Santa Maria! Addolorata!

For the Southern Italian Catholics (Bari, Napoli, Calabria and Sicily), marching through the streets with a band, dressed in black, is an annual tradition. In our neighborhood, it has been going on for years, with members of my family some of those who have marched over it's 100-year history. From the Brooklyn Eagle:

"The Good Friday Procession, which has its roots in the small towns of Italy, recalls the passion of Jesus Christ by way of symbolic statuary representing Jesus and Mary, traditional Italian hymns, a traditional Italian funeral band, and men, women and children who re-enact the last steps of Christ to his tomb, by candlelight.

The statues symbolizing both Christ and Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows, have been used in the parish procession for 60 years. The Congregation of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is made up of members from the town of Mola in Bari, Italy, just concluded its 60th Anniversary in the parish. In a scene only experienced by many in a movie, the two figures are carried on the shoulders of the faithful accompanied by singing and music as they pass through the crowded streets."

With the changing demographics in the neighborhood, it will be interesting to see how many people turn out this year.