Although Saint Calogero appears on the Christian calendar on June 18, in parts of Sicily – and especially in Agrigento, where he is the patron saint – he is celebrated far more extensively. The festivities last eight days, from the first to the second Sunday of July.
In Santo Stefano Quisquina, celebrations begin on June 17 with a procession to the small church on the mountain, while in Petralia Sottana torchlight processions, dawn Masses, and a solemn parade behind the saint’s statue mark the occasion between June 17 and 18. It is fair to say that Saint Calogero, the Black Saint, enjoys a particularly special place in Sicilian devotion.
