It is a mild evening in Norcia on the eve of Saints’ Day. It’s not raining, it’s not windy, the Sibillini Mountains watch over the plain of the Umbrian town which finally finds its Basilica dedicated to San Benedetto. People fill the square with the statue of the Saint, while inside the church, nine years after the earthquake that destroyed 80 percent of it, the solemn liturgy of the Dedication is celebrated.
Renato Boccardobishop of Spoleto-Norcia presides over the concelebrated rite with sixteen Benedictine bishops and abbots of the Abbeys in Italy, including Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, archbishop emeritus of Perugia-Città della Pieve, and the Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation Jeremias Schröder, together with the presbyters of the Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia. Boccardo anoints the altar walls with chrism (consecrated oil), then the altar is incensed.
“This evening, feelings of joy, satisfaction and legitimate pride inhabit our hearts as we admire the Basilica of San Benedetto restored to its original splendor after the serious injuries caused by the 2016 earthquake. And the bishop willingly interprets the common admiration and gratitude towards all those who, in different ways and with different responsibilities, with a commitment of love and architectural wisdom, have completed the ambitious work of reconstruction,” said Boccardo.
“The doors of the Basilica”, added the bishop, “open today to welcome those who come here to draw light and strength for the path of Christian life. As believers we are well aware that a splendid building is not enough to make it the house of God among the homes of men. Only a community that passionately lives out the sincere search for what is true, good and right in its eyes as the days pass by will be able to have the Lord close to us. Woe to us if we limit ourselves to offering Him the beauty of this church if it does not correspond to the beauty of a people that builds itself around the Word and the Eucharist, builds fraternal relationships, is committed to a more welcoming and merciful society towards all, tirelessly searches for that wisdom that distinguishes good from evil, separates what builds from what destroys, what remains from what passes, and involves itself in a daily exercise of Christian love”.
Boccardo focused on the figure and example of Saint Benedict, Patron Saint of Europe: “The Saint of Norcia was the father of a community that brings together different brothers in charity, settling conflicts not with authoritarianism but with patience and discernment. The peace that he promotes is not founded on formal agreements or precarious balances, but on interior conversion, on the transformation of hearts; a peace that becomes a lifestyle and foundation of coexistence. Because unity is not built by canceling what we are, but by taking root in what unites us, to then welcome and integrate what is different, in fact, true peace is not signed, it is lived.”
The celebration concluded with the reading of the message of the Holy Father Leo XIV sent to Archbishop Renato Boccardo by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. In his message, Leone “expresses his deep satisfaction to all those – state and local institutions, planners, workers and private individuals – who with tenacity and admirable commitment have made possible and supported in various ways an operation that is so deeply felt and awaited by many people not only in Umbria but also in Italy and other countries”. The Pope adds that “the restoration of the important monument, of great historical and artistic value, as well as the pulsating center of Benedictine spirituality, represents the visible sign of the challenging journey of religious rebirth undertaken in recent years by the entire diocesan community”.
Davide Tononithe priest from Brescia who together with Don Marco Fiorini is parish priest of Piovania which includes the Basilica, confides: “I feel happy, excited, full of gratitude also because the square, the center of all community life, is reopening. In recent years we have built a community, despite not having a structure. Now we must let ourselves be shocked by the life of Saint Benedict to live our life of faith”.
In the earthquake of 24 August 2016 the earthquake damaged the basilica, the situation worsened with the earthquake of 26 October, but on 30 October the blow came: 80 percent of the church fell to crumbs, while the facade miraculously remained standing. After the allocation of European and government funds, recovery work began in December 2021. Four years after the reopening of the basilica, with numerous religious and cultural events that will last the entire weekend. In Norcia there are still many construction sites open. Mayor Giuliano Boccanera promises the reopening of the Municipality building and the Civic Theater within a few weeks.
