Pictured here is Blessed Chiara Baldano who succumbed to bone cancer at the age of 18. She traveled to a "Family Fest" in Italy when she was 9 years old and her life was changed forever at this meeting of the Focolare Movement. She met its founder, another "Chiara" - Chiara Lubich, who nicknamed her "Luce," meaning "light," due to her radiant enthusiasm and joy. As a teenager, Chiara enjoyed music, coffee shops, spending time with friends, and sports. She also encountered many disappointments and challenges in her young life, learning at 17 of the illness that would take her life. But it did not rob her of an inspiring spiritual life that affected everyone around her.
“I have rediscovered the Gospel … I was not an authentic Christian because I did not live it fully. I won’t and cannot remain illiterate of such an extraordinary message. Now I want to make this wonderful book the only goal of my life.”