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Evviva San Vincenzo!
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
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By Giovanni di Napoli
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of attending the 111th Annual Feast of San Vincenzo Martire, protector of Craco, at Saint Joseph's Church (5 Monroe Street) in Manhattan. Sponsored by the Craco Society, the festivities coincided with the 220th anniversary of San Vincenzo's relic arriving in Craco from Rome. Mass was celebrated by Rev. Msgr. Nicholas Grieco and Rev. Fr. Nicholas Mormando. Fittingly, both celebrants' ancestors hail from Craco and spoke glowingly of the Society's devotion to San Vincenzo. Cantor Susan Mello was superb.
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Donations are pinned onto the 1930s era statue of San Vincenzo
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The Craco Society are a hardworking, dedicated group of people who provide an invaluable service to our community. In addition to sponsoring the Mass and Feast in honor of San Vincenzo, they organize trips to Craco and an annual North American Reunion. What's more, they translate and publish important tracts and email an informative monthly newsletter filled with interesting news and data documenting Crachese history and heritage. (I was honored to be given a copy of Homage to the Madonna della Stella, one of the works translated by the society.) On top of that, they recently restored the historic statue of San Vincenzo at Saint Joseph's Church.
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The 1901 statue of San Vincenzo
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The reclining statue, dating from 1901, is a copy of the relic in Craco. It's one of the last tangible pieces of Crachesi history in Manhattan from the turn of the twentieth-century.
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The relic of San Vincenzo
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Also on display was the Saint's sacred bone relic. Normally kept inside the glass case with the statue of San Vincenzo the ornate reliquary was exhibited for veneration.
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A close up of the relic
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Regrettably I had a previous engagement, so I couldn't partake in the after-party, but I did get to mingle a little with revelers and snap a few photos before leaving.
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Rev. Msgr. Nicholas Grieco offers a prayer in Italian and English before lunch
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Seeing that October 28th is the Feast Day of Saint Jude Thaddeus, patron of desperate causes, I paid my respects at his shrine near the entrance of the church.
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Saint Jude Thaddeus
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A look inside beautiful Saint Joseph's Church |
