Religious festival · Cefalù
Holy Week in Cefalù
In Cefalù Holy Week is celebrated in the Cathedral with the bishop: the Palm Sunday procession along corso Ruggero and the Good Friday evening procession.
2026 edition
OverCefalù Cathedral, church of Maria SS. della Catena (Piazza Garibaldi) and corso Ruggero, Cefalù
Programme
Palm Sunday (29 March): gathering at 10 am at the church of Maria SS. della Catena in Piazza Garibaldi and procession along corso Ruggero to the Cathedral; Good Friday (3 April): liturgy at 5:30 pm and at 8 pm the procession with the dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows.
This edition is over. We update the page as soon as the next dates are out.
Source: ilcefalino.it, checked on 19 October 2026
In Cefalù Holy Week revolves around the Cathedral, the Norman Duomo, where the bishop presides over every rite from Palm Sunday to Easter. The two moments out in the streets are the Palm Sunday procession, from Piazza Garibaldi along corso Ruggero, and the Good Friday evening procession with the dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows. In 2026 the Good Friday procession set off at 8 pm on 3 April.
A typical programme: Holy Week 2026
These were the 2026 events, published by the Cathedral parish and the local press (Il Cefalino, Cefalunews):
| Day (2026) | Time | What |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Sunday, 29 March | 10 am | Gathering and blessing of the palms at the church of Maria SS. della Catena, Piazza Garibaldi; procession along corso Ruggero and Mass in the Cathedral |
| Wednesday 1 April | Chrism Mass, with the blessing of the holy oils | |
| Holy Thursday, 2 April | Mass “In Coena Domini” | |
| Good Friday, 3 April | 9 am and 12 noon | Office of Readings and Lauds; Sext |
| Good Friday, 3 April | 5:30 pm | Celebration of the Lord’s Passion |
| Good Friday, 3 April | 8 pm | Procession with the dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows |
| Holy Saturday, 4 April | 10 pm | Easter Vigil |
| Easter Sunday, 5 April | 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 6 pm | Masses; Vespers at 5:30 pm |
Palm Sunday
The week opens in Piazza Garibaldi, in front of the church of Maria SS. della Catena. The palms are blessed here, then the faithful walk in procession along corso Ruggero to the Cathedral. In 2026 Mass was presided over by Bishop Giuseppe Marciante, with the parish priest Don Francesco Lo Bianco.
Good Friday
After the Celebration of the Passion in the Cathedral in the afternoon, the procession with the dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows sets off in the evening, which Il Cefalino describes as “a moment of intense popular devotion”. The sources we checked don’t give the route: follow the Cathedral parish notices.
On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, in Piazza Duomo, there’s also the Passione di Cristo, the Passion play with costumed performers: it’s a separate event, on the evening before Palm Sunday.
Practical tips
- Getting there. From Palermo it’s about 72 km and just over an hour by car, on the A19 and then the A20 to the Cefalù exit; by train there’s the station on the Palermo-Messina line. The old town is a limited traffic zone: leave the car outside and walk in (all on the Cefalù page and in getting to the Madonie by car).
- Sleeping and eating. For Good Friday evening see where to stay in Cefalù and where to eat in Cefalù.
- Weather. The processions are outdoors: check the Cefalù weather.
Past editions
For 2026 the full programme is in the table above. For earlier years we haven’t found verifiable programmes of the Cathedral rites. Other religious festivals in the area are in the Madonie religious festivals calendar; for Holy Week in the mountains there’s Petralia Sottana, with its Easter meeting.
Frequently asked questions
- What time is the Good Friday procession in Cefalù?
- In 2026 the procession with the dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows set off at 8 pm on Good Friday, 3 April, after the Celebration of the Lord's Passion at 5:30 pm in the Cathedral. In 2026 the Holy Week programme came out only a few days beforehand, at the end of March.
- Where does the Palm Sunday procession start?
- From the church of Maria SS. della Catena, in Piazza Garibaldi. In 2026 the gathering and blessing of the palms were at 10 am, then the procession went along corso Ruggero to the Cathedral, where Bishop Giuseppe Marciante celebrated Mass.
- Who presides over the Holy Week rites in Cefalù?
- The rites are held in the Cathedral, seat of the Diocese of Cefalù, and presided over by the bishop, in 2026 Monsignor Giuseppe Marciante. The programme is organised by the Cathedral parish, led by the parish priest Don Francesco Lo Bianco.
- When is the Easter Vigil in the Cathedral?
- In 2026 the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday was at 10 pm on 4 April. On Easter Sunday Masses were at 9:30 am, 11:30 am and 6 pm, with Vespers at 5:30 pm.
- Is there a Passion play in Cefalù?
- The Passion play is a separate event from the Cathedral rites: the Passione di Cristo in Piazza Duomo, with costumed performers through the old town and the Crucifixion in front of the Cathedral, on the Saturday evening before Palm Sunday.
