SCRANTON – As the 48th annual Italian Mass concluded on Sept. 1, 2024, a new tradition was born.
For the first time, a procession of faithful led a statue of Saint Lucy from the Cathedral of Saint Peter about a block away to Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton, to kick off the third day of La Festa Italiana.
“We’re all about tradition,” Chris DiMattio, La Festa Committee President, explained as the Mass concluded.
The procession was a way to publicly introduce the Scranton area to the ‘Italian Colony of Saint Lucy,’ a newly formed non-profit organization. Last year, members of Saint Lucy’s Church in Scranton came together to form the new group.
“We wanted to keep the name of Saint Lucy alive and well and strong, so we started this group to raise money for various charities that we want to give to,” Joe Guido, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Italian Colony of Saint Lucy, explained. “We hope to make it an annual tradition of carrying the statue of Saint Lucy from the Mass over to the festival.”
The Italian Colony of Saint Lucy currently has about 50 members. The new group is not directly affiliated with any parish and is open to both men and women.
“We’re called the ‘Italian Colony’ because in 1899, all the immigrants from Italy, when they settled in this area, the original parish they formed was called the ‘Italian colony,’ so we wanted to keep that name in conjunction with the name of Saint Lucy, so that is how we came up with the Italian Colony of Saint Lucy,” Guido added.
La Festa Italiana is much more than a four-day food festival. It is a celebration of heritage, culture and tradition – of which the Mass in Italian has become a significant milestone.
During his homily for the Italian Mass, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, emphasized that faith and action go “hand in hand.”
“Every one of us in this Cathedral is here today because somebody loved us and fed us and forgave us and passed onto us their faith in God,” Bishop Bambera said. “We will honor them best – and ultimately the Lord Jesus whom they loved – by embracing the faith passed onto us and giving it life through our love and service of one another.”
Father David P. Cappelloni, La Festa Chaplain, and pastor of Saints Anthony and Rocco and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parishes in Dunmore, served as principal celebrant of the Mass.
This year’s Italian Mass was offered in memory of all those members and friends of La Festa Italiana who passed away since the last Mass was celebrated, including Rose Blasi, Ken Brader, Anna Brunetti, Mayor James P. Connors, Tom “Chick” DiPietro, Bill DelPrete, Joe Hoban, Joe Latona, James Mack, Sr., John Moffitt, Mariann Moran, Charles Morell, Angelo Rose, Billy Saar, Sheriff John Szymanski, Sarah Marie Vecchi-Barrese, and Bill Weber.
For more information on the new Italian Colony of Saint Lucy non-profit that has been formed, call (570) 955-7469 or email TICOSL@gmail.com.