The Story of Santa Lucia

Saint Lucy - Santa Lucia

Italian Santa Lucia, born in 283 AD in Syracuse, Sicily, on December 13th. She was born to a noble family in Siracusa, Sicily, a Roman city at that time. She grew up a Christian in a time when being Christian was a death sentence.

One day she went on a pilgrimage to visit the tomb of Saint Agatha, a very important holy woman in the Christian faith. Lucy's mother was very ill with a life-threatening blood disorder and Lucy wanted to ask Saint Agatha to cure her mother. The legend says Lucia was visited by Saint Agatha who told her that Lucia herself had the power to cure her mother with God's help. Lucy did cure her mother and that is when Lucia dedicated her life to Christ by living a modest life of prayer and helping the poor, to thank Saint Agatha.

The Festival of Light

Emperor Diocletian's reign in Rome (284-305) AD, was the final widespread and worst of the Christian persecutions. It was during this time that Saint Lucia wore a candle-lit wreath on her head when she brought food and aid to the Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs during the Diocletanic Persecution. Her arms were full of food and supplies and used her wreath to guide her way through the catacombs. Her candle-lit wreath symbolizes bringing the light of Christ into the world’s darkness and new life.

By the time she was a young woman, she was well known as a person of great integrity and honesty. Lucy had been very wealthy with a lot of land. Lucy began selling it all off. Her fiancé was very upset about losing the land and betrayed by Lucy to the Romans as a Christian. She was found guilty and sentenced to death by being burned at the stake. When lit, the fire’s flames didn’t touch Lucia, as if they recognized she was a saintly person. She survived the bonfire and made an eloquent speech about her faith and predicted correctly that Christian persecutions wouldn’t continue much longer. She was killed by a Roman soldier just after that speech on December 13th 304 AD.

A magnificent church was built on the exact location that Saint Lucia died, Basilica of Santa Lucia. The Feast Day of Santa Lucia is celebrated annually every year on the day of her death. receiving Lucia is the patron saint of the city of Syracuse, Sicily, and of virgins. was dedicated in 1621 by the Carlentinesi.

Lucia was a virgin and a martyr and was one of the earliest Christian saints to achieve popularity. She had a widespread following before the 5th century. Saint Lucia died during the Diocletanic Persecution, which was the final and most severe persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire.

An ancient tribute to Saint Lucia dating back to 1337, shows the eldest daughter in the family wearing a white dress with a wreath made of greenery and lit candles, serving dinner to her family. Traditionally on the last day of the festival, a procession walks from house to house in a neighborhood singing the song of Saint Lucia, while a statue of Santa Lucia is carried out of the cathedral and through the neighborhood.

Omaha's Santa Lucia Festival began in Little Italy, at 16th & Pierce. In 1925 Grazia Bonafede Caniglia founded Omaha’s Santa Lucia Festival. She immigrated to the United States from Carlentini, Sicily in 1900, with her husband, Rosario, and their six children. Grazia had a very deep faith and began each morning at 5:00, walking from 6th & Pierce St to St. Philmonena Catholic Church (now St. Frances Cabrini) to say her prayers. This is the parade route of the Santa Lucia Band.

Garzia created an Italian community in Omaha by 1926, when Omaha Sons of Italy was formed. Grazia created a place where new immigrants as well as established immigrants of Carlentini, Sicily, could feel a strong connection to their former home. This was her mission, as well as to deepen the immigrants' faith in their new land.

There are now three Italian festivals in Omaha, the Santa Lucia Festival, Omaha Son’s of Italy which was formed in 1926 (was Benito Mussolini Lodge), and the American Italian Heritage Society, formed in 1980, which sponsors LaFesta Italiana each September.

Past and Present Queens of Santa Lucia

2021 ~ Grace Mandolfo Carey

2019-2020 ~ Sayler Maggiore Nacke

2018 ~ Gina Troia

2017 ~ Alyssa Caniglia Turnquist

2016 ~ Lauren Theiler

2015 ~ Katelyn Caniglia Turnquist

2014 ~ Vivian Caniglia

2013 ~ Kaylee D'Agata Fulton

2012 ~ Anna Venditte

2011 ~ Gina Pane

2010 ~ Francesca Ferro 2009 Courtney Carnley

2008 ~ Christine Pane

2006 ~ Ashlee Vieceli-Seffron.

