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Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto
(Photos by New York Scugnizzo)
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By Giovanni di Napoli
I finally made my pilgrimage to The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto in Rosebank, Staten Island over the weekend and what better time to do so than during the 109th annual Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Visiting for the first time, one cannot help but notice the narrow meandering streets of the neighborhood, but the directions are straightforward and simple and I reached my destination without difficulty.
The grotto stands in a shaded lot outside the Society of Mount Carmel's community hall on Amity Street. As you enter through the gate and stroll down the red-bricked lane one is immediately moved by the spiritual significance of the shrine. Places such as this were constructed throughout Europe from time immemorial for the purpose of prayer and reflection.
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Examples of grottoes in New York City and Southern Italy: (L-R) Shrine Church of St. Bernadette in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn; Most Precious Blood Church in Manhattan's Little Italy; and near the promenade in Minori, Campania
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Illuminated with votive candles and festive lights, the elaborately decorated structure (made with bricks, cement and stones) looks almost dreamlike. Positioned prominently in the central chapel sits the statue of the Madonna del Carmine. She is flanked by a host of saints housed in the winding grotto's many nooks and crevices. Many of the saints, which have been donated over the years by people unwilling to throw away their weathered or damaged statues, have been restored to their former glory. It is a testament to the hard work and devotion of the society.
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Ave Maria!
The Madonna del Carmine in the principal chapel
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The annual eight-day celebration in honor of the Madonna culminates with a procession on July 16th from the grotto to Saint Joseph's Church on 171 St Mary's Avenue for a special Mass. Visitors were treated to live entertainment and games. The usual assortment of delicious Southern Italian fare (sausage and peppers, calzone, zeppole, etc.) was available.
For me, what makes this Feast different from all the others is the venue. The society's large shaded yard, picnic tables and lawn chairs gave the affair a more intimate atmosphere; it almost felt like a large family reunion in the park. I found myself frequently returning to the grotto, marveling over the amazing stonework and discovering something new each time. I especially enjoyed listening to the older generation share their experiences and point out their favorite parts of the monument.
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Saint Barbara stands sentinel outside main chapel
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The guiding light behind the construction of the grotto was Vito Russo, the society's second president. Born on November 6, 1885 in Sala Consilina a small town in the province of Salerno, Vito and his younger brother Giovanni immigrated to the United States with their stepparents, eventually settling in Rosebank in 1895. Vito married Teresa Cavallo and had seven children, two girls and five boys. Tragically, in 1935 their youngest son Vito Jr. died of pneumonia at the tender age of five.
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Granite and bronze monument dedicated to Vito Louis Russo
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Everyone agrees that the untimely death of the child was the catalyst behind the building of the grotto. However, reports are conflicting about whether Vito's indoor paper shrine (which the grotto was modeled after) was created before or after his son's death. Nevertheless, society members embraced the project and construction began in October 1937. Vito was unanimously elected president for life in 1939 and presided over the society until he passed away on February 22, 1954.
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An old black-and-white photo of Vito Russo's
paper model in his Smith Street home
(Reproduced from a Society of Mount Carmel brochure)
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In 1983 Thomas Tedesco built the chapel to St. Anthony and a year later the giant crucifix. In 2001 the site was placed on the New York and National Registers of Historic Places. Amazingly, the grotto is not considered complete, there is talk that the society plans to expand the grotto and build an arch envisioned by Vito.
Undoubtedly, during the rest of the year the Grotto offers visitors a moment of peace and tranquility. I look forward to resting under its canopy of trees, alone with my thoughts.
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A closer look at the grotto
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(L-R) Thomas Tedesco's St. Anthony chapel
and some details of the shrine
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Sign at grotto entrance declares its
National and State Historic Site status
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The following source proved invaluable to this post:
Multivocality and Vernacular Architecture: The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto in Rosebank, Staten Island by Joseph Sciorra from Studies In Italian American Folklore edited by Luisa Del Giudice, Utah State University Press, 1994
For more info please visit The Mount Carmel Society online at Ourladyofmountcarmelshrineofrosebank.com
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto
36 Amity Street at White Plains Avenue
Rosebank, Staten Island, NY 10305
(347) 204-5203
