On July 16, 1875, more than a decade before the town had its own Catholic parish, Italian immigrants in Hammonton met at the home of Antonio Capelli to pray to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, giving thanks for safe passage to the United States, for a successful harvest and for good fortune in the years to come.

On July 16, 2025, the town of Hammonton will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the longest-running Italian religious festival in the nation, which regularly draws tens of thousands of visitors and faithful alike.