The Chicago leg of Maria Voce’s US tour, April 9: A visit to Mariapolis Centre in the Hyde Park neighborhood and a meeting with about 300 young people. The youth who organised the event dedicated it to sainthood: a possible goal even in today’s society.

When you arrive in Chicago from the East Coast you immediately realise that you’re in another world.

The city runs along Lake Michigan for 50 km. Despite our night-time arrival at Midway Airport, the urban skyline of modern, lit-up skyscrapers was truly striking.

On 7 April, Maria Voce launched a challenge at the conclusion of her meeting with the Focolare Community in Washington DC: unity in diversity.

“Americans always see a new frontier to be crossed. This is how they reached the moon. Wouldn’t you like to reach unity?” Maria Voce said wrapping up her informal address at a meeting with Washington’s Focolare Community on the evening of 7^th April.

300 local members of the Movement had come to spend two days together in the nation’s capital. Their meeting held at the Catholic University of America was enriched by an encounter with the country’s history.

Marigen and Antonio, Focolare delegates in New York, with Dr William Vendley, Secretary General of WCRP

On April 3 leaders from the world’s main faiths met together at the UN’s Church Centre, to celebrate 50 years of the Focolare movement in the USA.

At the UN Church Center, where religions meet together, leaders from the world’s main faiths met on April 3rd to celebrate to 50 years of work of the Focolare Movement in the United States. The meeting was set up by “Religions for Peace”, and was hosted by its secretary general, William Vendley.

The spirituality of unity, a gift for our times, was the title of a study day to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Focolare in North America. It was organised by a group of academics who are involved in a project at Fordham University.

Fordham University, founded and run by the Jesuits, has two campuses in New York. The main campus is in the Bronx, while the Law School is in Manhattan. A smaller site, it is in the heart of the “Big Apple”, near the Lincoln Centre, the New York Philharmonic, the Ballet School… and only a few blocks from Broadway. It is a part of New York rich in art and culture.