The Dead Christ Procession – Isernia
April 18th, 2025. On Good Friday, procession with statues and penitents.
Friday April 18th, 2025 – Good Friday – it takes place in Isernia, the Dead Christ Procession, a representation of the collective condolence for Jesus’ death.
The Dead Christ Procession is celebrated on the day of grief recalled with the sacrifice of the Agnus Dei, a word that indicates Jesus as a sacrificial victim for human redemption. But it’s also the final act that allows the Resurrection of Christ which occurs on Easter Sunday.
The principal protagonists of the procession are represented by statues carefully prepared and dressed by the old women of the territory:
– Dead Christ statue, marked with red wounds of the martyrdom and surrounded by fresh flowers;
– Lady of Sorrows statue, wearing a black dress and a cape with gold embroidery, and has a heart pierced with seven daggers, which symbolize the 7 deadly sins;
– Ecce Homo busts, statues that represent Christ after the flogging with the crown of spine and the red cape;
– the “Calvary Crosses”, the “Shroud crosses” and the crosses with the elements that recall martyrdom, the crown, nails, swords, spears, scourges, etc.
At the procession participate:
– the hooded penitents, men and women, wearing a white tunic, tied with a red rope and a hood on their heads which hide their identity. The penitents carry the crosses and the statue of the dead Christ, of the Lady of Sorrows, and the Ecce Homo busts. Some of them, as a sign of penitence, walk barefoot.
– the brotherhood of the territory, each of them wearing a colored cape and without the hood: the brotherhoods of Santa Maria del Suffragio, of San Domenico, Sant’Antonio and the brotherhoods of San Nicandro and San Pietro Celestino
– the gypsy community in Isernia, very faithful to Saint Anthony
– the children of the brotherhoods.
Check the program calling the Isernia Municipality phone +39 0865 4491 – 0865 449282
cover photo by Angelo Lubrano
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