The fresh coat of varnish on the church front doors and the delivery of carnival rides to the corner of Broad & Washington are sure signs of the imminence of the Feast of St. Sebastian - a 3-day celebration at St. Sebastian's Church. As most locals know, St. Seb's is the center of the community of Italian immigrants and their descendants from Melilli, Sicily, who have made Middletown their home since the early 20th century.Although the carnival and other festivities will be ongoing this Friday and Saturday, the heart of the celebration is the Sunday noontime run of the Nuri, St. Seb's parishioners who honor God and their patron Saint as they run through the streets of Middletown. They run barefoot or in socks, and wear white clothes with a red sash in remembrance of the martyrdom of Sebastian, a Roman soldier who was killed (twice) when he converted to Christianity. I've witnessed the run many, many times, but it never fails to move me with the expression of faith and community of the Nuri.
If you've never been part of the celebration, come join the carnival any evening (a veritable who's who of Middletown), have some fried dough, enjoy the dancing, and let your kids ride the ferris wheel till they are dizzy. Or better yet, come watch the Nuri run on Sunday -- but you might want to practice this chant first: Primu Diu e Sammastianu!
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A good source told me that the fried dough (pizza fritta) will not be handled by a vendor this year, but will return to the experienced hands of St. Sebby parishioners. Also, heard that the Middletown Eye was donating an Eye Pie (fresh spring rhubarb) to the bake goods auction.
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