Tagaytay (Philippines) and Loppiano (Italy) for welcoming me and allowing me to live this beautiful experience of unity.