200 Preserve Italian-American I Nuri Tradition for St. Sebastian

"E Chiamamulu Paisanu! Primu Diu E Sammastianu!" was the Italian phrase heard loud and clear on the streets of Middlefield and Middletown during the in Middletown.

proclaimed their love of God and St. Sebastian by making their annual pilgrimage from the cemetery in Middlefield along with another contingent of Nuri stationed at the former Sons of Italy Hall on Court Street in Middletown to the church in Middletown on Washington Street. 

This phrase translated to English means, "He's one of our own! First God and then St. Sebastian." The Nuri were dressed in white clothing, wore red sashes with a picture of St. Sebastian pinned on their clothes, they held flowers in their hand and they ran either barefoot or in stocking feet through the streets of Middlefield and Middletown.

Both the young and not-so-young and males and females participated in the annual run. About 80 people gathered at the Scemetery in Middlefield to honor their patron saint, according to Scott Colavito, one of the organizers of the I Nuri Run. Colavito has been participating since 1982 and he has never missed a year.  Before the Nuri started on their trek to the church, they said prayers to their departed relatives, God and St. Sebastian. 

The I Nuri ran from the cemetery in small groups between 10 and 11:15 a.m. so they could arrive at the church by 12:15 p.m. for the conclusion of the High Mass in honor of St. Sebastian. When the Mass was over, both groups of I Nuri converged with each other and ran into the church still chanting, "E Chiamamulu Paisanu! Primu Diu E Sammastianu!"

Then, the statue of St. Sebastian was carried out of the church by parishioners who then transferred the statue over to the I Nuri to parade it through downtown Middletown for everyone to see. During the processional, the Nuri still chanted, "E Chiamamulu Paisanu! Primu Diu E Sammastianu!" and they continued with this phrase until the statue was returned inside the church then they laid their flowers at the base of the statue.  '

A total of 200 people participated in the I Nuri Run. Not only did they come from Connecticut but from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, according to Gene Nocera, general chair of the festival. 

Why do the Nuri do this? There are several reasons, such as preserving tradition, to thank St. Sebastian for his help throughout the year, to honor relatives, for health reasons, personal sacrifice to honor St. Sebastian, family reasons and hoping for a miracle of some kind from St. Sebastian. The I Nuri never do it for monetary reasons.

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