Last week, members of the Association’s Women’s Committee and the Executive Committee gathered in a basement meeting room at Mont Carmel Church to assemble the traditional “giglio” – a candle and flower tower that will be an integral part of the Association’s annual procession.

This tradition dates back to Castelgrande, where the women of the town would gather some days before the town’s annual religious procession to decorate sacred candles with ornate wildflowers. The giglo would be paraded around the town along with the town’s statue of the Madonna di Costantinopoli. The procession was a not-to-be-missed event that would culminate in an outdoor celebration.

The annual feast is the highlight of our Association’s annual events calendar as well. This year’s feast will take place this coming Sunday, June 29, 2014. The festivities will start with a 4:00PM procession, followed by a celebratory mass at 5:00PM, and finally the outdoor feast with music, sausage paninis and good company. All of this year’s festivities (including the outdoor feast) will take place at Mont Carmel Church, located at 7645 Rue du Mans, in the St-Leonard suburb of Montreal.

Auguri to this year’s giglio team! They are (in alphabetical order): Lucia Coppola, Maria Coppola, Maria Coppola Cristiano, Assunta De Santis, Angela Federici, Lucia Federici, Maria Giorgio, Anna Muro, Vittoria Muro, Antonietta Pennimpede, and Maria Ruvo.

See you on Sunday!