July 23 - 29, 2026
VOL. 72 NO. 30
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Three Things to Know about sunscreen
Why it is always important Story page 5
Inside Giving blood: the gift that cannot wait An Editorial page 4
Tim Baker/Herald
Santa Marina Society’s procession through Inwood
Five Towns Premier residents celebrate prom night page 3
For more than a century, generations of Italian American families in Inwood have gathered each summer to honor their patron saint, celebrate their heritage and reconnect with loved ones during the annual Santa Marina Feast. This year’s celebration was on July 10 and 11 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Inwood, featuring two evenings of food, music, rides, raffles and community festivities. At its heart, however, organizers said the feast remains a deeply religious tradition centered on faith,
family and honoring Santa Marina, the patron saint of Filandari, Calabria, Italy — the hometown of many of the area’s earliest Italian immigrants. The festivities began with a novena service on July 9 at 8 p.m. The feast opened on July 10 at 7 p.m. and continued July 11 with a 10 a.m. Mass and procession through the streets of Inwood, followed by an evening feast beginning at 7 p.m. For Giovanni Curra, the Santa Marina Society’s treasurer and secretary, the weekend represents a con-
tinuation of a tradition passed down through generations. “My favorite part, truly, is the religious end of it — the Mass and the procession on Saturday,” he said. “The feast part is fun, but the main purpose is to celebrate Santa Marina. We still carry the statue of the saint through the streets of Inwood, and everyone
walks together with a marching band. That’s my favorite part of the whole thing.” The procession annually attracts hundreds of worshippers, many of whom return to Inwood from across Long Island and beyond. — Melissa Berman