Our party recorded this year the return
of the people to venerate the holy Patriarch. The cardinal
owner Paul Emil Tscherrig presided over the procession and solemn concelebration. But many other events were planned
CWith these short lines we would like to help in some way the devotees of Saint Joseph and the friends of the Basilica del Trionfale and the Pia Unione to relive our celebration, even from afar.
The first emotion I felt, especially on Tuesday 19 March, was the presence of so many people, who crowded the basilica to pray to Saint Joseph. We can, therefore, say that the consequences of Covid have been archived and that, now without limitations or fears, we have once again been able to rally around our Patron. And the feeling of being many, united in prayer and joy, produced a real surprise in everyone.
The celebration was preceded by the novena, under the gaze of the simulacrum of Saint Joseph, transported from his chapel to the main altar. In the final three days, the preaching of Father Ottavio De Bertolis SJ, with the commentary on the Gospel of the Liturgy, helped those present to recover an authentic spirit of faith within the traditional celebration.
But two other events also marked the novena. On Tuesday 12 March there were two screenings of the documentary at the nearby Teatro degli Eroi Father's heart, a film by Goya Producciones which has been circulating in Italy and abroad in recent months and offers an interesting vision of the devotion to Saint Joseph in the world. The following Friday 15 March in the basilica there was a tribute to Saint Joseph by the Carabinieri Fanfare (with maestro Danilo Di Silvestro) and that of the State Police (with maestro Massimiliano Profili), in a much appreciated unified concert. The parish priest Don Tommaso Gigliola expressed the gratitude of the Trionfale community for this "gift" from the two State Bodies.
The maximum day of celebration and attendance was obviously March 19th. Even though it was a weekday, the six Holy Masses celebrated saw a real crowd of faithful devoted to Saint Joseph. At the end of each event there was the distribution of blessed bread; the parish priest recalled its meaning: first of all thanks to the Lord, through Saint Joseph, for what is concretely necessary for life (in the symbol of bread), but also the confident invocation of divine Providence for the future.
The most heartfelt and participatory moment was undoubtedly that of the procession of the simulacrum of Saint Joseph through the streets of the neighborhood. Under the presidency of Cardinal Paul Emil Tscherrig, titular deacon of the basilica, numerous priests were present, including the vicar general of the Guanellians Don Nico Rutigliano, and the nunciature councilor Msgr. Filippo Colnago. There were numerous nuns and a very large number of faithful.
The procession wound along the various streets of the parish and was accompanied by prayers along its entire route. Even the music of the Orchestral Band of the Lazio Region, led by maestro Francesco Procopio, helped the concentration and increased the joy. Of course, on the feast of Saint Joseph the celebration of the Mass is much more important, but the massive involvement of so many people who accompany the image of Saint Joseph and the many people (especially the elderly) who follow from the windows and balconies also deserves reflection. in prayer the passage of the simulacrum. Perhaps the good Christian people also need these gestures!
There were also some events to accompany the patronal celebration. The San Giuseppe Oratory organized a series of events to involve the younger ones with the game and attracted many to taste the pancakes and cream puffs of San Giuseppe, strictly according to the Roman tradition. In the box opposite Don Salvatore Alletto offers some news on the celebration in the Oratory.
Like other years, a group of volunteers organized the St. Joseph's Fishing, full of gifts and curiosities. The Pious Union of the Transit of Saint Joseph remained open the whole day to welcome those who asked for devotional material and above all wanted to join the Pious Union itself and request The Holy Crusade.
At the end of the day, the fireworks could not be missing, which illuminated the apse of the basilica and colored the playing fields of the Oratory. They are a burst of lights and imagination that every year concludes the celebration and completes the joy, perhaps simple yet sincere, of children and adults. We therefore make an appointment for Saint Joseph's Day 2025, when we will be in the midst of the Holy Year!