Mariapolis Luminosa

"When we turned off Cardinal Road onto 75 acres of rolling, wooded property laced with streams and a little lake, nestled in historic Hyde Park, New York, we knew instantly that this was the perfect site for the North American Permanent Mariapolis.  It was May 13, 1985. 

"The challenge   was formidable, but the vision was clear.

"In a fragmented society that longs for unity, wholeness and peace, Luminosa would be a piece of the world that has come together in unity.  It would surely have a ripple effect on the global community. 

"We knew that it was possible.  we had seen it done in such diverse places as Italy, the Philippines, Switzerland, Brazil and so on.

" To begin with, we had a few buildings and a handful of people with a pioneering spirit.

"Today Luminosa is a center for spirituality.  It has grown beyond our expectations.

"Those who come want to return.  Those who return bring their friends.  Thousands of people have participated in weekend and week-long programs of spirituality, in days for the family, in youth fests, in children's programs, in the multifaceted seminars sponsored by the learning center. 

"There is something new here.  It is both a reality and an experience which fills you with the desire to go out and do something for the people around you, the first step towards building a more united world.¨

... among hundreds of young adults celebrating their faith through songs and the sharing of experiences on living the Word of God;

... listening to an overview of today's ecumenism or attending a seminar on interfaith dialogue;

... lunching to the playful sound of families picnicking after a hope-filled exchange focused on unity in family relations;

... encountering groups of business people, artists, people in the trades and professions

The need to prolong the experience of the temporary Mariapolis - the week long summer gathering of the Focolare which gives so many the experience of a community living in unity - gave birth to the Permanent Mariapolis.

Loppiano, in Italy, the first Permanent Mariapolis, came to life in 1964 and now numbers 500 inhabitants.  They are people of all ages and social backgrounds, single men and women, families, priests, men and women religious.  They come from all over the world.

In time, a similar international "mini-city" developed in Montet, Switzerland, and others in different countries, each with its own characteristics:

• Fontem, Africa - meeting point of many peoples
• Tagatay, Philippines - center of dialogue with the Asian religions, especially Buddhism
• Sao Paolo, Brazil and O'Higgins, Argentina - concrete proof of the Gospel's effectiveness in resolving social ills
• Ottmaring, West Germany - fostering the ecumenical journey towards unity
• Hyde Park, New York - Luminosa, a Permanent Mariapolis for North America