Serrara lives history: after 400 years the church is finally dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Lucia Mattera, Serrara News | Photo by Emmanuel Guzzo photography | On Monday, July 7, 2025, the community of Serrara experienced a moment that will remain etched in the collective memory as a milestone of faith and belonging: its parish church was finally and officially dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

A gesture long-awaited for nearly four centuries, ever since—in the mid-17th century—the Carmelite friars led by Father Simone De Bernardis, at the invitation of Bishop Fabio Polverino, chose this high, silent corner of the island to build a Marian shrine, a spiritual refuge suspended between sky and sea. Yes, because spiritually, that church has always belonged to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. But canonically, one element that was anything but formal was still missing: the solemn rite of dedication, required by the Code of Canon Law, which sanctions its definitive consecration. A complex liturgical act, often postponed over the centuries, especially in small, peripheral communities, where faith was alive far beyond any protocol.

But popular faith doesn't wait for signatures to recognize what is sacred. For generations, the people of Serrara have prayed, hoped, wept, and rejoiced under the maternal gaze of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, within those walls that are at once the heart, home, and history of a people. They did so by following good shepherds, like Don Angelo Iacono, the late parish priest who for years cherished this desire. And now, from up there, he smiles as he sees that dream come true.

The profound celebration, steeped in the solemn language of the ancient liturgy, was presided over by Bishop Carlo Villano at the very beginning of the novena dedicated to the Virgin, ahead of the feast of July 16th. It was a symbolic and powerful choice. Hosting the celebration were priests Don Franco Mattera, Don Richard, and Don Antonio Mazzella, the latter visibly moved and inspired, who concluded the celebration with words that resonated strongly in our hearts: "It is not just a ceremony, it is an Act of Faith. As Saint-Exupéry wrote: if you want to build a ship, don't immediately call the men to gather wood, but reawaken in them a longing for the sea. So it is for our community: this dedication is the ship, but what truly matters is the profound desire for God that moves us."

A powerful reminder of the community's responsibility, echoed in the words of Bishop Villano, when – during his homily – he forcefully recalled that "Holy is the Temple of God, which you are." Because, if every stone of the church has a soul, that soul is us, a people on a journey, guardians not of ashes, but of a living flame, to be nourished daily with prayer, charity, and remembrance.

And so, on an evening that will remain engraved in the stones and hearts, the community rediscovered itself as a "living stone," an active participant in a story that doesn't simply look to the past, but looks forward, with hope. The scent of sacred Chrism, which filled the air during the anointing of the altar and the twelve crosses, became a concrete sign of a renewed identity, of a collective "yes" to the Gospel.

Don Antonio expressed it with soul-touching words: "This act of faith has reawakened the commitment we made at Baptism... not worshippers of ashes but guardians of a flame that fuels our faith, not immobile nostalgics of the past but men grateful for the memory."

At the end of the celebration, Mayor Irene Iacono offered her heartfelt thanks. On behalf of the entire community, she expressed gratitude to the Diocese of Isclana, the priests, and the entire community, emphasizing the beauty of a people who rally around their symbols, who build bridges of peace, and who take responsibility for the growth of their parish, their town, and their faith.

The Municipal Administration itself donated a marble plaque that will forever commemorate this sacred moment. The people also wanted to leave an indelible mark: the gift of the twelve crosses, a symbol of dedication, placed along the naves, a living testimony to the bond between humanity and the temple of God.

The history of the church of Serrara—elevated to a parish in 1641 by Bishop Tontoli—is today enriched by a new chapter, perhaps its brightest yet. For while it is true that this moment can never be relived, it is equally true that from now on, its consequences will be lived: a community more aware, more united, more filled with the Spirit. In a time that runs so quickly, we have paused. We have looked back with gratitude and forward with courage. And together, we have written a page of living Gospel.