1926Captain Salvatore Favazza commissioned a sculptor to recreate the statue of St. Peter, the patron saint of fishermen.People and Communities, Events & Anniversaries, Celebrations & Anniversaries, Italian History
The statue of St. Peter was brought to Gloucester and kept in a storefront window, where it stood about five feet tall and weighed nearly 600 pounds. The fishermen’s wives celebrated the arrival of the statue with a novena or nine days of prayer and song for protection and good fortune from the sea.
The fishermen’s wives requested it be mounted to a platform and paraded through the Fort, so they collected $1 from every fishing boat for a proper alter for the statue. The following June, St. Peter’s Fiesta officially began.
Garland, Joseph E. The Gloucester Guide: A Stroll through Place and Time. The History Press ed, The History Press, 2004. St. Peter's Fiesta Committee, St. Peter's Fiesta Through the Years, SYP Design and Production, Cambridge, MA, 2001