CAMBRIDGE -- The Drifters had to make way for the saints.

On Sept. 7, the hot, stuffy chapel of the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Society on Porter Street in Cambridge was packed with people, polychrome statues, elaborate biblical reliefs, band instruments, and racks of votive candles. The chapel had become an impromptu rehearsal space for the Classic Drifters, one of several acts that have taken up the mantle of the '50s vocal group. They, along with modern-day incarnations of the Platters and the Coasters, had been booked to perform at the 100th annual feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian. The weekend's feast had already seen performances by Gloria Gaynor, O-Town, Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC, and Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block. The Drifters were surrounded by images of the third-century twin martyrs as they sang "On Broadway," "This Magic Moment," and other oldies with an electric piano accompaniment. Eventually, the singers would have to step aside as the palanquin bearing the statues was taken outside for a grand procession through the streets of Cambridge and Somerville.

"Many people came before us who have done a lot of work to make today possible," said Sal DiDomenico Jr., a Massachusetts state senator and president of the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Society. "It's a huge milestone. Our founder probably could've never imagined that we would be in this spot after this long. So, it's a proud moment for us who are here today, but also for the folks that came before us from Gaeta, Italy."

The society was founded in 1926 by immigrants from Gaeta, a coastal city in the central part of Italy, who settled in East Cambridge and Somerville. Cosmas and Damian are Gaeta's patron saints, and the new Cantabrigians brought with them the festivals of the old country.

"This was something that was part of our lives -- still is now," DiDomenico said. "It's part of our children's lives. Seeing the saints come out and coming in front of our house every year was a special moment."

DiDomenico said when he was a kid, images of "our saints" Cosmas and Damian were in every home. His house is full of them, and he frequently prays for their intercession.

"We have a strong devotion to our saints, and they have been very good to us for our entire life," he said.

Before the procession, a line of people waited inside the chapel to venerate the statues and pin money to them.

"I grew up with the saints," said Derek DiRusso, who pinned a $100 bill to the statues. "My family were part of the people that brought the saints here. My grandmother told me, if I didn't go pin money on the saint, I'd have bad luck. So every time, every year, I'm here, putting money on the saint."

He came to Cambridge from Maine, where he was vacationing, to pay his respects to Sts. Cosmas and Damian.

"Every time something's wrong, I pray to them and it gets better," he said.

Demian Choi, a student at Harvard Divinity School, kissed the statues' hands and feet.

"I respect them for the lives they lived as doctors helping out people, especially in this time of crisis, when we might need them more," said Choi. "In this case, I seek them out for their assistance, for their guidance, for their aid."

Outside the chapel, as a splinter group of The Platters rehearsed "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," the North End Band and the Italian-American Band of Lawrence did their own rehearsal in the pouring rain. Food trucks sold tacos, burritos, empanadas, and fried Oreos. Men carried trays of sandwiches out of the chapel. Kenny Palazzolo, a drummer in the North End Band, talked shop ("There's no cowbells in Italian music"), swapped frittata cooking techniques, and recalled past gigs with his friend Julia Russolillo.

"We've played in monsoons," he told Russolillo, who was wearing a t-shirt that said "North End Nonnas." "We played through a tropical storm in Newton about two years ago. It was torrential downpours all day."

The North End Band has been playing at the feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian for 15 years.

"All feasts are special to us, because all saints are special to us," he said. "We play at every feast."

His bass drum had a photo of Russolillo's father John, its previous owner, on it. Palazzolo took over for him after his death in 2021.

"It's an absolute honor to play this drum and take his place," he said. "He's really someone who's irreplaceable, I'm just doing the best that I can."

The North End Band is known as the "rain or shine band." There was a tornado warning in Newton during the feast of St. Mary of Carmen in 2023, but the band played on.

"Their statue still came out," Palazzolo said. "They needed the tradition to be alive and the procession."

This feast would be no different -- as soon as the rain stopped.

"It would be nice if we had a backup set of saints just for rain," a young society member said.

"I'm hoping that they're hearing our prayers and we're going out shortly," DiDomenico said.

At last, the weather let up for the procession. A phalanx of men, including DiDomenico, carried the saints through the streets and hoisted them high in the air while shouting "Viva!" The procession's climax was at the Somerville home of the late Alessandro Leccese, a native of Gaeta and an annual fixture at the feast. The house was decorated with U.S. and Italian flags. Images of Sts. Cosmas and Damian were everywhere on the property. When the statues arrived at the gate, confetti cannons exploded and firecrackers went off inside a trash can in the yard. A long red ribbon lined with dollar bills was unraveled from a second-story window (which had a portrait of the saints hanging above it) until it reached across the lawn to the statues. The saints were wrapped with capes covered in dollar bills, which were decorated with hearts, the word VIVA, the number 100, and Leccese's photo. The ribbons of money kept coming and coming. Trays of cookies and cannolis were passed around. The bands played "Beer Barrel Polka" and "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Babies were hoisted up to the statues so they could kiss them. People of all ages danced and cheered. More money came down. More confetti went off.