The Holy Doctors Cosmas and Damian. Basilica Sanctuary of Bitonto

The fervent and heartfelt devotion and religious sentiment toward Saints Cosmas and Damian are widespread among the faithful throughout Italy and beyond. Their lives and example of generous charity are tremendously relevant today, because they call us to the radical commitment that must be put into action: to see Christ’s very face in the suffering and the sick, and to do everything out of love for the Lord, with a generous spirit and a selfless heart. Don Vito Piccinonna, rector of the Basilica-Shrine of the Holy Physicians in Bitonto (Bari), has sought to gather in a single volume all the spiritual richness that has arisen around the two brothers, presenting the story of their lives and the finest expressions of the prayer tradition. Indeed, the People of God have used words full of faith to seek the intercession of the Holy Martyrs and have produced novenas, tridua, prayers, the Rosary, and the Way of the Cross. The book presents them in abundance, enabling us, too, to honor Saints Cosmas and Damian, sustained by hope and inspired by charity—the virtues that made them great.