Giving thanks for faith
THE sleepy community of Bemerside, 14km north of Ingham, came alive recently for the annual Feast of St Anthony festival.
This event has been running for the past 91 years with many locals continuing the tradition as a sign of faith and love for St Anthony.
Festival organiser Anthony Girgenti said that the community thought it was important to continue the tradition that started in 1927 by a family who were affected by local floods and were rescued from the top of their house.
“This family were instrumental to the establishment of this festival to honour St Anthony,” Mr Girgenti said.
“The families in the community feel a passion to continue this event. It remains the only street procession in the diocese.”
The event starts with Mass, which this year was celebrated by Bishop Tim Harris and then moves into a festival feel with activities for the children and an abundance of traditional food.
“In years past, some commercial fisherman would provide fish for the day and this is just one of the traditions that we have kept even without these men,” Mr Girgenti said.
Over the years, Townsville Bishops have been very supportive of the festival with Bishops Faulkner, Benjamin and Putney regular attendees.
Bishop Tim attended his first St Anthony’s Festival and was very impressed with the event.
“The feast day has been going for a very long time in Bemerside and has always been a very popular one,” he said.
“The Italian locals very much believe that St Anthony’s prayers saved a family from death at the time of the 1927 flood and hence St Anthony has a special place in the community’s heart.
“I also have taken note that this is the only procession of a Statue in the Diocese so it’s worth preserving as a means whereby we can call people together in prayer for a common purpose.”
All proceeds from the annual festival go back into the community with renovations to the church the most recent list of projects that have benefited from the event.