The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-12
Festival Held inStreetS of NeWYOrk

The first festival in honor Of ST. GAL
ogero to be held In New York was cele-
brated last week. For two days and
nights, June II and IS, Elizabeth street,
between Grand and Broome, was the
mecca Of all the Sicilians of this city.
st. Calogero the Hermit is the patron
saint and protector of Sciacca, a town
of 10000 inhabitants, in the northwest
of Sicily This festival. which Is here
after to become an annual affair, was
gotten. up by society organized six
months ago and composed of the vo-
taries of the saint. About 200 men be-
long to II, all natives of the town OF
Sciacca. -u F
The shrine and furnishings for the
festival cost about $4,000, and ths
money came from voluntary contribu-
tions. About six months ago 500 or
more little tin banks were distributed
throughout the Italian quarters, among
the stores and private families. A
month before the festival took place a
committee collected these safes and
opened them. The proceeds paid all the
expenses of the celebration.
Last Friday The flags OF the new So
ciety, one an American, the other an
Italian, were sprinkled with holy water
and christened by Father Coppola, of
the Church of the TRANSPORTATION.
Thereafter the chairman of the society
broke bottle of champagne over each
flag.
For the festival itself Elizabeth
street was gayly decorated with bunt-
ing, the tri-colored flag with the cross
being everywhere in evidence. Every
fire escape was decorated and trans
formed for the time being into bal
cony from which groups of women and
children witnessed the surging crowds
in the street below and listened TO the
music of the Italian bands. Igf AL
The shrine, which was twenty feet
high, stood on the western sidewalk,
just around the corner from Broome
street. 1t was made in the Gothic style
and was resplendent;i in gold leaf, white
and red muslin and punches of purple
and pink ribbon. Under it's central arch
was, shown a painting in which the
form of the good saint was represented,
a kneeling boy on one side and
wounded deer looking for succor on the
other. Dozens of big candles blazed
and flickered in front, and many a
dollar bill was entwined among them
the offerings of the pious. Directly be-
hind the candles were waxen effigies of
crippled children, who, the pious be-
lieve, were cured through the good Of
fees of the saint.
On the sidewalk in front of the
shrine a swarthy Sicilian, wearing
commltteemanS badge and sash OF
Italian colors, guarded a small tray
resting upon a table, into which the Of
ferings were placed. Old women hob
bled up and dropped their mites In the
tray. Young women carrying babies.
| old men and young, and even children.
| dropped coins in the tray. Disheveled
and unshaved foreigners lurched by,
hat in hand, bowling reverently.
In the crowded street pushcart mer-
chants found a ready sale for their
piles of cut gingerbread, curious pink
and green colored cakes and strings of
Italian nuts. AT intervals the band
paraded up and down the length of a
block, followed by an eager coneourse
of urehins of the Italian quarter. 1t
was as IL old Sicily had been carried
over and set down In Elizabeth street,
for few of the celebrants were able to
speak more than their own native
tongue and they looked askance at the
curious stranger. In the nearby wine
rooms noisy groups of young men sur
rounded the tables, drinking Italian
wine and smoking long black cigars.
The first days programme consisted
of grand parade and fireworks at 10
a. m. AT 8 a. m. the procession formed
| in front of the altar. In advance went
band, followed by two Italian So
cieties. Then came $50 little girls ar