Sunday was a special day--we visited the Ragusa Ward, where Chuck had served as a missionary, and Pina and Salvatore came with us. Luckily there were enough American missionaries and/or returned missionaries who could speak English to help us ladies follow what was going on (Chuck, of course, didn't have that problem). We were impressed with the lessons, the talks, and the friendly people. Chuck was invited to speak, which was a wonderful opportunity for him. And a highlight of the meeting was when all the men in the congregation (more than half of everyone there) got up and sang "Ye Elders of Israel"--they really belted it out! (by way of comparison--in our little ward, the men make up much less than half of the congregation--and the vast majority of them don't sing!)
On the way home we stopped in the the town of Consenza (halfway between Vittoria and Ragusa) and found the apartment where Chuck had lived (definitely a far cry from the Ritz)
Back in Vittoria, it was time for another gigantic mid-day meal, followed by another mid-day nap (during which the kitchen fairies struck yet again). In the evening, the Ferraros offered to watch the girls, and Chuck and I had the chance to go wander around Vittoria on our own for a while. We headed toward the middle of town, with the town hall and theater. It was fascinating to see hundreds of swallows swooping around between the buildings.
Outside of the Church for Santa Rita, they were having an outdoor mass--it turns out that it was Santa Rita Day--a big deal for that part of Vittoria.
A little while later, the statue of Santa Rita (along with the priests, a band, and a throng of women who have recieved miracles at the hand of Santa Rita) paraded up and down the streets of Vittoria. At every intersection, the cart with the statue would stop, the band would play, and someone in the procession would give Santa Rita an offering of flowers. It was quite a festival--we hadn't seen anything quite like it.
No comments:
Post a Comment