Last Friday, June 20, Maria Voce, the first president of the Focolare Movement, passed away. She led this international work following the death of its founder, Chiara Lubich, from 2008 to 2021. The funeral will take place at the international headquarters of the Focolare Movement in Rocca di Papa, Rome, this Monday, June 23.
Message to the Schoenstatt Movement
The current president of the Focolare Movement, Margaret Karram, sent a letter to the Schoenstatt Family, announcing the passing and informing that Maria Voce “passed away peacefully in her home in Rocca di Papa (Rome), after her health condition worsened.”
Margaret Karram also stated, “There is great gratitude for her life, which was entirely dedicated to God until the end, and especially for the twelve years she led the Focolare Movement. She knew how to manage the difficult transition from the founding phase to the post-founding phase of the Movement with intelligence, vision, and determination. Moreover, she succeeded in combining her fidelity to the charism of unity with the courage to face numerous challenges on various levels: human and institutional.”
Schoenstatt Expresses Solidarity with the Focolare Movement
The president of the International Presidium of Schoenstatt, Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, sent a letter, on behalf of the entire Movement, to the Focolare Family. According to him, “Maria Voce left a legacy of love, unity, and service that will continue to inspire future generations.”
Fr. Alexandre highlighted a particular aspect of Voce’s life: “Her deep and, I would say, existential connection with the Virgin Mary resonates particularly with our Schoenstatt spirituality, which sees us as ‘formed by Mary’ and committed to living holiness in everyday life in Covenant with Her.”
The Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement will be represented at the funeral by Fr. Pablo Pérez, Director of the Movement in Italy, and Fr. Andrés Rodríguez, pastor of the parish run by the Schoenstatt Fathers in Rome.
Read below the full message from Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello: