Giuliana Bucaro, 8, left, and Lillianna Hethcoat, 7, recite prayers during the traditional Flight of the Angels ritual at the 122nd annual Feast of Maria Santissima Lauretana in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. The girls are second cousins; their mothers portrayed the angels in 1994. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Those who attended the 122nd annual Feast of Maria Santissima Lauretana in Niles enjoyed Italian beef, pizza, pasta, cannoli, and gelato and listened to Tony Spavone, the Chicago Rat Pack and many more musical attractions.

But for many, the heart of the feast originated in religious belief tracing from 400 years ago in a small town along the north coast of Sicily, an island off the Italian mainland.

That was evident in the many Catholics trekking to the festival’s shrine tent to pray, sometimes serenaded by the Sicilian Band of Chicago, to the Blessed Mother, as represented by a painting of her with the baby Jesus and St. Francis of Assisi. Catholics consider the image holy.

People visit the shrine tent to pray to the Virgin Mary. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

The faith mixes with fun in a traditional spectacle called the Flight of the Angels. This year, two first cousins who portrayed the angels when they were young girls got to witness their two daughters portray the angels and “fly” on a suspension structure above the crowd.

This year’s festival, which attracted between 5,000 to 6,000 people, organizers said, took place just south of Golf Mill Shopping Center.

Angelo Camarda of Elmwood Park is festival chairman of the Maria Santissima Lauretana Society of Altavilla Milicia in Chicago, which hosts the Feast of Maria Santissima Lauretana.

In the group of spectators are Marianne Hethcoat of Hanover Park and Lia Bucaro of Bartlett among family members proud of the girls (not pictured) who portrayed angels participating in the Flight of the Angels. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

“Our tradition here is basically geared toward our devotion to the Blessed Mother,” Camarda said. “She’s our patron saint from our hometown.

“We’re keeping our tradition alive for over 122 years here in Chicago, 400 years in Italy. Basically, it’s all in honor of the Blessed Mother.”

Camarda’s nephew Salvatore Camarda of Chicago is festival co-chair.

Salvatore Camarda staffed the food vendor booth for the family business, Joseph’s Finest Meats of Chicago, which cooked a minimum of 1,500 Italian sausage links and approximately 600 pounds of Italian beef over the festival’s duration, he said.

“Some of the things here that we try to focus on is trying to keep the authenticity part … everything down to the music, the cuisine, something that we kind of try to keep as authentic as possible,” Salvatore Camarda said.

Members of the Maria Santissima Lauretana society fratellanza, or brotherhood prepare to move the throne weighing about two tons. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

During 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Niles festival did not take place, but the Camardas said their group’s chapel in Chicago remained open for prayer.

The tradition recognizes the Catholic history of a painting of the Virgin Mary, an image said to have washed ashore several hundred years ago on the Sicilian coastline by the village of Altavilla Milicia.

The religious artifact inspired the building of a church and shrine in Altavilla Milicia.

In Niles, people prayed before the Maria Santissima Lauretana image, a painting set on an easel among flowers and candles in a shrine tent.

People also prayed alongside a heavy decorative platform with an image of the Blessed Virgin. The wooden structure required a couple of dozen men to carry it down the midway Sunday to the location of the Flight of the Angels.

Members of the Maria Santissima Lauretana society fratellanza, or brotherhood, turn the throne weighing about two tons. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

This was the first year brothers Roberto Nuccio, 21, and Paolo Nuccio, 23, of Norridge, carried the shrine. Both siblings graduated from Ridgewood High School, they said.

Carrying the shrine was, “heavy,” Roberto said with a laugh, and, “a lot harder” than he anticipated.

The Nuccio siblings were among men tasked with turning the shrine around so two little girls dressed as angels, dressed in pastel pink or blue, could “fly” over the crown of the shrine, suspended on wires.

There were two Flight of the Angels times. The first flight took place about 6 p.m. immediately following a procession of the Blessed Mother along the midway.

The second flight featured Adeline Waitr, 9, a fourth-grader from Mundelein (in blue) and Amelia Oberbroekling, 8, a third-grader from Palatine (in pink).

In the first flight were second cousins, in pink dress, Lillianna Hethcoat, 7, a second-grader from Hanover Park and in blue dress, Giuliana Bucaro, 8, a third-grader from Bartlett.

Petals are tossed after the four angels concluded their recitations. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Their mothers, first cousins, wore the same colors as their daughters when they, as children in 1994, participated in the Flight of the Angels.

Lillianna’s mother is Marianne Hethcoat and Giuliana’s mother is Lia Bucaro.

“I am so proud. It’s an honor,” Lia Bucaro said with a smile, indicating that watching Giuliana participate as an angel was emotional.

“We did (the flight) together when we were younger,” she said, referring to Marianne Hethcoat. “We’re first cousins, and now second cousins are doing it together, so it’s pretty amazing.”

Lia Bucaro has two sisters and three nieces who have been angels.

Lia Bucaro of Bartlett dabs an eye in a show of emotion for daughter (not pictured) Giuliana Bucaro, 8, a third-grader who just finished reciting prayers honoring the Blessed Mother. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria Santissima Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

“It’s super exciting that we can pass it down and continue the tradition,” said Marianne Hethcoat.

Hethcoat said Lillianna was not concerned about Sunday’s pending flight — only a little nervous about walking up the ladder to ascend to the flight platform, her mother’s cousin explained.

Lia Bucaro added that it has been, “truly an honor to have our girls be on the ropes just like my cousin and I were.

“The devotion our family has to the Blessed Mother goes back many generations, and now will be passed on to our families and hopefully their children one day.”

Antonino L. Bondi, from left, Anthony LaBarbera and Antonino Bondi form an honor guard for a holy Catholic image of Maria Santissima Lauretana Friday evening during the 122nd annual Maria Santissima Lauretana Festival in Niles. (Pam DeFiglio / Pioneer Press)

On the throne to honor the Blessed Mother is Filippo Scaletta of Norridge pictured with his daughters Alsa, 9, a John V. Leigh School fourth-grader, Antonella, 4, and Adriana, 2. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Rita Gustafson of Pingree Grove holds grandson Adrien, five weeks, also from Pingree Grove. Adrien is dressed like the adult male participants. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

In pink is Lillianna Hethcoat, 7, of Hanover Park and in blue is Giuliana Bucaro, 8, from Bartlett during the Flight of the Angels. The girls are second cousins. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Riders on the Ferris wheel observe the Flight of the Angels. In pink is Lillianna Hethcoat, 7, of Hanover Park, and in blue is Giuliana Bucaro, 8, from Bartlett. The girls are second cousins. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Four angels on one bench. In pink is Lillianna Hethcoat, 7, of Hanover Park and in blue is Giuliana Bucaro, 8, from Bartlett. The girls are second cousins. Their mothers, first cousins, wore the same colors as their daughters for their 1994 turn as angels in the Flight of the Angels. On right is Lillianna’s mother Marianne Hethcoat and on left is Giuliana’s mother Lia Bucaro. Images from the annual Religious Feast of Maria SS Lauretana of Altavilla Milicia in Niles on Sept. 4, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)