I woke up early and left the hotel. The city was still silent and deserted. I entered the church of San Domenico, empty and dark. I could hear the friars singing softly in the distance as I made my way to the great choir. There were about fifty Dominicans in white choral dress, some wrapped in black cloaks. In the dim light, they didn’t even notice me. They were singing in unison, as if they were one voice, with simple and solemn tones – it felt like real prayer.

After Mass, I walked slowly towards the tomb of St. Dominic. Some Dominicans were already there, praying before their holy father. I wondered if do this every day. Then I went through the nave to the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary where more Dominicans were praying. Two of them greeted each other with a hug, one had just returned from a trip, I could sense a genuine camaraderie. Before leaving, at the back of the church, I noticed another friar kneeling in front of a large crucifix. Is this how they start every day, before diving into work and studies?

Outside a woman, wrapped in rags and blankets, was sitting, leaning against one of the doorposts, begging for alms. A lady who had been in the Church approached her and gave her a hot cappuccino. It struck me that prayer should always be intertwined with acts of charity.

Now onto the seminar!  It was organized by the Theological Faculty of Emilia-Romagna, the Chiara Lubich Centre and the Sophia University Institute. The theme was “expressing God in a female way”. The title of the Conference was, “Expressing God. Chiara Lubich and the mystical tradition of women from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. A path with several voices”. It took place in the Salone dei Bolognini of the Convent of San Domenico in Bologna, surrounded by the books of one of the largest libraries in Italy.

We spent two days on a real journey through the history of female mysticism, from the Middle Ages to the 1900s. Dominican Fr. Gianni Festa, one of the promoters of the event, explained, “Lubich’s experience connects with important figures of the medieval mystical tradition such as Catherine of Siena and Teresa of Avila, but above all to other mystical experiences and writings of the twentieth century, some of which are well known, such as Etty Hillesum and Madeleine Delbrêl while others are less known, such as Sister Maria, the great mystical friend of Don Primo Mazzolari”.

With over 100 participants, this specialized seminar saw insights from some of the most experienced individuals in their fields.

I gave a talk too, keeping it simple, deeply personal and with a profound respect for Chiara’s mysticism. In an interview for Vatican News I highlighted one point: “There are many aspects that we could underline of the uniqueness of Chiara Lubich’s experience particularly the communal dimension. Her journey into the reality of God, into His mystery, into the Trinity, began with a pact of unity made with Igino Giordani. It wasn’t just a personal commitment; they asked Jesus in the Eucharist to bind them in unity between. After communion, the two became one, one Christ. This is the beginning of Chiara’s mystical experience, characterized by a deep, personal, transformative comprehension of the divine mystery. But this entering into God, contrary perhaps to what happens for many mystics is not only at a personal level but also at a communitarian one. Unlike the experiences of many mystics, Chiara’s connection with God transcended the personal realm and extended into the communal. They embarked on this journey together and the entire mystical experience was communitarian, gradually drawing others into it. It seems to me that it is reminiscent of the early Christian mystical experience of Pentecost. Pentecost is not the culmination of many mystics, it is a single mystical experience that the Spirit invoked in the entire early Christian community, numerous people shared the same experience of the Spirit together. I think that Chiara Lubich’s mystical experience seems to maintain a continuity with the beginning of the Church: the subject is plural and it reverts to being the Church. In essence, it is the Church that in Chiara has a mystical experience of God.

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