A 404-year taboo falls: a woman at the helm of the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Crucifix

It took almost half a millennium, precisely 404 years, but in the end, history has turned a page. For the first time since November 1622, the ancient Confraternity of Naro speaks in the feminine. Mariateresa Geraci is the new President, elected unanimously to lead the institute for the next four years. This appointment is not just a change of guard, but a signal of profound generational and social innovation at the heart of Agrigento's religious traditions.

A rise marked by commitment

The name of Mariateresa Geraci is not new, but the result of constant and passionate activism. Already Vice President from 2011 to 2018 and subsequently Treasurer, the new President embodies the face of a youth that does not renounce its roots but nourishes them with new vitality. On Saturday, March 21, in the baroque setting of the Church of San Francesco, the inauguration ceremony officially marked the handover in an atmosphere of great emotion, in the presence of the spiritual assistant Don Beppe Frugis and the Prior of Naro, Don Giuseppe Scozzari.

Tradition 4.0: the goal is the future

The challenge is ambitious: to maintain the centuries-old devotion to the Holy Crucifix and the Sorrowful Virgin, while making it attractive to new generations. "We want to be bearers of innovation and new proposals for the growth of the Confraternity," declared the President, who relies on a Board largely composed of young people. The goal is clear: to transform an ancient institution into a modern gathering center, capable of attracting new members without losing the spiritual identity that has distinguished it since the 17th century.

The new team

Mariateresa Geraci will be supported by a solid and renewed team. Among the key names: Ignazio Gulino (Vice President), Cristina Rizzuto (Secretary), and Alessia Bellavia (Treasurer). The Board of Directors includes the commitment of Sergio Alaimo, Liliana Calogera Nicotra, and Lina Piraino, while the Board of Arbitrators will be composed of Calogero Rizzuto, Giuseppina Agliata, and Giuseppe Mirabile.

A collective thank you was addressed to the outgoing President, Calogero Aronica, for the work done over years of dedication. The Brotherhood, now more than ever, keeps its doors open: registrations remain open for anyone who wants to become a guardian of a piece of Sicilian history that, starting today, looks to the future with new eyes.