Page 9 - Italian American Herald - August 2022

ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
IN THE REGION
AUGUST2022 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 9
ritual of walking in the procession every year since 1998.
“People came from all over; on tours
and buses from New York, Pennsylvania, Chicago, St. Louis, up and down the East Coast.” The community showed up in solidarity to celebrate. “In the ’80s you would need to arrive early, there would be lines
up to six rows wide, of people waiting to
pin donations to the saints and receive their prayer cards and blessings.” Michael, too, recalled the spectacle of the women dressed in black walking barefoot despite rain or blistering pavement in a show of thanks
and dedication to the Blessed Mother and the long line of saints on leave from their churches for the day.
Post-procession there are rides, vendors, and of course, the food. But what lifetime resident Annie Byers says means the most
is how “the festival brings the entire town together. It brings families back home. My Capelli family, all my aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who live out of state come back to Hammonton for festival week and reunite. It's like a gigantic high school/family reunion! It's something we all look forward to every single summer. I love introducing my out-of- town friends to it, and then they return every year, too!” IAH
Statues of saints in procession through the streets of Hammonton, N.J., as visitors “pin” donation offerings.
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