Feast of San Francesco allo Speco di Narni, in Terni and Sambucetole

Feast of San Francesco allo Speco di Narni, in Terni and Sambucetole

“In the middle of the night to pray” is the traditional pilgrimage on foot from Narni allo Franciscan speco of Sant’Urbano which, on the occasion of the feast of St. Francis, is proposed by the young people of the Youth Ministry service of the diocese and by the Franciscan Friars.

The pilgrimage will start on the evening of 3 October at 10.30 pm from the church of San Francesco di Narni and will end at 4 am on Tuesday 4 October at the Speco di Sant’Urbano with the celebration presided over by the vicar general Msgr. Salvatore Ferdinandi in the small hermitage where Francesco stayed and performed miracles. Celebration which will also be joined by other faithful who do not take part in the journey on foot.

The pilgrimage in the night winds along a path of 15 kilometers that separate Narni from the Franciscan Speco, a silent path interspersed with prayers and songs, along the winding road through the woods and which opens up to suggestive views.

At the Speco, one of the most authentic Franciscan sanctuaries, founded by St. Francis in 1213, while he was making his apostolic tour in lower Umbria, the solemn mass of the transit will be celebrated on 3 October at 6.00 pm, while on October 4, masses will be celebrated at 11.00 and 18.00. The evening will end at 7.15 pm in the Cloister «Between music, song and prayer» Fabrizio Longaroni, trumpet and keyboard, Gustavo Gasperini violin and soprano Rita Tomassoni.

Since St. Francis preached in Terni nineteenth century years ago in 1214, the territory was not only strongly influenced by Franciscan spirituality, art, culture, but it in turn offered to this movement a notable contribution among which the Franciscan Protomartyr saints, the blessed Antonio da Stroncone, the Clarissa venerable Teresa Eletta Rivetti.

At the Antonian sanctuary of the Franciscan Protomartyrs in Terni, on Monday 3 October at 6.30 pm there will be a solemn mass with the reading of the blessed transit of San Francesco which will be presided over by Bishop Francesco Antonio Soddu.

Even in Amelia the traditional is renewed pilgrimage on foot from Sambucetole to the convent of the Capuchins of Amelia, Tuesday 4 October, organized by the parishes of Collicello, Frattuccia, Foce, Sambucetole, Macchie, Capitone and San Giuseppe da Leonessa. For the sixth year, the initiative is organized by the local Proloco and the Sant’Eurosia celebrations committee and by the pastoral council of Sambucetole and the local associations.

At 5 pm recitation of the Rosary and confessions, at 6 pm solemn celebration presided over by the vicar general of the diocese Msgr. Salvatore Ferdinandi vicar general of the diocese.

Other celebrations for the feast of the saint of Assisi will be held in the Franciscan churches of the diocese and in sanctuary of San Francesco in the center of Terniwhere on 4 October at 18.00 there will be the solemn concelebration presided over by Bishop Francesco Soddu for the entry of the new parish priest Fr Carlo Zucchetti and the new director of the Salesian oratory Fr Piero Lalla. Changes determined by superiors Salesians with the transfer of don Guido Tessa and don Claudio Tuveri who greeted the community last Sunday. The priests of Forania will be present at the celebration, with the participation of the “San Francesco” Polyphonic Choir.

Monday 3 October at 9 pm at the Sanctuary of San Francesco di Terni, organized by the ‘Assisi Nel Vento’ group, the seventh edition of the Feast of My Word dedicated to the transit of Saint Francis. The title of the event: “I am the Death of Death – Lauds and stories in memory of the Transit of the Poverello of Assisi Saint Francis”. Excerpts from Franciscan sources and from the Divine Comedy will be read.