Some 11,000 members of the Focolare Movement from 64 countries will meet in Budapest, in the SportArena, on 16 September for an international rally to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic Hungarian events when the country was invaded by Soviet troops. “It will be the witness of another revolution – explains the Focolare Movement – that of the ‘volunteers of God’, born in that same year in response to the aspirations of peace and liberty”. A number of concrete experiences will be presented in Budapest, such as the project “Economy of communion” applied to businesses, and other initiatives in the field of communication, law and politics. A project will also be launched in support of the social and cultural development of the African continent, through study grants. The meeting will be concluded with a video-recorded message from Chiara Lubich. The “Volunteers of God”, laypeople dedicated to living the Gospel as faithfully as possible, are a branch of the wider Focolare Movement, founder by Chiara Lubich in 1943 in response to the plight of the Hungarian people. Some 900 ‘focolarini’ will meet in the two days preceding the rally.