2005 ~ Ashlee Vieceli-Seffron

2004 ~ Jennifer Pane

2003 ~ Audrey Keruzis

2002 ~ Carmella Bonafede

2001 ~ Christina Bellavia

2000 ~ Amber D'Amato

1999~ Katie Woodrich-Lethcoe

1993 ~ Gina Cundall-Salcedo

1992 ~ Anne Maddalena-Tyson

1991 ~ Dena Lynn Garcia

1990 ~ Jennifer Mandolfo-Carey

1989 ~ Debbie Schab-Koch

1988 ~ Michele Szurpicki-Hargis

1987 ~ Beverly Barajas-Butcher

1986 ~ Deanna Orsi-Davis

1985 ~ Shirley Orsi-Robinson

1984 ~ Johnna Caniglia-Robinson

1983 ~ Anna Marie Pantano-Healy

1982 ~ Geri Pisci Sorensen-Murphy

1981 ~ Terri Pattavina-Grybko

1980 ~ Trudy Arenas-Lane

1979 ~ Mary Lou Cappellano-Riley

1978 ~ Carol Joan Mancuso

1977 ~ Jacquie Nanfito

1976 ~ Linda Miceli

1998 ~ Annie Woodrich-Distefano

1975 ~ Tina Nigro

1997 ~ Angela Sedlacek-Anderson.

1996 ~ Stephanie Cap-Madison

1995 ~ Angela Losole-Cherek

1994 ~ Angela Cammarata-Dubuc

1974 ~ Lucy Falcone

1973 ~ Jeanie Longo

1972 ~ Karen Campise

1971 ~ Jacquie Caruso

1970 ~ Cindy Bruning

1969 ~ Jeannette Sollowin Tiwald

1968 ~ Christine Palmesano

1967 ~ Cathy Curro McGowen

1966 ~ Linda Sortino

1965 ~ Lucia Ferraguti St. Cyr

1964 ~ Mary Mangiamelli

1963 ~ Linda LaFerla

1962 ~ Patricia Toscano

1961 ~ Antoinette Caniglia

1960 ~ Jean Vazzano Wooten

1959 ~ Juanita Romero

1958 ~ Grace Ann Marchese

1957 ~ Patricia Yechout

1956 ~ Jo Ann Ruberti

1955 ~ Lou Ann Puglisi

1954 ~ Joan Calandra Swan

1953 ~ Rose Marie Milleria

1952 ~ Nellie Falcone.

1951 ~ Lucille DiGiacomo

1950 ~ Josephine Caruso

1949 ~ Virginia Grasso

1948 ~ Pauline Oddo Ferdina

1947 ~ Penny Carlentine Buckley

1930 ~ Concetta Piccolo

1929 ~ Fena Caniglia

The Santa Lucia Festival Queen is an important and admired person in the history of the festival. The very first queen was named in 1929, the festival's 5th year. In those early days many young women in the Little Italy neighborhood dreamed of being named the Santa Lucia Festival Queen. The tradition of naming a Santa Lucia Festival Queen was a way to honor those families that displayed their financial generosity to the festival committee. Candidates would raise money through a ticket raffle. The candidate who sold the most tickets, raising the most money, would be honored as queen. It was a way for young women and their families to show their devotion to Santa Lucia. The funds generated all went toward planning and preparing for the next year's festival. Without former queens and candidates, it would have been difficult for the festival to run consecutively for over nine decades. As the Santa Lucia organization has broadened its focus toward serving others in the community, so has today's Queen candidates. These young women still sell raffle tickets, but they must also demonstrate an active role in community service and maintain a good academic status.

Today's Santa Lucia Queen must represent a time-honored tradition of our past and embrace a progressive vision for our future.