The rites of Holy Week are lived with particular devotion and participation by faithful who follow the various processions during different days of the week.
Holy Week begins with the procession of Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows) which takes place on Friday preceding Palm Sunday and ends with the Easter procession.
The first procession, whose cult is particularly felt by people, travels through the main courses of the city both on Friday morning and Sunday evening and wants to represent Our Lady in search of her Son, already condemned to the crucifixion. Statue of the Virgin is taken in procession by the “portatori” (bearers) of confraternity “Maria SS. Addolorata” , it is carried to shoulder along the traditional route, accompanied by prayers, and by the music of the band. It comes out of the church of Sant’Agostino (Sanctuary of the Sorrowful) to begin the procession that takes place slowly, with the sound of “troccole”, typical instruments with a shrill sound. After a long stop in Progresso square, in front of the Town Hall, in the early afternoon the Madonna reaches the Cathedral, where she will stay three days until the Palm Sunday evening. On Sunday evening the procession is resumed, unlike Friday morning, it is much longer and has more touching aspects. Around midnight, after several hours of procession, Our Lady returns to her own church.
The penitential procession of the scourged Christ is taken in procession by the confraternity “Maria SS. Della Carità” (of Charity) and takes place on Wednesday and Holy Thursday. On Wednesday the expressive simulacrum of Christ at the column comes out of the Church of Charity to reach the church of Carmine, where there is a moment of prayer in reparation for desecration of tabernacle occurred in 1637. At the end of this stop the procession resumes and the statue is led to the cloister of San Francesco (Saint Francis), where it will remain for the veneration until the evening of Holy Thursday. After a day of exposition, Christ statue will be carried in procession to its own church.
The feast of Good Friday or Holy Friday has always been a day of deep faith, emotion and intense participation in sacred functions for citizens. The rites are celebrated by the confraternity of “San Girolamo della Misericordia” and they begin before dawn, at 03:30am from the church of San Girolamo, placed in the narrow streets of arab quarter of marina, the covered Christ comes out on a gurney with the Sorrowful Madonna. Arriving in Elena square, the statues will be divided: the Madonna is carried to the sanctuary of Sant’Angelo and the Christ led inside a room of the palace La Lumia, used as a chapel.
At 01.00pm the second procession begins. From the church of San Girolamo the confrates, to the cry of “Misericordia”, bring out the cruciferous Christ who is carried on their shoulders with a rhythmic step, to be led to the crucifixion. As soon as Christ arrives in Progresso Square, in front of the Town Hall, you can see the ‘Addolorata’ statue “running”, carried out of the sanctuary of Sant’Angelo where it had been taken previously. So, takes place on the moving meeting, the “Giunta”, between Christ and Our Lady and together are heading to Calvary.
The cruciferous, who arrived near Calvary, is replaced with Christ brought during the night.
At 03:00pm the crucifixion takes place: Christ is stripped of his clothes and lifted up on the cross, and Our Lady placed at his feet.
At 07:30pm the last phase of Holy Friday begins, with the exit of the urn, that at 09:00pm is located under Calvary to welcome the dead Christ.
The Dead Christ and the Sorrow walk through the main courses of the city, the procession ends after midnight in the church of San Girolamo, where many faithful remain until the end of this long and moving day.
On Holy Saturday in the Church of Charity there is the statue of Dead Christ with the Sorrowful one, together with Mary of Cleophas and Mary of Magdalene, who according to the Gospel account were present at the tomb of Jesus. The sight of these sacred images placed in the center of the church in the shade and with sacred music in background, makes the atmosphere suggestive and invites to prayer and recollection. There are in fact many faithful who go to this church for a prayer, before Easter Vigil.
At Easter there is the procession of Redeemer Christ, called in Licata dialect “U Signuriccumunnu ‘nmanu”, organized by confraternity of the “SS. Salvatore”, the oldest in the city and concludes the rites of Holy Week of Licata. The procession takes place in the evening and takes the main courses.
During the course firecrackers are blown up and the brethrens juggle with the sacred pallium, long wooden rods ending with flags, which through skill movements are raised high, to recall the joy of the faithful who participate in the procession.
