The Feast of the Madonna del Lume, the Madonna of the Light, in Porticello is a special one for me not only because the people’s devotion to her is so strong – – something beautiful to witness, but also because Porticello is where my grandfather, who came from a fishing and merchant family, was born.
This Madonna lights the way for the fishermen to find their way home. And me too, now that I’m establishing a home here. With it, I am finding my way to my roots and confirming my ancestral knowing. My friends say, “By now, you are Sicilian!” and yes, I do feel very much at home here after almost 30 years of traveling in Sicily. But even still, I approach every day with a sense of wonder and light in my heart. Keeping that light burning is what the Madonna del Lume reminds me to do.