In this testimonial video, Mary Jane (referred to as Mary-Jeanne) and Paul recount how the teachings and spiritual light of Chiara (Kiara) Lubich transformed their personal trajectories and family life. Mary Jane describes meeting Chiara’s influence at age 14, abandoning her ambition to become a doctor to devote her youth to the Focolare movement, and later marrying Paul at 24 despite fears that marriage would dilute revolutionary commitment. Together they embraced a radical, open‑home lifestyle, raising seven children while keeping their home available to couples in need. Paul parallels his conversion to Saul’s Damascus experience, noting an immediate shift away from profanity and toward service, friendship, and community. They settled in the Mariapolis community, where their children were born, and committed to a life centered on God’s love. Economic hardship struck when Paul lost his long‑term job, prompting the couple to start a small business that has survived for over two decades despite monthly uncertainty. After 45 years of marriage, they attribute their endurance and love to the guidance of God and Chiara Lubich’s ideals, emphasizing faith, mutual love, and perseverance as the foundation of their family and community witness.
Chapters
I am Mary Jane, and at the age of 14 years old, I got to know the light of Kiara Lubick, which she really was very strong on me because changed my life. I decided even to change my studies. I was wanting to become a doctor, And I decided to spend my best time of my life, it was my youth, taking this light to the world. And never thought that I was one day to get married because I thought all the revolutionaries, when they marry, they forget about the revolution. So after only 10 years, doing all these things for the Jain movement, we— I encountered somebody like my husband here that gave me another view. Also because Kiara said that one of the qualities of Mary was— the most important qualities of Mary was motherhood. So So at the age of 24, we got married and he also wanted to change the world and not going to spend a life of not revolutionary. So go against the current also in marriage life. So immediately decide to have many children. And to give God to them and to have our lives, house totally open for who all will be in need, especially the couples that are in difficulty. And this is what we have done. We have 7 children, all alive, all alive, and they are revolutionary like we are. We kept our house always open. And now that they are all grown-ups, we came to live here. Our family has had difficulties, has a lot of defects like all the families, but the light never failing provides a bond of love, and this is what you build among us and among people around us. Here there is no time to tell you all the stories.
I am Paul, and the effect of Kiara's ideal in the movement in my life could be compared to Saul's fall in the road of Damascus. I changed completely my paradigms in life, and one of the things that was immediately noticed by my companions in University at home with friends was that I just abolished completely swear words, and which I used to do a lot, and a radical change in behavior in my life. I started to listen, to serve, to be friendly, especially with those that I didn't get on with. So I met my wife and. She had the same ideas, so we decided to build a family under this umbrella—the umbrella of the love of God. We dedicated our life to the movement and to God, as I said, and went to live in a community called Mariapolis, where most of our children were born. And this community has the purpose of. Being a light over the mountain to show the love of God, the mutual love among people. As we had many children, that itself was a witness of our openness to life and to the providence of God. We decided together that my wife Mary-Jeanne was not going to have a job outside but would dedicate her life to take care of our family. And as a consequence, God gave me an excellent job for many, many years. But one day I lost my job. And when I lost my job, it was a big challenge because we had all the 7 children still depending on me. And we opened a small company, and every month this company— for now more than 20 years, we have been always questioning ourselves, how are we going to survive next month, and it always is possible, we always managed, and after 45 years we can witness, 45 years of marriage, that the most intelligent thing we did was to give our lives to God, and He guided us. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mario.
