Our story begins in 1964 when Fr. Joseph Taschner, SVD, who met the Ideal in Europe, was sent by the Divine Word Society, his congregation, to the Philippines.
Very soon after he arrived, he began to spread a commentary on the Word of Life leaflet, a commentary of Chiara Lubich from the scriptures, printing and distributing several thousand copies of it every month. Then he wrote to Chiara regularly to update her.
When Fr. Guido Mirti (better known as Cengia) and Giòvanna Vernuccio arrived in Manila on February 22, 1966 to open the first two Focolare houses in Asia, Fr. Taschner, with great humility and love, immediately placed all the fruits of his work in their hands.
In the ‘60s air travel from Rome to the Philippines took almost 55 to 80 hours depending on the number and length of stopovers, which were sometimes in as many as 5-6 countries.
Today instead, direct flights take no more than 13 hours. Nevertheless, these many stopovers at times became the means God used to nourish the life of the Ideal of Unity in many people, who had come to know the Focolare through several dedicated men and women Religious, as well as through diocesan priests who lived and spread this life throughout the continent.
First stop-over: Karachi, PAKISTAN (1966)
Giovanna (Gio’ for short), narrates: “Bro. Giuliano, FSC, met us the day after we landed, and with him was a Pakistani priest Simone Pereira (who later became the Archbishop of Rawalpindi) … Together with them we visited then Nuncio Mons. Zuppi, who immediately requested us to have a Focolare center opened in Pakistan (something we could only do ten years later). Then our encounter with Cardinal Joseph Cordeiro was particularly beautiful, and we also met with priests, seminarians, nuns, and committed lay people… “
After thr
ee days in Karachi, now on their way to Rangoon (today renamed Yangon in Myanmar), Cengia, Giò and three other Focolarini made a stop-over for a few hours in Bombay (Mumbai) in India: “…It was Sunday and so we attended a solemn Mass in a hilltop Church overlooking the Indian Ocean. There too we greeted a priest who had gotten to know this Ideal in Rome…”
Myanmar (1966)
“With less than three hours flight after leaving Bombay, we arrived in Rangoon (Yangon) and there our friends were waiting for us – Fr.Cadei PIME, Sr.Benedetta, Mother Amelia, and with them five young girls from the Diocese of Taunggyi, survivors of a tragic train accident that had claimed more than 50 deaths. We stayed in Burma for only 17 hours because the military regime at that time did not allow visitors to stay more than 24 hours, giving them just enough time to visit the splendid Golden Pagoda of Rangoon.
Instead, we chose to spend those 17 hours with Focolare friends, updating them and making plans for the future, living together an intense experience of unity. We were welcomed in the home of Dr. Paoli, from the Office of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Burma…”
Thailand (1966)
“ … We remained only one day in Thailand on that February 21 because we had to leave the same evening for Manila. In Bangkok despite our exhaustion, after a week of travel and our first impact with the tropical heat, Fr. Ponchione, SDB, came to accompany us to visit several Salesian projects. Everywhere we went we found someone who knew about the Movement, at least by name.
Fr. Ponchione had already been in Thailand for almost 40 years, as he has been sent there as a student before his ordination. In 1958 he had once participated in the Mariapolis held in Fiera di Primiero, Trent, Italy, a gathering which he vividly recalled on our visit…” “That day was full of meetings: we first paid our respect to Archbishop Joseph Nittayo, who gave us his total approval.
Then other important meetings and contacts followed with Mother Gallina, supervisor of the Salesian Sisters and also with Sr. Maria Turelli, another Salesian nun who later became one of our first Religious intern members…”
Philippines (February 22, 1966)
“Finally we landed at our destination – Manila! It was 10 o’clock in the evening. We were imagining the celebration upon our arrival, but…there was no one at the airport to meet us. What could have happened? After countless letters and telegrams… now nobody! “… Five of us were surrounded by our luggage, as we waited at the exit of the airport and I continued to reassure the others: “They should be arriving soon”. But it was already past midnight.
A distinguished gentleman, a rich and influential businessman from Manila, who had come over on the same flight, stayed around, giving us advice and constantly asking us: “But is there someone coming to fetch you?” He had understood that we were all “missionaries”.
As it was past midnight, he asked us if we had at least a contact telephone number or an address… We mentioned Pope Pius XII Catholic Center. We later learned that his driver had been waiting for him in the car for the past hour. He immediately called a taxi for himself, and with his car, he instructed his driver to bring us to Pope Pius Center and not to leave us until we were all settled.”
One Dream: “Ut Omnes”
Gio continues in her book…”We were just five persons – two Focolarinos and three Focolarinas: Cengia, one of the first Focolarinos from Rome, with Silvio Daneo, a young 24-year old focolarino from Turin, who had learned English in the United States. I too had learned English in the United States, and together with me were Doni and Grazie, two Focolarinas not yet 20 years old who had barely finished their first year of Focolare formation in Grottaferrata, in Rome, when they came straightaway with us to Asia! In our hearts there was only one desire – the Ut Omnes – that prayer of Jesus, “may they all be one”, and the certainty that He in our midst would make this dream a reality.”
