Parish of Saint Mary of Pompei: a long journey lasted 100 years
On Saturday March 10th, the exhibition A long journey. Past and future: celebrating 100 years of the Parish of St. Mary of Pompei was inaugurated.
In the parish hall some posters illustrate the history of the Capuchins in Messina.
Thanks to the parish priest’s strong will the exhibition could be realized, curated by professor Giovanni Turrisi and organized by the Intervolumina association in partnership with Magikasrl.
The exhibition for the anniversary of the Parish St. Mary of Pompei
During the opening ceremony, after the priest’s greetings, the curator explained how the exhibition came about and how it is organized in three different sections:
- the first is about the early life of the parish, from the settlement of the friars in 1533 to the early 20th century, including the suppression of the order, due to the laws, which the state used to seize religious assets, and the 1908 earthquake damages;
- a second one is dedicated to the foundation of the Parish in 1917;
- the third section describes the church both as a building showing the damages caused by the 1943 bombings, and as a community, recalling its history with the
presence of the friars, the lay congregation, up to the centenary.
Furthermore the exhibition appears attractive thanks to a great number of evocative photos, some never on display before. They show the church and the convent, destroyed twice along the last century; first by the earthquake and then by WWII bombings. They were rebuilt each time. Then a wide section is also dedicated to the ones – priests, friars and lay congregations – who where the active core of the parish. Year after year they built up the community diversified heritage.
Up to May 8th the exhibition is open Monday to Saturday from 4pm to 7pm, on Sundays from 10am to 1pm and from 5pm to 7pm.
