A Brief history of Lumen Christi Prayer Group

    The prayer group which came to be known as “Lumen Christi” was begun in Rome, in 1970 by Fr. Giles Dimock, O.P. and two other Dominican priests who were graduate students at the Angelicum. They had become acquainted with the Charismatic Renewal during their previous studies in Washington, D.C. They were soon joined by sister Winifred Corrigan and by late Fr. Val Gaudet, O.M.I. a French Canadian who had been a missionary in Latin America and had for some years been on the staff of the OMI Generalate in Rome. Making good use of his knowledge of languages, he not only took part in the English‑speaking group, but also helped to start Italian, French and Spanish‑speaking prayer groups in Rome.

    During the academic year 1970-71, the group grew to about 1215 persons, most of them priests, sisters or seminarians. One of the priests taking part was Fr. Carlo Martini, S.J., at that time professor at the Biblical Institute; it was he who invited Fr. Francis Sullivan, S.J., to join the group, sometime in the spring of 1971. Some of the meetings at that time were held at the Cenacle Convent on Monte Mario, and others at the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Child on Via Buoncompagni. Later in 1971 the meetings began to be held in Palazzo Frascara of the Gregorian University, and continued to meet there on Sunday afternoon until 1992, when Fr. Sullivan retired from the Gregorian and returned to his home province. 

    After the summer of 1971 the group grew rapidly, and for many years thereafter the Sunday meetings numbered between 150 and 200. For those who could not attend the meetings on Sunday, a meeting began to be held on Wednesday evening at the convent of the Mater Dei sisters on Via San Sebastianello. Eventually so many came to that meeting that the sisters were concerned that the floor could not stand so much weight, so it was moved to the parish centre at the church of San Silvestro. Many took part in both the Sunday and the Wednesday prayer meetings, which were both of Lumen Christi. During the summer months, when Palazzo Frascara was closed, the Sunday meetings were held at the convent of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, on the Via Giusti. 

    Several members of Lumen Christi took part in the international leaders’ conference, with Cardinal Suenens, which took place at the convent of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Grottaferrata, in 1973. Some members also were involved in the preparation for the International Charismatic Congress held in Rome during the Jubilee Year of 1975. The whole group participated in the Mass celebrated by Cardinal Suenens in St. Peter's on Pentecost Monday, and after it heard a very encouraging address by Pope Paul VI. 

    While some of the members of Lumen Christi live permanently or for long periods in Rome, the majority of participants have been English-speaking people from all over the world who reside in Rome for a limited time: for study at one of the Roman universities, for work in the headquarters of their religious order or in an embassy, etc. Hence from year to year there has been a considerable turnover of membership. For this reason one can count a very large number of people who have participated in Lumen Christi during the almost thirty years of its existence. Many who have come to know the grace of the Renewal in Rome have carried it to other parts of the world. In 1975 the group chose the name “Lumen Christi”, to express its desire to share the light of Christ with all who came to Rome.

© Lumen Christi  Rome
     1 June 2001/last update 23 August 2006