On August 31, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., the I. L. CARAGIALE National Theater in Bucharest, Romania, hosted a performance entitled “From Martin BENEDICT to Assisi: A Journey with Clara MĂRGINEANU.” The event took place as part of the 7th Annual “In Memory of Clara MĂRGINEANU” Festival. The performance took the audience on a spiritual and artistic journey guided by the spirit of Clara MĂRGINEANU (1972–2020), a poet, writer, journalist, and creator of cultural programs for Romanian public television. It was also inspired by Venerable Martin BENEDICT (1931–1986), a physician and Conventual Franciscan friar.
The show, inspired by the poet’s writings and a pilgrimage she made to Assisi in late 2018, took the form of an artistic meditation and a spiritual testament. In 2012, Clara MĂRGINEANU published an extensive feature on Venerable Martin BENEDICT; in 2018, she returned to his story in an account of her journey from Galbeni to Assisi.
The journey evoked in the performance began in Galbeni, in Bacău County, Romania, where Venerable Martin BENEDICT is buried. His life was marked by sacrifice and holiness, and he continues to serve as a model for many. On December 17, 2022, Pope Francis recognized his heroic virtues and declared him Venerable.
From Galbeni, the journey continued through some of Europe’s great cultural centers, including Vienna and Rome, before arriving in Assisi, in the heart of the Italian region of Umbria. Assisi is a source of the spirituality and peace associated with St. Francis and St. Clare. At each stop, the performance recalled the Franciscan presence.
The event was especially meaningful because it took place during the Franciscan Jubilee Year, which marks the 800th anniversary of the transitus of St. Francis of Assisi and the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin BENEDICT. Both anniversaries provided a point of reference for the human and spiritual journey of those present.
Those attending included Martha Maria MOCANU, Friar Eusebio BEJAN, Friar Silvestro BEJAN, Luiza RĂDULESCU PINTILIE, and Luminița TUCĂ. Singer-songwriter Ovidiu MIHĂILESCU performed Clara MĂRGINEANU’s verses, joined by the teenage members of the “Dacii liberi” musical group from Bârlad.
Testimonies, Franciscan spirituality, poetry, and music further enriched the event. There was also a presentation of local costumes and symbols representing the places evoked. The audience warmly accepted the invitation to let themselves be guided on this journey of memory and faith.
Friar Silvestro BEJAN
