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Dear Ms. Margaret Karam, Focolare President,
Dear Ms. Maria Regina Piazza and Mr. Markus Näf, Co-Directors of the Montet Centre,
Dear Montet Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As we bid farewell to the Focolare Centre in Montet, I am filled with gratitude for the years of collaboration and enriching experiences shared between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Montet Focolare.
Over its 43-year history, the Montet Center has welcomed over 3,500 people. While closing such a transformative place is difficult, we know our true home is in Christ. Chiara Lubich once said, “In order to have Jesus among us always, with serenity, with peace, and to bring ahead the Work of God, we have to know how to lose.” The true legacy of the Center is not its physical structure, but the community, relationships, and Gospel values it fostered. This spirit thrives in the hearts of those who experienced it, spreading its positive impact.
The annual visits of Montet students to the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva and the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey have fostered a profound exchange of ecumenical teachings and experiences. These visits reaffirmed for our Bossey students the importance of love as a fundamental principle of our faith, deepening their commitment to dialogue as a way of life.
For Chiara, building communities based on love was about creating spaces that allow divine love to work through us globally to bring reconciliation. When Ms. Margaret Karam visited the Ecumenical Centre in 2022, she reminded us that reconciliation happens through continuous forgiveness, deconstructing the walls of separation within and between us. This way, we can learn the charism of unity by looking at the crucified Christ, who reconciled us with God and each other.
Chiara emphasized that “Unity” was the single idea that made great saints. Working for unity means walking the path of sainthood. She saw each person as a candidate for unity and each encounter as an opportunity to strengthen it. As WCC and Focolare, we remain connected under this call for sainthood and unity wherever we are.
Though we say goodbye to Montet, our connection with the Focolare movement will endure. Our churches worldwide will continue to be inspired by the Focolare sisters and brothers, and our Bossey students and faculty will continue to visit the Focolare Centre in Rome, keeping the spirit of ecumenical dialogue alive.
Chiara’s exclamation, “What a great need there is for love in our world,” resonates with us. She empowered Focolare to go forth with enthusiasm and be disciples of love wherever the Holy Spirit leads them. Those who spent decades here are called to go where relationships are broken and be the yeast, salt, and light. Let us carry forward the lessons of love and bonds forged during our time together. May we continue to walk hand in hand, inspired by Christ’s love, as we strive for unity and peace in our world.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay
General Secretary
World Council of Churches
