Holy Week and Easter

Holy Week in Catenanuova

In Catenanuova, a small agricultural town in the province of Enna, in the heart of Sicily, Holy Week represents the most intense and participatory religious period of the year. The rites, preserved by the Mother Church of San Giuseppe, weave Catholic liturgy with popular devotion and traditions passed down from generation to generation, involving the entire town.

The Days of the Passion

Celebrations begin on Palm Sunday: in the morning, the commemoration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem includes the blessing of palms and olive branches, while in the evening, the sacred living representation of the Passion takes place.

On Maundy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord's Supper is celebrated with the washing of the feet of the twelve apostles; the altar of repose for the Blessed Sacrament is prepared, the bells are tied, and the church remains wrapped in silence. Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence, is marked by prayer at the altar of the sepulchre, the liturgy of the Passion, and the adoration of the Cross; late in the evening, the moving ascent to Calvary transforms into a heartfelt town procession.

The taledda and Holy Saturday Night

The most characteristic moment is the fall of the 'taledda': a large painted canvas dating back to 1840, which depicts the deposition of Christ and veils the entire presbytery area. During the Holy Saturday night vigil, at the stroke of midnight, the canvas is dropped to reveal the high altar, where the statue of the Risen Christ is already positioned: the Gloria is sung again, and the bells ring out. It is a true liturgical dramatization that evokes the opening of the tomb and the transition from Lenten penance to the joy of the Resurrection.

The Easter 'Ncuontru'

On the evening of Easter Sunday, in Piazza Madonna del Rosario, the 'Ncuontru' (the meeting) takes place: the statues of the Risen Christ and the Virgin Mary, arriving from different routes, meet to the notes of the brass band and the festive sound of firecrackers, before a celebrating crowd. It is the moment that concludes the celebrations and seals the communal spirit of Easter in Catenanuova.

A Tradition of the Enna Territory

The rites of Catenanuova are part of the rich landscape of the Sicilian Holy Week, filled with processions, sacred representations, and devotional songs. The choral participation of the faithful, the novenas, and the bond with the Mother Church make this event a moment of strong identity for the town and the entire province of Enna.