July 15, 2024

Mass and procession held in honor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

Children lead the procession outside of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish on William Street in Springfield, Sunday, July 14. (IObserve photo/Courtesy of Mary Jean Tash)

SPRINGFIELD – Following a long tradition that began in Springfield’s South End in 1897, parishioners at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish processed through the streets to honor their patron, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Sunday, July 14, in advance of her July 16 feast day.

“My father used to be a member of this society,” said Raffaela Santaniello-Albano, the president of the Mt. Carmel Feast committee. Members of the Sons and Daughters of Italy’s St. Padre Pio Lodge 3013, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society and the Braciglianese Community of Springfield worked together to organize the procession, which followed the 10:30 a.m. Mass at the parish.

Albano said the procession reminds people of how Catholics are devoted to Mary, who points to her son.

“I grew up Catholic. I was in a very bad accident and they didn’t think I was going to walk again. But Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary brought me through that,” she said.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is the patron saint of the Carmelite order. During the 12^th century, a group of monks formed the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel on Mount Carmel in Israel. Fearing persecution in the Holy Land in the 13^th century, most of the monks settled in Europe. There have been apparitions of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Spain, Portugal, Italy and England where Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock. According to tradition, she gave him the brown scapular, worn by Carmelites as a sign of protection.

“We’re trying to take faith, nostalgia and Italian pride and unite them,” said Sal Circosta, the president of the Sons and Daughters of Italy’s St. Padre Pio Lodge. He said Italian culture is rooted in the Catholic faith.

(IObserve photo/Courtesy of Mary Jean Tash)

“Part of our mission is to reintroduce the Catholic faith as Italians. Obviously it’s all about Jesus – Mary is the mother of Our Lord. The Italians look at our Blessed Mother in a unique way. It’s beautiful. Jesus is not only our best friend, but our savior. The relationship that Jesus had with his mother we are supposed to respect and imitate,” he said.

Before the procession stepped off on William Street, parishioners taped money to the statue, an old tradition which in turn supports the ministries of the parish. Children led the procession, followed by a marching band which played traditional Italian music. 

“What is Mary? She is not just a statue to carry around but the Mother of Christ,” said Stigmatine Father Paolo Bagattini, CSS, pastoral associate at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish. He said the procession is a way to evangelize, but added that Christ is the center.

“The statue is just a statue. You touch the statue you are not saved. You have to convert to Jesus to be saved. The remembrance of the Holy Mother of God is an occasion to convert to become Christian, otherwise it is useless. You have to catechize and evangelize,” he said. Father Bagattini also commended the new members of the Italian groups who organized the event. Two-hundred people attended a dinner Sunday evening at the parish center to celebrate the feast.

Three more processions are planned at Mt. Carmel Parish in the coming months: The Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 18; The Feast of Our Lady of Grace, Sept. 8 and the Feast of Padre Pio, Sept. 22. For more information, go to springfielditalians.org