Open-air church service in Marina di Camerota

During an evening stroll through Marina di Camerota, you almost always end up at the Piazza San Domenico with the Chiesa di San Alfonso in the heart of the town—an inviting spot for a refreshing drink in one of the bars, a delicious meal on the terrace at Da Valentone, or for some quiet reflection in the church. Today, I find a large group of people here, sitting on chairs in front of the church. This isn’t for a reason as profane as a football match; in summer, every Saturday service is held partly outdoors due to the heat—still over 30 degrees this evening.

There is a seamless transition from those attending the mass to the lively hustle and bustle behind them on the central piazza—children go off to play, men and women step away for a quick phone call, and new visitors arrive with chairs under their arms to join in. The priest’s sonorous chanting is broadcast outside through loudspeakers, occasionally interrupted by prayers from the congregation’s multi-voiced choir. Suddenly, a cry—a somewhat stout, elderly Italian woman tips backwards on her plastic chair; the chair leg has buckled. There’s a brief moment of commotion, but the woman is unhurt. A new chair is brought over, and the incident is quickly forgotten.

More pictures in the Cilento gallery.