The 119th edition of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church Feast came as advertised. Prayers, entertainment, fun, games and plenty of great traditional Italian food punctuated the celebration, held this past weekend.

For the Rev. Henry P. Zinno Jr., pastor at OLMC, this was an extra special time, since he was also serving as 16th of July Feast Chief Marshal.

Starting with the “Early Bird” Special on Thursday night under the Big Top on the Bristol Town Common, featuring a variety of food, including Father Zinno’s homemade lasagna, and continuing through Saturday and Sunday, this year’s feast was well received by the hundreds of parishioners and friends who attended each evening.

Thursday night’s weather wasn’t exactly of picture perfect, but that didn’t deter anyone from coming out in support of those working the Feast. It was raining outside on occasion, but everyone was nice and dry under the Big Top.

“This has always been a labor of love,” said Feast Chairman Paul Viveiros. “I could never do this by myself. I have a group of parishioners and volunteers working with me that are second to none. They work tirelessly and make sure everything is running smoothly. These people deserve all of the credit.”

Longtime Mt. Carmel parishioner Ron Armillotto said being a part of the feast tradition has been most enjoyable.

“I have volunteered for the feast in some capacity for 37 years,” he said, “I can honestly say it's been lots of fun. Everyone I've worked with has been so dedicated to making the feast successful. I just love being able to give back to my church.  God has been so good to me and it is important to me to do anything I can to give thanks for God's kindness. I only wish I could give another 37 years.”

Friday night’s offerings included more great Italian and American food and games, along with entertainment by Diesel Band members Tom Sullivan and Jeff Carvalho. There was also a bouncy house and slide for the youngsters.

On Saturday night, normally one of the busiest periods during the celebration, local entertainer Doug Botelho was the headliner as he sang many familiar favorites for those in attendance. It was estimated that Saturday night’s crowd was one of the largest in recent memory.

“It was the biggest crowd we’ve ever had here on a Saturday night in the 20 years I’ve served as feast committee chairman,” said Mr. Viveiros. “It was unbelievable.”

The weather continued warm and sunny on Sunday as The Living Rosary took place inside the church, followed by the annual solemn procession around the Common, led by Father Zinno and members of his family. The procession, as it has been for a number of years, was under the direction of past Feast Chief Marshal Francis Vaccaro.

Just before the procession, in conjunction with the parish’s 100th anniversary this year, the original church bell, which had been in storage for years, was rung for the first time in decades.
As Father Zinno noted, “The original bell of the church was rung for the first time in over 40 years. The bell has been in storage for that long, and this year, to celebrate 100 years of faith, through the generosity of some parishioners, a small bell tower was constructed to match our church tower. The bell was refurbished, and now we will be able to ring it again on special occasions, like this past Sunday, to begin our procession. So many wonderful things are taking place here at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Bristol to celebrating our centennial.”

Sunday’s schedule attracted another crowd under the Big Top, complemented by a musical performance by Bobby Justin and his band. Again, food was the big draw. Like previous nights, sausage and pepper grinders, meatball sandwiches, eggplant sandwiches, fish and chips, clam cakes and chowder, macaroni and meatballs, doughboys, and a variety of desserts, were top sellers on the food list.

“The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is always special. Each year Our Blessed Lady guides us to Christ in prayer, food, music, and festivity,” Father Zinno said. “But this year it was most special. Having been selected as chief marshal by our parish trustees due to the 100th anniversary of the parish (an honor I usually bestow), I was most humbled by the support, assistance and generosity of our parishioners, the community of Bristol and all who joined us. Having my family with me and my nephews carrying the statue was a memory I will cherish forever. And hearing the original bell of the Church ring again after 45 years in storage was incredible. Our Blessed Mother smiled upon all of us this week.”