Feast or Bazaar?

“As an Italian growing up in North Denver, we always called it the ‘feast’ and do so to this day.”

You’ll probably hear a great many people say something similar. Others (typically younger folks) have known it as “the bazaar” their whole lives. For years, the official advertising has referred to it as “the bazaar;” yet tradition tells us it’s a “feast.” Which is correct?

The answer is BOTH! In fact, you may notice that our official poster for this year says “92nd Annual Bazaar” and “129th Annual Feast.” Before we explain, let’s examine these terms a bit closer. The term “feast” is used in a Catholic-Italian context. First, it refers to one of many days in the Catholic calendar wherein we celebrate something or someone important to the Faith. For example, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated yearly on July 16th in commemoration of her appearance to St. Simon Stock and gift of the Brown Scapular. Priests will typically celebrate a special Mass on important feast days.

From an Italian standpoint, the word “feast” keeps its Catholic meaning, but the celebration of it is different than other cultures. Every town in Italy has a patron saint. When the patron’s feast day comes around, the town observes it in a very public way. While specific traditions vary from town to town, you’ll see the same basic formula: a special Mass, grand procession, fireworks, and music. Our ancestors brought their devotions to the United States and instilled them in the parishes they built. Here in Denver, the Campobassani celebrated Sant’Antonio, the Potentini celebrated (and continue to celebrate) San Rocco, and we at Mt. Carmel still celebrate Maria SS. del Monte Carmelo.

Officially, a “bazaar” is a fundraising sale of goods for the benefit of a church or charity. Nearly every Catholic church - ethnic or not - has a summer bazaar to raise money for operating expenses throughout the year. Based on this, we could say “bazaar” and “feast” are interchangeable. But what about the age discrepancy? How can the bazaar be 92 years old and the feast be 129 years old? Aren’t they the same thing?

Again, no! As you already know, our church was established in 1894 under the patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The first church was dedicated on March 18th and in true Italian fashion, the Feast of Mt. Carmel was celebrated that July. Yes, a mere four months after the church started functioning, the residents of North Denver experienced an occasion like none other in the city. An article in the Colorado Catholic (our official Catholic newspaper from 1884–1899) published on July 21, 1894 describes it thus:

The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel will be celebrated in a special manner next Sunday. Hayden’s Third mass will be sung by a choir of twelve voices and an orchestra will be in attendance. Bishop Matz will be present to pontificate, and Rev. Father Scapelle of New York, new assistant to Father Lepore, will preach. Nichols and McMinn’s band will furnish music for parade, in which three Italian societies will participate, and will play all day outside of the church. At 7:30 in the evening grand vespers will be sung and benediction given. At 9 pm there will be an elegant display of fireworks on the grounds surrounding the church. Father Lepore invites one and all to be present.

Therefore, we can confirm that the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was first celebrated as a “feast” in the Italian-Catholic sense of the word in 1894 and has been celebrated in much the same way every year. The Mass and Procession, which constitute the feast, are 129 years old this year.

The bazaar on the other hand, didn’t begin until 1931. This was discovered recently when we found a time capsule from Mt. Carmel High School. The cornerstone for the high school was laid on April 22, 1951 at 36th & Zuni. For the occasion, Fr. Tom LoCascio, OSM (pastor) wrote a detailed history of the church. The section pertaining to the bazaar says:

The memories of this day could not have been possible except for the work, enthusiasm and the zeal of many of the lay people of the parish of Mt. Carmel, who through their unselfish work made possible the finance needed for this great project. Among the institutions brought into existence for the gathering of finances was the Mt. Carmel annual bazaar, the first of which was held in 1931. These bazaars from the beginning required much work and time and the leadership of many men and women.”

Further research shows that the feast was always celebrated on or around July 16th. The bazaar dates, however, were always changing—one year at the end of July, another year in August, and even another year at the beginning of September. We discovered that the bazaar was finally moved to coincide with the feast in the 1960s.

There you have it. The mystery is solved and the debate of bazaar vs. feast is settled. We will henceforth continue to advertise the feast in conjunction with the bazaar, but with its proper age.

In honor of this discovery and our upcoming Bazaar/Feast, we are offering TWO special T-shirt designs in our online shop—one for the 92nd Bazaar in a 1930s cartoon style featuring the quintessential Italian grandparents, Nonno & Nonna Carmine (see what we did there?) and one for the 129th Feast. These are available in a variety of sizes and styles. Shop now to get yours in time for our Bazaar/Feast!