Tomorrow 29 March at 6.30 pm the procession of the Mistiari will take place in Sambiase, offering the community the opportunity to experience a strong moment of faith on the highest day of the entire liturgical year.
After the Liturgical Action which will be held at 5pm in the Mother Church, the procession will wind through the city streets.
The statues, in addition to referring to the mysteries of the Passion of Christ, also retain a social meaning. In fact, the term “mistiari” also refers to trades and the older people say that once upon a time, the statues, on Good Friday, were brought according to the work that the porter carried out.
According to what was reported by Enrico Borrello in his book “Sambiase – Research for the History of the City and its territory”, published in 1948, the statues of the Mistiari date back to 1601, the year in which the Congregation of the Annunziata was established and officially recognized by Bishop Confalone on 25 May 1622.
“It is on this date – we read in Borrello’s book – that the beautiful statues of the Mysteries of the Passion were reassembled, whose procession, on Good Friday, attracts the participation of all citizens. The date we read on one of them, 1683, must be considered, in our opinion, as referring to a restoration. And the statues are precisely those of today. We find them listed in the Inventory of the ‘Shelf of the assets of the Church of the Ever Virgin Mary of the Annunciation’, in the municipal archive: Jesus praying, Jesus tied to the column, Jesus with the cane tied in his hand, Jesus carrying the Cross, Jesus Crucified , Dead Jesus, Statue of the Virgin of Sorrows”.
This evening, however, the Holy Masses “In Coena Domini” at 5pm and 7pm respectively in the Mother Church and in the Sanctuary of San Francesco di Paola, while at 9.30pm the hour of adoration before the Altar of the Reposition. (Red)
