Second year of Madonna Della Cava feast a success

The St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Fitchburg celebrated the Feast of the Madonna Della Cava on Sunday, August 16, 2009. This annual event, traditionally celebrated by Sicilians living in Fitchburg and Boston's North End, includes a procession through the streets with a banner featuring the embroidered image of the Virgin Mary. Led by two boys dressed as angels, the banner is processed to the church where parishioners pin money on the streamers in honor of the Madonna Della Cava. In Fitchburg, the processions of the banner stopped in the mid-1970's. In 2008, a faithful group of St. Anthony parishioners restored the original banner and revived the procession with a full marching band. In its second year, the procession was followed by a Mass and a lunch served in the church hall. Additional photos on the website.