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Iconic Giglio Gets New Facade Ahead of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Feast

By Jessica Easthope

Danny  Vecchiano was brought home from the hospital in a Giglio t-shirt. This year, his shirt says “Capo #1” of the Giglo feast – it’s the honor of a life time.

“This is the most important thing that we do in this feast, right? This is a beautiful festival and a wonderful show of heritage and our tradition, but carrying the Giglio is the most unique thing that happens in the city,” Vecchiano said. “There’s plenty of Italian festivals, but we have this. So it was really important to us that we did this the right way.”

The new Giglio facade took Danny and several other volunteers seven months to make. The plaster and paint that sits in an upper room at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Williamsburg is what’s left of their labor and countless man hours. They did it so the Giglio can dance 72 feet into the sky on Sunday, looking better than ever.

“It’s a kind of replica of a Giglio that they built here in 1954. One of the things that we identified very quickly is that we wanted to use Styrofoam as opposed to wood, to build this, to make it lighter,” Danny said.

This is the 137th feast which was started by Italian immigrants from Nola, Italy. Danny, a trumpet player and the owner of the band that sits atop the four-ton structure carries on the tradition of the feast and his family.

“We’re totally invested, totally devoted. And we made it fun too, it wasn’t labor, it wasn’t work,” he said.

The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Feast goes from now until July 21.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 7/11/2024

Ahead of the highly anticipated National Eucharistic Congress, Pope Francis sent participants a heartfelt letter of support. Hear what his message said to those who will be in Indianapolis for the celebration.

We revisit the last Eucharistic Congress – in 1941! You’ll be amazed by how many faithful showed up in Minneapolis.

Notre Dame emerges from the ashes. After a devastating fire, the iconic cathedral nears completion of its extensive restoration and aims to reopen this December.

Don’t miss the iconic Giglio Lift in Williamsburg this weekend—a century-old tradition honoring Nola’s patron saint, with 100 lifters and a 72-foot tower!

Historic National Eucharistic Congress Returns After 80 Years

The National Eucharistic Congress will be historic. It’s been 80 years since the celebration was held in the United States.

Here to give us some more background on that is the national correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, John Lavenburg.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 7/10/2024

The famous Giglio Tower is back! Summer fun kicks off in Williamsburg on July 10 with the beloved Mount Carmel Feast.

Before embarking on a packed travel agenda, the Pope’s essential stop surprises many—a visit to his longtime optician.

A Long Island pastor is making waves on a global scale. He has joined a unique initiative led by French bishops, aiming to unite the global Church.

Tune in on July 14 to be captivated by the legendary career and life of MLB great Gil Hodges. This New York Emmy Award-winning documentary will air on NET-TV.

Long Island to Paris: Fmr Olympian Only U.S. Priest to Attend First Holy Games Before Olympics

Athletes worldwide are going head to head at the Summer Olympics in Paris. But before the games begin, the Holy Games will kick off for the first time ever. This three-week-long initiative by the French Bishops Conference and the Archdiocese of Paris aims to unite the Universal Church.

Father Joseph Fitzgerald, pastor of St. William the Abbot in Seaford, Long Island, will be at the games and will joined Currents News to talk more about it. Father Fitzgerald was also a member of the U.S. national handball team that competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta!

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 7/9/2024

As the National Eucharistic Congress approaches, the presence of Christ is being felt by many across the nation. For a Queens priest, that divine calling was inspired by the body of Christ.

The Congress will be the culmination of the nationwide pilgrimage happening right now! The eastern route stopped at a correctional institute.

We check back in with faithful Zoe Dongas, who made it to Indianapolis! She was part of the Seton Route, which traveled through eight states. She shares her awe-inspiring journey with Currents News.

Vocation Guided by Christ: Queens Priest Credits Eucharist for Call to Ministry

Whether they are walking, driving, or flying, Catholics across the country are about to arrive at the National Eucharistic Congress.

The five-day event is centered around a core Catholic belief that the Eucharist is actually the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Adoration can actually change a person’s life.

You’re about to meet Father James Rodriguez. He says that being before the body and blood of Christ made him want to become a priest.

Currents News’ Katie Vasquez joins us now to tell us a little bit more about Eucharistic Adoration.

Pilgrimage to National Eucharistic Congress: Seton Route’s Journey to Indianapolis

The Seton Route is the first group to reach Indianapolis ahead of the National Eucharistic Congress. They’ve traveled through 18 dioceses and eight states, and we’ve been checking in with one of those pilgrims, New Yorker Zoe Dongas, all along the way!

As her journey comes to a close, she says this has been an awe-inspiring experience. Zoe also says in every diocese she’s passed, she’s seen people getting excited to walk with Jesus.

New Study Finds 69% of Mass-Going Catholics Believe in Real Presence of Jesus in Eucharist

The Eucharistic Revival that sparked that nationwide pilgrimage, and the Congress happening soon, began because of a 2019 Pew Research study that caught the bishops’ attention.

It found about 69 percent, or two-thirds of U.S. Catholics, said they do not believe the bread and wine become Christ’s body and blood and that they are just symbols.

A more recent study, however, found that may not be the case. The Catholic firm, Vinea Research, says it’s actually the opposite. Their study says 69 percent of Mass-going Catholics do believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.