The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-17
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA.
His Feast Day Observed by Italians
of Dunmore - Nature Of the
Exercises.

1t would have been an easy matter
for an imaginative traveller had he
been in Dunmore yesterday to have
fancied himself in some old Italian
city on the festal day of saint, for
yesterday was the feast day of ST.
Anthony of Padua, and the Italians
OF Dunmore celebrated il as it is rclc-
brated under the sunny skies of Italy
st. Anthony of Padua is recognized
as the favorite saint of the Italian
race and Italians throughout the
world love to honor his memory ana
10 plead for his ntercession.
In Italy ii is the custom on ST. An
thongs day to carry an image Of the
saint through the streets, stopping in
front of the house of any person who
may desire to make an offering ana
who may wish to ask for the good
saints intercession. This custom was
leligiously observed in Dunmore yes
terday afternoon.
\ procession headed by number Of
little girls dressed in white and carry
ing candies started through the
streets of the Italian district at .
o'clock. Following the little girls
came four robust men in surplice and
caSsockS bearing upon their shoulders
3 statue of the Virgin Mary. Behind
these came another group of men car
rying statue of ST. Anthony when "A
boy and finally came six men carrying
upon their shoulders a life-size image
of the saint in the prime of life
dressed in the habit of the franciscan
order. Four other men carried a
canopy supported on four poles and
held over the statue.
In front of the last statue walked
the priest, his vcstments held back
by two attendants, while behind it
came the Roma band, followed by an
ever increasing crowd of bareheaded
Italians, men, women and children,
singing hymns.
The intense devotion and religious
feeling of the rough looking men who
participated in the procession may be
understood when il is chronicled that
they walked bareheaded in the blazing
sun for nearly five hours, it being
o'clock before the procession had
traversed all the streets.
Those people who desired to have
the procession halt in front of their
houses placed three tables decorated
Win Nlllte ClOtnS on lle street. ! ne
three statues would he rested on these
tables and the mother or father or
the family would come out and pin
upon ST. Anthony's robe The offering.
Sometimes il would be dollar bill,
sometimes a two dollar bill, aud in a
few instances a whole string of bank
notes pinned To long ribbon, The
Offering made, the priest prayed for
the blessing of the house and it's o"-
cupants and The procession moved on
To the next house.
The streets We're lined with people
and as the procession passed every
man raised his hat and many of the
women went down ON their knees on
the dirty street IL was altogether a
spectacle seldom seen out of Catholic
Europe and with stretch of the
imagination one could almost fancy
himself away across the seas in the
streets of some old Italian city.
The pretty little church way
| up on the hill Was beautifully decor
ated and was thronged with devout
worshippers during the day.
There was general display of
| fireworks on Saturday night, the cele-
| hration beginning at sundown on that
| evening and continuing until sunrise
! this morning,