Procession of the 33 (Holy Week in Carini)

An ancient rite in the heart of Carini

The Procession of the 33, known to locals as 'A Sulità', is the highlight of Holy Week in Carini, a town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily. Every Good Friday, the town gathers around one of the most evocative and deeply rooted local religious traditions: the procession of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows, carried through the streets of the historic centre by the brothers of the Via Crucis Congregation, known as the 'Congregation of the 33'.

The statues and the Church of the Rosary

The two statues venerated during the rite are the Dead Christ, laid in an urn, and Our Lady of Sorrows. Both are kept in the Church of the Most Holy Rosary on Via Ecce Homo, from where the procession begins. On the morning of Good Friday, the two statues are placed in the centre of the church, cleaned, and prepared for the evening procession: during these hours, hundreds of faithful enter to touch the statues, so much so that the brothers organize a security service to protect them.

How 'A Sulità' takes place

The rite is divided into two distinct moments. In the afternoon, following the Passion of the Lord celebrations in the churches, the procession departs from the Church of the Rosary. Later, the solemn procession reaches the Mother Church, from which the parade linked to the town's popular devotion sets off again. The brothers accompany the statues along the streets of Carini in an atmosphere of silence and contemplation, marked by the collective participation of the faithful.

A tradition shared by the community

'A Sulità' is not just a religious appointment: it is a moment of identity that brings the entire Carini community together in an experience of intense spirituality. The procession of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows belongs to the wider Sicilian tradition of Good Friday rites, where every town preserves its own customs, statues, and brotherhoods. In Carini, this heritage is passed down from generation to generation, remaining one of the most anticipated and attended events of the year.