santuario, diocesano, Santuario Diocesano San Francesco da Paola

In the Fontanelle and Valle quarters of Catona, on the Calabrian coast, stands the Santuario Diocesano San Francesco da Paola. Its story begins in 1629, when Princess Giovanna Ruffo di Scilla funded the building of a church and adjoining convent for the Minimi order, the spiritual sons of the saint from Paola. For decades, they served the local community until the devastating earthquake of 3 February 1783 forced the friars to abandon the damaged convent. They returned in 1798, only to be expelled again when King Joachim Murat suppressed the monastic orders in 1809.

The church was raised to a diocesan sanctuary in 2007 and became a parish in 2014. Centuries of devotion are still expressed in its principal feast, held on the third Sunday of Easter, preceded by a seven-day settenario and culminating in a triduum. Other celebrations honour the Madonna del Miracolo in January and the liturgical feast of San Francesco himself on 2 April.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.