Blessed Rosary Livatino

Blessed Rosary Livatino

From October 7 to 8, 2026 the solemn “Peregrinatio Beati Rosarii Livatino – Fidei et Justitiae Martyris”, pilgrimage dedicated to the memory of the Blessed Judge Rosario Livatino.

The initiative, organized by the Saint Demetrius Parish, intends to recall its witness of faith, justice and courageous service to the institutions.

The initiative provides for the exposure of a silver case containing the bloodthirsty shirt that the judge wore on the morning of 21 September 1990, the day when he was killed by the assassins of the Agrigentina Stydda, while he went to work on board his car, without escort.

The relic of the “justice boy”, originally from Canicattì, will be welcomed on Wednesday, October 7 at 10.00 at the Cittadella Giudiziaria in via Dalmatia, in the presence of the Archbishop, H.E. Mons. Andrea Bellandi, of the authorities, of the students and of the orchestra of the State Lycée “Alfano I”, directed by M° Francesco Di Costanzo: an opportunity for the citizenship to honour a model of his own penal.

According to the dense program of the pilgrimage, the relic, after the reception ceremony, will be exposed for visits in the Church of San Demetrio in via Dalmatia, where at 19.00 will be celebrated the Holy Mass presided over by H.E. Mons. Pasquale Cascio, Bishop of Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi-Conza-Nusco-Bisaccia, Vice President of the Episcopal Conference Campana and Regional Delegate for the Penitentiary Pastoral.

Thursday, October 8, from 10.00, will continue the visits of students and citizenship; while at 19.00, in the Church, will hold a meeting of reflection and dialogue on the Judge Rosario Livatino, to which they will participate: Domenico Airoma, Procurator of the Republic at the Court of Naples North and Vice President of the Centro Studi Rosario Livatino; Filomena Zamboli, Director of the Regional School Office for Campania – Office X, Territorial Area of Salerno; Don Andrea Zappulla, co-author of the book “Decide is to choose. A. Livatino, Believe, experiment, love.” Katia Cardillo, President ANM Salerno; Giovanni Allegro, Secretary of the Order of Lawyers of Salerno; and Karol Potolicchio, Coordinator of the Youth Forum of the Province of Salerno. The meeting will be moderated by Fr Rosario Petrone, pastor of San Demetrio and chaplain of the Casa Circondariale in Salerno.

Thirty-six years after his tragic disappearance, the words of Judge Livatino still retain an extraordinary topicality: “The independence of the judge is not only in his conscience, in moral freedom and in fidelity to principles, but also in the transparency of his conduct, even outside his office, in the freedom and normality of his relations, in his unavailability to initiatives and affairs, in the choice of friendship”. (April 7, 1984)

“The judge must offer himself the image of a serious, balanced, responsible person, the image of a person capable of condemning, but also of understanding; only so can he be accepted by society. This and only this is the judge of every time: if he always appears free and independent, he will show himself worthy of his function; if he keeps himself intact and impartial he will never betray his mandate”.

(April 7, 1984)

«In service to the brethren Christ meets» (cf. Mt 25:40)

The parish priest Fr Rosario Petrone