What was behind the decision to send the first group of Focolarinos and focolarinas to Manila to open the first focolares in Asia? Who were in this first group?
In 1964, Father Josef Taschner, an SVD missionary priest, left Europe for his new assignment in the Philippines. Having come in contact with the Focolare Movement several years earlier, and when he arrived in the country, and started sharing about the spirituality of the Movement wherever he went: in seminaries, convents and parishes. In fact, the practice of living out the Gospel or the “word of life” greatly impressed him because it was in consonance with the charism of his congregation, the Society of the Divine Word.
Then, His Eminence, Cardinal Rufino Santos, Archbishop of Manila, made a trip to Rome. Fr. Taschner organized a meeting for him with Chiara Lubich. It was at that time the Cardinal asked for the presence of the Movement in Manila. We were five in this first group: the two men were Guido Mirti – whom we call Cengia – one of the first focolarinos from Rome, and Silvio Daneo, a young focolarino from Turin, Italy, who had spent some years in New York, and of the three women, I had just come back from the USA after five difficult early years there, and with me were two very young Brazilian focolarinas, Doni Tabosa and Magdalena Brandao, who had just completed their formation.
When Chiara asked you to be part of this first group, were you expecting it?
When Chiara told me that I was going to leave for the Philippines, it was indeed a surprise for me, but not entirely. It was also something that I wished for and so I was somehow prepared! To Chiara I exclaimed, “How happy I am!” Anyway, that evening I had to consult the Atlas to locate the Philippines. “How far away!” I thought, but I was not afraid. I must say that in all those years I was never afraid…On the way to the Philippines, we made several stopovers: in Pakistan, Burma, and Thailand. In these countries the Movement was barely known and had been introduced by some missionaries.
From Manila you later travelled to many countries in Asia to spread the Ideal of unity. For you, what were the highlights of those years?
Yes, I have gone to almost all countries in Asia. The “newness” that the Movement brought appealed to Asian peoples. I cannot tell you how often people remarked, “This (ideal) is made just for us.” And we seemed not to see any difficulty. We also asked God to open up new opportunities for us, new countries, and He did so. It is true that our trips started from Manila and reached Japan, Korea, Thailand, etc….
One thing that was very important in the spread and growth of the Movement in Asia – and in all other parts of the world as well, I am sure – was the determination to realize at once what Chiara had envisioned, or better, what God helped her understand, as his plan for that part of the world. In Asia it was necessary to develop the dialogue with the other religions in a special way.
When Chiara first communicated this to us, we were only in contact with only a few persons from other religions. ‘We had dedicated our time to Christians.’ From that moment on, various dialogues were established: with the Buddhists in Japan and Thailand, with the Hindus in India, with the Muslims in Pakistan and other countries … but there would be so much to tell! The most important thing we learned from Chiara was how we should introduce this spirituality to Asia: proclaiming that God is Love. I remember that on a trip to Manila, I once passed by Karachi and entering the Cathedral, I was struck by this phrase placed beside the tabernacle: “God is love.”
You were present when Chiara first announced that a “little city” of the Movement would be born in Tagaytay, where the Movement had just received a piece of land with nothing but a nipa house and some huts. What was your reaction to this “prophecy”? What importance did Chiara give to this” little city” of the Movement?
This little city of the Movement was surely a prophecy. We know that it was meant to be not only for the Philippines, but also, in some way for the whole of Asia as well. Chiara saw that Tagaytay was the right place for such a little city. The site was located in a country where much had already been done, where concrete achievements were visible. Therefore, those who came from other countries in Asia could see the effect of this “Ideal” here. In Tagaytay, all the “laborers” of this Movement could be formed and would personally experience the fruits of this life. Thus, they would receive not only a theoretical, but also a practical, formation.
In many ways, Tagaytay is a wonderful place. You have the natural beauty of the place, the volcanic lake, a rolling hills; it is not far away from the sea, and relatively close to Manila. Already on a previous visit, we had dreamt with Chiara about the birth of the little town here.
When Chiara broke the news to us, it was an extraordinary moment. It was like the birth of a child. Everyone wanted to contribute something. I remember a girl offering a bunch of bananas to us, and sometime later, a gentleman gave us a piece of land, seven hectares in all! How did we react? Everyone wanted to offer something to make this “dream” come true. More than a prophecy, it was a common desire, an anticipation of something, and then we all settled down to work for it!
Now Chiara’s charism has touched almost all of Asia, is there anything in particular, a suggestion or a message that you would like to tell Focolare members in Asian?
I learned this from Chiara: “Preserve unity at all costs” – this is the charism, the gift that God has given to us. People say that God’s gift to St. Francis was to understand the value of poverty. Poverty fills you with God Himself. Chiara, too, received a gift from God: Unity. Let us save unity always, under all circumstances, not out of convenience, nor out of love for peace, not because of timidity or weakness, but because it is the most important thing to do. Unity assures the presence of God among us. What more do we want? Our Ideal urges us to “lose everything, but unity, never.”
