Commemoration of Saint Agatha – Translation of the Relics

A devotion dating back to 1126

The Commemoration of Saint Agatha in Alì, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Messina overlooking the Ionian side of Sicily, has its roots in an event handed down since 1126. According to tradition, the ship carrying the relics of the Catanese Martyr back to Sicily—having been stolen and then returned from Constantinople—had to dock at the Alì marina before continuing to Catania. The inhabitants welcomed the sacred remains with such devotion that the guardians gifted them a fragment of the veil that covered the relics and a relic of the Saint, which was triumphantly brought into town: since then, Saint Agatha has been venerated as the Patron Saint of Alì.

August 17th: The Summer Festival

Alongside the main feast on February 5th, a second celebration has developed over time: the summer feast, which commemorates the translation of the Saint's body every August 17th, the date on which it traditionally occurred in 1126. It is the event that binds the history of Alì to that of Catania and the entire Agatine Sicily.

The day's rites

The August 17th commemoration unfolds throughout the day with a program of deep spiritual intensity:

• In the morning, the opening of the shrine and the translation of the relics to the high altar of the Cathedral;
• Eucharistic celebrations throughout the day;
• In the evening, the procession with the relics through the streets of the village, the culminating moment of popular devotion.

In recent years, the spiritual journey has been marked by the approach of the 900th anniversary of the translation, a milestone the Alì community is preparing for with great participation.

The civil program in Piazza Duomo

The religious dimension is accompanied by a civil one: the Municipality of Alì enriches the occasion with a summer program of open-air shows and concerts in Piazza Duomo, turning the evening of August 17th into one of the most popular musical events of the local summer, attracting residents and visitors from neighboring towns.

A heritage of the Ionian Sicily

Between faith, historical memory, and village festivities, the Commemoration of Saint Agatha represents a precious piece of the intangible heritage of the province of Messina and the Agatine culture that spans all of Eastern Sicily. Experiencing August 17th in Alì means connecting with a nearly millennial tradition, proudly guarded by a small community.