DATES : JULY 8TH till JULY 17th TIMES : OPEN 11AM-11PM
Page 4 • Wednesday , June 28 , 2023 • The Hammonton Gazette
Italiano , Davidow , Pantalone talk Feast Week
FEAST , from Page 1 Susan Davidow .
Other events and activities featured throughout the week is a beer garden , a carnival that opens at 6 p . m . along with a $ 30 wristband to ride the carnival all night on July 12 and 13 , a firework display on July 16 at 10 p . m . as well as a mega 50 / 50 drawing at 11 p . m . A free shuttle service will also be provided from the Hammonton Middle School from 6 p . m . to 11 p . m . nightly while the feast day service is from 4 p . m . to 11 p . m .
The history of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society dates back to 1875 when a group of Italian immigrants prayed in front of a painting of the Virgin Mary , formed a procession and gave thanks for their safe journey to America , a successful farming season and making Hammonton a home , according to the Mount Carmel Society website . Since then , the feast grew and has been a town tradition for what would be the 148th year .
Mount Carmel Society Vice President Frank Italiano calls it the town ’ s own holiday season and an Italian Thanksgiving and it is very special to the organization .
“ We work very hard to get it ready and the week-long event itself and procession , which is the most important part of it , is very special to all of us . People can come and see a lot of different things and experience a lot of different things ,” Italiano said .
Mount Carmel Society President Louis J . Pantalone said that the organization continues to carry on the tradition and thanking the blessed mother for their continued blessings to the town and on Earth as well as keeping the tradition of the organization dating back to its long history .
“ It ’ s handed down from father to son so it ’ s really important that we recognize all they did to continue the feast and to make it an important part of our culture . The procession predated the first Catholic church here in Hammonton by ten years so we ’ re proud of that and we continued this for 148 consecutive years and we were even able to have the procession during COVID-19 . That ’ s a tribute to perpetuating this feast to our members of this society , our families and the town for helping us be able to do that during that period was a tremendous asset ,” Pantalone said .
Italiano also talked about the importance of the holiday and how the traditions like the procession and the pushing of the statues speaks of the town ’ s faith . The holiday also holds importance to the town ’ s tradition and history as Italiano mentioned the importance of the town ’ s Italian forefathers before the first Catholic church .
“ What impresses me is that
nobody guided them to do that , they just felt so strongly that they came over , they had their crops and their farm , they were here , they were happy and this was a way to give back ,” Italiano said .
Susan Davidow stated that both the Mount Carmel Society and SMMCP support each other and work together as the statues in the procession come out of their church . While Davidow noted that the festival involves many activities to make it fun for the town , it ’ s also a spiritual event meant to celebrate the blessed
Virgin Mary and on her feast day on July 16 .
“ We [ SMMCP ] are very much a part of that because if there were no procession that they had , we would still be celebrating the feast . I know that they [ Mount Carmel Society ] love it , they ’ re a part of it every year and the same people walk with the same statues every year and they ’ re very dedicated to their saints ,” Davidow said .
Pantalone wanted to emulate his father because he was impressed
See MT . CARMEL , Page 12
DATES : JULY 8TH till JULY 17th TIMES : OPEN 11AM-11PM
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