More than a century of faith, food and tradition filled the streets around Sacred Heart Church this weekend as the parish celebrated its 114th annual Italian Feast. The four-day celebration, held Thursday through Sunday, July 16-19, commemorated the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, celebrated July 16. The annual procession took place Sunday, with parishioners carrying statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St. Anthony of Padua through the streets of the city.
The feast dates to the 14th century in Europe and honors Mary as the patron saint of the Carmelite order, a group of priests who lived on Mount Carmel in what is now Israel during the 13th century. Sacred Heart Church has held a procession every year since the parish was founded in 1913. This year, the procession began at the church at 401 Ann St., continued down Washington Street and returned along Ann Street to the festival grounds.
