A crowd of faithful participated yesterday in the procession of the relic bust of S. Annibale Maria di Francefounder of the congregations of Rogationist fathers and daughters of the divine zealtwo days slipped compared to the 21st anniversary of the canonization, which took place on May 16, 2004 due to bad weather. The extraordinary nature of the ordinary: this is the sense of holiness made of small great things, of which the canon of Messina founder of the Congregation of the Rogationist Fathers and the Daughters of the Divine Zelo is a master. That holiness that smells of life, golden like the masses transformed into the bread that feeds the many poor in the Avignon district, as well as the Gardenies that recall the miracle of the florist of Cumia, a symbol of that simple humanity, often forgotten, wounded, put to the margins, which the father of France has always had at heart, spreading his charisma all over the world. With the blessed Gardenies in hand the Messina welcomed the exit from the Sanctuary Basilica of via S. Cecilia and accompanied him in the long procession that traveled the neighboring streets of the center.
At S. Annibale the children of the school entitled to him raised the singing, with the same tenderness with which the canon took care of the many orphans of the Avignon neighborhood, feeding mouths and hearts, returning dignity to families devastated by poverty and indigence. The rector of the Basilica underlined it Father Mario Magrospeaking of the hope to which, today as then, we all appeal. “S. Annibale born and lived in the streets of our beloved Messina was light for the poor, father for orphans, a voice for the without voice, a prophet of hope in difficult times. Today we bring him through the streets of the city as a living sign of the blessing of God in this Holy Year”. Two stops planned during the procession enlivened by the notes of the Santa Cecilia Band of Santo Stefano Medio directed by Antonio Gennaro: to the Carmine church where the baptism certificate of S. Annibale and the Holy Spirit is kept where the canon was ordained a priest.