SCALABRINIAN Fathers provincial Fr Savino Bernardi was a special guest at Mareeba’s fifty-third feast of Our Lady of the Chain.
On Sunday, September 8, Fr Bernardi concelebrated Mass in St Thomas’ Church with parish priest Augustinian Father Michael Belonio and Fathers Greg Moses from Atherton and Michael Bonner from Cairns.
Students from St Thomas’s School participated in the Mass.
Parishioner Michael Samanes led the Italian Choir.
Committee member Rena Ceola said 23 people had travelled from the Tully and Innisfail area by bus to attend celebrations.
Following Mass the combined St Thomas’ and St Stephen’s School Band, led by Nina Raggett, played during the procession of the statue of Our Lady through the streets.
“The evening celebrations continued with hot food, cold drinks and delicious Italian sweets,” Ms Ceola said.
“Entertainment by Santo Gangemi and students from St Thomas’ School kept the crowd entertained and free face painting was popular with the children.
“The evening ended with a fantastic fireworks display by Xplosive Art.”
The community of Mareeba has been celebrating the feast of Our Lady of the Chain since 1961.
The devotion to Our Lady, venerated under the title of Our Lady of the Chain, had its origin in Palermo, Sicily towards the end of the 14th Century.
