Torchlight Procession in Honor of Saint Nunzio Sulprizio

The feast of the worker saint in Pescosansonesco

The Torchlight Procession in Honor of Saint Nunzio Sulprizio is the most poignant moment of the annual celebrations held in early May in the small village of Pescosansonesco, in the province of Pescara, dedicated to its most illustrious son. Nunzio Sulprizio, born here in 1817 and passing away at just nineteen in 1836, is venerated as the protector of youth, workers, and the sick. His canonization, which took place at the Vatican on October 14, 2018, by the will of Pope Francis, has turned Pescosansonesco into a destination for devout pilgrimages from across the Abruzzo and Molise regions.

The torchlight procession to the Sanctuary

The heart of the festival is the torchlight procession on the evening of May 4th. As darkness falls, the faithful gather in the village and, carrying lit torches, march through the narrow streets—from Coste to Dogli and up to Via San Rocco—along the path leading to the Sanctuary of Saint Nunzio Sulprizio. Built on the slopes of Monte Picca near the Riparossa spring, the site is named after the water that, according to tradition, soothed the young saint's wounds. Prayers and religious hymns accompany the journey, which concludes with fireworks and music in the square.

The liturgical feast of May 5th

The following day, May 5th, the liturgical anniversary of the saint, the village celebrates its solemn day: high mass at the Sanctuary, the procession from the Riparossa area through Piazza Porta Nuova and Via San Rocco accompanied by the local band, and evening musical performances in the square. It is a deeply rooted popular festival that weaves religious devotion with the identity and traditions of the Pescosansonesco community.

An event for the entire region

The early May celebrations draw to Pescosansonesco not only the residents of the village and nearby Val Pescara towns but also numerous pilgrims and youth groups from the entire Abruzzo-Molise ecclesiastical region, bearing witness to the vitality of the cult of Saint Nunzio Sulprizio in the heart of Abruzzo.