Father Antonino Adragna, priest of the needy, dies in Trapani after 40 years leading the cathedral.
Trapani loses a much-loved parish priest, Antonino Adragna, who would have turned eighty-six in April. He passed away in a hospital in Palermo, where he was hospitalized. Ordained a priest on June 29, 1962, he led the Trapani Cathedral for over forty years. Until 2021, he was also the parish administrator of the church of Maria Santissima Ausiliatrice, dedicating himself to the youth and creating theater companies. He fought for the historic center and in favor of immigrants and was known as “the priest of the last”.
Since 2003, he has been part of the Trapani delegation of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and, for at least fifty years, he was a manager of the Juvenilia football team, becoming a reference point for the boys who gradually approached the sport. He used social media, where in these hours the messages of condolences addressed to him are numerous. Just four days ago, he had written “Happy Holy Week to all”.
“The mayor of Trapani, Giacomo Tranchida, writes:” Profound condolences for the passing of Monsignor Antonino Adragna. His spiritual guidance and his social and human commitment will leave an indelible mark on the Trapani community. Happy Easter of the Lord, which he will live directly at the forefront and surely with a always attentive eye to the city and the community that he loved so much”.
Father Adragna, during his long journey, spoke words that are still relevant and that many remember for their great significance in the fight against the mafia. “Mafia, you are not a society, but you are against society – he said during Mauro Rostagno’s funeral. We are all tired of hatred and violence. We want to live in peace. We want to tell the state and the major parties responsible for these things: wake up. We are tired of talk. The state can defeat the mafia, but it takes a strong and immediate response from everyone, no one can sit on the sidelines and watch”.
The priest’s body will be transferred tomorrow, Good Friday, to the chapel of the Trapani bishop’s seminary where it will be possible to pay him homage. The body will then be brought to the church of the Immacolata, also known as the Collegio, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The funeral will be held on Monday, April 1, at 11 am at the cathedral.
A Trapani è morto padre Antonino Adragna, il sacerdote degli ultimi: è stato per quarant’anni alla guida della cattedrale
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