Church Immaculate Conception

December 8 is the Festa dell’Immacolata or the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated throughout Italy. One of the most breathtaking churches in all of Sicily is the baroque church, Chiesa dell’Immacolata Concezione (The Church of the Immaculate Conception) in Palermo, where this photo of me was taken earlier this year. Above the…

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception 

December 8 is the Festa dell’Immacolata or the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated throughout Italy. The feast recognizes that the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin — something with which, in Catholic dogma, every person is considered to have been born. Pictured is the painting “Immacolata Concezione”…

Our Lady

On September 15, the town of Terme Vigliatore in Messina province celebrates their patron saint Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace) with a solemn procession and feast. Maria, or Mary, has many different titles, but they all apply to the mother of Jesus. So, Maria delle Grazie or Mary of the Graces is another…