Italy
On July 25 and 26, solemn celebrations were held in honor of Saint Venera, Virgin and Martyr, patron saint of the city and diocese of Acireale. They drew thousands of faithful, inviting the community to rediscover the authentic meaning of the festivities through the testimony of the young martyr.
The Deputation of the Royal Chapel of Saint Venera, in synergy with the Saint Venera Circle and the Cathedral Basilica, led by parish priest Fr. Mario Fresta, coordinated the organization of the feast, overseeing a rich liturgical and devotional program.
The Bishop of Acireale, Mgr. Antonino Raspanti, presented Saint Venera during the celebrations as a fully free woman because she belongs to Christ. Her consecrated virginity, he explained, is the sign of a radical choice that does not diminish human nature, but brings it to fulfillment in the love of God.
The bishop also turned his thoughts to the tragedies marking our era, remembering the victims of wars and the deaths in the Mediterranean, where so many migrants lose their lives. He called attention to the wounds of our time, from femicide to wars, and every form of violence and exploitation, observing how “we have lost the sense of limits and relationships,” making room for a logic of possession rather than that of self-giving. “The body is a gift received from God” and “human dignity is untouchable,” he recalled, pointing to Saint Venera as a model of charity, evangelization, and courage for a society called to rediscover respect for the human person.
In the Pontifical Mass of the Solemnity, the Eparch of Piana degli Albanesi, Bishop Mgr. Raffaele de Angelis, invited the faithful to experience the feast as an authentic event of grace. “The bells, the illuminations, and the passage of the reliquary bust along the streets find their true meaning only if they lead to Christ,” he stated, reminding that “the Gospel does not belong to the past, but still generates men and women of faith today.” Holiness, he stressed, is built above all in daily life, through fidelity to one’s responsibilities, charity toward the most fragile, and witness to the Gospel in families, work, and society. Hence his concluding invitation: “The emotion of the feast is not enough, a life transformed in Christ is required”.
The president of the Deputation of the Royal Chapel of Saint Venera, Salvo Iannuli, expressed satisfaction with the spirit of collaboration with ecclesiastical and civil institutions, particularly with the mayor of Acireale, Roberto Barbagallo.
“The success of the celebrations – declared Iannuli – is the result of synergy between ecclesial institutions, community organizations, and volunteers. Only through authentic collaboration is it possible to safeguard and pass on the heritage of faith and traditions that Saint Venera continues to represent for our community”.
The celebrations renewed the deep bond uniting Acireale with its Patron Saint and confirmed how the festival continues to be a living sign of faith for a people who look to Saint Venera as a model of holiness and witness to the Gospel.
Source and image: Press release from the Office of Social Communications of the Diocese of Acireale