For more information the San Cono Society in Brooklyn, NY can be contacted on Facebook
May 27, 2013
A Look at NYC's 2013 Festa di Sant'Antonio da Padova
 |
Viva Sant'Antonio!
Inside Most Precious Blood Church
|
Organized by the Society of Saint Anthony of Giovinazzo, Inc., the celebration will continue through Sunday, June 2nd. There will be a second procession on Saturday, June 1st at 7:00 PM.
 |
Standard bearer leads the way
|
 |
Exiting Most Precious Blood Church
|
 |
The society's pride and joy
|
 |
This year's Queen of the Festival, Michelle Fiorentino
|
 |
Her first Feast!
|
 |
The procession makes its way through the streets of Little Italy
|
 |
This year's Grand Marshals
|
 |
Adorable Franciscan with proud papa
|
 |
The Queen and her court
|
 |
Another look at the procession
|
 |
Outdoor chapel on Mulberry Street
|
 |
A look inside historic Most Precious Blood Church
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
|
Most Precious Blood Church
109 Mulberry Street, NYC
(Between Broome St. and Spring St.)
Proceeds to benefit Most Precious Blood Church, Saint Jude Hospital, Sandy Storm Relief, Old Bridge High School, St. Anthony Novena, American Diabetes, St. Anthony of Padova Church, St. Rocco Society, Public School #75, C.F.S. Children Malformation, Communion of St. Anthony and Society of Pozzallo
* All schedules and activities are subject to change, so please check with organizers for any updates.
For more information visit the Society of Saint Anthony of Giovinazzo, Inc. on Facebook
Also see:
May 23, 2013
Chiara Ambrosio's 'Neapolitan Cult of the Dead' at Morbid Anatomy
 |
Chiara Ambrosio at Morbid Anatomy
Photo by New York Scugnizzo
|
By Lucian
Recently we attended an event at Morbid Anatomy entitled The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead, an illustrated lecture by filmmaker/ animator Chiara Ambrosio with music accompaniment by Bird Radio.
Recently we attended an event at Morbid Anatomy entitled The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead, an illustrated lecture by filmmaker/ animator Chiara Ambrosio with music accompaniment by Bird Radio.
In the past we have visited the topic in various articles, such as "Enigmatic Traditions" and "Parentalia," so we were eager to hear what the speaker had to say. Ms. Ambrosio was very interesting to talk to before the lecture even began. She was born in Southern Italy, but now lives in London. Passionate about her work in film, she explained that her ancestors were from Naples and Calabria and the lecture was part of her own cultural heritage.
After introducing herself the lecture began with the audience viewing photos with music. She did her best to recreate the tone and emotional atmosphere of Naples and the spiritual practices of its people and did well; but as she said, the best way to experience it is to actually go there. The images were both engaging and disturbing, not because of the tombs or the skulls of the dead underground, but because of the condition of the city of Naples in the land of the living. The images were real and held nothing back, it was beautiful and dirty, full of life but poor, a landscape of contradiction. However, even the ravages of time, poverty and brutal politics could not completely cover the majesty that Naples once was. The bones of the city’s past showed through as clearly as the polished bones of the dead underneath it.
Between the images she spoke about the city of Naples, the practices of its people and the spiritual aspects of the Cult of the Dead. Her narrative felt like poetry. She spoke of the seeming paradoxes in their spiritualism, a sense of the ancient, and their respect and reverence for their ancestors, who they believed were now in purgatory. By adopting the bones, caring for them and praying for their owner’s souls they hoped to help those souls reach Heaven, and in return the dead would help the living and their families. She also talked about Vesuvius. Living in the volcano’s shadow is living in the shadow of death, and yet the fertile soil brings life and livelihood. It gave us a lot to think about.
Afterward there was a question and answer period, and Chiara Ambrosio proved very knowledgeable not only about her chosen topic, but about the history and issues of Southern Italy in general. It was impressive. We spoke again after the questions were over. I was grateful for the opportunity to have met her, and I look forward to seeing her films. She is currently working on a documentary about the religious festivals of Verbicaro, Calabria and how they include both Pagan and Christian aspects.
May 22, 2013
Announcing the 2013 Feast of the Maddona del Sacro Monte, Clifton, New Jersey
Visit SOGNA—Societa Organizzata per Gioiesi in Nord America on Facebook
A look at the 2013 Feast of Our Lady of the Audience, Kansas City, Missouri
 |
Viva Maria!
