In November 1570, the Archbishop Antonio Puteo, during his pastoral visit to the Church of S. M. Maria della Pace, reminded the members of the confraternity Santissimo Sacramento to their duties. This record testifies that the confraternity was founded before 1570.
Every year the confraternity takes part to the following events:
1. Feast of Madonna del Rosario (7 October);
2. Celebration for Dead (2-9 November)
3. on Lenten Sundays, celebration of the “Quarataore” together with the other confraternities;
4. The Solemn Benediction and the procession towards the Mother Church on Palm Sunday. After the last Mass of the morning, the brothers remain in the Mother church until Easter Sunday.
5. Holy Thursday: celebration of the Last Supper and Washing Feet rite with the offering of “Bread and Wine”; preparation of the Sepulchre with the participation of the town authorities and people who visit the Seven Churches.
6. First week of May: Feast of the Purgatory Souls;
7. On Sunday after 16 July, procession of the Patron’s feast;
8. Procession of the Corpus Domini;
9. Monthly, the members of the Confraternity meet the Spiritual Father to pray all together;
10. they do not take part to all funerals, but only to their family’s ones.
This confraternity has been based in the Church of Madonna della Lama since its foundation in 1615, as recorded in the Curia documents, although it had already existed in the demolished Church of Soccorso.
This confraternity preserves the old Easter rites with the cross-bearers’ processions and their body flagellations that, according to some local historians, date back to the obscure medieval religiosity. The touching atmosphere of such mysticism, anachronistic, and yet authentic, attracts every year crowds of worshippers and curious people.
