"Eparchy of Lungro 2026 Missionary Vigil – Byzantine Faith in Southern Italy" by Carlo Coppola
On March 8, 2026, the Eparchy of Lungro will hold its Diocesan Missionary Prayer Vigil in San Costantino Albanese ( Potenza , Basilicata ) — a landmark spiritual event that this year carries special significance due to its ecclesiastical setting. The Arbëreshë village belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Diocese of the Italo-Albanians of continental Italy , giving the event a powerful dimension of communion between different traditions within the Catholic Church, united in a shared evangelizing mission. It is precisely Byzantine spirituality — deeply rooted in prayer, liturgical chant, and communal life — that lends the vigil its intense symbolic richness. Praying for the missions in this context means recognizing the Church as a communion of peoples and rites, none excluded. The event is part of the broader pastoral journey of the Eparchy of Lungro , led by a figure of extraordinary charisma and spiritual depth: Bishop H.E. Donato Oliverio . A refined theologian and pastor of...