Photos courtesy of Robert Kearney
|
Our friend Robert from Kansas City was gracious enough to send us some wonderful pictures of this year's Feast of Our Lady of the Audience and we wanted to share them with you.
 |
Our Lady of the Audience departing Holy Rosary Church
|
 |
A canopy is raised above the statue,
which is then showered with rose petals
|
 |
Devotees swab the statue with cotton balls and rose petals
|
 |
After Mass parishioners celebrate with some sweets
|
 |
A look inside beautiful Holy Rosary Church
|
For a YouTube video of this year's celebration click here
May 21, 2013
Announcing the 2013 Feast of Saint Anthony of Padova, NYC
 |
Viva Sant'Antonio!
Photo by New York Scugnizzo
|
Sponsored by the Society of Saint Anthony of Giovinazzo
May 23rd – June 2nd
Most Precious Blood Church
109 Mulberry Street, NYC 10013
(Between Broome and Spring Streets)
Opening Day May 23rd
Music every night
Saturday, May 25th — Procession of St. Anthony with the members (3:00 PM)
Saturday, June 1st — Procession of St. Anthony (7:00 PM)
Sunday, June 2nd — Mass at Most Precious Blood Church (11:00 AM)
Proceeds to benefit Most Precious Blood Church, Saint Jude Hospital, Sandy Storm Relief, Old Bridge High School, St. Anthony Novena, American Diabetes, St. Anthony of Padova Church, St. Rocco Society, Public School #75, C.F.S. Children Malformation, Communion of St. Anthony and Society of Pozzallo
* All schedules and activities are subject to change, so please check with organizers for any updates.
For more information visit the Society of Saint Anthony of Giovinazzo, Inc. on facebook
Also see:
A Look at Middletown, Connecticut's 92nd Annual Saint Sebastian Feast
 |
Primu Diu e Sammastianu!
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
|
By Giovanni di Napoli
I made my way to Middletown, Connecticut this weekend for the 92nd Annual Saint Sebastian Feast. Invited by a friend, I jumped at the opportunity to finally partake in this wonderful tradition.
Arriving early, we had the opportunity to explore Saint Sebastian Church and mingle with some locals before Mass. Beautifully decorated, the church was heavily influenced by the Baroque design of the Basilica San Sebastiano in Melilli, Sicily.
Curious about the origins of the Feast, I learned that in 1414 a galley arriving from the Adriatic was shipwrecked by a terrible storm at Magnisi, a peninsula in the Province of Siracusa. Miraculously, none of the passengers were harmed. This blessing was attributed to Saint Sebastian because his statue was part of ship's cargo and safely washed up on shore. News of the miracle spread and the Bishop of Siracusa lead a procession to the location to retrieve the statue. However, no matter how hard they tried the saint would not budge. Many wanted the prize, but only when the people of Melilli attempted the feat the statue allowed itself to be moved. With great pride they returned to their hometown with their beloved patron.
Mass culminated with the I Nuri (barefooted devotees dressed in white with red sashes) entering the church fervently proclaiming their devotion to God and San Sebastiano. "First God, then St. Sebastian," they cried. The litter bearing the saint was covered with flowers and carried out of the church to the expectant crowd.
With great revelry and fanfare the procession wended its way through the parish, greeted by the faithful along the way. Upon return, the Saint was brought back into the church where celebrants distributed the flowers for luck. Afterward, the festivities spilled out onto the church grounds where a fantastic festival was held. There was plenty of good music, delicious food, and fun rides and games. The rain didn't dampen any spirits.
Next year marks the 600th anniversary of the Feast and a contingent from Middletown is planning a trip to Sicily to participate in the historic celebration.
