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ISOLA DEL GRAN SASSO, Italy Two children scribbled petitions to St. Gabriele dell Addolorata in the vast sanctuary where the young saint is venerated in this central Italian mountain village. Andrea, 6, asked for blessings for his family and pets. Sofia, 9, gave thanks for winning a dance competition.
"I practice where I want. Every morning I pray on my own," Carmela Forino said in the sanctuary room filled with votive offerings, from baby bibs to sports jerseys, left by 2 million annual visitors to San Gabriele. "One has to believe in something, right? You do what you feel in your heart. You can't require me to go to Mass on Sundays."
In Italy, centuries-old churches dot the landscape, sanctuaries and processions draw crowds, and nearly 80% of the population profess themselves Catholic. But to the majority, it s an affiliation in name