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The Feast of Saint Agatha, patron saint of Catania, is one of the most intense and spectacular religious events in the world. It is recognised as the third most widely attended religious festival globally, attracting hundreds of thousands of worshippers and visitors each year from across Italy and abroad.
The heart of the celebration takes place over three main days – 3, 4 and 5 February – but the entire festive cycle runs from 30 January to 12 February, including preparatory rites, moments of reflection, liturgical celebrations, public displays of the relics and special Masses.
Key moments of the Feast of Saint Agatha:
· 3 February – Offering of the Candles and Candle Procession
At 12:00 p.m., the procession of the offering of candles sets off from the Church of Saint Agatha at the Furnace and reaches the Cathedral. Religious, civil and military authorities, chivalric orders, academic institutions, historic Senate carriages and worshippers take part, accompanied by votive candles. The ceremony concludes in the Cathedral with the solemn Te Deum and Eucharistic blessing.
· 4 February – Dawn Mass and Grand Procession
Before dawn, worshippers enter the Cathedral for the Rosary and the Dawn Mass (6:00 a.m.), followed by the procession of the relics of Saint Agatha, which passes through some of the city's most symbolic locations: Porta Uzeda, Piazza Stesicoro, Sant'Agata la Vetere, Piazza Palestro and Via Garibaldi. In the evening, the reliquary returns to Piazza Duomo.
· 5 February – Pontifical and Final Procession
After the morning celebration of the Solemn Pontifical in the Cathedral (10:15 a.m.), the evening procession of the Holy Relics takes place in the afternoon, passing through Via Etnea, Piazza Cavour, Via Caronda, Via Crociferi, Piazza San Francesco d'Assisi and finally returning to the Cathedral. This is followed by the celebration of blessing and thanksgiving presided over by the Archbishop.
The programme also includes:
· Preparatory Triduum (30 January – 2 February) with special Masses dedicated to the armed forces, female victims of violence, volunteers, and religious men and women
· Post-festival celebrations (6–7 February) with Masses at the altar of Saint Agatha
· Extraordinary display of the relics for schools (9–11 February)
· Closing day (12 February) with Holy Masses, veneration of the relics, a solemn celebration and final procession in Piazza Duomo
The Feast of Saint Agatha is an experience that goes beyond religious ritual: it is a collective encounter of identity, devotion, community and cultural heritage, capable of uniting spirituality and spectacle in the heart of one of Sicily's most vibrant and authentic cities.
