Why Return to Milan Cathedral Every Year - The Nivola, Saint Bartholomew, and Living the Light-

Hello everyone,👋

Here in Switzerland, the temperature has gradually started to drop, and we can now feel a touch of autumn in the mornings and evenings.

In midsummer, it stayed light until around 9 p.m. But now the days are slowly becoming shorter, and I can feel the season moving toward the winter solstice.

We are already in the second half of August.

September is just around the corner.

For the past two years, I have visited Milan, Italy, every September.

One of the reasons is to attend a special ceremony held at Milan Cathedral called the

Rito della Nivola — the Ceremony of the Nivola.

What is the Rito della Nivola?

High above the main altar of Milan Cathedral, there is a sacred relic known as the Santo Chiodo, or Holy Nail.

According to the tradition of Milan Cathedral, this relic is believed to be connected to one of the nails used in the crucifixion of Christ.

Normally, it is kept high above the cathedral, and its location is marked by a red light.

Every September, a special cloud-shaped lifting device called the Nivola is used to bring the Holy Nail down.

In 2026, the ceremony will take place over three days, from September 12 to 14.

September 12 | The Holy Nail is brought down

The Archbishop ascends on the Nivola to the upper part of the cathedral and brings the Holy Nail down to the people.

September 13 | Procession with the Holy Nail

After Vespers, a procession with the Holy Nail takes place inside the cathedral.

September 14 | The Holy Nail returns above

On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, after Mass and Vespers, the Holy Nail is returned to its place high above the cathedral.

To me, these three days feel deeply symbolic.

From heaven to earth.
Among the people.
And then back to heaven again.

Why am I so drawn to this ceremony?

The answer is connected to a number of unusual personal experiences I have had through churches, paintings, and statues over the years.

My unusual connection with churches

I first visited the Vatican when I was around 25 years old.

At that time, I had a very unusual experience in front of a portrait of a noblewoman. It felt as though she were speaking to me.

I had always felt that I was somewhat sensitive to things beyond the visible world, but at that time I did not understand my sensitivity in the way I do today.

After that experience, a series of connections led me to visit the Vatican several more times.

Over the years, I gradually began to experience moments when I would stand in front of a painting or statue and receive words, feelings, or messages.

I wrote more about these experiences in my book, Guided on the Path of Light, published in 2023.

Then, in December 2023, something unforgettable happened to me at Milan Cathedral.

In front of Saint Bartholomew

While standing in front of the statue of Saint Bartholomew, known in Italian as San Bartolomeo, I received a very strong message:

“It is time to release all hatred and sadness,
turn toward the light,
and live by allowing the light of your soul to shine.”

It was a powerful message.

And yet, even as I received it, part of me was still asking,

“Is this really a message I am receiving?”

Looking back now, I think I was able to receive the message, but I did not yet have enough confidence or courage to fully trust it and express it.

Six months later, in June 2024, I spoke about this message publicly for the first time on YouTube.

Since then, through many different experiences, I have gradually learned to trust more deeply what I feel and receive.

Today, I can see that even my doubts were an important part of the process.

Returning to Milan Cathedral in 2026

Then, during Easter this year, in 2026, I visited Milan Cathedral again.

This time, I noticed a major change.

The statue of Saint Bartholomew had been moved from the place where I remembered seeing it, and in that place stood a statue of Jesus.

The moment I saw this, I strongly felt:

“A new era has already begun.”

From here, I would like to move away from historical explanation and share what I personally felt and received in Milan Cathedral at that moment.

What I felt in Milan Cathedral

For me, a cathedral is more than just a building.

When I stand inside one, I can feel something like a field of consciousness created through the prayers of countless people over many generations.

When I saw that the statue of Bartholomew had been moved and that Jesus was now standing in that place, an image came to me.

Saint Bartholomew is traditionally shown with his skin removed.

For me, this became a symbol of

“everything that is not truly you being stripped away.”

Values given to us by others.Other people’s expectations.The image we have created of who we think we should be.

If all of these layers were gradually removed, what would remain?

And now, in that place, stood Jesus.

Looking at this scene, I felt:

“When everything false has fallen away, what remains is light.”

Not searching for the light, but living the light

At that moment, I received this message:

Light is not something you need to search for.
The way you live is the light itself.

Awareness alone is not enough.

It is about living it in everyday life.

It is about expressing your inner light through the way you live.

Not only awakening,

but living what you have awakened to.

Not someday.

Now.

You did not come here to search for the light.
You are here to live as the light.

This message, which I received in April, is deeply connected to the theme that is very important to me now:

Living in alignment with who you truly are.

To “live the light” does not mean that we need to become someone special.

It can begin with very simple questions:

“How do I truly feel?”

“What do I truly want?”

By turning inward, listening to that inner voice, trusting it, and choosing actions that are aligned with what we truly feel, we begin to express the light within us through our everyday lives.

Perhaps every small choice we make in alignment with ourselves is one way of bringing that inner light into the world.

Light is no longer something that simply comes to us.


It is something we live. ✨

Returning to Milan again this September

This September, I will once again visit Milan Cathedral and attend the Rito della Nivola.

The message I received in front of Saint Bartholomew in 2023.

What I felt in front of the statue of Jesus during Easter 2026.

And now, I too am still in the middle of my own process of change.

What will I feel during this year’s Nivola ceremony?

What message might I receive?

I am very much looking forward to discovering that.

And when I return, I would love to share the experience with you.

💎 Michiko Sutter | Author | Channeler | Medium

Helping people reconnect with their inner wisdom.

Based in Switzerland, I share messages from the heavenly realm, meditations, and spiritual guidance to help each person reconnect with their true self and discover the answers within.

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