For 111th year, Our Lady carried through town

SHENANDOAH – For 111 years, Shenandoah’s Catholic faithful have processed through town in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and this year was no different.

Churchgoers gathered Sunday morning at St. Casimir’s Church on North Jardin Street for mass followed by the procession.

Traditionally, families carry homemade “cintas,” or small shrines, some of which have passed from generation to generation, while others volunteer for the honor of carrying the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or the canopy held over the statue.

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Once again, there was no bidding for the honor of carrying the statue.

Dino Cicioni, one of the organizers of the procession, asked attendees before it started if they should bring bidding back for next year, and a handful raised their hands.

​Along the route, residents and parishioners alike make donations to the parish by pinning dollar bills to the statue as it passes through town.

The tradition dates back to 1914 and it began as part of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish at Washington and Diamond Streets in town. The church closed around 2015 when all Catholic churches in this valley merged into Divine Mercy Parish.

Dozens of parishioners and community members gathered and took part in this year’s procession, led by Shenandoah Police and the Upper Schuylkill Marching Band of town.

The procession, rooted in Italian heritage, traversed the traditionally Italian northwest section of town, into the Glover’s Hill section and back to the church at St. Casimir’s.

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