WCC NEWS: As Montet Focolare Centre closes, WCC connection with Focolare remains

As the Focolare Centre in Montet closed on 8 June, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed gratitude for 43 years of collaboration with the centre, as well as the ongoing connection with the Focolare movement that will remain an inspiration moving forward.  Focolare representatives responsible for the Centre of Formation in Montet share the farewell message with the audience during the closing celebration.  Photo: Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC 10 June 2024 Pillay, who is currently attending the WCC executive committee meeting in Colombia, penned a message that was read during the closing ceremony.  “While closing such a transformative place is difficult, we know our true home is in Christ,” wrote Pillay. “The annual visits of Montet students to the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva and the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey have fostered a profound exchange of ecumenical teachings and experiences.” Though we say goodbye to the Montet Focolare Centre, the WCC’s connection with the Focolare movement will endure, Pillay assured.  “Our churches worldwide will continue to be inspired by the Focolare sisters and brothers, and our Bossey students and faculty will continue to visit the Focolare Centre in Rome, keeping the spirit of ecumenical dialogue alive,” he wrote. “Those who spent decades here are called to go where relationships are broken and be the yeast, salt, and light.” Pillay urged the WCC and Focolare to carry forward the lessons of love and bonds forged. “May we continue to walk hand in hand, inspired by Christ’s love, as we strive for unity and peace in our world,” he wrote.  WCC letter of greetings at the closing festivities of the Montet Focolare Center See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland