Notizie

The Feast in honor of Saint Michael that is celebrated in the month of May is traditionally linked to the episodes of the Apparitions of the Archangel and, over the centuries, has increasingly taken shape as a feast of pilgrims, of the companies, of the devotees who often reached (and still reach today) the Sacred Grotto on foot.

The journey and the asceticism thus represent some connotations of the devotion to Michael: for this reason, the novena of prayer that prepares for the Solemnity of May 8 is a spiritual pilgrimage to deepen the message of the Celestial Patron and, above all, to get closer to God, detaching oneself from the worries and distractions of daily and earthly existence.

From April 29 to May 7, p. Paolo Hajduga proposed meditations focused on the importance and closeness of the Heavenly Prince in the life of every man: to the ecclesial, city and diocesan communities present, the Michaelite reminded the importance of prayer, of faithfulness to the Lord, of constancy in faith, of entrusting oneself to the merciful love of God.

During the days of the novena, precisely on May 1st, Cardinal Adalberto Martìnez Flores visited the sanctuary, invoking the assistance of the Archangel on the Conclave that would be celebrated shortly thereafter.

As a corollary to the dense liturgical program, some cultural events took place: the recital “Karol Wojtyla – Poet and philosopher, pilgrim of peace”, with declamations of poems composed by the Holy Pontiff on musical accompaniment of piano and flute; the presentation of the book “Sotto lo stendardo di San Michele”, a work by Vincenzo Comodo; the conference “Educational emergency: what hope?”.

On May 7, the usual vigil was included in the program of the Michael Festival and was enriched by the participation of the administrative authorities, the city parishes, walkers and tourists, as well as ancient and traditional devotional signs and gestures. At the end of the prayer, images of the Angelic Protector were projected on the external and lateral façade of the Basilica and his sword, reproduced by a conspicuous beam of light, connected the earth to the sky.

The Dies festus recorded the arrival of numerous pilgrims.

The Divine Eucharist in the morning was presided over by the Archbishop of Siponto, Msgr. Franco Moscone: «Terribilis est locus iste: this place is terrible not for those who enter to pray, but for what prayer should achieve in every heart and at all times. Terrible not for those who believe and hope, but for those who choose the paths of evil and division”.

In the evening, Fr. Raffaele Gadek officiated the Sacred Mysteries. The Provincial Superior of the Michaelites urged the faithful to let themselves be guided by Saint Michael, since he “leads straight to the heart of God, to the heart of Love”.