After 11 years of marriage, a young Italian family finally had their prayers answered when their daughter was born. Her parents were simple folk; her father, truck driver Ruggero Badano, and his wife, Maria, named her Chiara. Her parents were delighted, but they also recognized that she was a gift from God. Her mother said, “Even though we were so immensely happy, we understood straightaway that this child wasn’t ours alone. She belonged to God first of all.”
At the age of 9, Chiara attended a meeting of young members of the Focolare movement. Focolare was founded in 1947, and its core vision is unity and universal brotherhood. The movement started in the Catholic church, but there are now members from many other denominations… and even some members who consider themselves to be non-religious. Today there are over 100,000 members in 182 nations. Its goals are lofty; according to
this Wikipedia article, Focolare “considers the following issues as part of its mandate: to cooperate in the consolidation of unity in the Catholic world, with individuals and groups, movements and associations; to contribute to full communion with Christians of different churches; to move towards universal brotherhood with followers of various religions and people of other persuasions, including atheists.” Chiara was drawn to the movement, and shortly thereafter, her parents also began to attend meetings and share Chiara’s interest in Focolare spirituality.
All in all, Chiara’s childhood was typical. She occasionally struggled with school or with parental authority, she liked to spend time with her friends, and she enjoyed singing, dancing, and participating in sports such as tennis, swimming, and mountain-climbing.
One day while playing tennis, Chiara felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Tests finally revealed that she had osteogenic sarcoma, an aggressive and painful form of cancer. By the time it was diagnosed, the cancer had already begun to spread. A series of hospitalizations began, but Chiara chose to look for opportunities to minister to others who were suffering. By now she had a large and painful growth on her spine, but nonetheless she would walk with another young girl suffering from drug addiction and depression. When she was reminded of her need for rest, she said, “I’ll have time to rest later.” Self-pity wasn’t a part of her lexicon; she wrote, “Jesus sent me this illness at the right moment.”
Chiara underwent surgical procedures and chemotherapy in an attempt to arrest her disease. She began to lose her hair, and each time she lost more, she would say, “For you, Jesus.” Further evidence of the importance of Jesus to Chiara is found in the fact that she refused pain medication. She explained her refusal by saying, “It reduces my lucidity,” she said, “and there’s only one thing I can do now: to offer my suffering to Jesus because I want to share as much as possible in his suffering on the cross.”
Indeed, Chiara’s response to her deteriorating health was far from typical. As time went on and her cancer continued to spread, Chiara lost the use of her legs. In response, she said, “If I had to choose between walking or going to heaven, I would choose going to heaven.” She continued to maintain a positive attitude. When Cardinal Saldarini visited her in the hospital, he asked her where the light in her eyes came from. She replied, “I try to love Jesus as much as I can.”
Her physicians also noticed something special about Chiara. One of them, Dr Fabio de Marzi, wrote to her, “I’m not used to seeing young people like you. I always thought of your age as being the time of great enthusiasms and sentiments. But you have taught me that yours is also an age of wholeness and maturity.” Another physician who treated her, Dr. Antonio Delogu, one of her physicians, said, “Through her smile, and through her eyes full of light, she showed us that death doesn’t exist; only life exists.” Cardinal Saldarini, who visited Chiara while she was in the hospital, noticed a special radiance about Chiara. He asked her, “The light in your eyes is splendid. Where does it come from?” She replied, “I try to love Jesus as much as I can.”
Yet she clearly knew she was dying. She did not accept her coming death passively, but actively embraced her life… and her death… until the end. She wrote, “Previously I felt another world was awaiting me and the most I could do was to let go. Instead now I feel enfolded in a marvelous plan of God which is slowly being unveiled to me.” At one point she said, “Don’t shed any tears for me. I’m going to Jesus. At my funeral, I don’t want people crying, but singing with all their hearts.” Chiara made plans for her funeral, choosing the music and Gospel readings. She also asked to be buried in a wedding dress as she went to meet her Spouse, Jesus. She told her mother, “When you’re getting me ready, Mum, you have to keep saying to yourself, ‘Chiara Luce is now seeing Jesus’.”
Soon thereafter, at the age of 18 and with her parents at her side, Chiara went to meet her Spouse. Her death was peaceful, and her final words to her mother were, “Goodbye. Be happy because I’m happy.”
Interested in learning more about Chiara Luce Badano? Visit this link. Curious about the Focolare movement? Go here.
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