NAPLES, 15 September 2024
The largest and most significant square in Naples was packed with more than 21,000 people during the Noi Festival last night. It was the first time something like this has ever taken place in Naples, and it set a record as the largest evangelical event in Italy’s history. Political leaders from several different parties were in attendance at the Piazza del Plebiscito, including Naples’ Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, Senator Lucio Malan, and the former president of Campania, Antonio Bassolino.
To download photos and video of the Noi Festival Napoli, visit media.billygraham.org/noi-festival-naples-2024-press-room/.
“I want you to know this—God loves you. If you don’t remember anything else tonight remember that God loves you,” Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told the crowd. “But we have a problem—sin—it separates us from God. The Bible tells us that God so loved the world, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven to this earth to save us from our sins. Anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him can be forgiven of their sins and have a relationship with God.”
Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association partnered with nearly 350 evangelical churches throughout southern Italy to bring the Noi Festival to the Piazza del Plebiscito.
Several days ago, Franklin Graham was welcomed to Naples by Mayor Gaetano Manfredi at the Municipio, where the mayor gave Rev. Graham the gift of a coat of arms—the symbol of Naples and a sign of friendship.
This was the third consecutive year that Rev. Graham has preached in Italy. The Noi Festival came to Milan in 2022 and Rome in 2023.
Noi Festival Napoli also featured live music from Christian singer and Latin Grammy-winner Christine D’Clario as well as award-winning artist Charity Gayle.
ABOUT FRANKLIN GRAHAM AND THE BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION
Founded by Billy Graham in 1950, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association shares the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world. During his ministry, Billy Graham preached to nearly 215 million people through hundreds of evangelistic events. Franklin Graham is continuing the lifelong work of his father, and since his first event in 1989, he has held more than 325 outreaches in 55 countries. Earlier this year, Rev. Graham preached in Mexico City, Mexico; Krakow, Poland; Birmingham, England; Glasgow, Scotland; and 10 cities along the U.S.-Mexico border.
In addition to serving as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Franklin Graham also leads Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization that was the first to provide emergency medical relief in northern Italy at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its emergency field hospital in Cremona, Samaritan’s Purse treated hundreds of suffering patients, which later opened the door for Rev. Graham to return to Milan where he preached in October 2022.
Franklin Graham was honored for this work at the Italian Senate in Rome last year. He was given a gift during a special ceremony with Senator Malan and thanked for deploying a field hospital and medical teams to help save the lives of hundreds of Italians. Currently, Samaritan’s Purse is responding to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the organization is continuing to provide aid in war-torn Ukraine, where Samaritan’s Purse has helped 14.5 million people so far.