Good Friday represents one of the most intense and meaningful moments of the liturgical year, in which faith, tradition, and community identity intertwine in rites rich in spirituality. In this context falls the visit, which took place on 3 April 2026, of a representation of the Western Sicily Delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George to Sciara, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, deeply rooted in its religious traditions. The initiative offered a valuable opportunity for encounter between the Constantinian Order and the local community, concretely witnessing closeness to parish realities and support for the values of the Catholic faith.
The visit unfolded through distinct yet complementary moments: an initial cultural phase, with the discovery of the town’s historical and devotional heritage, followed by intense participation in the traditional Good Friday rites, experienced in an atmosphere of recollection and deep involvement. Despite adverse weather conditions that prevented outdoor celebrations, the community preserved the spiritual value of the event by moving the procession and the Stations of the Cross inside the Mother Church.
The visit proved to be an authentic moment of sharing, in which the religious dimension united with the human and communal one, strengthening the sense of belonging and connection with local traditions. The presence of the representatives of the Constantinian Order thus took on a deeper meaning: not only participation in the sacred rites, but a living testimony of commitment, fraternity, and continuity in faith.
Cultural visit and community encounter
The representation of the Western Sicily Delegation, visiting Sciara on the occasion of the traditional Good Friday procession of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows, experienced a spiritually and culturally intense afternoon and evening.
The meeting began at 6:00 p.m., when Dr. Salvatore Glorioso, Knight of Jure Sanguinis, and Rocco Sardisco, Knight of Merit with Silver Star, were welcomed in the town by the Communications Officer of the Delegation, Dr. Giovanni Azzara, Knight of Office.
The visit initially had a cultural focus: participants admired the Mother Church dedicated to Saint Anne, a small Neo-Gothic jewel from the early twentieth century, enriched with numerous statues of saints and testimonies of local devotion. The stories linking Sciara to its foundation by Prince Filippo Notarbartolo, the history of the town’s churches, and devotion to the Most Holy Crucifix—patron of the town—and to Mary Most Holy Immaculate, co-patroness, were recounted.
The delegation then visited the parish church under the same title as the Mother Church, built in the 1980s during the closure of the latter, which had fallen into ruin before being restored and reopened for worship on 30 May 2008. The Parish Priest, Father Nunzio Pomara, welcomed the group and expressed gratitude, emphasizing that their presence strengthened the sense of belonging and shared faith within the community.
At 7:30 p.m., at the invitation of the parish priest, the knights participated in an agape meal featuring simple but deeply traditional dishes linked to the rural heritage of the town, in full respect of the Lenten fast, including pasta and an artichoke omelet made with locally cultivated produce known for its distinctive flavour.
Good Friday celebration
Bad weather prevented the outdoor Procession of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows and the Stations of the Cross, but the celebrations took place inside the Mother Church, illuminated by the dim light of candles in a surreal silence broken only by meditations and hymns. During the sacred rite, the Stations of the Cross were read with meditations drawn from the writings of Francis of Assisi, proposed by Fra’ Francesco Patton, O.F.M., former Custos of the Holy Land.
The Delegate for Western Sicily, Nob. Prof. Avv. Salvatore Bordonali, Knight Grand Cross of Justice, declared that the presence of the delegation in Sciara represented the Order’s closeness to local communities, testifying commitment, solidarity, and support for Catholic realities in the region.
The evening concluded with the hope of returning soon to Sciara to experience further moments of fraternity, spirituality, and sharing in a place where faith remains firm and deeply rooted in community life.
