La Madonna che scappa, or the Runaway Madonna, is a pious ritual held every Easter Sunday in Sulmona, Italy. (A large statue of) Mary, dressed in black and keening while swaying back and forth, suddenly sees the resurrected Lord. As she sees the living Christ, her black shroud is cast off, exchanged for a garment of green (the color of life), and, as white doves fly up around her, she rushes to meet her Son. This spectacular theatrical re-enactment, one of the biggest events in Italy, has been acted out for centuries in Sulmona by the Confraternita di Santa Maria di Loreto. The full experience begins on Friday night and ends with Mary rushing to greet Our Risen Lord. So, next year in Sulmona?
Beautiful! Brings tears to my eyes.
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