The Annual Feast of Maria SS. Addolorata, also known as Our Lady of Sorrows, was celebrated today by Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen’s Parish in Carroll Gardens. The Madonna Addolorata is the patron of Mola di Bari, Italy and the immigrants from that town brought their devotion to this saint with them when they settled here. The Congrega SS. Addolorata was established in 1948 and it is still going strong 65 years later.
The statue of the Madonna has resided at SHSS Church for the past 60 years. She is particularly distinctive in that she has a dagger piercing her heart and the expression etched on her face is one of utter sorrow. The Blessed Mother under the title of Madonna Addolorata depicts the despair of Mary after the death of her son.
The statue is processed around Carroll Gardens twice a year. For the Good Friday Procession, she is dressed in black with a long veil and follows a glass casket containing a statue of Jesus. For the feast day procession, held on the second Sunday of September, she is resplendent in gold and black finery with an ornate crown atop her head. The ladies of the congregation dress the statue each year and march solemnly behind her, praying and singing hymns in Italian. Many of these devotees have moved away from Carroll Gardens but scores of them return for both processions with their children and grandchildren, some of whom take turns carrying the statue on their shoulders and carrying banners representing the parish and the congregation. They are accompanied by an Italian marching band.
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The weather was perfect for today’s procession. After winding through the streets of the neighborhood, everyone returned to SHSS Church on Summit Street, the outside of which was festooned with white lights reminiscent of feasts held in Italy. A fireworks display in front of the church was then followed by a Mass in honor of the beloved Madonna. The celebration of the Feast of Madonna Addolorata provides a vivid glimpse of Old World tradition, still alive and well in Carroll Gardens.
If you would like to learn more about the Feast of Madonna Addolorata and the history of feasts in Carroll Gardens, visit
