Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
CATANIA – Artistic beauty preserved not as a static asset to be admired from afar, but as a living space to inhabit, share and pass on to future generations. This is the profound message of rebirth that emerged from the solemn reopening ceremony of the church and Franciscan complex of Santa Maria di Gesù in Catania, returned to the Etna capital following a major restoration project that involved the sacred building, the cloister and numerous works of art.
A people’s celebration: videomapping and open doors on the “living stones”
The festivities began on the evening of Saturday, October 17, with an extraordinary and well-attended gathering of the faithful and citizens on the church parvis. Marking the transition from the construction site to renewed life was a spectacular play of lights and videomapping projections on the monument’s walls, culminating in the solemn opening of the main portal.
This was followed by the Eucharistic Celebration, presided over by His Excellency Monsignor Luigi Renna, Archbishop of Catania, who during the rite unveiled and blessed the commemorative plaque of the works.
“The reopening of Santa Maria di Gesù is a message of hope,” Monsignor Renna emphasized, “not only because it falls in the Franciscan year, but because it is a beautiful church and, above all, a lived-in one. Our churches are not museums, even though they preserve remarkable artistic treasures; they reflect the greatness of God’s mystery and deeply nourish those who celebrate their faith there.”
Echoing the prelate’s words were the emotion-filled remarks of Fra Massimo Corallo: “The strongest emotion was seeing the stones begin to speak again through the people. Faces, encounters, memories, young and old alike have given the restoration its fullest meaning. Santa Maria di Gesù is open again: now the most important time begins, that of inhabiting it.”
The legacy of the restoration: exhibitions and events scheduled until November 27
The restoration, the result of a collective effort by the Friars Minor, restorers, technicians, institutions, benefactors and volunteers, now opens a season rich in cultural and spiritual events open to the entire community:
- The exhibition in the cloister: The exhibition “Clothed in Christ”, curated by Liliana Nigro and dedicated to the art, history and spirituality of the sacred vestments and the precious Treasure of Santa Maria di Gesù, will remain on display and open to visitors.
- Cycle of catechesis and architecture: Every Friday at 8:00 PM, until November 27, a six-meeting program will be held to explore the symbolic, liturgical and communal value of ecclesiastical spaces (altar, presbytery, Eucharistic custody and popular devotion).
