San Gerardo Maiella, Mercato San Severino celebrates the tercentenary with 18 days of events.

Eighteen days of events to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Saint Gerard Maiella and rediscover, through faith, culture, music, and theater, the story of Ciorani and the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Mercato San Severino is preparing for its tercentenary with a calendar of events currently being finalized. The program aims to tell the story of the Saint through a variety of media and, at the same time, draw attention to one of the most significant places in the history of the Redemptorists.

Among the announced events, a concert of spiritual music by Gen Rosso stands out. Gen Rosso is an international group that has been committed to spreading the values ​​of solidarity, peace, and integration through music for years.

There will also be a conference entitled "St. Gerard, Family and Life," dedicated to the figure of the saint, traditionally invoked as the protector of mothers and children. Scholars will participate in the meeting, invited to delve deeper into his life, work, and spiritual legacy.

The story of Saint Gerard will also be brought to the stage with the nocturnal play "L'innocenza riconosciuta," an early 20th-century opera adapted for the occasion. At the center of the play is the Saint, depicted as a humble servant forced to face the burden of slander until his innocence is recognized.

An important part of the program will also be guided tours of the Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in Ciorani. The complex represents a key place in the history of the order founded by Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori.

The Congregation officially began in Scala in 1732, but Ciorani soon became one of its first permanent headquarters. In 1735, Baron Don Angelo Sarnelli donated his palace and some land to Sant'Alfonso, at the request of his son, Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli, a friend, classmate, and collaborator of the founder of the Redemptorists in popular missions.

For eight years, from 1735 to 1743, Ciorani was the Congregation's only permanent property in Campania. It was here, in May 1743, that the Order's First General Chapter was held in the Chapter Chapel. Saint Alphonsus was elected Rector Major for life, and the Institute's first Constitutions and Rules were drafted, later approved by Pope Benedict XIV in 1749.

The complex still preserves numerous testimonies to the history of Redemption and Alphonsian devotion, from the Crucifix painted by Saint Alphonsus to the works dedicated to the Passion of Christ, through images of Marian tradition and the ancient eighteenth-century wine press.

The complex also includes the Church of the Holy Trinity, which since 2022 has been a Diocesan Shrine dedicated to Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli. His remains are kept and venerated in Ciorani.

The tercentenary thus becomes not only a moment of celebration dedicated to Saint Gerard Majella, but also an opportunity to bring to light the history and heritage of an area deeply tied to the Redemptorist tradition.

The program is also supported by a €10 grant provided by Regional Law 6/2026, funded through an amendment by regional councilor Corrado Matera.