Spirituality during COVID-19 in Northern Italy: The experience of participating in an online prayer group

Shoshi Keisari; Gianmarco Biancalani; Erica Tavelli; Saverio Fassina; Ines Testoni

doi:10.1007/s11089-022-00998-1

Spirituality during COVID-19 in Northern Italy: The experience of participating in an online prayer group

Pastoral Psychol. 2022;71(2):201-215. doi: 10.1007/s11089-022-00998-1. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

Authors

Shoshi Keisari^{1

2

3}, Gianmarco Biancalani¹, Erica Tavelli¹, Saverio Fassina⁴, Ines Testoni^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
² School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave. Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel.
³ Emili Sagol Creative Arts Therapies Research Center, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
⁴ Mosaici di Vita Association, Musile di Piave, Venice, Italy.

Abstract

Spirituality has ascendant value during times of adversity. Religious activities have beenfound to increase spirituality, and therefore might be considered a coping resource for the individual. The present research aims to explore participants' experience in an online Catholic prayer group in northern Italy that was held throughout the period of COVID-19 social restrictions. The group comprised 16 Catholic individuals aged 34 to 85, who were interviewed in writing following a protocol of four open-ended questions. The results reported four main thematic areas: (1) the benefits of the spiritual journey while coping with the pandemic; (2) the potential of the online setting; (3) the challenges of the online setting; and (4) the bond with God and how it evolved during the pandemic. The findings confirm the valuable contribution of the on-line group religious activity to the participants' wellbeing, particularly during the time of social distancing.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; On-line group; Prayer group; Spiritual support; Spirituality.