Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

A celebration that spans the centuries

In the hamlet of Soccorso, a small village in the municipality of Gualtieri Sicaminò, in the province of Messina, August 22nd has always been the most anticipated day of the year. It is the feast of Mary Most Holy of Perpetual Help, the heavenly patroness and protector of the local church community. This devotion is not recent: a church dedicated to Saint Mary of Succour already existed in Soccorso in 1560, but it was in 1632 that Bishop Vincenzo Firmatura, abbot of Santa Lucia, elected the Madonna of Succour as the patroness of the town, setting the feast day for August 22nd.

The procession of the statue

The most poignant moment is the procession of the venerated statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, carried on shoulders through the narrow streets of the small village amidst the moving devotion of the inhabitants. The procession, accompanied by the brass band, traverses the entire village and culminates with the evocative blessing of the children in Piazza Duomo, who are entrusted to the protection of the Madonna: a rite that binds new generations to the faith of their fathers.

Between faith and popular tradition

Beyond its religious dimension, the Soccorso feast is also a great community event. The days are marked by the recitation of the Holy Rosary, solemn Holy Masses in the Mother Church and in Piazza Duomo, the brass band parading through the village streets, and the unmissable fireworks that light up the sky at midnight. In recent years, the festivities have also been enriched by evening shows and concerts in the square, attracting audiences of all ages.

A small village, a great heritage

The feast is also an opportunity to rediscover the artistic heritage of Soccorso: the 16th-century church houses a painting of the Madonna of Succour attributed to Domenico Cardillo, a 1622 canvas by Andrea Jannelli (the Ascent to Calvary), and a gilded wooden pulpit from the 17th century. For Gualtieri Sicaminò and the entire Tindari district, the feast represents one of the most deeply rooted patronal traditions, capable of uniting residents, returning emigrants, and visitors every year in a single devotion.