Bishop Lorefice: “Rosalia is the hope of a city wounded by violence”

“This Festino will mark the history of this city. Rosalia passed through the streets of Palermo doing good and healing. The patroness helped to defeat the plague. Today we are faced with a challenge. To bring together rights and responsibilities because we cannot live in a Babel where we do not understand each other. Rosalia is the hope of a city wounded by violence, drug spread, unemployment, degraded urban and spiritual peripheries, with a historical center that risks becoming a large pub. But gastronomic conviviality is not enough, spiritual conviviality must also be offered.” This was said today (July 8) by the Archbishop of Palermo, Corrado Lorefice, presenting the Four Hundredth Festino di Santa Rosalia titled “Rosalia pilgrim of hope, Palermo blooms with you.”

With him were the Mayor of Palermo, Roberto Lagalla, the Councilor for Culture, Giampiero Cannella, the parish priest of the Cathedral, Filippo Sarullo, and the artistic director, Marco Balich. The Archbishop presents the Mayor Lagalla with a commemorative coin minted for the 400th Festino and the letter that Pope Francis wanted to address to the city. For Mayor Lagalla, “the social doctrine of the Church, for those who believe, is a call to the common good. This jubilee year gives us hope for the renewal of this city, its living and working conditions.” “Our investment in marginal areas for the formation of consciences and education to beauty is important,” Lagalla added. “This festino is dedicated to hope and beauty. It is a call to co-responsibility for the renewal of consciences. The religious and secular programming has been experienced in an integrated way. The project looks not only at the days of the Festino, from July 10 to 15, but at the entire jubilee year.”