Why a festival in honor of St. Anthony?
Sunday February 7, 1904, was a brutally cold and windy day in Baltimore. A single spark ignited a blaze in a warehouse at Redwood & Sharp Streets and the building was engulfed in flames. By noon, the massive fire had spread to nearby buildings with the wind encouraging it eastward. Fire companies from D.C., Pennsylvania, and New York rushed to join the battle, yet the hungry flames devoured every building in their path as downtown Baltimore became an inferno.
Towards evening, it was obvious that Little Italy was in danger. The Italian residents began to flee, taking whatever belongings they could carry. Yet many refused to leave their homes and possessions they had worked so hard to acquire. They gathered on the east bank of the Jones Falls and prayed for God to spare them from the flames. Someone in the crowd cried out, “Saint Anthony, protect us!” as others mimicked the cry. A few men ran into Saint Leo’s Church to grab the statue of Saint Anthony and a vessel of holy water and returned to the crowd. The residents made a solemn vow if their homes, beloved church, and their Little Italy neighborhood were spared from the fire, they would hold an annual festival in honor of Saint Anthony.
Around 6 a.m. Monday, a strong wind blew the flames in another direction. Efforts to clean up downtown had not even begun when, in gratitude, the people of Saint Leo’s founded the Saint Anthony Society and started the celebration which began with a solemn Mass. Afterwards, the entire neighborhood joined in a procession through the streets of Little Italy in celebration. An annual street procession and Italian festival has continued to this day.
