A thousand years, between heaven and earth and open to all citizens. This is how the Montserrat Abbey, formed by 48 Benedictine monks, will celebrate its first millennium: with a thousand religious, cultural, participatory and social events in its facilities, but also with some traveling exhibitions in European capitals. It will be a party in style – in the broad sense of the expression – since the celebration will start on September 7 and 8 and will last until December 8, 2025.
The opening will be highlighted, with the meeting of the Subiaco-Montecassino Congregation, within which Montserrat is located and which includes some 120 monasteries from around the world. It is a meeting that has always been held in Italy, but, “for the first time in its history, it will bring together here more than a hundred abbots of Benedictine monasteries from all over the world,” indicated the prior of the monastery and commissioner of the millennium, Bernat Juliol. The official presentation of the program was held yesterday at the museum, before 120 guests, many representatives of entities that have collaborated financially. For now, there is a budget of 3.1 million (1.4 from the Generalitat, one from the Barcelona Provincial Council to expand the museum and 700,000 euros in aid). Juliol highlighted that “we would like, for the millennium, Montserrat to be the main square of Catalonia. “We want to bring it closer to society, especially to the youngest.” The Pope of Rome has been invited to the commemoration, but, for now, there is no response.
Abbot Manel Gasch expressed his desire for Montserrat to continue “to be a safe house for Catalan, for study, heritage conservation and business and institutional cooperation.” Juliol highlighted that "one of the main values of the festival is that it is a thousand years of continuous monastic life, without interruption, which is very unusual." Of the most participatory actions, a video mapping will be projected in the basilica and there will be an immersive experience in the museum's 14th century room. A Millennium trail will also be launched, which will surround the massif.
In the religious sphere, there will be a meeting of Christian movements and pilgrimages. In the cultural area, a festival with 15 concerts, exhibitions, an edition of stamps and coins, conferences and academic activities, the publication of pedagogical material about Montserrat or the organization of the 56th edition of the Flame of the language.
