Community & Business
16 May, 2025
3000 gather for festival
RAIN couldn’t dampen the spirits in Silkwood last Sunday, as 3000 people from across FNQ and interstate turned out to celebrate the Feast of the Three Saints in a vibrant display of faith, food, and Sicilian tradition.
In a spiritual and community celebration beyond creeds, the Feast of the Three Saints celebrated its 75th anniversary at the St John’s Church in Silkwood.
Weather didn’t slow them down as they took part in a big Sicilian feast, celebrated two masses and enjoyed the company of community with live entertainment and dancing.
The Feast of the Three Saints originated in 1950 as a Catholic religious feast that honours three brothers named Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino. They were martyrs from a village in Italy called St Alfio in Sicily.
Event executive committee member Lui Garozzo said there was an Italian mass at 10am and and again at 3pm, with much to celebrate in between.
A procession was held 2pm where the tradition is to bring down the statues from above the altar in the church.
“They come down in a very long ramp and we take the saints outside and we proceed down the streets with all the devotees,” Mr Garuzzo said.
“This being a whole day event and us, being Sicilian, we ate all day, and we had lunch, an MC, music, entertainment, Italian dancers and more.
“We unveiled a mural within our shrine and we were very lucky to have the apostolic nuncio – he answers directly to the Pope – and Cairns Bishop Joe Caddy for this.”
Mr Garozzo thanked the community for 75 years of supporting and growing the Feast of the Three Saints while also supporting the Silkwood community.
“Silkwood is a small community of at best 240 residents and we had people from all over the region, some people from Melbourne and Sydney, and as far north as Mossman out to Dimbulah, and we’re grateful they come out here to support the event and the community,” he said.
“We’re very proud that we provide to the community, but we’re even prouder for the fact that community supports us in return, so we don’t take that for granted.”
