Tradition has it....

...that after the apostle Paul founded the church in Siracusa, Sicily, he stopped in the seaport of Catania before he continued on his way. He was also, supposedly, ministered to by Santa Maria di Ognina. The church named for this saint each year has a festival marking the visit of St. Paul. The festival is culminated with the statue of Santa Maria di Ognina being carried out of the church by six strong men, paraded through the streets of Catania then placed on a boat decorated with many lights and floated down the shoreline accompanied by priests and dignitaries. Also accompanied by many, many small highly decorated boats (I lost count at 30). As they floated down the sea just a few yards from shore, there were several places where the all the boats stopped and faced shore for a small ceremony with the onlookers.






Giusseppe and Mimma, Bob and I met some other friends and was able to watch the procession from the balcony of a popular swimming area. This also happened to be one of the stopping places at which time the owner of the swimming area and his daughter took a small boat to meet the saint with an offering of armloads of beautiful white flowers. The crowd clapped and said rosary together with the priests (who had a loudspeaker system) then sang a well-known song together. It was quite a spectacular event. But for Bob and I the best was yet to come.





When the song was done there came one of the most beautiful fireworks displays we had ever seen, and we were only about 50 yards from it's point of origin. Explosion after explosion rocked the air and the rockets and sparkles they made were such a celebration one couldn't help but be awestruck.




These photos can't do justice to having a giant ball of light explode into thousands of shining diamonds almost above your head. But....I do hope you enjoy seeing them.




After the fireworks the procession moved on to the next and the next until it came to the port nearest the church and was placed in a place of honor in the church at midnight.

When the fireworks were over, we went to Aci Tressa to a pizza restaurant. Outside tables were surrounded by fruit trees and you were encouraged to reach up and pick a plumb or some grapes or a banana to enjoy either before or after your pizza. There was even a pomegranate tree near us with pomegranates that, we were told, would be ripe at Christmastime.