Second Sunday of September
It is not only a religious event, but also a civic, socio-cultural and personal identity event, regardless of one’s creed.
Who lives far from his native country, even if he has lived there for not many years, the second week of September, if he cannot return, the thought goes to the feast of Our Mother, with all that may mean of nostalgia of his childhood and youth, of family affections left on the spot, living and deceased, of childhood friends, traditions that awaken sounds, songs, smells and tastes of our home.
Established in 1710 the festival is referred to some prodigious events that occurred during the presence of a picture of Mary SS. Immaculate brought to Bivongi by father Giuseppe Cretari, sent by the prior of the Charterhouse of Santo Stefano del Bosco of which Bivongi was a fief, to preach a mission. It happened that during the first procession with the image of the Virgin, entitled "Mamma Nostra", some prodigious events occurred that forever tied the heart of the Bivongesi to the image of the Mamma Nostra.
The first was that of the rain fell in the surroundings of the country, laughing from the drought that year had been raging for a long time, leaving dry the town where the procession was taking place.
The second was the healing of a paralytic who, upon passing through the image, confident in the power of intercession of Our Lady, wanted to approach her to kiss her, and thus the prodigy of his healing was performed, and the miracle worker joined the other faithful who followed the effigy in procession.
The third episode is that of a family saved thanks to devotion to Mary. That same evening, at the end of the procession, a solemn religious service was held in the church. A man, animated by a devout spirit, urged his wife, who had been three days pregnant, to go to church with him, bringing the three-day-old child. While they were in church the roof of their house collapsed without any casualties, because they were in church.
For these events the bivongesi asked the preacher father to leave in Bivongi that effigy of Our Lady and from that day was the object of great devotion.
In the following centuries, the Madonna performed great and small miracles including the fact that there were no victims in the strong earthquake of 5 February 1783, until the flood of 1951.
The feasts for Our Lady Mother are actually two, this of the second Sunday in September, to remember the first procession of 1710, is the most important with its religious events focused on the novena with preaching, solemn Mass and procession. Both religious and civil events are organized.
The other is that of 5 February, also called thanksgiving for the avoided danger from the earthquake of 1783.
