SUMMER.
BUT IN THE NORTH END, THERE ARE DECADES OF MEMORIE ANTHONY: EVERY SUMMER, BOSTON’S NORTH END SHOWS ITS TRUE COLORS.
GREEN, WHITE AND RED.
IT’S FEAST SEASON, WHEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS ITALIAN HERITAGE SPILLS ONTO THE STREET WITH MARCHING BANDS AND FOOD VENDORS AND WALL PEOPLE.
>> I THINK IT’S FUN AND CRAZY.
>> THIS IS WICKED AWESOME.
ANTHONY: 2019 MARKED 100 YEARS OF ST. ANTHONY’S FEAST, A FOUR-DAY CELEBRATION OF THE END OF AUGUST SAID TO BE THE LARGEST IN NEW ENGLAND.
THE FEAST OF ALL FEASTS.
>> THE LITTLE ITALY’S OF THE UNITED STATES ARE SHRINKING RAPIDLY.
BUT IN THE NORTH END IT SEEMS STRONG.
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE ITALIAN FOR THE WEEKEND.
>> IT’S CRAZY IT.
IT’S CRAZY BUSY.
I SELL LOTS AND LOTS OF CANNOLIS.
>> WE COME ALL THE WAY FROM CHICAGO.
ANTHONY: THEY COME FOR THE FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT.
BUT, THE HEART OF THE FEAST IS A SACRED RITUAL BROUGHT HERE BY IMMIGRANTS FROM THE SOUTHERN ITALY HILL TOWN.
>> THERE PATRON SAINT WAS SAINT HERE.
HE STARTED CELEBRATED BEING HAPPY FOR THE FACT THEY MADE IT TO THE NEW WORLD AND BROUGHT SOME OF THEIR CULTURE WITH THEM AS WELL AS THEIR FAITH.
ANTHONY: THEY ALSO BROUGHT LUCY, THE PATRON SAINT OF EYES.
>> SANTA LUCIA.
ANTHONY: UNTIL RECENTLY, ST.
LUCIE WAS CELEBRATED AFTER THE FEAST.
>> WE FOUND IT WAS NOT GETTING THE DRAW OF PEOPLE, SO WHY DON’T WE HAVE ST. LUCIE BE THE KICKOFF TO ST. ANTHONY’S FEAST.
SHE HAS A FULL FESTIVAL WITH LOTS OF VENDORS AND ENTERTAINMENT.
ANTHONY: ALL OF THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS OF THE ST.
ANTHONY AND ST. LUCIE SOCIETIES.
>> IT’S MY 25TH YEAR ON THE FEAST COMMITTEE.
ANTHON 25 YEARS AND A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES.
>> I GREW UP RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE FEAST.
I STILL LIVE ON PRINCE STREET, MY WINDOWS FACE THE BANDSTAND.
100 YEARS, SINCE 1919.
IT’S AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY.
ANTHONY: HONOR, PASSION, AND EMOTION.
>> I LOVE MY TOWN.
I MISS IT.
I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD WHEN I CAME HERE.
THIS IS WHERE I GREW UP.
THAT WAS HOME PLATE.
>> TODAY, HE OWNS A RESTAURANT ON ENDICOTT STREET AND IS PRESIDENT OF ST. ANTHONY SOCIETY.
>> WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE RELICS OF ST. ANTHONY.
I CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME.
WE HAVE 100 30 MEMBERS THAT RUN THIS ORGANIZATION AND WE ALL LOOK AT LIFE VERY DIFFERENTLY.
BUT THE COMMON FACTOR IS ST.
ANTHONY.
AND THEN WE GIVE AWAY A LOT OF MONEY.
ANTHONY: THE SPIRITUAL CENTER OF LIFE IN THE NORTH END IS SAINT LEONARD CHURCH.
>> TODAY, WE HAVE TRUE MAJOR RELICS OF ST. ANTHONY WITH US.
IT’S A CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFE AND WE ARE CELEBRATING HE IS HERE WITH US.
ANTHONY: MICHAEL IS AMONG THE NEW GENERATION OF DEVOTEES.
>> IT IS SOMETHING I WANT TO SEE ON -- SEE LIVE ON FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.
WHEN I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD, I WAS ASKED TO DRESS UP LIKE ST.
ANTHONY AND BE PART OF THE FEAST AND I WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST JOYS OF MY LIFE.
I’VE GONE ON TO VISIT SAINT ANTHONY’S BASILICA MANY TIMES AND CELEBRATE WITH THE COMMUNITY , WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION IN ITALY.
ANTHONY: TO MARK THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY, THE BASILICA IS REPRESENTED BY THIS MAN.
>> IT’S AMAZING TO SEE SEMI-DIFFERENT CULTURES COMING TOGETHER, THE ITALIAN AND AMERICAN ONE.
ANTHONY: HE TRAVELS THE WORLD, BRINGING THE RELICS OF SAINT ANTHONY.
>> MANY PEOPLE CAN COME, BUT THEY REALLY WOULD LIKE THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF A SAINT.
HE DIED IN 1231, SO ALMOST 800 YEARS AGO.
HE IS STILL REVERED AS THE FIRST FEAST OF THE SAINT.
ANTHONY: SO THE STAGE IS SET F