Chapels

"DOMUS SAPIENTIAE" CHAPEL (VIA GARZETTA)

The Chapel of the new headquarters of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Brescia was blessed on the occasion of the inauguration of the university campus on 27 September 2021. The altar was dedicated on 21 November 2022 by Mons. Claudio Giuliodori inserting in the altar the relics of Blessed Armida Barelli, St. Paul VI and Blessed Giuseppe Antonio Tovini.

The chapel is intended to be a place where one enters into dialogue with Wisdom within the formation paths and the search for meaning for one's life. In the Bible, Wisdom is the personification of God and his work. Wisdom is laboriously sought, it is the most precious good to be desired, it is the true treasure of life, it is the gift with which God illuminates the path and choices of his creatures, it is the very mystery of God who became man in Jesus Christ.

The guiding theological-liturgical idea that inspired the construction of the new chapel is therefore that of a place where one is led by the word of God to the encounter with Wisdom having as reference the Pauline affirmation: "Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God".

The entrance is meant to be a space that helps us to question ourselves about what are the conditions for preparing our hearts and minds for the encounter with Wisdom. The reference for the portal is the text of Proverbs 9:1-18 where the author contrasts the image of a wise woman with that of a foolish woman. That wise woman has well organized her house, beautiful and solid, because it is built on 7 columns. He offers delicious food at his table and tells everyone: "Go straight in the way of understanding" (v. 6). While the mad woman "restless, foolish and ignorant" (v. 13) deceives the wayfarers by leading them into darkness. The text of Sirach, divided according to the two descriptions, is reproduced on the outside of the chapel. The two women placed on the two doors of the entrance portal are the allegorical representation of what attitude one must have to enter the house of Wisdom.

The hall of the chapel is meant to evoke the image used in the text of Sirach: "Wisdom has built her house, she has carved her seven pillars" (Sir 9:1). Here the allegory gives way to the metaphor and symbolism of the seven pillars which in the spiritual life we can easily identify with the seven gifts of the Spirit. In Severino's representations, the seven gifts of the Spirit are declined with teachings and facts from the life of Jesus so as to give an immediate visualization of how they were manifested in the first place in the life of the Messiah and consequently must shape the life of those who receive them.

The presbyterate is the space where divine Wisdom reveals all its meanings, also thanks to the various elements that accompany the liturgical action: the ambo, the crucifix, the altar, the seat, the tabernacle. Each component, also thanks to Severino's stupendous artistic representations, is placed within the framework of Luke's account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35). The ambo depicts Jesus conversing with the two disciples, listening to them and enlightening their minds so that they can understand the Scriptures. The Crucifix placed behind the pulpit and the altar recalls the Paschal Mystery performed by Jesus in Jerusalem and explained to the disciples. The altar is the table where the disciples of yesterday and today acknowledge the Lord at the breaking of the bread. The seat becomes a reminder of the missionary mandate entrusted by Jesus to the apostles and intimately connected to the irrepressible joy of the Eucharistic encounter with the Risen Lord, which cannot be kept to oneself alone but must be shared with one's brothers and sisters, bringing the proclamation of salvation to all, near and far. Finally, the Eucharistic custody or tabernacle with the door representing the Sacred Heart is intended to explicitly recall the patron saint and the identity of the University.

The decision to take on the story of the disciples of Emmaus as the crowning achievement of the spiritual journey of the chapel of the new campus in Brescia is also linked to the fact that the Synod of Bishops dedicated to young people structured the contents of the final document around this Gospel icon (cf. XV Ordinary General Assembly [3-28 October 2018] on the theme: "Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment", Final Document [27 October 2018], n. 4).

The Chapel of the Brescia Campus of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Via della Garzetta 48, located at the entrance to the Campus, is open every weekday from 7.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CHAPEL OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL (VIA TRIESTE)

The Chapel of the historic site in via Trieste 17 is shared with the Cesare Arici Institute.

On October 28, 1963, the foundation stone of the chapel was laid. Also recalling the elevation of G. Battista Montini to the chair of Peter, it was dedicated to the conversion of St. Paul.

The original project is by the architect Giacomo Lechi and is built on pre-existing buildings destroyed by bombing during the Second World War. The dome is polygonal (octagonal) in shape, with well-balanced structural lines. Of particular interest is the stylized representation of the world, placed behind the altar, with the tabernacle in the center that sends its rays in all directions.