Feast of Saint Pancras – Patron Saint of Taormina

The patronal feast of Taormina

The Feast of Saint Pancras is the most deeply felt religious celebration in the town of Taormina, in the province of Messina, in the heart of the Ionian Sicily. Every year, on July 9th, the city pays homage to its Patron Saint, venerated as a martyr and the first bishop of Taormina. Popular devotion unites the faithful around the ancient cry "Evviva San Pancrazio," which echoes through the alleys of the historic center and along the famous Corso Umberto.

Saint Pancras, the city's first bishop

According to tradition, Saint Pancras was baptized by Saint Peter and sent to Sicily to evangelize the Taormina area, where he became its first bishop before suffering martyrdom. Because of this bond, the festivities always pair the figure of the Patron Saint with that of Saint Peter: the two statues are carried together in procession, renewing the spiritual bond between the apostle and his disciple.

The novena and liturgies

The celebrations span several days. Starting on June 30th and continuing until July 8th, a novena takes place at the Church of San Pancrazio: every evening, the recitation of the Rosary, the chaplet, and prayers to the Saint precede the evening Holy Mass. On June 29th, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the statue of Saint Peter is carried in procession to the Church of San Pancrazio, from where both Saints are accompanied to the Cathedral of San Nicola, the center of the city's liturgical life.

The July 9th procession

The day of the feast begins with a morning Eucharistic celebration at the Church of San Pancrazio. In the evening, after an outdoor Mass, the solemn procession begins: the statues of Saint Pancras, depicted in episcopal robes with the palm of martyrdom, and Saint Peter are carried on shoulders through the streets of the historic center. The procession crosses the picturesque Piazza IX Aprile, a natural balcony overlooking the sea and Mount Etna, where the traditional blessing takes place amidst prayers, applause, and emotion, before returning to the church for the "ascent" of the statue and the blessing of the relic.

Memory and identity

Intertwined with the religious nature of the festival is a deeply felt civil moment: on the morning of July 9th, at the cemetery and in Piazza Sant'Antonio, the city commemorates the victims of the bombing of July 9, 1943, when air raids struck Taormina during the preparations for the festivities. Religion, historical memory, and community identity thus merge in one of the most important dates on the Taormina calendar.