ACIREALE. THE PROGRAM OF THE EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER FESTIVAL OF SAN SEBASTIANO

CELEBRATIONS IN HONOR OF SAN SEBASTIANO MARTIRE
Co-patron of Acireale
AUGUST 2022

Contemporary man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers or, if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. […] Modern man, engaged in the conquest and use of matter, is hungry for something else, feels a strange loneliness. The Christian who gives himself completely to Jesus Christ knows another mystery that is more unfathomable than matter: the mystery of God who invites man to share life in endless communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Mystery of transcendence and proximity! In truth, twentieth-century man aspires to this fullness of personal dialogue that matter refuses him. Witnesses to the invisible are needed today more than ever. (Saint Paul VI)

Program
SATURDAY 20 AUGUST 2022
Jubilee of brotherhoods, associations and committees
17.00: Gathering of the brotherhoods, associations and committees that celebrate Saint Sebastian at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Piazza Duomo.
5.30 pm: Jubilee statio and procession to the Basilica of San Sebastiano. Homage to the holy bimartyr and Holy Mass
8.00 pm: Holy Mass.

SUNDAY 21 AUGUST 2022
11.00 – 19.00: Holy Masses.

PREPARATION TRIDUUM – 22 – 23 – 24 AUGUST
7.00 pm: Holy Mass presided over by the most reverend Don Carmelo Asero, Provost of the Basilica Collegiata Santa Maria dell’Elemosina in Catania.

THURSDAY 25 AUGUST
Church of Sant’Antonio da Padova
5.00 pm: Holy Mass and exhibition of the relics of San Sebastiano.
7.30 pm: Jubilee statio in the open space in front of the church of Sant’Antonio da Padova. Penitential path with the relics of Saint Sebastian towards the Basilica. Entrance into the Basilica through the Holy Door and celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation with individual confessions and absolutions. At the end blessing with the sacred relics.

FRIDAY 26 AUGUST 2022 – EXTRAORDINARY OUTDOOR PARTY
08.00: Opening of the Basilica. (The simulacrum of San Sebastiano will already be exposed for the veneration of the faithful)
09.00 – 11.00 – 17.00: Holy Masses
7.00 pm: Solemn Eucharistic Celebration presided over by His Excellency Mons. Giuseppe Sciacca, president of the labor office of the Apostolic See, which will be attended by the reverend Collegiate Chapter of the Basilica, the parish priests and the clergy.
8.00 pm: Solemn exit of the venerated simulacrum of San Sebastiano and introduction to the city’s jubilee pilgrimage dictated by the dean Don Alessandro Di Stefano. The journey will wind through the streets: Ruggero Settimo, Piazza Duomo (stage in front of the Cathedral), Corso Umberto (stage in front of the church of San Rocco), Corso Italia (stage in front of the church of San Paolo), Corso Savoia (stage in front of the statue of San Sebastiano in piazza Porta Gusmana), piazza Duomo, via Davì, via Musmeci and return to the Basilica.

SATURDAY 27 AUGUST
19.00: Holy Mass.
8.00 pm: Presentation of the book “Di seta et oro. Ancient fabrics in the churches of Acireale”, by Fabio
Francesco Grippaldi and Maurizio Vitella.

SUNDAY 28 AUGUST – Day of charity
As a sign of charity and devotion to Saint Sebastian, we are invited to bring food
which will be shared with the most needy
09.00 – 11.00 – 19.00 – 20.30: Holy Masses
The simulacrum of San Sebastiano will remain exposed for the whole day for the veneration of the faithful.

WEDNESDAY 31 AUGUST
19.30 – 20.45 – 22.00: Tableaux Vivants by Caravaggio. Living paintings, taken from 23 pictorial works
by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, accompanied by music by Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi, curated by Ludovica Rambelli Teatro.

THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
8.00 pm – Church of Sant’Antonio da Padova: Presentation of the book “The old church of San Sebastiano – The church of Sant’Antonio di Padova in Acireale”, by Antonio Trovato.

FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER – Eucharistic Day
09.00 am: Holy Mass and exhibition of the SS. Sacrament.
19.00: Solemn Holy Mass. At the end of the procession with the SS. Sacrament in Piazza Leonardo
Vigo. Eucharistic Blessing.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3rd
19.00: Holy Mass
20.00: “The exorcist tells … psyche, superstition, faith”, dialogue with Don Alessandro Di Stefano,
diocesan exorcist.

SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2022
Closing of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year
11.00 am: Holy Mass
19.00: The simulacrum of San Sebastiano will be moved in front of the central door of the Basilica.
7.30 pm: Solemn Eucharistic Concelebration presided over by His Excellency Mons. Antonino Raspanti, bishop of Acireale and president of CESI and concelebrated by the Bishops emeritus of Sicily, in the churchyard of the Basilica. The civil and military authorities of the city will participate. At the end of the celebration, the Bishop will close the central door of the Basilica, sanctioning the conclusion of the extraordinary Jubilee Year.

“𝘐𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘪 – declares 𝗗𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗼 – 𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘪 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘪 𝘶𝘯 𝘶𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘚𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘢 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘰 𝘤𝘪𝘰 𝘴𝘪 𝘴𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘻𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘴𝘶 𝘦 𝘦 𝘦 𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘭 𝘥𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘓𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘪 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘦 𝘦 𝘥𝘪 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘻𝘢 𝘥𝘪 𝘥𝘪 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘥𝘪 𝘥𝘪 𝘥𝘪 𝘥𝘪 𝘦 𝘦 𝘦 𝘦 𝘦 𝘐𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘻𝘢 𝘥’𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘚𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭’𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦. 𝘐𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘢 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘢’ 𝘥𝘪 𝘈𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘪 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘢’ 𝘥𝘪 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢’ 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢 500 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘪 𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘪”.

In compliance with the anti-Covid-19 regulations issued by the Government, the Italian Episcopal Conference and the local authorities, the faithful are invited to observe the provisions in force. The use of the mask is recommended inside the Basilica, during liturgical celebrations and outside in times of greatest confusion.
On Etna Espresso Channel (channel 199) and on Facebook Basilica San Sebastiano Acireale, it will be possible to follow: the Solemn Eucharistic Celebration on 26 August at 7 pm and the exit of the fercolo at 8 pm; on 4 September the Solemn Eucharistic Celebration at 7.30 pm.
The artistic lighting of the square and of the streets adjacent to the Basilica is by Novarlux.
The musical services will be curated by the Historical Band “Orazio Sapienza” of Aci Sant’Antonio directed by Maestro Filippo Sapienza.
The liturgical celebrations will be animated by the San Sebastiano Martire Musical Chapel and the Note Acesi choir.
Thanks to: The Municipal Administration, the PS Commissariat, the forces of order, the groups, the voluntary associations, the devotees and all those who in various capacities collaborated in the success of the celebrations.