Hundreds of believers in unity and love thronged Focolare Center Namugongo to celebrate a life well lived of Chiara Lubich, the movement’s foundress. Every year the movement gives an opportunity to remember the time when Chiara Lubich left everything to consecrate her life to God, being profoundly certain of his Devine love.
The prolonged morning downpour couldn’t discourage arrivals from all regions of the country including Masaka, Ibanda, Gulu, Lira, Jinja etc to Jia Angelina Focolare centre a little distance in the backyard of Namugongo Martyrs shrine. On arrival, you would instantly feel an aura of love and friendliness from the flourishing young children unto the charmingly smiles of elders in their late 80s, all mixing with diminished age difference.
It all started with a sacrifice of the holy mass led by Fr Steven before nonstop reflections, meditations and interludes graced the whole event sequentially well-paced by the charming three masters of ceremonies who seemed to have mastered their duties to the dot. The Focolare Movement is an international organization that promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood. It aims at spreading the message of unity worldwide.
Inspired by Jesus’ prayer to the Father, “May they all be one” (Jn 17:21). Members of the Movement include Christians of different Churches and ecclesial communities, members of the major world religions and people of no particular religious belief. Each one adheres to the Movement’s goal and spirit in over 182 countries worldwide. The current president is Margret Karram, a Palestinian of Christian origin and deputized by Xesus Moran from Spain. Who is Chiara Lubich? According to Focolare sources, Chiara now a servant of God was born in 1920, consecrated her life to God at the early age of 23 and the foundress of Focolare movement, one of those biggest ecclesial group of people with a common goal for humanity irrespective of their different religious beliefs.
The ideal of the movement started during world war when nations were rumbling down into ashes, young children left homeless and families being torn apart due to that fierce war, in her quoted text “We saw that all the small dreams we had were going up in smoke too. We were faced with the fact that everything fades, that everything is vanity of vanities as the Bible says. But l felt as if someone was asking me, is there an ideal that never fades? That no bomb can destroy? I told my friends Yes there is! It’s God! …God who at that time was manifesting himself as love. We believed in love. In just a few months, a community of people emerged that was modeled on that of the early Christians whose only bond was evangelical love expressed in a complete sharing of spiritual and material goods.”
With a handful couple of friends, this idea of spreading love crossed beyond the little town of Trent to the whole Italy and later by 1958, the movement started to cross beyond Europe as far as Latin American countries like Brazil.
The spirituality of unity, rapidly penetrated the orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran and reformed worlds giving life to what has been described as The Ecumenism of the people with Chiara as an ambassador of peace, dialogue and of fraternity around the world.
Focolare Community in Uganda. The ideas reached Uganda by 1965 through Fr. Herminio Tanel a Comboni missionary who had known Chiara on personal basis while in Trent. With the first seed “planted” in Nyamwegabira Parish in western Uganda, Ugandan’s welcomed it making it spread like wildfire to all corners of the country. In the early 70’s, a Ugandan priest named Fr, Joseph Kalibala, who went to Italy for treatment, came to know the movement through a family who took him to the Word of life meeting.
With two centres each at Focolare cetnre Mbuya and Namugongo for consecrated ladies and men living the ideal of the movement working along with members and friends of the movements such as the Gen boys, Gen girls, Youth for a United World and New Humanity & volunteers.
A number of project were designed for the benefits of the community such as establishment of Zia Angelina Health centre & Arcobaleno Nutrition Centre both in Namugongo in quest to improve the health of the surrounding community as well as providing employments opportunities for the population. The leaders stress the ideal of living as a family each moment, each day believing that one day, the world will be one.
Relatedly, Tororo Archdiocese held a diocesan tepal mass at Namugongo Catholic Shrine on the same day.
It was led by Rt. Rev Charles Martin Wamika of Jinja diocese. Other provincial Bishops in presence included His Grace Emmanuel Obbo of Tororo, Rt. Rev. Bishop Eibu of Moroto, Bishop Joseph Eciru of Soroti amongst others.
After quite a while,Jinja Diocese is animating mass on 3rd June Martyrs Day and preparations are already in high gear!
