Fr. Mario Strada passed away on August 12, 2015. Many from the Focolare remember him as the priest who sent Chiara Lubich a postcard with this motto attributed to St. Lawrence written in Latin, “Nox mea obscurum non habet.” It was God’s instrument for the further understanding of the mystery of Jesus crucified and forsaken.

“Man of the Gospel”, is how he is described by one resident of Loppiano. A cultured, wise man. Someone who knew how to transform the many physical trials of his life, this “slow dying day by day”, into the plan of life given to him by Chiara, “He is risen, He is not here”.

We would like to share the summary of the last farewell to Giorgina Quarello in video; she left us on June 29, 2020, after a lifetime spent in the service of others!

21.07.1929 – 21.01.2018 – Volunteer – “You only have words of eternal life.” (John 6.68)

Leave everything and come and build my city”. The life of Luigi Balduzzi can be summarized in this single sentence.

From Syracuse to Rome, France, Belgium, North America, and finally, Loppiano: an intense life in which Nuzzo always felt accompanied by Mary, hence the name by which Chiara and the focolarini called him from the beginning, Nuzzo-Maria.

17.04.1940 – 18.12.2017 – Volunteer – “Se uno entra attraverso di me sarà salvo” (Giov.10,9) A wave of gratitude filled the whole town of Loppiano and beyond for the life of Piera Balduzzi who, together with her husband Matteo, was one of the pioneers of Loppiano.

Hers is a fascinating story. It began when her very young parents swam across the Mekong River to reach Thailand, leaving behind the regime of their country, Laos.

A journalist, a friendly and polite man of culture and wit, a pioneer of the Focolare, an attentive and caring husband and father, and tireless builder of relationships of unity.

“I have chosen God and absolutely no other thing.” At twenty years of age, or a little less, Vincenzo was the fourth of eight children. He seemingly had all it took to be in the society that matters, but…