On 24th October, Pope Leo XIV authorised the recognition of the heroic virtues of Margarita Bavosi, known as “Luminosa”, of the Work of Mary (Focolare Movement). She is now recognised by the Church as Venerable.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1941, Margarita discovered her vocation in the Focolare Movement and dedicated her life to God and to building unity among people. Her spontaneous, joyful nature earned her the name Luminosa, meaning “luminous” or “full of light”. She served the Movement in Argentina, Spain and Uruguay, bringing her warmth, generosity and deep commitment to the spirituality of unity. Even during the serious illness that led to her death in 1985, aged just 43, she sought to live each moment with love.
Chiara Lubich described her life as “imbued with evangelical love lived in the present, in the present moment”.
In the Catholic Church, the title Venerable is given when the Pope formally recognises that a person lived the Christian virtues to a heroic degree. It is an important step towards sainthood. The next stage is beatification, which normally requires the recognition of a miracle attributed to the person’s intercession, followed by canonisation as a saint, usually after a second miracle has been recognised.
Luminosa’s cause is part of a wider story within the Focolare Movement, where several members have been recognised by the Church for their lives of holiness. Chiara Lubich often spoke of her hope that the Movement would become a “grappolo di santi” – a cluster or bunch of saints. This expresses her vision of holiness not as something lived in isolation, but as a shared journey, growing through mutual love and a common commitment to the Gospel.
Luminosa’s life offers a beautiful example of this collective journey towards holiness. Her story reminds us that holiness is not reserved for extraordinary circumstances. It can be found in the daily choice to love, to welcome others and to live the Gospel in the here and now.
Read more about Luminosa’s life: https://luminosa.focolares.es/biografia/