The Good Friday Procession
The representation of grief at the loss of a child.
On the day before Christian Easter, Good Friday, immediately after the service of the Lord's Passion celebrated in the Mother Church, the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows is carried in procession through the streets of central Marsala accompanied by the clergy, confraternities, civil and military authorities, and the numerous faithful.
The event is organised by the Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows, the same Confraternity that, towards the end of the 18th century, entrusted the making of the statue of the Madonna to a non-commissioned officer skilled in wood carving.
The soldier, whose name is unknown, made the face, hands and feet out of cypress wood, then Priest Donato completed the work with painting, making the tunic and mantle out of papier-mâché. At the end of the 19th century, the need was also felt to protect the precious statue with a silk mantle with gold embroidery.
It is not known exactly when this rite began in our city. It is a less spectacular procession than the Holy Thursday procession because there are no actors acting and no characteristic costumes are worn, but it is the most heartfelt.
The emotion of the townspeople and the empathy for the grief of a mother who has lost a child reach an almost tangible level of emotional involvement, so much so that every participant, from the highest officials of the city to the most ordinary people almost seem to weep in unison with the grieving mother. Every year, the presence of a large number of people drawn by an ancient sentiment demonstrates the importance of this event.
The itinerary of the Good Friday Procession
Starting at about 5:00 p.m., the procession will go through an evocative route that will touch symbolic places in Marsala:
- Chiesa Madre
- Piazza della Repubblica
- Via XI Maggio (dx side)
- Piazza Matteotti
- Via Stefano Billardello
- Via On. Francesco De Vita
- Via Giuseppe Verdi
- Via dello Sbarco
- Via Giovanni Bosco
- Via Francesco Crispi
- Via Roma
- Via On. Andrea Spanò
- Via Libertà
- Via Aspramonte
- Via Mentana
- Via Giulio Anca Omodei
- Via Pascasino
- Via Largo Sansone
- Via Sardegna
- Via Sardegna Piazza Castello
- Via Punica
- Via Vincenzo Pipitone
- Via Frisella
- Via Sarzana
- Via XI Maggio
- Via Armando Diaz
- Via delle Ninfe
- Via Santa Lucia
- Via delle Sirene
- Via Scipione l'Africano
- Piazza Mameli (short prayer stop)
- Piazza Addolorata (return to the Shrine)
Upon the procession's return, the Shrine will remain open until midnight for personal prayer, offering the faithful a moment of recollection and meditation. The citizenry is invited to participate in the procession, honoring the passage of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows with floral decorations and display of fine linens, in a gesture of deep devotion and respect.