What started a decade ago as a small celebration of the holidays of St. Patrick and St. Joseph by members of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Hattiesburg has become one of the most anticipated springtime events in South Mississippi. And organizers of this year’s 10th edition of the Irish-Italian Festival and Parade, set for March 19, are planning for this year’s events to be the biggest and best yet as they welcome visitors from the Hattiesburg area and beyond for the festival, along with its parade, 5K runwalk, golf tournament and bike race. “For the
last decade, we’ve been blessed to be able to hold this festival and have fellowship with people from different faiths and all walks of life, and we look forward to continuing that tradition this year and beyond,” said Rev. Tommy Conway, pastor of St. Thomas. “It’s a fun event that gives us a chance to connect with the larger community, and the proceeds support many worthwhile charities and causes in our area.”
This year’s parade “royalty” includes Forrest County Sherriff Billy McGee as the grand marshal; U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeff Hammond, who serves as USM’s Senior Associate Director of Athletics, as king; and Sister Carmelita Stinn, SFCC (Sisters For A Christian Com-munity), who celebrated 60 years of religious life in August 2010. The “royalty” was announced to the public
during a press conference at St. Thomas on Feb. 25. Irish-Italian Festival events this year include: The festival is from 5-10 p.m. March 19 at the church, following a 4 p.m. Celtic mass. It will include live musical entertainment, food and refreshments, art and gift auctions, games for children and a raffle for a chance to win a trip for two to Ireland or $2,000, among other prizes. A menu featuring Irish and Continued on next page
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