Viva San Sebastiano!
 |
The procession leaves the church
|
 |
The I Nuri make their way through Middletown
|
 |
Another look at the I Nuri
|
 |
Tradition is passed from father to son
|
 |
This cutie was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day
|
 |
The clergy welcome back the procession
|
 |
A close up of San Sebastiano
|
 |
A look inside beautiful Saint Sebastian Church
|
 |
The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian on the nave ceiling
|
 |
Donations are pinned to the statue
|
 |
Stained glass window in the church foyer
|
 |
A statuette of San Sebastiano
|
 |
Monument to Catholic war veterans
|
 |
You know you're in the right place when Tony Andriola of Anne Marie's Concessions is there. For over twenty years "Tony Torrone" has been selling his toothsome nougat and confections at Italian festivals all over the East Coast
|
 |
There was no shortage of delicious Sicilian delicacies to choose from, but my favorite was the arancini
|
 |
A traditional carrettu sicilianu (Sicilian cart) was on display
|
 |
Detail of the carrettu showing a battle between the Normans and Saracens
|
May 19, 2013
AcquAria to Perform at the 34th Annual Sea Music Festival, Mystic, Connecticut
 |
Photo courtesy of AcquAria
|
34th Annual Sea Music Festival
June 6th–9th, 2013
Mystic Seaport
The Museum of America and the Sea
75 Greenmanville Avenue
Mystic, Connecticut 06355
(860) 572-5315
AcquaAria
The musical tradition of Sicily includes many songs that speak of the sea, sing its praises, or are sung by those whose work connects them to the water. Together, acclaimed musicians Michela Musolino and Vincenzo Castellana, pay tribute to Sicily's sea through their music. Musolino, a vocalist known for her performances of Sicilian Roots Music, and Castellana, a noted percussionist of the Sicilian drumming tradition, have created a work of song, percussion and recitations which illustrates the intimate connection of Sicily, its history and its culture to the sea which surrounds it.
For more information and tickets, visit www.mysticseaport.org/seamusicfestival
Also see:
May 17, 2013
Announcing the 2013 Feast of Our Lady of the Audience, Kansas City, Missouri
 |
Viva Maria!
Photo courtesy of HRCC
|
Sunday, May 19th
Mass 11:00 AM
Procession and shower of rose petals to follow
Come celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Audience, patroness of Sambuca, Sicily. Refreshments will be served after Mass.
Holy Rosary Catholic Church
911 E. Missouri Avenue
Kansas City, Missouri 64106
For more info contact:
(816) 842-5440
* All schedules and activities are subject to change, so please check with organizers for any updates.
For a brief history of the Feast visit Holy Rosary Catholic Church
May 16, 2013
Announcing the 92nd Annual St. Sebastian Feast, Middletown, Connecticut
 |
St. Sebastian by
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
|
Sponsored by the St. Sebastian
I Nuri Committee
May 17th–19th, 2013
St. Sebastian Church
147 Washington Street
Middletown, CT 06457
Hours: Friday 5–10 PM,
Saturday Noon–10 PM
Sunday Mass at 11 AM
(Procession to follow)
Come celebrate the 92nd Annual Feast in Honor of Saint Sebastian, patron saint of Melilli, Sicily. The unveiling of the Saint will take place Saturday at St. Sebastian Church (5 PM). After Mass on Sunday, the I Nuri (devotees dressed in white and red) will lead the procession through downtown Middletown.
Admission is FREE! Enjoy traditional Sicilian fare, music and carnival rides. Washington Street from Pearl Street to Main Street will be closed during the festival.
* All schedules and activities are subject to change, so please check with organizers for any updates.
Also see:
May 15, 2013
The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead: An Illustrated Lecture with Chiara Ambrosio
Friday, May 17 (8:00 PM)
Admission: $8
Presented by
Admission: $8
Presented by
Morbid Anatomy Library
543 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Naples is a unique city in which the sacred and the profane, Catholicism and paganism, beauty and decay blend and contrast in intriguing ways. No practice illustrates this tangle of ideas better than what is known as “The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead” in which devout Catholics–generally poor women–adopt anonymous skulls found in charnel houses and clean, care for, and sometimes house them, offering up prayers and offerings to shorten that soul’s time in purgatory before reaching paradise, where, it is hoped, it will assist its earthbound caretaker with special favors. The macabre artifacts of this cult can be seen in the Cimitero delle Fontanelle (pictured) and the crypt of the church of Saint Mary of Purgatory.
In tonight’s illustrated lecture, Italian artist and filmmaker Chiara Ambrosio will elucidate this curious and fascinating “Neapolitan Cult of the Dead” and situate it within the rich death culture and storied history of Naples.
Chiara Ambrosio is a visual artist working with video and animation. Her work has included collaborations with performance artists, composers, musicians and writers, and has been shown in a number of venues including national and international film festivals, galleries and site specific events. She also runs The Light & Shadow Salon, which is a place for artists, writers and audience to meet and share ideas about the past, present and future of the moving image in all its forms.
