2026 will mark the 70th anniversary of Città Nuova (New City) magazine. Focolare President Margaret Karram sent a message for the occasion, joined by more than twenty international editions of the magazine in different parts of the world. Here is an excerpt from her message, which considers Città Nuova as an important instrument of change.
On this anniversary, the first word that rises from my heart is gratitude — gratitude for the many people who, with tireless generosity, have kept Città Nuova (New City) alive and active through the decades.
… when few could have imagined it, a magazine was born — a voice that has inspired and transformed thousands of lives. It began as a small seed, yet already carried within it the richness of the charism of unity entrusted by God to Chiara Lubich. Chiara called Città Nuova the “first concrete initiative of the Work of Mary,” not only because it was the first in time — its first issue appeared in July 1956 during the Mariapolis in Fiera di Primiero — but because it became the Movement’s primary means of communication, the channel through which the new life of the Gospel and a new culture could be shared.
Chiara entrusted the magazine to people she deeply trusted… Together with Fr. Pasquale Foresi, she set its tone and purpose: to communicate life simply and directly, to share its fruits in Italy and abroad, and to open dialogue with the Church and society. She herself wrote many editorials, using the pen to express insights on economics, politics, ecumenism, and more, always in accessible language.
In 1959, Chiara wrote these prophetic words: “The magazine would like to gather together all the aspirations for unity that are springing up on earth today, so that the good of one neighbor may become the common good, and the common good becomes the good of each individual.”
Today, amid wars, polarization, environmental crises, and the ethical questions raised by artificial intelligence, Città Nuova continues to choose dialogue, peace, and the conviction that every encounter and every word can help change the world.
As Chiara wrote, “The magazine must be an expression of the Movement, journalistic, as it is contingent, it’s of the moment, so it is not eternal, it is of everyday life, therefore of today, it is not permanent, it is partial, it is not complete, as in the statutes there is the complete Work of Mary, but it concerns certain events, in this way, however, it is an expression of the Work of Mary, it must be an expression of the Movement.”
May Città Nuova continue to carry this responsibility with courage, remaining a clear voice for unity, peace, and hope. Happy Anniversary!
Margaret Karram
President of the Focolare Movement
