Processions of the dead Christ – Easter in Massa Lubrense

There are two processions of the dead Christ taking place in Massa Lubrense on Good Friday: one in Massa centro and one in Torca.

Arciconfraternita della Morte e Orazione – Massa Centro

Good Friday
Route: Chiesa S. Maria delle Grazie, Largo Vescovado, Via Palma, Via Roma, Via Rivo a Casa, Via IV Novembre, Piazza Marconi, Via Rachione, Via Mortella, Rotabile Massa Turro. Viale Filangieri, Largo Vescovado,Via Mortella, Rotabile Massa Turro, Viale Filangieri, Largo Vescovado, Chiesa S. Maria delle Grazie.

“The procession of the dead Christ – Confraternity Death and Prayer of Massa Lubrense“
Dramatic and symbolic representation of the passion and death of Christ having a carthartic value, the procession of the dead Christ, which runs every Good Friday through the streets of Massa Lubrense, is a direct subsidiary of similar medieval representations, enriched and supplemented by the taste of the theatrical that the Spanish brought in our Easter religious tradition and that became evident especially in the exhibition of instruments linked to the passion of Christ.

The Jesuits gave the biggest impetus to the pious practice of the procession of the dead Christ, and yet, although the city of Massa Lubrense had a great and powerful College of that order, no sign, no description of the march seems to have remained.

By the lawyer. Cuomo, historian emeritus of our local reality, we learn that “toward the 1910-12 the Procession of the “Dead Christ“ began to be organized in Massa Lubrense (the statue was purchased by the administration of the Church Cathedral), but the Confraternity of the Rosary of the Annunciation used to participate with its own dress, used for the funeral of the confreres (white coat, black capes, and white cap). With the passing of time, this procession went slowly degrading; until in 1971, when the tradition was renewed: with all blacks clothes, innovating path and furnishings. “

Since 1995, the procession is no longer organized by the parish former Cathedral of Santa Maria delle Grazie, but the reborn Confraternity Death and Prayer. It starts from the former Cathedral just after sunset, by torchlight, in order and strict silence.

Confraternita San Filippo Neri – Torca

Good Friday
Route: Chiesa Parrocchiale San Tommaso Apostolo, Piazza San Tommaso Apostolo, via Botteghe di Sopra, via Torricella, Via Croce, Via Reola, via Regina Margherita (fino al bivio con Acquara), ritorno lungo via Regina Margherita, via Reola, Doppio Corso, Via Deserto, Piazza Sant’Agata, Corso Sant’Agata, Via Croce, Via Torricella, Piazza San Tommaso Apostolo, Chiesa Parrocchiale San Tommaso Apostolo.

“The procession of the dead Christ – Confraternity San Filippo Neri of Torca” The Confraternity of St. Filippo Neri, the westernmost of the Sorrento peninsula, organizes a procession during Holy Week, and properly on Good Friday evening. This initiative is due to the old parish priest Mollo who promoted favoring it with a statue of the dead Christ in papier mache.

The wear of time (maybe even a little carelessness) suggested to replace the statue with another in wood, that the current parish priest, Don Mario Cafiero, realized with the contribution of the local people. Like all other similar rites, this procession begins at dusk, but features its peculiarities: it is opened by “Catholic children” of the parish with their “pennant”, followed by the Associations of Catholic Action (youth and women) and then by the Confraternity, in black habit. The brothers carry in procession the ‘torment‘ and ‘lamps‘.

The final part of the procession is made up of a group of boys who carry on their shoulders the “cross”, the statue of the Dead Christ (adorned with lights and flowers), the musical band, a choir of children and young people and, finally, the venerated statue of Our Lady of Sorrows (also adorned with flowers and lights), followed by a large group of women in prayers.

This procession of the Confraternity of San Filippo Neri has not the chorus of “Miserere”, but in its place has the children’s choir, singing the hymn “At Calvary“, in the same text of the Confraternity of the Crucifix of Meta, which so begins:

Del Calvario sull’erta pendice
Il Dator della vita s’immola
Col suo sangue dell’Uomo infelice
Ei cancella la colpa fatal
A raccogliere l’estrema parola
Del Suo figlio morente una madre
Resta immota tra barbare squadre
Come vinta da colpo fatal.

The procession reaches the neighboring hamlets of Pastena and S. Agata, in which churches, among devout masses of crowds, the priest plays an appropriate speech, then returning to Torca where, among the general commotion, the participants and the people kiss the Madonna’s mantle and the statue of the Dead Christ, at the conclusion of their penitential rite and as hope for the feast of Easter Sunday.