A Community That Is Family

By Marilyn Boesch

Celebrating 25 years of the Washington Focolare center


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My History with the Movement

Submitted by McShanly on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 6:04pm.

I met the focolare Movementfor the first time in 1990 In Kelowna, BC, Canada while on temporary assignment for the University of Victoria, BC. as a Music Educator.
A newly ordained priest and fellow Irishman, Fr.ChrisByrnes introduced me along with a few others to the Movement. We were only a very small group of 8 or 9 people at first. Weekly Word of Life meetings quickly attracted other members. The Focolare Ideal was a life-changing experience for me, one that has sustained me through good times and bad ever since. Now 80 years old, widowed and experiencing some health problems, I am greatly supported by my many Focolare brothers and sisters in Coquitlam, BC. I look forward to our monthly meetings where my spiritual batteries are always well recharged. I was fortunate to visit Mariapolis Luminosa in New York 14 years ago and Mariapolis Loppiano in Italy earlier this year. My trip, along with eight wonderful women from the Eastern U.S.A., also included participation in the 2008 International Congress for Adherents - 1200 people from around the world. Each experience has deepened my commitment as an adherent of the Focolare spiriltuality which, I am convinced, is an ideal way of life for people of every nation, religion, and race who desire to grow in their faith with a sincere commitment to universal kinship in firm bonds of unity. Living City has been a wonderful source of information and encouragement throughout the years.

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