The patroness of Castellammare del Golfo is Maria Santissima del Soccorso, celebrated from 19 to 21 August in the Chiesa Madre, her sanctuary, which has three rows of naves and holds the maiolica statue of the Madonna from the second half of the 16th century, frescoes with Old Testament episodes attributed to Giuseppe Tresca (with possible participation by Giuseppe Velasco), and a 17th-century holy water font.
Every two years the town also held a historical re-enactment, Nostra Principalissima Patrona, recounting an attack on the port by the English, foiled according to legend precisely by the arrival of the Madonna del Soccorso; the last edition was held on 13 September 2018, for the 300th anniversary of the miraculous event. The cult is also particularly felt in the United States, thanks to the community of Castellammare origin living there.
