In Carroll Gardens, A Decades-Old Tradition Becomes More Meaningful

Catholics originating from the town of Mola di Bari in Italy annually celebrate the with a procession through the streets of Carroll Gardens.

The procession starts at on Hicks and Summit streets before solemnly processing through the neighborhood. Members of the congregation walk with the Molesi, singing and reciting prayers. On the shoulders of some men, the statue of Maria SS Addolorata is carried. Also referred to as Our Lady of Sorrows, this statue of Mary the mother of Jesus, symbolizes the hurt that she as a mother felt at the death of her Son.

This year, the procession fell on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, and has taken on an even greater meaning.

"It's appropriate that we commemorate the sorrow a mother feels when her son is taken violently from her, as the entire city suffers the same loss from the tragic events of 9/11," said , organizer of the annual procession.

In a display that showed an appreciation for their religious and ethnic background but also of the country in which they live, the procession stopped at the 76 Precinct on Union Street to sing the National Anthem.

The procession is a constant in Carroll Gardens, and is a reminder that we must always keep looking forward, even in the face of danger and fear, said Heyer.

Our Lady of Sorrows "shows us that it is appropriate to mourn while at the same time never losing our faith," he wrote in a . "The procession this year is particularly somber as we all remember the great loss experienced ten years ago."

With everyone dressed in all black, and the stark image of the Lady of Sorrows hoisted high above the ground, a dagger through her heart, it was hard not to be subdued.