The Feast of Saint John The Baptist begins inside Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Galveston Island, Texas
A small fishing village on the eastern coast of Sicily continues to live on — not only in Aci Trezza, but, also, thousands of miles away on Galveston Island, Texas.
In Aci Trezza, a seaside town just north of Catania, within the shadow of mighty Mount Etna, devotion to Saint John the Baptist has endured for centuries. Every June 24th, the saint’s feast day, the people there celebrate their beloved patron. Masses are said. Processions are marched. Fireworks are shown. These gatherings begin and end at Church of San Giovanni Battista.
The Feast of Saint John The Baptist begins inside Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Galveston Island, Texas
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Patron Saint
St. John the Baptist occupies a singular role in Christianity. Foretold by the prophet Isaiah as “a voice crying out in the wilderness,” he prepared the way for Christ through fiery preaching and baptism. Tradition remembers him as a rugged ascetic clothed in camel hair, consumed by zeal and divine purpose.
Like many towns across southern Italy, Aci Trezza placed itself under the saint’s heavenly protection. That devotion eventually crossed the Atlantic.
Aci Trezza, Sicily
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Galveston Sicilians
Following World War II, many Sicilian fishermen from Aci Trezza immigrated to Galveston, Texas, to ply their trade of the seas. They carried with them their language, traditions, recipes, and faith — especially their devotion to San Giovanni Battista.
What started as the memory of a hometown feast has become a living tradition in Texas.
This year marks the 69th Annual Festa di San Giovanni Battista at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Galveston. The celebration remains deeply Sicilian in spirit. The statue of the saint is carried through the streets in a celebration of faith and remembrance for the Sicilian homeland. Families gather for an Italian meal and a fireworks show at night.
For the descendants of Sicilian immigrants, the feast is a reminder of grandparents and great-grandparents who crossed the sea while refusing to abandon the customs of home.
Across America, Italian immigrants carry saints from village churches into unfamiliar cities and landscapes. Parishes are revitalized as whole neighborhoods are transformed in a showing of faith. The small Sicilian fishing of Aci Tezza continues to breathe along the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Galveston Island, Texas; right, "The Baptism of Christ," by Piero della Francesca
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Viva San Giovanni Battista!
The 69th Annual Festa di San Giovanni Battista will take place Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1302 Broadway, Galveston, Texas. Mass begins at 10:00 a.m. followed by a procession and luncheon celebration.
Editor’s Note: For more information on the Saint John the Baptist Feast in Galveston, please log on here
5/22/26
READ HERE THE NEW EDITION - FIRST 2026 PRIMO
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