REGGIO CALABRIA – Saint George on horseback defeating the dragon, representation of evil. The new wooden statue of the patron saint of Reggio Calabria paraded through the streets of the city, carried on the shoulders of bearers of the Madonna della Consolazione from Piazza Italia it leads to the National Museum in Piazza De Nava.
At the head of the procession Don Nuccio Cannizzaropriest of the parish of San Giorgio al Corso Tempio della Vittoria – church of the Artists, together with other representatives of the clergy and members of theHoly Equestrian Order of Jerusalemwith the mayor Falcomata and father Sergei Tikhonov, priest of the Greek Orthodox church of Reggio Calabria. A ritual that dates back to the beginning of the 11th century and is linked to the episode that led Reggio to inflict a defeat on the Saracens who were threatening the Calabrian coasts.
Falcomatà: “Reggio finds unity and overcomes divisions”
“The municipal administration greets the citizens and the porters. I would like to thank Don Nuccio Cannizzaro who wanted to bring San Giorgio in front of the city palace and why it is important to start building and cementing awareness of the cult of San Giorgio in our city”. Thus began Mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà’s speech addressed to the Reggio community during the procession dedicated to San Giorgio.
“We are fortunate to have two patron saints, one universal, like St. George – added the mayor – recognized throughout the world at an international level, patron saint of the scout movement with a cult and a thousand-year-old tradition spread universally. We must, therefore, recover the pride of identity around the cult of Saint George which also starts with this beautiful procession and a new statue strongly desired by Don Nuccio Cannizzaro”.
Mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà has two hopes: “The first is that, year after year, this becomes a tradition in our city, as is the cult of the Madonna della Consolazione without one competing with the other. The second hope is that, above all, around San Giorgio, Reggio can find unity again and overcome all those divisions which, unfortunately, over time and on some occasions, have made it weak and fragile. Politics must unite, institutions, associations and citizens must do so, all of them must take on the courage and beauty of the challenge surrounding the unity and future of the city. Doing it and saying it around San Giorgio, on the day that celebrates his feast, I believe is a commitment that does not end today, but continues from here to the next few years”.
“Therefore – concluded the mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà – we must make the cult of San Giorgio grow because as the awareness and importance of San Giorgio grows throughout the city. Long live San Giorgio, Long live Reggio Calabria”.
