“A Light for Life” Torchlight Procession

A pink torchlight procession for cancer patients

In Pietrelcina, a town in the Province of Benevento, Campania, the end of May has taken on a special meaning over the years: it is the time for the “A Light for Life” torchlight procession, a march dedicated to cancer patients, their caregivers, and those who have lost their battle with the disease. It is neither a food festival nor a musical event, but a popular gathering that unites thousands of people around a simple, powerful gesture: lighting a torch and walking together, in silence or prayer, through the town streets.

From Piana Romana along the historic Via del Rosario

The procession gathers in the Piana Romana district, the countryside where Francesco Forgione — the future Saint Pio — spent his childhood and early years of priesthood, and climbs the Via del Rosario, the path the friar used to walk to reach the town center. It is a short but deeply symbolic route: as daylight fades, the lit torches transform the climb toward the town into a long ribbon of light, visible from across the valley. The dominant color is pink, an explicit reference to campaigns for the early diagnosis of female cancers.

Prevention, research, and support for patients

The initiative was born from an idea by Dr. Carlo Iannace, a breast surgeon and head of the Breast Unit at the “Moscati” hospital in Avellino, who has been committed to cancer prevention campaigns in Irpinia and the Sannio region for years. The message accompanying every edition is twofold: on one hand, an invitation not to postpone check-ups and screenings, because early diagnosis saves lives; on the other, the belief that care goes beyond medicine, encompassing hope, faith, and human presence alongside those facing therapy. The torchlight procession is often accompanied by public meetings and conferences on prevention hosted in Pietrelcina in the preceding days.

Who promotes the event

• The Power of Pink, the awareness project promoted by Dr. Iannace, the creator of the procession;
• Rosa Samnium APS, a Benevento-based association active in prevention, solidarity, and social projects (including support for children with autism spectrum disorders);
• the Capuchin Friars of the “Land of Saint Pio” and the parish of Pietrelcina, who welcome the procession in the places associated with the saint;
• the Municipality of Pietrelcina, together with the Municipality of Benevento, the Province of Benevento, and the Campania Region, which grant moral patronage to the event.

Participation growing year after year

Born in a relatively private form, the torchlight procession has become a fixed appointment in the Sannio calendar in just a few seasons. In 2024, the march drew over two thousand people despite bad weather; in 2025, the third edition on June 1st concluded at Parco Colesanti with a final social gathering; in 2026, the fourth edition on May 31st once again brought thousands of participants from across the province of Benevento and Irpinia, with organized groups arriving by bus from other towns in Campania.

Pietrelcina, a place of pilgrimage

Walking with a torch in Pietrelcina is no random gesture. The town is one of the main centers of Padre Pio worship alongside San Giovanni Rotondo: here you can find the saint’s birthplace, the church of Sant'Anna where he was baptized, and the Piana Romana complex with the elm of the stigmata. The torchlight procession naturally integrates into this pilgrimage dimension, shifting the focus to health and solidarity: a procession that is both secular and religious, speaking to devotees and those who come simply to support a cause.

How to participate

Participation is free, open to everyone, and requires no registration: just bring comfortable shoes, a torch or candle, and, if you wish, something pink to wear. The route, which is slightly uphill, is suitable for families with children, but please note that you will be walking on asphalt, partly at twilight. Those arriving early can visit the sites of Saint Pio in Piana Romana before the start.