The sound of music, the aroma of homemade Italian food and the sight of generations of families gathering in prayer filled the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Chapel as the Mount Carmel Society celebrated the 89th annual Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The annual religious observance, celebrated by Catholic communities around the world, honors the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The day began with a 10 a.m. Mass, followed by an evening procession at 7 p.m.
Held at the chapel on Stewart Place, the annual feast kicked off July 16, welcoming residents for the first of a celebration rooted in faith, family and Italian heritage. Guests enjoyed food prepared by volunteers, drinks, children’s activities and live entertainment by Southern Heat Disco before gathering for one of the evening’s most cherished traditions.
“We’re all very dedicated to Our Lady,” said Margaret Giante, one of the senior members of the Mount Carmel Society, who has volunteered for about 40 years. “We work very hard preparing for this because this, on her feast day, is the only time we’re open.”
For Giante, the feast is about more than preserving a tradition. It is about ensuring the next generation carries it forward.
“What we’re doing is bringing our children,” she said. “My granddaughter is now involved.”
That sense of continuity could be seen throughout the grounds, where multiple generations of families worked side by side serving food, greeting visitors and preparing for the evening procession.
Kathy Falco, another longtime member of the society, said many visitors have made attending the feast an annual family tradition spanning generations.
“We have one family that comes every year from Massapequa,” Falco said. “The grandmother and the grandfather came, then the girls came, then their husbands came, then their children came. ... We call them ‘the family,’ but they’re coming here no matter what. They come every year.”
The same multi-generational commitment is reflected among the volunteers. Families whose parents, grandparents and great-grandparents helped organize the feast continue to return each summer, passing responsibilities to their children and grandchildren.
The Mount Carmel Society, which organizes the celebration, is entirely volunteer-run. Members spend months planning the event, preparing the chapel grounds before welcoming dozens of guests.
Although visitors came for the food, music and festivities, organizers said the feast’s purpose remains centered on honoring Our Lady of Mount Carmel. As the Giglio made its way through the streets near sunset, participants waved itlian flags and carried flowers, reflecting on a tradition that has brought the community together for nearly nine decades.
For the members of the congregation who dedicate countless hours each year to the celebration, seeing children and grandchildren embrace the tradition is a sign that the legacy of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel will continue for generations to come.
