July 4th is approaching with the feast of the patron saint of the city and diocese, Sant’Antonino. The day, in terms of religious celebrations, will see mass at 11 am with the bishop Msgr. Adriano Cevolotto and the presentation of the Antonino d’Oro award to the spouses Lodovica Ghezzi and Mauro Carioni, of the Papa Giovanni XXIII Community Association.
The evening on July 2nd with Msgr. Olivero
In view of 4 July, various initiatives are planned, in particular the evening with the theme “Happy to generate hope” – in harmony with the Jubilee 2025 – scheduled for Tuesday 2 July at 9 pm in the Teatini room in via Scalabrini.
Msgr. will speak. Derio Olivero, bishop of Pinerolo. The evening will be enriched by the testimony of an operator from Operation Colomba of the Pope John XXIII Community. Elisa Dal Corso (vocals), Julyo Fortunato (accordion and guitar) and Lorenzo Geroldi (piano and trumpet) will offer some musical interludes.
Born in 1961, priest since 1987, specialized in pastoral theology at the Pontifical Lateran University, originally from Fossano – where he was parish priest and held various diocesan roles, including that of vicar general – Msgr. Olivero has been bishop of Pinerolo since 2017 and president of the CEI Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue. Hope is a topic that is dear to him, so much so that he dedicated the Pastoral Letter to it for the years 2023-2025, entitled “It is possible”.
Passionate about mountains, he has climbed Monviso 27 times, with its 3,800 meters. “I have brought over three hundred people to that peak. The mountain – he explains in the interview in the Speciale Sant’Antonino edited by the weekly Il Nuovo Giornale – is a finger always pointing towards the sky”.
A mountain that, despite himself, he found himself climbing was Covid. He was intubated, he shared the suffering of many. Does the insistence on the theme of hope also arise from there? “It is actually – adds Mgr. in the interview. Olivero – for some years now I have realized that the contribution of Christianity to our society should first and foremost be a contribution of hope. We are the first society – say the scholars – that sees the future as a threat and not as a promise. So, we have to hold on to what we have, otherwise who knows what will happen. This attitude is terrible and can only be fought by generating hope. Of course, Covid has heavily affected everyone’s lives: we felt fragile, weak, helpless. Christian hope is not simple optimism. Christianity lets us see God at work. A God who warms our hearts and makes us passionate about life, a God who works outside and inside us.”
The 4th of July program
7:00 AM – Morning prayers, blessing of the “Lavender of Solidarity” and breakfast. Lavender is available, by donation, at the stand near the basilica. The proceeds go to the difficult situations followed by the parish.
8am and 9am – Masses in honor of the city’s patron saint.
10 am – Concert by the Ponchielli Band from Piazzale Genova to Piazza Sant’Antonino.
10.45 am – Welcome of the Authorities. In Piazza Sant’Antonino, at 10.45, the city authorities meet to participate in the mass.
11am – Solemn mass presided over by the bishop Msgr. Adriano Cevolotto. During the liturgy, the mayor Katia Tarasconi will offer the candle in honor of the Patron Saint, symbol of unity of the citizens, and the awarding of the “Antonino d’Oro 2024” honor to Lodovica Ghezzi and Mauro Carioni, of the Pope John XXIII Community Association.
Concelebrating with Msgr. Cevolotto are Bishop Emeritus Msgr. Gianni Ambrosio and Msgr. Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, Bishop of Kananga and Apostolic Administrator of Kabinda in Congo.
Representatives of other religions and Christian confessions operating in Piacenza will be present at the mass as a sign of the shared commitment to building the common good.
The celebration will be broadcast live on the diocese channel PiacenzaDiocesiTV
6:00 p.m. – Mass in memory of Blessed Giuseppe Beotti and the priests martyred for the faith and the Resistance. Among them, Don Giuseppe Borea, who was born on July 4th.
The other initiatives of July 4th
Cloister of the basilica, “Hospitality and care in Sant’Antonino in the Middle Ages” – Exhibition curated by Giacomo Nicelli, Anna Riva and Patrizia Vezzosi. Guided tours at 4pm, 5pm and 9pm.
Piazza Cavalli, 9pm: Piacenza in the heart – Review of Piacenza dialect songs with Marilena Massarini.
From 10am to 10pm: Santa Maria in Cortina Oratory – Guided tour by the Diocesan Cultural Heritage Office and Cooltour in collaboration with the Italian Touring Club.
Other initiatives are also planned these days:
Friday 28 June, 9pm – Basilica of Sant’Antonino:
The Basilica of the Patron Saint hosts the theatrical show “Caravaggio, a rebel genius”, curated by Paolo D’Anna. The performance promises to fascinate the public with the turbulent life and revolutionary art of the famous Italian painter, in a combination of theater and history that pays homage to an undisputed genius.
Saturday 29th June, 9pm – cloisters of the Basilica of Sant’Antonino:
In the suggestive cloisters of the basilica, the performance of the opera “Suor Angelica” by Giacomo Puccini takes place. The event, organized by the Amici della Lirica of Piacenza, sees the participation of singers in costume accompanied by the piano, giving the public an evening of true musical beauty.
Sunday 30 June at 5pm Basilica of Sant’Antonino:
The basilica is once again the stage for “Musica sulla Via Francigena”, an organ and soprano concert with maestro Alberto Pozzaglio and soprano Ilaria Geroldi. Organized by the Sant’Antonino Musica Association, the concert celebrates the sacred musical tradition, offering a moment of spirituality through music.
Monday 1st July, 9.15pm, Palazzo Farnese courtyard:
The courtyard of Palazzo Farnese hosts the MusicAlia Orchestra in concert, directed by Franco Marzaroli and Alessandra Capelli. The evening will see the performance of an inclusive orchestra with disabled people, capable of involving the public with a quality repertoire.
