The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
‘Primu Diu E Sammastianu!’
St. Sebastian Church feast, run of the devoted, parade all this weekend
MIDDLETOWN — The 103rd St. Sebastian Church feast and festival, a three-day celebration of the Christian saint and martyr, begins Friday night at the church.
Middletown, which has a large population of Sicilians, Italians who emigrated to the United States in the early 1920s, is the official sister city of Melilli, which held its Festa Grande di San Sebastiano a Melilli on May 12.
This year’s event, held at 155 Washington St., will run Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
The highlight of the weekend takes place Sunday after 11 a.m. Mass, when devotees, or I Nuri, run and walk in bare feet or socks in three waves.
They make their way to the church some 3 miles from the St. Sebastian Cemetery on the Middletown/Middlefield line. Devotees meet at the Sons of Italy at 74 Court St., then parade together to converge at the church.
They run up the steps, go inside and emerge with the heavy St. Sebastian statue hoisted on a platform adorned with a mountain of flower bouquets. It is paraded around the block and returned to the church when the festival begins for the final day.
Loudly chanting “E Chiamamulu Paisanu! Primu Diu E Sammastianu!”, or “He’s one of our own! First God and then St. Sebastian!”, they dress in pristine white with red sashes, carrying white and red carnations. It is an emotional pageant that brings many to tears.
St. Sebastian, who lived from 256 to 288 AD, “holds significance in religious tradition for his steadfast commitment to faith during the period of Roman emperor Diocletian’s antiChristian persecution,” according to the church.
“The feast celebrates our patron saint and the traditions of sacrifice and devotion the parish members have for their beloved St. Sebastian,” according to feast General Manager Chris Serra. “It is also a time of sacrifice and remembrance of loved ones we have lost who passed on these heritage traditions to us.”
There will be booths selling authentic Italian food, such as olive oil, baked goods and other treats, Vecchito’s Italian ice, pizza fritta, arancini, sausage and peppers and much more. The family-friendly event includes a carnival, live music, an auction, raffle and bands.
The We3 Trio will play from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday. Saturday features the statue unveiling at 5 p.m. followed by Mass. From 6 to 10 p.m., crowds will be entertained by Downtown 6.
Sunday, there will be an 11 a.m. Mass, with the running of the I Nuri starting at 12:15 p.m. Afterward, the statue will be paraded around the block.
“If you have not experienced the true devotion and sacrifice honoring God and St. Sebastian, it is a spine chilling, warm, happy, sad, and emotional event,” Serra said.
This year, people from as far as New Jersey, California, New York, Pennsylvania and Sicily will attend, Serra said.
The event is open to all. For more information, visit bit.ly/4bTyigX and Saint Sebastian Church, Middletown on Facebook.