Celebrate feast of SS. Crocifisso in Des Plaines

Posted June 05, 2017 11:00 pm

Daily Herald report

The 21st annual Italian Feast of SS. Crocifisso will be celebrated Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11, on the grounds of Maryville Academy, 1150 N. River Road, Des Plaines. Courtesy of Societa SS. Crocifisso di Ciminna

The 21st annual Italian Feast of SS. Crocifisso will be celebrated Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11, on the grounds of Maryville Academy, 1150 N. River Road, Des Plaines.

The festival is put on by people in the Chicago area who emigrated from Ciminna, a small town outside Palermo, Sicily, where it has been celebrated since 1651.

It will begin with Vespers at Marian Chapel at 6 p.m. Saturday, followed by live music and Italian food. Sunday's events begin with an Italian Mass at 12:30 p.m. celebrated by the Revs. John Belmonte, John Smyth and Esequiel Sanchez.

That will be followed by a procession of the cross accompanied by the Sicilian Band of Chicago, the traditional horse parade, live music, entertainment and food. Fireworks will close out the festival.

The celebration was brought to the area by Philip Nigliaccio, who believes that he and his family were graced by God when, on Dec. 23, 1995, they walked away from a terrible car accident without any injuries. He began the crusade to have a replica of the cross of SS. Crocifisso, associated with miracles in the Italian town, made and to have a procession here.

Fred Scimeca traveled to Sicily to make an exact reproduction of the image and the local celebration of the feast began. The cross is kept at the main altar of Marian Chapel on the grounds of Maryville.

For more information, visit sscrocifisso.us or call (847) 577-8230, (847) 255-6365, or (312) 263-4930.

A horse parade, live music, entertainment, food and fireworks are part of the festival. Courtesy of Societa SS. Crocifisso di Ciminna

The Feast of SS. Crocifisso is put on by people in the Chicago area who emigrated from Ciminna, a small town outside Palermo, Sicily, where it has been celebrated since 1651. Courtesy of Societa SS. Crocifisso di Ciminna

Fred Scimeca traveled to Sicily to make this replica of the cross of SS. Crocifisso, associated with miracles in Ciminna, a small town outside Palermo, Sicily. Courtesy of Societa SS. Crocifisso di Ciminna

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