The Corrymeela Community hosted its annual work weekend on 30th-31st August. This is always a special time for volunteers and friends to come together for a weekend of hands-on work and heartfelt connection. The air was filled with a sense of purpose as participants pitched in to tidy up the centre grounds and tackle deep cleaning tasks. But beyond the hard work, the weekend was a true celebration of companionship and friendship.
An especially important aspect of this year’s event, which also celebrated Corrymeela’s 60th anniversary, was the presence of friends from other movements, including Focolare and L’Arche. Their contribution highlighted a living expression of what Focolare President Margaret Karram recently emphasized at the annual Rimini Meeting organized by “Communion and Liberation”, entitled, “In the deserted places, we will build with new bricks”.
According to Karram, perhaps one of the essential building blocks of this unity is “this communion, this increasingly deep friendship between various movements, various ecclesial communities who come together and collaborate to make an even stronger impression on society. This creates a new consciousness, also for peace.”
The work weekend also served as an occasion to remember the deep friendship between the founders of many movements including those of Communion and Liberation and the Focolare Movement, don Luigi Giussani and Chiara Lubich. Though they did not meet many times, their friendship was profound, a true friendship of soulmates. They corresponded often, but it was the encounter of Movements on Pentecost ’98 in St. Peter’s Square, with St. Pope John Paul, that marked both their lives where they experienced a new unity among the various movements in the Church. From there, a new journey began, enriched by the contribution of “Together for Europe” which arrived shortly afterwards.
Karram expressed her gratitude for being invited to the Rimini Meeting, stating, “I see that this friendship is growing. It was between our founders, but it is now up to us to carry it forward today.”
This was certainly the case for the weekend in Corrymeela which was a beautiful example of its founding spirit. The community was established in the mid-1960s with a vision of bringing people together across divides in Northern Ireland. The work weekend, with its focus on shared effort and deep fellowship, continues to embody this mission, showing how collaboration and friendship can build a stronger, more united community.
See photos in the Media Gallery