St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church at 1010 Ferguson St. in south Rockford will host its annual St. Joseph's Day Altar from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, March 16, in the basement church hall. The community is invited to partake in the festive traditional meal of meatless pasta, omelets, vegetables and Italian pastries. The church hall is handicapped accessible.

The St. Joseph Altar is an ancient Sicilian tradition that originated when the poor peasants of the impoverished island faced a famine as a result of drought and prayed to St. Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary, for intercession. When the rains came and the famine ended, a wonderful tradition began. In gratitude, foods were prepared and distributed to the poor of Sicily. This wonderful tradition was brought to America by the Italian immigration.

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Source: http://rockrivertimes.com/