The Patronal Feast of San Prospero in Catenanuova

The patronal feast in Catenanuova of San Prospero

The last Sunday of September in Catenanuova is a special day, one of the most awaited religious festivals by the whole community: squares, streets, houses and churches are filled with decorations and lights, stalls and stages are set up along the streets of the town, the music and entertainment fill the atmosphere with joyful anticipation for the Patronal Feast of Catenanuova. San Prospero Martyr, the Patron Saint of the town, is celebrated with great participation by all the faithful, who follow the simulacrum of the Saint in procession through the streets of the town, go to mass for the religious function and all celebrate this memorable day together, attending the shows and shopping to the sound of music; the children run to the rides and at the end of the evening, everyone watches the fireworks together in honor of San Prospero.
The festive morning begins with the vigorous ringing of the bells, which wakes up the faithful and is followed by the 21 cannon shots in homage to the Patron Saint. The village band is already active and crosses the streets of the municipality with the music of the party. The mass in honor of San Prospero is celebrated in the Cathedral at 18.30 pm and the faithful flock there with great participation, ready to follow the simulacrum of the Saint immediately after the end of the function: while the statue, which represents San Prospero in eighteenth-century clothes, crosses the threshold of Mother Church to be carried in procession, all the faithful kneel as a sign of respect.
In the festive atmosphere that envelops the whole town, with the music of the band accompanying the steps of the Saint, you can hear the cries of the faithful who pay homage to the Patron by shouting "Long live San Prospiru".
When the procession approaches the inhabited center, the real fireworks show starts and then the simulacrum of the Patron is accompanied back to the church. At this point, all the faithful go to attend the great concert in which famous singers perform.
The Patronal Feast of Catenanuova manages every year to unite the sacred and the profane, because after the great celebrations for San Prospero that take place around the church, Monday is the day of the San Prospero Market and all the faithful shop at the stalls set up in the village.

The history of the patronal feast of San Prospero in Catenanuova

The Patronal Festival of Catenanuova originates in the eighteenth century: San Prospero becomes Patron of the town in 1752 and since then the whole community of the faithful has celebrated it with love.
San Prospero Martyr lived around the 304th century AD He was a nobleman, a soldier and a Christian: in ancient Rome, he had converted to Christianity, renouncing his material possessions and his power. His conversion was punished by the emperor Diocletian at the time of the persecutions and in XNUMX AD he was beheaded, thus becoming a martyr of Christianity. His body was buried in the Catacombs of San Callisto in Rome.
Many centuries later, the Saint became the patron saint of Catenanuova, thanks to Bishop Agatino Maria Riggio Statella, brother of the founder of the small Sicilian town. The Bishop went to Rome and managed to obtain the relics of the Saint, which he brought back with him to Sicily and which are now kept in the Church of San Giuseppe in Catenanuova.

When the Patronal Festival takes place in Catenanuova

The day when the relics of San Prospero arrived in Sicily, in Centuripe in the province of Enna, was September 19, 1752 and a week later they were brought to Catenanuova giving rise to the Patronal Festival, which since then has been celebrated every year in the last Sunday of September.

Where the Patronal Festival of Catenanuova takes place

Catenanuova is located in Sicily, in the Free Municipal Consortium of Enna. The Patronal Festival in Catenanuova takes place in the streets, squares and in the Mother Church of San Giuseppe, in Piazza Aldo Moro in the historic center of the town.

What to do during the Catenanuova Patronal Festival

The Patronal Feast of Catenanuova, in honor of San Prospero, takes place over two days: from the Mass in honor of the Saint to the Procession through the streets of the town, all tourists who wish can join the community of the faithful to celebrate the memory of the Patron and gather in prayer; during the festivities, however, there is also time to play, shop and attend shows. An event not to be missed is the big concert, in which famous singers perform every year.
In Catenanuova you can also spend a few more days, dedicating yourself to visiting the town to admire the Church of Maria Santissima Immaculate or the Water Tank, both very old. Not far away, in Monte Scalpello, is the nel Sanctuary of Maria Santissima del Rosario.
If you go just a little further, about 48 km away, you will reach the beautiful Enna, where you can visit the Cathedral, the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi and the Tower of Federico II.
In the Sicilian hinterland there are also farms where you can taste delicious local products.

How to get to the Patronal Festival in Catenanuova

Reaching the Patronal Festival in Catenanuova is easy from all the main Sicilian cities.
By car, from the A19 Palermo-Catania motorway, you can take the Catenanuova exit directly; by train, from the Catania Central and Catania Europa stations, take buses or private shuttles directly to the centre.
Once in Catenanuova, to attend mass you need to go to the historic centre, in Piazza Aldo Moro, where the Mother Church of San Giuseppe is located; from there it will be possible to follow the procession with the local citizens and then, on the following day, the stalls and the shows are located in the streets of the town.

© Riccardo Spoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, Catenanuova13 at Italian Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons