A miracle in Sassari: seven lay people keep a church open all day. It's the Rosary Church, one of the finest examples of Baroque art on the island, with its gigantic wooden altarpiece. But a shortage of priests and staff threatened to leave this jewel closed, until Franco Carboni and Stefano Possis, along with Sebastiano, Anna, and the ladies who take care of the floral arrangements, took on a task that was anything but ordinary.
"Why do we do this?" Stefano asks. "It's about affection for the church as a community. People need to come here and enjoy a moment of silence."
Promoting this mission is Father Eugenio Cavallo, parish administrator of the Cathedral of San Nicola in Sassari. " Nowadays, unlike years ago, it's impossible to leave a church unattended ." He adds, praising the synergy with volunteers: "This is a shining example of collaboration with lay people who carefully maintain a place of worship without claiming ownership."
The Magnificent Seven, in addition to opening the church morning and evening, also take care of the cleaning. "For years," adds Franco, "and in the past, also with other volunteers who are no longer with us, we have been preparing food parcels for about 45 people every month, with the help of Caritas and some local benefactors."
This wide-ranging volunteerism, rare in the city, is also justified by the charm emanating from a church built, between its original and second structures, between 1635 and 1759. "It's like a spiritual hub here," the priest says, recalling the episode of the 80 Polish citizens visiting Sassari, some of whom, after Mass at the Cathedral, chose to confess with the Rosary. "The faithful thank us every day," Carboni emphasizes, "for our work. They weren't used to finding an open church. And, little by little, we're starting to see more people, both locals and those from the villages." This is also thanks to various initiatives, such as ensuring daily Mass, confessions on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. These are all events that were once the norm but have become the exception in recent years. "And when," the priest states, "for one reason or another, we don't do them, people complain." This is a sign of attachment to the ecclesiastical reality nestled between the central post office, the shopping streets, and the historic center. A place where, beyond the aesthetics of the place, one is struck by a tradition that is largely rooted in the Rosary. These are the votive offerings that the faithful, in abundance, leave on the statues, after having them made in jewelry shops, as thanksgiving to Jesus and the Virgin Mary for a grace received.
Meanwhile, the tireless Father Eugenio is planning Mass for Erasmus students, in French or English, and hosting University Pastoral activities. It's a way to draw young people to prayer, an increasingly rare occurrence. "In the Church of the Rosary," the priest concludes, "there's a well-educated faith."
