Episode 1473: Maria SS Lauretana

It is the 123rd Annual Italian Fest in honor of Maria Santissima Lauretana on Labor Day weekend, Friday, September 1st through Sunday, September 3rd, in Niles near the Golf Mill Mall. The Feast of Maria SS. Lauretana is one of Chicago’s largest and longest-running Italian festivals, drawing thousands of attendees and featuring great food vendors, entertainment, rides and games along with parades, processions and the famous “Flight of the Angels.”
The story of Maria SS Lauretana originated in the town of Altavilla Milicia, Sicily, in the early 1620s. According to the legend, a ship filled with heathen pirates was struggling off the coast of Sicily. The pirates believed that the lid of a barrel, with the image of Mary on it, was the cause of their struggle with the violent ocean, so they threw it overboard.

The barrel top washed ashore between two towns in the Palermo region of Sicily. The residents of the two towns decided to place the religious relic in an unmanned ox cart and wherever the ox stopped, a shrine would be built. The ox came to a halt at the top of a hill in the town of Altavilla Milica, where the Sanctuary Madonna della Milicia, a shrine, and temple to Mary were built in the year 1623.

The feast of Maria SS Lauretana is celebrated on September 8th each year in Altavilla Milicia. The festival is a major event for the town, and attracts pilgrims from all over Sicily. The festival features traditional Sicilian music and dancing, as well as religious processions and celebrations.

The story of Maria SS Lauretana is a popular legend in Sicily, and is often told to children to teach them about the importance of faith. The legend also reflects the strong religious traditions of Sicily, and the devotion of the Sicilian people to the Virgin Mary.

In addition to the annual festival in Altavilla Milicia, there is also a large Maria SS Lauretana festival held in Niles, Illinois, which is home to a large Sicilian community. The Niles festival is held on the first weekend of September, and features many of the same traditions as the festival in Altavilla Milicia.