VIVA SANT’ALFIO!
3 SAINTS ARRIVE EARLY TODAY IN LAWRENCE
There’s no stopping the Three Saints! For the first time in 94 years, the statues of the martyred Christian brothers Sts. Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino will be carried out of Holy Rosary Church for a grand procession through the streets of the old Italian neighborhood in Lawrence today instead of the traditional Sunday.
Wary of rain in the forecast, the fraternal society that runs the annual feast decided to break with protocol and start the procession at 3 p.m. today in the Common Street area — and it is already making for some historic firsts.
The saints will be present for the torchlight parade normally staged tonight, and will be illuminated by spotlights. The procession culminates in a “Moment of Glory” at 9 p.m. with prayers, booming confetti cannons and a cheering crowd before the statues head back into the church at 10 p.m.
“It’s very exciting,” said St. Alfio Society spokesman Tony Palmisano. “It’s going to be a very long day, but it will be great.”
For those willing to brave the elements, the feast will continue tomorrow as well with all of the street food stands — yes there will be cannolis — along with vendors and family entertainment.
What matters most to the tens of thousands who return to the feast every year is not the schedule, but the special meaning the event holds.
“The statues represent family to me,” said Palmisano, whose parents hailed from Italy and whose sons Matthew, 24, and Sam, 19, are also members of the St. Alfio Society. “When I see the saints, I get a wave of emotion. It’s about our heritage and it’s also about the family values we believe in. We want that to continue so we keep the feast going for the next generation.”
The three saints were born in the third century in Italy and were killed by Roman soldiers after refusing, even under torture, to renounce their faith. A feast pays tribute to them in Sicily, and immigrants who came to Lawrence to work in the textile mills brought the tradition with them.
The 166 men in the St. Alfio Society and their families and supporters will be out in full force today to see that the change in schedule goes smoothly for the saints — and those who turn out year after year to honor them.