Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast

By 1890, Italian immigrants began settling in Bridgeport to work in the mills and factories along the Schuylkill River. With more than 5,000 residents by 1923, the need for an Italian parish was evident. Rev. John Colantonio was sent to establish the parish, and in 1924, construction began on the lower church. Shortly thereafter, Bridgeport's oldest and longest-running event was created in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast. Since its beginning the feast has continued to be a family tradition. The vintage images in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast feature that tradition and the thousands of visitors who have made a pilgrimage to Bridgeport each year to celebrate the feast.

Jack Coll is a newspaper photographer and has been involved in writing two documentary films pertaining to Conshohocken. He is a member of the Historical Society of Montgomery County and has been involved in six Arcadia publications. Maureen McQuaid is a native of Bridgeport and is the secretary and business manager of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish. She has been actively involved with the feast and credits the church’s leadership, parishioners, and volunteers for its ongoing success.