Ubaldo and Ubaldo!

The Lucan pilgrims returned from Italy on Monday night last, and, top of the photo collection from St. Mary's Camera Soiree was this picture of Fr. Ubaldo standing before a traffic sign to the basilica of St. Ubaldo in Gubbio, Umbria.

Fr. Ubaldo said that he felt very much blessed to reach the basilica of his patron saint, and that a life-long dream had finally come true.

The saint in question was Bishop Ubaldo Baldassini (1084 - 1160) who was canonised as protector of Gubbio in 1192.

His feast day, Saint Ubaldo Day or Festa dei Ceri is coming up shortly, on 15th May, when the eve of his death anniversary, is marked in Gubbio by a procession known as Corsa dei Ceri.

Time was when most of us had never heard the name Ubaldo - now we know of two of them!