Maria Ausiliatrice Festival – Giostra District

The 2025 edition

The patronal feast of Maria Ausiliatrice in the Giostra district of Messina was celebrated from May 19th to 25th, 2025. The week was inaugurated on Monday, May 19th, with the start of the rosaries, which continued every day thereafter at the San Matteo Church.

Among the events, Friday, May 23rd, featured a dance recital by the PGS "Giovanni Paolo II", while the evening of Saturday, May 24th, hosted a concert by neomelodic singer Franco Staco, preceded by a musical tribute from the Giostra Philharmonic Orchestra. The highlight occurred on Sunday, May 25th, with the 6:00 PM solemn mass, followed by the procession of the Maria Ausiliatrice statue and the fireworks display. The organization was managed by the San Matteo Oratory together with neighborhood associations, with a central role played by 5th District councilor Giovanni Bucalo and his family, who have been involved in the festival for years.

2025 Program

• Monday, May 19th — start of the rosaries (continued throughout the week)
• Friday, May 23rd — dance recital by PGS "Giovanni Paolo II"
• Saturday, May 24th — musical tribute by the Giostra Philharmonic Orchestra, followed by a concert by Franco Staco
• Sunday, May 25th — solemn mass at 6:00 PM, procession of the Maria Ausiliatrice statue through the district streets, and fireworks display