102nd Annual
Feast of Santa Lucia
August 22 & 23, 2024
The Feast of Santa Lucia Schedule of Events for August 22 & 23, 2024 will be released in summer 2024. Please continue to check this website for details.
Festivities begin Thursday evening with the Feast of Santa Lucia,
and continues all weekend with the Feast of Saint Anthony on Friday, Saturday & Sunday!
Endicott, Thacher & North Margin Streets
North End – Boston
Saint Lucy Society of Boston
203 Endicott Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02113
5:00 PM
Opening Ceremonies & Procession of the Feast of Santa Lucia - Exposition & blessing of the Statue of Santa Lucia and devotees. The Statue of Santa Lucia will then be brought in solemn procession through the streets of the North End accompanied by Italian street bands, flower girls and color guard.
6:30 PM
Dance & sing along to the sounds of 12 Barz Band. Get up and dance while enjoying an old fashioned feast night in the neighborhood!
10:30 PM
A candlelight procession will welcome the statue of Santa Lucia back to the outdoor chapel for overnight vigil.
ALL WEEKEND
Filippo Berio Culinary Stage & Tasting Tent - Featuring Boston’s best chefs showcasing their “Cucina Italiana” - stop by for some fabulous demonstrations & tastings and selections of Filippo Berio’s new pesto, olivata and glazes.
Regina Pizzeria Open Air Piazza - Enjoy an imported ice cold Stella Artois Beer or a glass of vino, and of course a slice of their world famous pizza.
12 NOON
Enjoy lunch and the afternoon at the Feast while listening to traditional feast music by the Ray Cavicchio Orchestra on the main stage.
6:15 PM
Members of the societies take the statue of Santa Lucia in procession to St. Leonard's Peace Garden to greet our Parish priests for the opening ceremonies of St. Anthony's Feast.
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Saint Lucy Society of Boston
The Saint Lucy Society of Boston is a chartered non-profit, religious organization founded in 1921 by Italian women immigrants. The members of this organization are dedicated to perpetuating the memory and devotion of their patron, Saint Lucy by organizing an annual one day celebration in her honor on the Monday following Saint Anthony’s Feast at the end of August.
In addition, the Saint Lucy Society donates thousands of dollars to charities, organizes food and clothing drives for worthy causes and is a vital part of the North End Community.
Saint Lucy Society Officers
Darlene D’Elia
President
Janet Ruzzo
Vice President |
Tia Bruno
Secretary
Nicole Leo
Treasurer |
Bianca Visconti
Trustee
Olivia Scimeca
Trustee |
Saint Lucy Feast Committee
Anna Areniello
Lynn Bova
Darlene D'Elia
Lois DiNunzio
Sylvia DiNunzio
Francine Gannon
Marie Simboli
The Life of Saint Lucy
Saint Lucy was a young virgin and martyr born into a modest family in Syracuse, Sicily. She came of age at the end of the 3rd century, in the time of the Roman Empire, when Christians hid their faith or suffered under the wrath of the Roman consuls.
Lucy blossomed into a very lovely young woman and began taking her faith in Christ very seriously. Her father died when she was a little girl and her mother Eutychia, was a very ill woman who suffered from uncontrollable bleeding. Fearing that Lucy would have no one when she was gone, her mother arranged a marriage for her with a young Roman nobleman of the town.
Lucy’s first concern being her mother, the young girl turned to her her faith, and found inspiration in Saint Agatha of Catania, who had had been martyred for her beliefs a few decades earlier. Accompanied by Lucy, Eutychia was persuaded to make a pilgrimage to the shrine in Catania, in hopes of a cure. While there, St. Agatha came to Lucy in a dream and told her that because of her faith her mother would be cured and that Lucy would be the glory of Syracuse, as she was of Catania.
Lucy devoted herself to prayer and reflection and as Saint Agatha had foretold her mother was miraculously cured of her illness. With Eutychia mother cured, Lucy persuaded her mother to allow her to take a vow of virginity and break off the impending marriage to the young nobleman. Young Lucy then distributed her worldly possessions among the poor and committed her life to Christ.
The rejected bridegroom was deeply angered and reported Lucy to the Roman Governor Paschasius. As punishment for her faith, the Romans attempted to force her into defilement at a brothel, but the guards who came to take her away were unable to move her, even after hitching her to a team of oxen. The guards then set to burn her alive and heaped bundles of wood around her but it wouldn't burn. Lucy bravely professed her faith in Christ and trusted her life to him.
With this bold act of defiance, the Romans grew angrier and made continued attempts of torture and persecution, but each time she survived unscathed and showed no signs weakness. "God has granted that I should bear these things in order to free the faithful from fear and suffering.” Her faith only grew stronger as the persecution continued, the most miraculous being the one she will forever be known for: the loss of her eyes and the subsequent return of her eyesight.
Lucy endured until finally on December 13, in the year 304, a sword was thrust into her throat. Lucy lived long enough to receive the Blessed Sacrament of Communion, she then surrendered her spirit to God "I am the Lord's poor servant, to him I offer all in sacrifice. I have nothing left to give except myself.”
The life of this holy woman has been praised and honored for centuries. Saint Lucy's Feast day is December 13. She is known as the protectress of eyesight. Throughout the world people honor Saint Lucy and ask her the favor of intercession with God to help them with their vision. In Sweden, St. Lucia’s Day marks the beginning of the Christmas celebration. On that day the eldest daughter of the family traditionally dresses in a white robe and wears as a crown an evergreen wreath studded with candles. She is honored throughout Italy, and many, especially Sicilians fast on the feast day of the Saint by abstaining from eating anything made of processed wheat. In the North End of Boston she is honored with an Italian Street Festival held in late August where you will hear the faithful pronounce “Viva Santa Lucia!”
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