Chiara Luce: A star on display at WYD

The Focolare Movement booth at the World Youth Day (WYD) Vocational Fair was sought by pilgrims who want to know more about the young Chiara Luce, who was beatified in 2010.

“We were impressed with the amount of people who are attracted to - I would even say passionate - the life of Chiara Luce,” said Camila Ribeiro, one of many young people from the Focolare Movement who worked at the booth. “Some people were thoroughly thrilled to meet us.”

Camilla illustrated what she saw in the case of a young girl from Ceará, 2620 km away from Rio. She was moved by Chiara Luce who died of cancer at 18 years of age. This girl came to the WYD in order to learn more about Chiara Luce and the Focolare. When she arrived at the Vocational Fair, she realized that the stand of the Movement was the only one that was still open. “When she saw us, she started crying and said that it was God who brought her up here,” said Camila. At that very moment, a young man belonging to the Movement and living at Fortaleza (capital of Ceará), introduced himself and offered this girl the Focolare Movement’s contacts in the area.

The Focolare booth distributed to all those who were interested the book “25 Minutes: The life of Chiara Luce Badano”, published by New City, with the support of ‘Aid to the Church in Need’. The author, Franz Coriasco, personal friend of Chiara Luce, was in the booth on 26^th July. Moreover, during the Vocational Fair, held on 23^rd to 26^th July, the youth of the Movement who were there also had other initiatives of the Movement, as the United World Project (www.unitedworldproject.org) and the ‘Civitas School’ - training for young people on the policy with a different approach than usual.

Beyond any doubt, Blessed Chiara Luce Badano was the main attraction of the Focolare Movement booth during the WYD Vocational Fair.

Chiara Luce already lead a holy life and it took her only 25 minutes to accept her serious bone tumor, and turn it into a true pursuit of holiness. She never looked back and she saw step of her treatment and especially the sharp pains, as an offering to Jesus. In 2010 she was beatified in 2012 and declared one of the intercessors of World Youth Day.

Beside the Focolare Movement booth, there were another 129 stands, who presented the WYD pilgrims congregations, movements and religious communities that depict the variety of charisms in the Church. The Vocational Fair was held at the Quinta da Boa Vista, a park that is one of the main sights of Rio de Janeiro.