Feast of Our Lady Mt. Carmel celebrating its 140th year
Page 4 • Wednesday, June 3, 2015 • The Hammonton Gazette
MT. CARMEL, from Page 1
significant meaning
from a faith standpoint.
St. Mary of Mt.
Carmel Pastor the
Rev. Thomas Donio
said the relationship
between the parish
and Our Lady
of
Mt.
Carmel Society is superb, and
each entity
works together
very
well in orchestrating
what
takes place during the annual
feast week.
“We have made a concerted effort to
work together. The fact is I understand the
Mt. Carmel Society technically runs the celebration. We have our part of it. We try to
fit in and not try to be of the entire whole.
Last year was a wonderful celebration and
hopefully this year will be too,” Donio said.
The Feast Day of Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel is on July 16. It is something the
parish, St. Mary of Mt. Carmel, celebrates
as well now since it became an entity in
town in June 2010 after the merger of three
churches. That makes it even more
special to Donio, and it brings back
memories of his childhood each
year.
“We celebrate our patronage, and
of course, me personally, it just
continues to build on to my memories of the festival as a child. Things
have changed quite a bit because
life has changed, not always for the
better. But by and large it is a great
celebration,” Donio said.
Donio will be celebrating
evening Masses throughout the
week of the Feast of Our Lady of
Mt. Carmel, with the exception of
the Feast Day on July 16.
“I am developing the Masses all
on a theme. Whether it is Mary, our
Mother, Mary, Mother of Healing,
but I am developing a theme
throughout the week that I will be
talking about at the homilies,”
Donio said.
President of Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel Society Louis J. Pantalone
said the 140th feast is a proud moment for the members of the organization.
“We are excited to be celebrating.
This year, we are going to feature,
as we do every 10 years, we will be
having a commemorative mass out
on the site,” Pantalone said.
On Saturday, July 11 at 7:30
p.m., a Mass will take place on Pine
Road at the original site where the
Mt. Carmel Society was founded.
In 1875, it was started by Antonio
Capelli at his home on 232 Pine
HPD arrests
POLICE, from Page 1
person from Bridgeport, Conn.,
Salvatore said. The warrant arrest
of Edwin Marrero, 31, of Hammonton was made at 11:55 a.m.
on May 26, Salvatore said.
Marrero, 31, was arrested on
the following warrants in the following amounts: Mullica Twp.,
$577; Hammonton, $189; Folsom, $250; and Galloway Twp.,
$350, Salvatore said.
When he was being processed,
it was discovered that Marrero
was a missing person from Connecticut.
“He was found to be a missing
person from Bridgeport, Conn.
He was transported to the Atlantic
County Jail where they will decide if someone will be picking
him up from Bridgeport. They
will have to pay his bail as well,”
Salvatore said.
Sgt. Joseph Maimone was the
arresting officer, Salvatore said.
Road. A small group of fellow immigrants,
including Capelli, prayed in front of a painting of the Virgin Mary. They formed a procession in front of the house and prayed
thanks for their safe trip to America, along
with a prosperous farming season and other
blessings and fortunes.
A Mass at the site takes place every
decade, and this year will be concelebrated
by Chaplain Fr. Joseph Capella and Rev.
Thomas Donio. Bus transportation will be
provided from St. Anthony of Padua Church
on Route 206 to Pine Road. An Italian band
will be performing, along with a fireworks
display after the Mass.
“It will again be held to show our heritage
and our appreciation for all that was done
before us to honor the Blessed Mother. That
is really something that we are all excited
about. We will also be having a little fireworks display out there at the site after the
mass has concluded. We are looking forward to people to attend this occasion,”
Pantalone said.
Vice President of Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel Society Frank Italiano said the
140th Our Lady of Mt. Carmel celebration
is very special and carries great significance
to all members. He stated that one of his ancestors was one the founders of the Mt.
Carmel Society organization.
“It is a big deal especially since it is the
country’s longest running Italian festival
and it is a Catholic tradition. It is a really,
really big deal. I know my great-great-greatgrandfather was one of the guys here that
had it started. For me, personally, it is really
special,” Italiano said.
The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society is
an organization that is always committed to
their ancestors, the Blessed Mother and the
values bestowed upon the members and the
community, according to Pantalone. The religious part of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society and the weeklong feast in July remains
vital to the effort.
“This has been the case through the many,
many years of how the Blessed Mother was
integral in their [the ancestors] success in
this country. We continue that. We have a
wonderful membership of many varieties of
members, from old to young. We also have
the support of our families, our children and
it is just a dynamic culture,” Pantalone said.
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