Chiara Luce Badano: A teen icon for our times

Chiara means clear; Luce means light. Chiara Luce Badano was an Italian girl who, at the age of 18, died of a very painful bone cancer. She passed away on 7 October 1990. However, she left behind a trail of light which travels on, across all nations, urging young people everywhere to make a masterpiece of their lives the way she did.

- ROSE ALOYSIUS

Chiara Luce’s story is one which leaves its mark, and ever since her death it has consistently inspired articles, TV programmes, songs and musicals, all over. The world of social media is full of news stories about various initiatives attributed to her, and there are websites and biographies on her in more than thirty languages of the world. Numerous parks, streets, youth clubs, clinics and shelters for the needy carry her name in different countries.

Chiara Luce Badano was born in a tiny mountain village called Sassello, in Italy, on 29 October 1971. Longawaited, she was an only child, and received a solid moral education from her parents. When she was barely nine, she came across the Focolare Movement founded by Chiara Lubich, which gave her a strong spirituality of unity and love for others.

Her mother, Maria Teresa, recounts a childhood episode. Seeing that Chiara had many toys, she asked her, “Chiara, wouldn’t you like to give away some of these to those who do not have any? Chiara immediately retorted, “No! They are mine!” and marched off to her room. Later, her mother heard her saying, “This one, yes; this one, no.” She was sorting out her toys, placing the best ones in a bag to be given away. “But Chiara, do you really want to give away your new toys?” her mother asked. Chiara replied: “Yes, I can’t give old broken toys to children who don’t have anything!”