The 2020 Solemn Procession

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and in compliance with the Italian government provisions to contain the spread of Coronavirus, the 2020 rites will not follow the usual schedule and the stages of the traditional pilgrimage will not be respected. All the religious functions will be held behind closed doors, to fulfil once again the solemn Vow to Saint Efisio.

On Friday, May 1st, the Alter Nos will go to the Town Hall, where the Mayor will assign him the task of representative of the Municipality. The official investiture will take place behind closed doors. Decorated with this jewel and bandaged by the tricolour, the Alter Nos will proceed towards Saint Efisio's church where the solemn celebration in his honour will take place without public participation.

On Sunday, May 3rd, the Saint's simulacrum will be escorted directly to the church of Nora, with an open-air van. At the end of the religious functions that will be held there, the simulacrum of Saint Efisio will return on the same day to Cagliari, to its own church located in the heart of the Stampace district. All phases of the dissolution of the solemn vow will take place without public participation.

As soon as the Covid-19 emergency period will be ended, other celebrations will be scheduled: a solemn pilgrimage with processions and liturgical moments will be organized involving all the Municipalities and the places where the simulacrum of Saint Efisio usually stops on the occasion of the Feast.

2020 religious programme

30 APRIL
Ceremonial ornament of the simulacrum

1 MAY
- 9:30 am: official investiture of the Alter Nos in the Council Chamber of Cagliari's Town Hall
- 11:00 am: at the Church of Saint Efisio, celebration of the Alter Nos Holy Mass, presided by Monsignor Ottavio Utzeri, the parish priest of the Church of Saint Anne

3 MAY
- 9:30 am: departure of the simulacrum from the Church of St Efisio towards Nora
- 11:00 am: celebration of the Holy Mass for the fulfilment of the vow to Saint Efisio, presided by the Archbishop of Cagliari Monsignor Giuseppe Baturi
- at the end of the Holy Mass, return to the Church of Sant'Efisio in Cagliari for the proclamation of the vow dissolution formula