Maritza Vasquez

Made up of people of all ages and walks of life, the Focolare is a home that welcomes all those who want to build unity and peace in the world. Each month we feature someone who shares its collective spirituality.

Name: Maritza Vasquez
Home: New York
Profession: Social worker

BACKGROUND
I am originally from the Dominican Republic, the youngest in a family of four children. When I was three, my mother passed away, but there was a plan in God’s love for me: I remained in the care of an aunt who loved me without measure! In my new family I grew up as the only child. My aunt was a woman of faith and had great love for God; my stepfather was a non-practicing Protestant. I benefited from their fidelity to beautiful values, which they passed on to me. They instilled in me the desire to seek God, to love and to share in the dream of a better and more just world.

My studies in the field of sociology and social work furthered my commitment to work in various social projects to reach out to those in need. In fact, when I graduated I was offered a job as part of an international research team that focused its study on the prevention of drug abuse. Working in a university setting in Santo Domingo, I had the opportunity to continue my studies through specialization in family therapy.

FIRST ENCOUNTER
It was at this time that I met Sharry Silvi, then Focolare regional director, and some young people who were part of the movement. They introduced me to the wisdom of Chiara Lubich, which touched my innermost being. One thing she said struck me: “Let ourselves be shaped by the words of the Gospel. Just one of them could change the world ... We haven’t fully understood the Gospel because if we did, we wouldn’t need any other social revolution.” Her words were a light for me, and I realized that a new dream was taking my heart: to give my life for God. Wanting to learn more about the spirituality of unity, I went to Mariapolis Luminosa, the Focolare center for North America in Hyde Park, New York. It was 1992, and I was 23.

DISCOVERY
The practice of living the words of God helped, and continues to help, me to see everyone new each day, to grow and mature in building relationships. It has re-evangelized me. I have learned how to love in a way that is always new, always dynamic, always creative. I discovered that diversity is a gift and not an obstacle, and through the relationships that I built with people from a variety of cultures at home and at work, I have found a deeper union with God.

EFFECTS
For the past several years I have been working as a medical social worker in the emergency room of Vassar Bros. Medical Center. Here I meet many vulnerable people in their most excruciating circumstances. In the hectic atmosphere of the emergency room there is the danger of reducing a person to a disease or injured organ; but, when I recognize each person as created by God and a member of this one human family, he or she becomes my brother or sister. The love that is shared becomes an important reference point in their lives and sparks a revolution of love that goes far beyond the relationship we have just built.

To get monthly news of the Focolare Movement, read Living City or further your knowledge by reading books by New City Press. To get in touch with the Focolare, visit the national website.