In 1982, the foundress of the Focolare Movement, Chiara Lubich, came to visit the Philippines. During one of her meetings with the members of the movement, particularly in the Development Academy of the Philippines in Tagaytay City, she told them that she has a dream. It’s a dream she’s doing with open eyes. Her dream was to build a little “city” where the only law is the commandment of Jesus: “Love one another as I have loved you..”

It is a city where people from all walks of life live together to give witness to Jesus’ prayer before he died: “that all may be one.” So, all the inhabitants of this city try to live the spirituality of unity even if they come from different countries, mentalities, ages, cultures, religions, etc. through the spiritual and human formation that is being conducted in this “city of Mary” or called Mariapolis.

Immediately, right after that meeting, one of those in the audience came to the backstage and offered to give Chiara an idle piece of land that he owned in Tagaytay. In the succeeding years, construction of the different formation houses emerged through the help of its local and international members, especially some international organizations who help in these undertakings. Asian and European members of the Focolare visit for the spiritual formation period that range from 6 months to 1 year.