A 92-year-old local tradition that commemorates the Virgin Mary and a miracle will be vastly different this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel — a beloved annual event that typically attracts hundreds of faithful followers who march together through the streets of Westerly behind an an enormous statue of the Blessed Mother — are asking people to stand safely on the sidelines this year, and to wear masks and remain socially distanced.

Only the members of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Committee, members of the clergy, the Maria Assunta Society and the Knights of Columbus will be allowed to take part in the procession on Sunday, July 19, according to Mike Breslin, the president of the feast day committee.