General News
12 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 with 3000 people at the St John’s Church in Silkwood, who didn’t allow the weather to slow them down and for the jubilee they enjoyed a big Sicilian feast, celebrated two masses and enjoyed the company of community with live entertainment, dances and more.
“The Feast of the Three Saints just celebrated its 75th anniversary over the weekend. It was originated in 1950 and it’s a Catholic religious feast that honours three brothers named Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino and they were martyrs from a village in Italy called St Alfio in Sicily,” said event executive committee member Lui Garozzo.
“We had an Italian mass at 10am and then we had a 3pm mass as well,” he said.
“Before then we had the procession at 2pm and it’s a tradition where we 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.
“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, and 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.
“Over the weekend it rained and rained so we had approximately 3000 people in attendance which is below our average of 3500 most years, so it was still greatly attended and as the president of the committee said, he’s got a very heavy weight on his shoulders to make sure this survives another 75 years. And the only reason they’re surviving is for the fact that we do have community support.
“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.”
