L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Continued from page 4 could not wallow in the fact they served with faith and humble- ness their community. An impor- tant symbol, that needed to be kept and respected. In the south of Italy, we'll meet the Arciconfraternita del Carmine, in Taranto: officially founded in 1645, they are active throughout the year, but it is dur- ing the Holy Week that their work truly leaves the mark. They are in charge of the ancient Pro- cessione dei Misteri, that has been taking place of Holy Friday since the late 16th century. Orig- inally, only the statues of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows were carried in the streets of old Taranto, but today, a bona fide crowd of beautiful sculptures is part of the proces- sion: all of them carried by hand by the members of the Arcicon- fraternita del Carmine. In Sulmona, Abruzzo, the Confraternita di Santa Maria di Loreto, known as lauretani, are protagonists of one of the most curious Easter traditions in town, that of the Madonna che scappa in Piazza, or the Virgin that runs in the square. Yes, you read it right, and that's exactly what happens. The whole ritual is a sort of theatrical representation, with the statue of the Virgin, that of Christ Resurrected and others literally acting their part, always held on their shoulders by laure- tani. The climax of the ceremony is when, at 12 on Easter Sunday, thanks to a series of secret mech- anisms known only to the mem- bers of the Confraternita, the black cloak covering Mary's shoulders, symbol of mourning for the death of her son, falls to the ground, because he resurrect- ed. Twelve doves are released in the skies, and the lauretani start running, the precious statue on their shoulders, for the accom- plishment of a traditional act that leads many to tears. Tradition, heritage and identity are not only kept alive by confraternite, but also by a series of rituals rooted in our national and cultural past, a past made of spirit, of art, of beauty and mystery. Once upon a time, the Officium Tenebrarum was a regular part of the Holy Week everywhere in the Catholic world. It was part of the liturgy and, in fact, it still is, but not many parishes practice it, because it's a ceremony entirely in Latin, it's in the evening, it's long: not really what today's world wants to participate to. It takes place on the Wednesday of Holy Week and, at the end of it, the whole church is shrouded in darkness and silence. And it's then that the Miserere is intoned, a moment of touching beauty, when one thinks to the thousands and thousands of people who stood just there, throughout the centuries, listening to those words, praying the same way, breathing the same air. In the rare occasion when, today, the office is proposed, it is incredible to note how many people attend, in spite of the length, of the mid- week date, of the Latin: many do it for faith, of course, but many also do it because there is a sense of connection with the heart of our tradition in it, with a past that makes one what we are and per- haps, for someone, of memories of holding hands with grandma and grandpa, all those years ago, when "andare alla messa con nonna" was the ultimate treat, because nonna would let you light candles in church and buy you ice cream afterwards. Italy is a country built on a history repleting with spirituality that marked its identity from an artistic and cultural point of view, but also when it comes to heritage and memories: it is of this reality, a reality made of rit- uals and confraternite, of music and prayers, of communities uni- fied in heritage and values, that the Italian Easter also tells us about. In a time where the past often is neglected, if not forgot- ten, and the essence of Man ridiculed, tradition and heritage remain the most beautiful exam- ple of what our country is, of where each and everyone of us comes from. An example bring- ing together the faithful and the non-faithful, the young and the old, the man and the woman, the rich and the poor, all sharing memories and values as old as Italy itself, never truly lost, never truly forgotten. Members of the Arciconfraternita del Carmine, Taranto, with their white robes, capes and hoods © Francesca Sciarra | Dreamstime.com Re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross, by members of a confraternita © Francesca Sciarra | Dreamstime.com

• Cover