The patron saint of Gravina di Catania is Saint Anthony of Padua, celebrated on 13 June: the feast, which draws devotees from neighbouring towns, includes the blessing of bread for the faithful before the statue leaves the mother church to be carried in procession by devotees through the streets of the old town.
The church of Sant'Antonio di Padova, the town's main place of worship, was built in the 16th century as a subsidiary of the sacramental church of San Nicola in Mascalucia, and became independent in 1579 by decree of Bishop Vincenzo Cutelli; destroyed by the 1693 earthquake, it was rebuilt in Baroque style, fell into ruin again and was rebuilt between 1852 and 1860, before being raised to parish status in 1926. Another feast dear to the community is that of the Madonna del Rosario, celebrated every year on the first and last Sunday of October.
