Our Mission

East Harlem Giglio society is a diverse religious and cultural organization of Catholics of Our Lady of Mt Carmel Shrine Church in East Harlem New York City. Under the auspices of the Catholic Church and the United States Catholic Conference, we are dedicated to honoring and encouraging devotion to our patron Saint Anthony of Padua by organizing and producing our annual Giglio and procession. In addition: our mission includes, in what was once the largest Italian neighborhood in the United States, preserving the Italian American traditions, culture, history and heritage; and strengthening the older and current community. East Harlem is one of the most underserved and poorest communities in New York City, by supporting, both morally and fiscally via the Catholic Church and our neighborhoods other non-profit institutions which seek to improve the lives of our neighbors and community members.