Springfield's rich Italian heritage was on full display in the city's South End neighborhood on Sunday.

The procession of the Madonna has been a tradition in Springfield's south end since Italian immigrants first settled in Springfield more than one hundred years ago. Following the Sunday service at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, dozens of the faithful followed the Madonna statue through South Main Street to the Mount Carmel Society Club.

Theresa Devine, who grew up in the South End said, "It's a traditional thing, it's an Italian tradition keeping the community together, I was confirmed at the church." Along the route people would pin money to the Madonna to defray the cost of the Mount Carmel Festival. Although many in the procession no longer live in the south end of the city, they return each year for this hallowed event.

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Source: http://wwlp.com/