For more info visit the observatoryroom.org
Announcing the 75th Annual Saint Ippolito Festival, Leslie, Michigan
 |
Viva Sant'Ippolito!
|
Saint Ippolito Society
Sunday, August 11th, 2013
Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian
Catholic Church
1320 Catholic Church Road
Leslie, Michigan 49251
Mass will be celebrated at 12 Noon, followed by the Procession. There will be food, music, games and activities for people of all ages. Raffle tickets will be sold at 1:30 PM.
* All schedules and activities are subject to change, so please check with organizers for any updates.
Anyone interested in participating, or for more information, visit the Saint Ippolito Society website at www.ippolitosociety.com or send them an email at info@ippolitosociety.com.
2013 Festa della Famiglia in Onore di San Francesco di Paola, Stone Park, Illinois
 |
Photo courtesy of Calabresi
In America Organization
|
Sponsored by the Calabresi
In America Organization
August 10th and 11th, 2013
Grounds of Casa Italia
3800 Division Street
Stone Park, Illinois 60165
All members and friends are invited
All members and friends are invited
There will be FREE Admission & Parking, rides for children, Entertainment and Fireworks!
* All schedules and activities are subject to change, so please check with organizers for any updates.
For more information visit Calabresi In America Organization
May 13, 2013
The Roman Lemuria, and the Ungrateful Dead
 |
Fall of the Rebel Angels (detail)
by Luca Giordano
|
When I first attempted to research the ancient Roman holiday of Lemuria I found a lot of New Age theories dealing with lost civilizations, Atlantis, Mt. Shasta, and other things. Some of them attempted to connect their beliefs with the Roman holiday, but such conjecture was not what I was looking for. My goal was to research and summarize what we know about the Roman pagan tradition in an attempt to better understand ourselves through understanding our past. The rest, while it might prove interesting to some, did not serve my purpose.
The Roman Empire absorbed the civilizations of many Mediterranean peoples and ruled over them for many centuries. During this time the various parts of the Empire adopted many beliefs and practices that the Romans brought with them. This process, at least for the pagans, was less hostile than one might expect. As long as other religions acknowledged the Roman gods, paid their taxes, and followed Roman law they were allowed to continue their own traditions. Many of these practices were parallel with Roman beliefs, and that was to be expected because they were kindred peoples. The concept of celebrating, communing with, appeasing, or banishing the spirits of the dead were common. The Romans had two primary holidays dealing with the dead. One was a celebration and appeasement of their ancestors held in February, called Parentalia. Once appeased those spirits were supposed to be helpful and bring luck. The other was held on May 9th, 11th and 13th, and was called Lemuria. Its primary purpose was to deal with the malevolent spirits of the dead who return to the world of the living with evil intentions. Nothing good was expected from them, and the best-case scenario was forcing them to leave.
As with Parentalia and other holidays connected to the dead, the temples and courts were closed. It was considered very unlucky to marry during Lemuria, or conduct new business. The Romans felt that odd numbered days were unlucky in general, so Lemuria being observed only on three odd-numbered days lends a certain tone to the event. Ovid, in his work Fasti, describes one of the rituals in detail:“When midnight has come and lends silence to sleep, and dogs and all ye varied fowls are hushed, the worshipper who bears the olden rite in mind and fears the gods arises; no knots constrict his feet; and he makes a sign with his thumb in the middle of his closed fingers, lest in his silence an unsubstantial shade should meet him. And after washing his hands clean in spring water, he turns, and first he receives black beans and throws them away with face averted; but while he throws them, he says: 'These I cast; with these beans I redeem me and mine.' This he says nine times, without looking back: the shade is thought to gather the beans, and to follow unseen behind. Again he touches water, and clashes Temesan bronze, and asks the shade to go out of his house. When he has said nine times, 'Ghosts of my fathers, go forth!' he looks back, and thinks that he has duly performed the sacred rites.” Ovid, from Fasti p.292 translation by Sir J. G. Frazer 1931
 |
Mano Fico, “The Fig” hand gesture.
