Festival of the Annunciation

A vigil of faith in the heart of Messina

The Festival of the Annunciation is one of the most deeply felt spiritual events of the Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela. Every year, in late May, the Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta and the adjacent Piazza Duomo, in the heart of Messina's historic center, host a grand nocturnal vigil of prayer, song, and testimony open to the entire diocesan community.

«Sentinels in the Night»

The initiative was born from the «Sentinelle nella notte» pastoral project and aims to involve parishes, movements, lay associations, and religious institutes in a shared experience of evangelization. The central message of the evening is to announce with joy and conviction that «God is Love», inviting participants to go out and bear witness to their faith through the streets of the City of the Strait.

The seven «steps» of the spiritual journey

At the heart of the vigil is a personal and communal path divided into seven «steps» that wind through the aisles of the Cathedral:

• Welcome – entering the praying community;
• Baptism – remembering one's own faith;
• Word – listening to the Holy Scripture;
• Prayer – dialogue with God;
• Reconciliation – the sacrament of forgiveness;
• Sharing – fraternity experienced together;
• Proclamation – the mission of witnessing the Gospel.

A choral evening

The Festival of the Annunciation is promoted by numerous diocesan offices and bodies – including the Liturgical Office, the Missionary Office, Youth Ministry, the Migrantes Office, and the Office for Catholic Religious Education – together with the Archbishop's Seminary, USMI, CIIS, parishes, and lay associations. The vigil is marked by moments of Eucharistic adoration, songs, testimonies, and prayerful silence, accompanied by a prayer booklet distributed to participants.

An event for the whole city

Free and open to all, the Festival of the Annunciation represents an opportunity for Messina to rediscover the spiritual dimension of its historic center, bringing prayer and Christian witness back to the city's symbolic square, in front of the famous Cathedral and its bell tower with the astronomical clock. It is a moment particularly dear to the youth of the Province of Messina and all of Eastern Sicily.