Italian-American Festivals

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Permalink Reply by Phil Falcone on June 7, 2008 at 9:27pm

For the current and former inhabitants of Roseto Valfortore, Foggia province of Apulia region, they celebrate the Festa of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel from the last Friday of July until that Sunday. Those who migrated to Roseto, PA in the U.S. call it "The Big Time" with a summer travelling circus that weekend and a more religious procession through the borrough on the closing Sunday. With the dwindling Italian population there, the procession has become very small and attendance is low. In the old days, the entire town turned out and people did the entire procession on their knees.

I admin a network for both groups - Two Rosetos

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Longo on June 9, 2008 at 1:50am

Hi Phil,
I heard of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Festa in Roseto-- isn't it in the Poconos? Do you know if the "Big Time" is the one Adriana Trigiani referred to in "Queen of the Big Time"? I would love to learn more about the festa-- grazie!

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Permalink Reply by Phil Falcone on June 9, 2008 at 2:36am

Stephanie, Roseto, PA is in the Poconos (Northampton County). The Big Time is the same as described by Adriana Trigiani in the book you mentioned. (We used to converse but she hasn't emailed in years.) To learn about the Big Time just go to the Two Rosetos network; we have pictures of both that and many more of the Festa in Roseto Valfortore, Italy.

As a side note: The Carmelite order of monks and priests is dedicated to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. She is patron of the brown scapular that Catholics wear; the Carmelites dress in the same drab brown wool clothes as the scapulars are made of.

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Longo on June 9, 2008 at 3:47am

Hi Phil, I live in Scranton so I know the Poconos rather well. I will have to get over to Roseto to see the Big Time. I remember reading "The Two Rosetos" back when I was in school. Perhaps we can get an article up on the blog about it? When is the festa?The site says July 25, is that correct?
I know the Carmelites well, too-- have you been to the Carmelite Monastery near Allentown?
Ciao!

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Permalink Reply by Phil Falcone on June 9, 2008 at 2:02pm

Stephanie, from July 23-26 people will be travelling to Roseto, reuniting with family, visiting friends, enjoying outdoor food pavillions during the afternoon-evenings, visiting the cemeteries to commemorate the dead. Friday and Saturday evening will have the normal summer carnival that you see all over. Sunday will be a very small gathering of church-goers attending mass, followed by the girls from Pius X high who were nominated queen and court riding the procession route atop new convertibles supplied by the local car dealer. It's not the same sacred ceremony as it was a generation ago.

I would say that you are welcome to link into any part of my site that you wish to put into a blog as long as Two Rosetos is given the proper attribution. I have never been to the Carmelite Monastery there, just the one is the Washington D.C. suburbs so I pretty well know what it looks like (they are all built the same). I myself was once studying to be a Dominican but thankfully decided celibacy wasn't going to work for me. LOL!

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Longo on June 10, 2008 at 12:43am

Thanks, Phil! I will put something up on the blog about this when it gets closer to July 23-26 and will probably get in touch with you in private for quotes, etc.
A very good friend of mine almost became a Carmelite nun and she decided the same thing you did! I have been to the Franciscan Monastery in DC but not the Carmelite one. I actually live a block from St. Ann's Passionist Monastery (The Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Ann) in Scranton-- lots of holy places with their own unique history!
Have a good night!

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