Used to ward off evil, it is also for
good luck or a great insult, depend-
ing on where and how it is used
(Photo by New York Scugnizzo)
|
The symbolic hand gesture described by Ovid is known as “The Fig,” (or Mano Fico) and can be described as a fist with the thumb protruding from between the index and middle fingers. In pagan times it was used as a symbol to ward off evil, and is thought to represent a female sexual organ. Historically it was not uncommon to use sexual symbolism, both male and female, to protect against the dead or other spiritual threats, perhaps because sex was identified with creating life. In modern times “The Fig” and similar gestures have taken on vulgar or mocking meanings. I’m unsure whether they had dual meanings in classical times, although I’m sure it is possible because sex has always been the cause of strong and conflicting emotions. It could also be possible that the change in meaning was purposely promoted to denigrate pagan symbolism or mock the superstitious. Or maybe not, modern vulgarities also have sexual connotations and do not necessarily have any connection to ancient times. In a few parts of the world “The Fig” is still used as a good luck symbol, in others it is a great insult. Oddly enough, it is also the symbol for the letter T in American Sign Language.
 |
Winged phallus souvenir
from Pompeii. In the ancient
world sexual symbolism was
often used to ward off evil
(Photo by New York Scugnizzo)
|
Ovid’s reference to knots constricting the feet was part of the Roman belief that knots or bindings hindered sacred rituals; sometimes even hair was required to be unbraided and worn loosely. There were similar ideas concerning rings. “The Priest of Jupiter was not allowed to wear a ring unless it was broken and stoneless.” (Burriss) During both Lemuria and Parentalia beans were used to placate the dead. It might seem strange by modern standards, but beans were a good source of nutrients and calories at the time. They were valuable because they helped you survive.
There is some confusion about the namesake of Lemuria. Ovid claims that it is a corruption of Remus, but others disagree. It is more likely that the name Lemuria was derived from the spirits being banished, who were called Lemures, and the Remus connection was attached to it later on, and not even advocated by everyone at the time.
 |
Lares Familiares
|
The spirits of the dead were referred to as Manes, Lemurs or Larvae, but the difference between the Roman spirits is also confusing. Ovid uses the terms Lemure and Manes interchangeably, but others do not. In his City of God, St. Augustine claims: “Apuleius says also that men’s souls are demons, and become lares if their merits be good; if evil, lemurs, goblins; if indifferent, manes.” However, St. Augustine’s descriptions place the spirits of the dead into the three categories of the Christian concept of the afterlife. His book also promotes the idea that anything positive accomplished by paganism was done by pagans unknowingly following Christian philosophies before the coming of Christ. Besides, most experts agree that the Lares were originally spirits of the land, household and estate; only later becoming associated with deceased ancestors.
Most references that I have seen refer to the Manes as something positive, but references to Lemurs, or Larvae as they were sometimes called, were usually negative. Some ancient authors considered the Lemurs and the Larvae different; Pliny the Elder claimed that the Larvae (not to be confused with the Lares Familiares) were the tormentors of the dead.
People today might look down upon Lemuria and similar rituals as something primitive that humans have outgrown, but as a species we have not changed as much as we would like to believe. We have traded the Old Religion for new ones, and adopted different mythologies to explain existence. Even many of those who forsake religion entirely can be found embracing modern social theories as if they were scripture, ignoring any contradictions or obvious falsehoods in defense of their adopted philosophies, which are themselves often based on whimsical ideas about human nature.
 |
A Jewish mezuzah
affixed to a doorframe
(New York Scugnizzo)
|
The claim that Lemuria was a holiday based on fear is not incorrect, but it is oversimplified. Fear is certainly a component, but so is facing the fear and acting to overcome the object of that fear with disciplined action. The people of the Empire knew that their ancestors lived in a world where some wished you well and others wished you harm. It is no surprise that that their observations were applied to the afterlife as well, for they also lived in such a world, and so do we.
References:
• Fasti, by Ovid. Translation by Sir J.G. Frazer, published 1931 ISBN 0-674-99279-2
• City of God, by St. Augustine Vol. 1. Translation by John Healy published 1945, (The Ninth Book, Chapter XI - Of the Platonists that held men’s souls to become Demons after death.)
• Phases in the Religion of Ancient Rome by Cyril Bailey, published 1932, reprinted 1972 ISBN 0-8371-4759-X
• Taboo, Magic, Spirits A Study of Primitive Elements in Roman Religion, by Eli Edward Burriss, published 1931, reprinted 1972 & 1974, ISBN 0-8371-4724-7
Also available from http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/tms/index.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
