New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-03
SICILYS ST. PATRICK.
Cro1ods, BeHeUing in HIS Healing
PO1per, Seek His East Side Shrine.

AS the Irish honor St Patrick so the in
habitants of Sicily pray to san Kalogero In
whatever land the Sicilian wanders. the feast
days Of the year for him are those devoted to the
memory of KaloGero. who discovered the heal
ing spring of Sciacca in Sicily and by the virtue
of its waters banished disease. and even in
p-osac Manhattan. the little colony of siciIians
wedgcd in between the Bowery and Broadway
still celebrate with all the ancient rites and
ceremonies the festal days of San Kalogero
Annually. when the time of the three days feast
arrives. dreary Elizabeth-st. tenement houses
are festooned with brilliant lines of bunting
and the red. white and green OF Italy sur
mounted by the arms Of the house of Savoy
mingle with the red. white and blue of America
Long arches OF many colored lights are flung
across the narrow street. and hundreds of
Sicilians. wearing uniforms OF every descrp-
ton. national costumes and also GaribaIdi shirts
throng out to pay their annual homage. Ma
tonal bands play familiar Sicilian airs and for
the time this corner of New-York is transformed
into semblance Of the fair island OF tina
Mediterranean.
This year. perhaps s n mark OF especial graft
tude. san kaIogero was honored the other day
with huge shrine. built against the wall of q
tenement. It's gilt magnificence covered by n
frinSed canopy. on the shrine was placed 4
portrait OF the ancient saint healing 4 Crusader
who kneit before him. accoutred in full arrnor
The altar was ahlaze with tinsel glory and COW
cred with pink ard white decorations of paper
and thin muslin. and before it a hundred can
dies. the offerings of grateful Sicians. burned
steadily.
Before the original shrine in Sciacca. the home
Of the saint. pilgrims for generations have de-
posted their crutches and canes. having been
Iad b,yt
of San Kalogero. There. as at Lourdcs or the
shrine of St Anne de Beaupr6. huge heaps Of
discarded clutches are eloquent testimony 20
the efficacy of the saint. But in this improvsad
Elizabeth-st. shrine there were no crutchcs
but instead number of wax models of broken
legs and arms and bruised heads. realistically
Colored to show evidences OF disease. Tn re
were. also. two wax models of babies. contrib
uted by grateful parents. whose little ones owed
their recovery to San Kalogero. and not a few
one and two-dollar bills the expressions of more
practical gratitude.
To the Sicilian San KaloSero is most potent
saint When illness visits his house lie first
prays to San Kalocero and then summons q
physician. If the invalid RECEIVERS. the praise i;
to San Kalogero and only part of the fee for
the doctor. When the feast days of the saint
come around again the grateful votary PAYS
homage at some shrine erected in the saints
honor. and there deposits fiuanciu cx-
preston of his gratitude.
The Italian of the mainland has nothing to
do with the Sicilian saint his feast. san
Rocco. the wandering Preach priest of j1,!,
memories who banished the plague from Lay
and returned to France TO be executed -
spy. is his patron saint The feast comes; in
August. when most of the buildings of TIL
Italian district decorated. There WAS great
fear and trembling in Little italy last year be
cause the shrine erected TO san Rocco's honor
took ire and burned.