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September Time...

September, the month of harvest and intense colors given by the nature after the summer heat, it is the month for Ischia rich in religious festivals that fill of beauty and excitement the climate of our beautiful island.
The first days of September are all dedicated to the celebrations in honor of the patron saint of the island, St. John Joseph of the Cross.

The liturgical feast of the Saint is on March 5, the day of his birth in heaven and in addition to this anniversary celebrated with great devotion, especially in his native village of Ischia Ponte, here comes the long-awaited moment of the summer festivities with alternating traditional and unique events that illuminate the village of Ischia Ponte, that comes to life ‘painting’ with a thousand colors, lights and sounds.
All bands are invited to perform at Ischia Ponte in the evenings of the festivities, with also the concert of Gen Rosso entitled “DIMENSIONE INDELEBILE” (on Saturday, 31 August at Piazzale delle Alghe).
The best moments are certainly those related to the liturgy with the solemn pontifical of SE Archbishop Pietro Lagnese on Sunday, September 1 at 9:00 am and the two processions with the statue of St. John Joseph and Our Lady of Constantinople, owner of the Confraternity in Ischia Ponte.
Sunday is the day of the procession through the streets of the City of Ischia, while Monday is dedicated to the procession by sea, starting from the dock in front of the Castello Aragonese. The procession with St. John Joseph embarks on a historic fishing boat at a time and part of the castle. Once arrived there, reverses the route and heads towards the Port of Ischia, followed by another vessel that houses the Madonna of Constantinople and many other boats that accompany the Saint landing at Ischia Porto. Here we return by land in the village of Ponte and here is one of the most touching moments of the entire party with the statues within their respective churches: St. John Joseph of the Cross expects the Madonna of Constantinople goes back to the Brotherhood bowing to greet her and then return to the parish church where he is venerated. The celebrations will conclude in the morning of the following Tuesday with the repose of the statue of the patron saint in its niche, waiting to celebrate again in March and September of the following year.
On 12 September, the feast of the Name of Mary, the Church of Santa Maria al Monte in Forio at 400 meters height above sea level, turns to live and welcomes pilgrims from all over the island.
A fascinating day, that one of the feast of the Name of Mary, which runs through celebrations of Mass, procession with the Blessed Sacrament to "Punta Gallotta" and the lunch together, a sort of "second Easter Monday" for the islanders, with the inhabitants the area who do not hesitate to open at all on that day their simple homes.
In the afternoon the latest Masses and the arrival of the participants in the foot race that starts from the "Cinema delle Vittorie" in the center of Forio, close an enchanting page for Ischia that takes back a bit back in time for moving away a few hours from the hustle of everyday life, making us breathe the scent of the simplest things and because of this most beautiful ones!
No less engaging and fascinating however, is the feast of St. Michele, in Sant'Angelo, a small fishing village in the south of the island, on September 29 and 30 renews the homage to the patron saint .
Don Vincenzo Fiorentino, son of the nearby village of Panza, is for 51 years pastor of St. Angelo, at the helm of one of the smaller parishes of the island, such as active since 1905 after years of "dependence" by the Parish of St. Mary of Carmine in Serrara .
There are two intense days, those of September 29 and 30, with a schedule that varies very little from year to year but that gives new emotions to the person who lives and makes his own.
Striking is the procession of the first evening, the feast day of the patron saint, St. Michele carried on the shoulder with the faithful along the narrow streets and steep in the upper part and the simple and the picturesque harbor and darkness, as if by magic, here light all the cliffs of little flames glitter! This is thanks to the hard work of a group of local youths who, to set the stage, positioned on the rocks in large jars with oil -soaked rags, which are then turned over these two days with torches to the passage of San Michele. On September 30, in the morning the statue of St. Michele is transferred to the square of the village where he remained until evening, to be carried in procession again, this time to sea and towards Punta Chiarito in the nearby hamlet of Panza both to the Maronti-Barano (received from year to year by an inscription on the sand composed of many small torches by tour operators of the place).
A river of boats, large and small, come from all over the island and follow the "Pellicano", the fishing boat that has the honor of carrying the Saint, escorted by all law enforcement .
A show-ending from Punta Chiarito to Maronti Beach, a flash of multicolored waterfalls that stir the flames lit up the cliffs create a wonderful atmosphere.
After the Mass celebrated in the square and the concert band, a thunderous final colors the sky of San Angelo to give appointment to all next year, waiting to other Santangiolesi wonderful days!