Ciao Italy!

Photo: International Helpers and Subud members from Italy, Subud Italy congress, Lucca, April 2025.

Five members of the International Helper Dewan, Lucia, Isti, Beata, Anwar, and Michaël, attended the Italian Congress in late April, which was held at the Diocesana hotel close to the town of Lucca in beautiful Tuscany.

The Italian members – about 15 of them were present – are spread out over long distances, and only in Latina, about 100 km South of Rome, are there more than three members. So, it is not easy to develop a feeling of unity. However, with some support, Valentin and Margarita Pizzi are working hard to improve this. We encouraged them to organize a monthly face-to-face Latihan to bring the isolated members together. Efforts were also made to compose a national committee.

Friday, the first full day, was a special start. We all felt a very deep Latihan throughout the day and close bonds in the inner feelings developed, with members we did not know before.

Being in a relatively small group made it easy to involve all members in the testing for national helpers (Adelaida, Margarita, Daniel, and Valentin) and KCs (Adelaida and Margarita rotating, plus Valentin).

Later, it was again a special experience, as there was enough time for everyone to share some of their Latihan experiences. Some new members shared how deep the changes already were in their lives. This beautiful sharing brought us all very close.

Also, a new member was opened.The next day, we did some “awakening testing” to help members feel the benefit and use of their Latihan. It became clear later that the understanding of this process in different countries is not always the same.

In later parts of the Congress, we also discussed the Subud house in Florence, and Hamid da Silva gave presentations about MSF and the next World Congress in Fatima. This was a very satisfying way to connect and bring Italy closer to the wider Subud world.

We were very grateful, particularly to Margarita and Valentin, who organised such a beautiful and harmonious Italian Congress, and not forgetting Federico, an excellent and patient interpreter.

On to Portugal…

Following our visit to Italy, we arrived in Porto, where we experienced a full blackout and had our meals by candlelight. We then travelled, via Fatima, to a monastery, “Convent of Apelação,” where the Zone 3 meeting was held from May 1-4.

The KCs of the Zone had already spent a day together, and then we joined in by doing Latihan

together, getting to know each other, and sharing experiences. We felt warmly welcomed, and during the following days, we had the chance to meet with several countries, have good conversations, and do Latihan and testing together.

The meetings of Zone 3 went very smoothly, they were very well prepared by Zone Rep Mahrus Harnadi-Froment and the overall feeling was very light and happy.
The chairs of WSA and ISC, Rifka and Arifin, were present and presented their work. Many members from the Lisbon group joined us for Latihans, and some also for the meetings. One highlight was the opening of a young man, son of a Portuguese Subud family. A very close feeling of being deeply connected with all members grew strongly.

This Zone 3 meeting was organised by Mahrus, Denise, and a wonderful team in an efficient and very relaxed way.

On the last night, entertainment blossomed with classic guitar from Bachtiar, mime from Lydia, songs from Paloma, and a Chilean dance from Sabrina—all much loved! While, the nuns who looked after us all turned out to be enthusiastic musicians and sang farewell songs to us, which was very touching.