L’AQUILA – On Saturday 18 May 2024 at the small church dedicated to San Pietro Celestino V, along the provincial road that leads to Pescomaggiore, the book “San Pietro Celestino V in Paganica – between History, Stories and Legend” was presented. The presentation, moderated by the journalist Giustino Parisse, was preceded by a Holy Mass celebrated by the parish priest Don Dionisio Rodriguez who during the homily highlighted the importance for the community of this small church which houses a relic of the Saint of Morrone placed on the altar by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi on 1 February 2020.
This small church takes on even more importance because it is one of the stages of the “Way of Forgiveness – Fire of Morrone” which every year from the Hermitage of Sant’Onofrio, crossing the Subequana Valley, reaches the Basilica of Collemaggio for the lighting of the tripod, starting to Celestinian Forgiveness.
Subsequently, in the presence of a large audience and with the participation of the Deputy Mayor of L’Aquila Raffaele Daniele and the municipal councilor Katia Persichetti, the book written by Raffaele Alloggia, a lover of local history and traditions, was presented. Both Deputy Mayor Daniele and Councilor Persichetti assured the support of the municipal administration for the development of this particular place of worship re-discovered thanks to the author of the book presented.
For the purposes of valorising and promoting the little church, the Cultural Association “La Fenice” of Paganica “deserves a special mention, which for about ten years has been working towards valorising and promoting it over time (and the publication of the book is the fundamental piece), of this important sacred place not only because it constitutes a precious opportunity for the territory of Paganica, together with that of L’Aquila, but for the development of religious and cultural tourism through the Celestinian Perdonanza, the year of the Jubilee, announced for next year, and the recognition of the city of L’Aquila as City of Culture 2026.” and the separate Administration of Civic Goods of Paganica and San Gregorio, in a synergy that has allowed the reopening of the church to the faithful, which is working to make the place more welcoming and usable.
