The story of the Focolare in the Indian subcontinent gradually expanded, developed all its branches, and deepened its dialogues of life and faith. The Movement has also crossed borders, bringing the charism of unity to neighboring nations.
India has long revealed itself as a vast world of contrasts — diverse, complex, and spiritually rich. Chiara Lubich once described it as “a jewel box full of spiritual treasures,” a culture that opens itself to those who approach it with respect and love. It was into this landscape that the story of the Focolare in India quietly began.
In 1979, Msgr. Joseph Albert Rosario, MSFS, Bishop of Amravati,[1] asked Chiara Lubich to open a focolare center in the country. She sent Marina Pracchia, then preparing the zone of Pakistan, to make exploratory trips. By July 1980, the first men’s focolare center opened in Mumbai under Silvio Daneo. Three years later, the first women’s focolare center followed, and in 1984, India became its own zone.
The Movement’s presence gradually expanded. More than a decade after an initial visit to Goa,[2] the women’s focolare center finally opened there in 1994, named Miracle by Chiara. A three‑day retreat at a university paved the way for the women’s focolare center Unico Bene (Only Good) in Delhi, which opened in 2002.
The story also crossed borders. In Nepal, the seed was planted by Jo Logghe, a Belgian member who married Ang Tshering Sherpa, a Nepalese mountaineer. Together with Yaman Kayastha, a gen who met the Movement in Mumbai, and Fr. George, who encountered Fr. Silvano Cola, responsible of the Focolare diocesan-priests’ branch in Loppiano,[3] the Focolare took root in the mountain kingdom. In the early 1990s, trips to South India — especially Bangalore — introduced the spirituality of unity to various religious congregations. Providential encounters also led to Sri Lanka in the late 1980s, where families and youth embraced the spirituality of the Movement.
Over time, the Focolare developed all its branches and deepened its dialogues of life and faith. Of the 160 bishops in the Indian episcopal conference, more than 80 know and appreciate the spirituality of the Movement, along with about 10 bishops from other churches. Chiara’s visits in 2001 and 2003 marked key moments, opening doors to Hindu‑Christian dialogue, academic partnerships, and recognition such as the “Defender of Peace Award” given to Chiara by the Shanti Ashram[4] and the Sarvodaya Movement.[5] Her encounters with cultural leaders and universities led to seminars, symposia, and a growing network of interreligious collaboration.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Movement in India, Chiara wrote:
“…there is no need to tell you how close you and our beloved India are to my heart… the small seed of the Ideal sown so many years ago has taken root and has also started to bear fruit. May the Mother of God bring ahead what She has initiated… so that Mary’s family will shine with the light of God, and will spread out more and more for the good of many and the joy of all.”
Jutta Beyer
[1] A city in the heart of the Indian state of Maharashtra
[2] A state on the southwestern coast of India, formerly a Portuguese colony
[3] The first little town of the Focolare, located near Florence (Italy)
[4] A community development organization in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (India), that carries out projects in several areas, including education, health, and environmental restoration.
[5] A Gandhian philosophy and social movement rooted in non-violence and self-denial. It aims for a just, decentralized society where the welfare of the poorest is prioritized, creating a self-reliant community based on economic equality and moral progress.
