San Rocco Patronal Feast

San Rocco, the Patron Saint of Scordia

The San Rocco Patronal Feast is the most significant religious and popular event in Scordia, a town in the province of Catania, located in the heart of the Catania plain in Sicily. Saint Roch of Montpellier, a pilgrim and wonder-worker invoked against epidemics, was officially proclaimed patron of the municipality on April 2, 1888, by a papal bull from Pope Leo XIII. However, his veneration dates back to the 17th century, when Prince Antonio Branciforti commissioned the grand Baroque church dedicated to him.

The days of the feast

Celebrations unfold throughout August, reaching their peak in the middle of the month. A preparatory novena precedes the solemn days, guiding the community in devotion to the patron saint.

• August 15 (Vigil): Following the evening mass on the parvis of the Mother Church, the faithful follow the procession of the relic of Saint Roch, carried under a canopy to Piazza Umberto I.
• August 16 (Feast Day): After the solemn sung mass and the panegyric of the Saint, the silver statue is carried in procession along the town's main streets; the festivities reach their climax at midnight, when the faithful bid farewell to the patron saint with spectacular fireworks.
• August 23 (Octave): Further celebrations and a procession conclude the festivities, featuring pyrotechnic displays in the town squares.

Between faith and popular tradition

The feast unites the religious and secular dimensions: the sound of bells and blank shots announces the day, the marching band parades along the main street with symphonic marches, illuminations light up the streets, and the distribution of blessed bread recalls the ancient tradition linked to the figure of the Saint and his faithful dog. The relic of Saint Roch, kept in a precious sun-shaped reliquary, and the wooden statue covered in silver are the protagonists of the processions.

A feast of identity

For the people of Scordia, the days of San Rocco represent the most awaited moment of the summer: emigrants and visitors return to town, and the streets of the historic center fill with people, stalls, and the aromas of local specialties. The feast, organized by the San Rocco Mother Parish (Diocese of Caltagirone) with the support of the Municipality of Scordia, is one of the most authentic expressions of Sicilian popular religiosity.