Silvia (religious name Chiara) Lubich was born on January 22, 1920 at Trento. During the Nazi bombing of Trento in 1943 (World War II), Chiara and a small group of young Trentine Catholic women undertook the shelter-life at the Trento air-raid shelters — the historical origin of the Focolare Movement (Work of Mary).
In 1943, Chiara undertook the vow of perpetual virginity in the Trento Cathedral. In 1948, Chiara founded the Focolare Movement — the lay Catholic movement dedicated to the unity of Christians (the 'That all may be one' from John 17:21) and the unity of humanity.
The Focolare Movement expanded rapidly across the post-war Europe and the world — becoming one of the principal 'new movements' of the 20th-century Catholic Church.
Chiara led the Focolare Movement for 65 years (1943–2008). Under her leadership, the Focolare established 35 'little cities' (Mariapoli, integrated Christian communities) across the world, schools, hospitals, businesses, and the 'Economy of Communion' lay-Catholic-business initiative.
Chiara undertook the ecumenical engagement with Anglicans (personal friendship with Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey), Orthodox (personal friendship with Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras), and Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish spiritual leaders — establishing the Focolare interfaith dialogue tradition.
She died at Rocca di Papa on March 14, 2008 at the age of 88. Declared Venerable January 26, 2019 by Pope Francis.