When I noticed the guy sitting beside me on the train had a map of Italy tattooed on his forearm, I figured we were heading in the right direction!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel hosts a huge Italian festival each July. The annual Festa dei Gigli (Feast of the Lilies) is held to honor St. Paulinus, a 5th century bishop from Nola, Italy. The high point of the festival is the parade of the Giglio, a 85-foot, 4 ton tower covered with papier-machie decorations.
The festival started with men streaming out of the church in a procession led by several priests and banners and a band. Then they arrive at the Giglio where the band and the Monsignor climb up on a platform built into the bottom of the Giglio. The Monsignor began with a blessing and then songs break out. The Star Spangle Banner was sung in English, but after that, it was a big sing along sung in Italian with boisterous clapping and swaying. After a few songs, we heard the "Capa" (man in charge) shout "lieutenants get your men and go to your posts". At that point, men of the parrish got under the Giglio and lifted it. (we were told it takes 150 men to lift it--they are carrying the tower plus the Monsignor plus about 10 guys in the band!) They kinda lift in sync with the music, and they have some marching routines where they move in unison as they slowly parade down the street.
