One of the quintessential aspects of any Italian Enclave’s summer is the feast.  The smell of zeppole, reminiscing with old friends and the traditional Italian songs and hymns are all beloved aspects of summer and links us to our storied traditions in the Italian American community.  For many, these feasts are anticipated all year and it is hard to imagine what any given summer would be like without a feast.

This year, sadly, in the age of a pandemic, the Italian- American community was faced with the question: how we can continue our traditions while keeping everyone safe?  It was an especially hard decision for many churches and independent societies who rely heavily on proceeds from annual feasts to fund their parishes year round. Gladly, for many churches and societies, the processions and feasts went on, albeit differently in light of a silent enemy.