CHIARA LUCE BADANO

(1971-1990)
WILL  BE  BEATIFIED on Saturday, September 25, 2010
at the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love in Rome, Italy

Bishop Maritano, promoter of the cause, said she is:

“An incredible witness of faith and strength for the youth of today.”

And Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, said in 2000:

“How much light in her words, in her letters, in her life!

She is a model and witness both for youth and adults.”

“Most Rev. Pier Giorgio Micchiardi, bishop of Acqui, together with the Postulation of the Cause of canonization, announced the next beatification of the Servant of God Chiara Badano.

“The solemn ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 25th at 4 p.m. at the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love (Castel di Leva, Rome), preceded by H.E. Archbishop Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints.

“At 8:30 p.m. in the Paul VI Hall, the youth will host a celebration.

“On Sunday, September 26th at 10:30 a.m. in the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls, a Holy Mass will be celebrated in thanksgiving, presided by His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Vatican’s Secretary of State.”

The initiative of the beatification process was started by the former Bishop of Acqui, Most Rev. Livio Maritano, who had personally known Chiara Badano.

“It seemed to me that her witness was very significant in particular for the youth. We need holiness also now. There is a need to help the youth to find a guide, a reason for living, to go beyond their uncertainties and solitude, their enigmas in front of failures, sufferings, death, to all their whys. This witness of faith and of strength by a youth of today is quite surprising: she touches and helps many people to change their lives, and we have had almost a daily witness of this.”

Chiara Lubich, to whom Chiara Badano was very much linked, also through a very large correspondence, on March 2000, at the conclusion of the Diocesan phase of the process, said to the worldwide Focolare Movement: “There is so much light in this our Chiara! We can see it from her face, her words, her letters, her life, all projected to love so many concretely! We can draw from her life. She is a model and a witness for youth and for adults: she knew how to transform her “passion” into a nuptial song!”

Current Focolare President Maria Voce announced the next events to the worldwide movement: “We want to take advantage of this occasion to spread as widely as possible, particularly among the youth, the message that Chiara Luce left us.”

The different phases:

The Diocesan phase of the process for the cause of her beatification took place from 1999-2000.

On July 3, 2008 at the Vatican: Chiara Badano, the Servant of God, with the acknowledgement of her “heroic virtues,” was declared Venerable. Last December 19th, the Congregation of the Cause of Saints, with the authorization of the Holy Father, promulgated the decree regarding the miracle, attributed to the intercession of Chiara Badano: it was the sudden healing of a child from Trieste who had a very serious form of meningitis. The doctors had given him 48 hours to live.

The name “Chiara Luce”: It was given by Chiara Lubich in July 1990. In reply to a letter of Chiara Badano, she had written her, among other things: “Thank you also for your photo. Your luminous face speaks of your love for Jesus... ‘Chiara Luce’ is the name that I’ve thought for you. It is the light of God that conquers the world.”

WHO IS CHIARA LUCE BADANO?