December 20, 2016
A Few Highlights from the 2016 Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Neapolitan Baroque Crèche
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| (Left) Holy Family by Salvatore di Franco. (Right) Close-up of the baby Jesus Photos by New York Scugnizzo |
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| (Above and below) A host of Angels surround the Nativity |
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| (Left) Mother and child with sleeping shepherd. (Right) Peasants |
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| (Left) Saracens. (Right) One of the Magi on a bucking horse |
December 19, 2016
Photo of the Week: Reliquary of Saint Barbara in the Duomo di Ravello
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| Silver reliquary that holds the head of Saint Barbara, Duomo di Ravello, Salerno Photo by New York Scugnizzo |
December 18, 2016
Rorate Caeli Mass at The Shrine Church of Saint Bernadette in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn
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The Shrine Church of Saint Bernadette
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
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A handful of parishioners braved the cold Friday for the Rorate Caeli Mass in honor of the Blessed Mother at the Shrine Church of Saint Bernadette in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. An Advent tradition, the extraordinarily beautiful Mass, mixed with Latin plainchant, was celebrated by candlelight with Pastor Msgr. Thomas Caserta. The service concluded (despite my poor singing voice) with a moving rendition of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, one of my favorite recessional Hymns.
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| Large candelabra lined the aisle |
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| Before Mass, I said my intercessory prayers to (left) San Francesco di Paola, (right) San Rocco, San Gerardo, Santa Rita and the Madonna del Carmine |
December 17, 2016
Celebrating the Feast of Santa Lucia at Most Precious Blood Church
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Evviva Santa Lucia!
Photos by New York Scugnizzo and Rosanna Minervini
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Led by our esteemed Vice Chancellor Patrick O'Boyle, my fellow Constantinian Knights and I had the great privilege of serving as honor guard at the Missa Cantata for the Feast of Santa Lucia at Most Precious Blood Church in Manhattan's historic Little Italy.
Mass was sung by celebrant and homilist Fr. Michael Barone of the Archdiocese of Newark. He was assisted by several dutiful altar servers, Lorenzo Tinio, Brian Mcguire, Manny Albino, and thurifer Teddy Thongratnachat. Cavalieri Charles Sant’Elia, Vincent Gangone, John Napoli, and Vice Chancellor Patrick O’Boyle of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George were in Attendance.
As usual, Music director Art Manabat, organist Kirsten D'Aquino and the schola were sublime. Congregants were regaled with a phenomenal performance of sacred hymns and traditional liturgical music.
After Mass we adjourned to the rectory for a little wine tasting. Generously donated by Tribeca Vini, partygoers had the opportunity to try several different wines from southern Italy, including a Falanghina from Benevento and Magliocco from Cosenza. All were delicious, but I especially liked the strong-bodied Nerello from Calabria.
A bit peckish from fasting all day, a few of us made our way to nearby Margherita NYC (a cozy little Pizzeria Napoletana at 197 Grand Street) for a late supper. Abstaining from wheat for the holiday, I refrained from eating pizza and pasta and had a simple, but delicious, salad. We slaked our thirst with a few more cocktails and kept our joyous fête going until closing.
Thank you to my fellow organizers who helped make our extraordinary celebration a reality, especially Msgr. Donald Sakano, Pastor of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, for letting us have the Mass at Most Precious Blood Church. It was an honor and a privilege to celebrate our faith and culture together. Evviva Santa Lucia!
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Mass was sung by celebrant and homilist Fr. Michael Barone
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| Our dear friend Cav. Charles Sant'Elia |
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| After Mass, devotees venerate our beloved patroness and offer donations |
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| Revelers enjoyed some fellowship and vino in the rectory |
December 16, 2016
Compra Sud — Ribalta
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| Photo by New York Scugnizzo |
Ribalta Pizza Restaurant
48 E 12th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-777-7781
www.ribaltapizzarestaurant.com
* Our recommendations will be unsolicited, and only from our personal experience. No second hand suggestions will be made.
December 15, 2016
Carmine Percontino's Presepe Napoletano Now on Display in Hoboken, New Jersey
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| Come see our pal Carmine's remarkable outdoor presepe Napoletano at 827 Willow Avenue in Hoboken, New Jersey. Photo by Andrew Giordano |
December 13, 2016
Photo of the Week: Santa Lucia by Antonello Gagini
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| Santa Lucia by Antonello Gagini, Duomo di Siracusa, Sicily Photo by Niccolò Graffio |
December 12, 2016
Celebrating the Mass of the Flags in Polignano a Mare, Apulia
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| Celebrating the Mass of the Flags inside the Chiesa Matrice Santa Maria Assunta |
Afterward, participants processed from the church to the Polignano Bridge, to commemorate the 180th anniversary of its construction by HRH King Ferdinand II. Thank you to the Fondazione Francesco II di Borbone for organizing this extraordinary event. Special thanks to our friends Don Massimo Cuofano and the Comitati delle Due Sicilie for sharing your photos. Viva 'o Rre!
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| A large Due Sicilie flag (measuring about 9ft x 6ft) was used as an alter cloth |
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| (Above and Below) Participants present their flags during the Benediction |
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| After Mass, participants process to the Polignano Bridge |
Also see: Blessing the Flags
December 11, 2016
Nativity of Mercy at Most Precious Blood Church
For the Second Year, the Scarabottola Prespio is on view in New York City's Historic Little Italy
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| The Three Kings pay homage to new born Child |
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| The backside of the Nativity of Mercy |
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| A host of angels soar above the Holy Family |
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| (L) San Martino offering his cloak to a naked beggar and Pero breastfeeding Cimone, her imprisoned father. (R) San Francesco d'Assisi preaching to animals |
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| A scene of compassion: A peasant woman offers fruit to a leper |
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| (L-R) Pulcinella and the shackled devil |
December 10, 2016
Translation of the Holy House of Loreto
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Our Lady of Loreto, ora pro nobis
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December 10th is the Feast of the Translation of the Blessed Mother's Holy House from Nazareth to Loreto, a hilltop town near Ancona in the central Italian region of the Marche. However, before arriving to Loreto the sacred dwelling first moved to Tersatto in Dalmatia (Croatia) in 1291, after the defeat of the Crusaders in the Holy Land. Appearing out of nowhere, many miracles have been attributed to the house, including the healing of the town's ailing Bishop. With the Moslem conquest of Albania in 1294 the house miraculously moved again, first to a wooded area near Recanati, then finally settling in Loreto. In the 15th century, the magnificent Basililca della Santa Casa was built around the Holy House, becoming one of the most popular and revered Marian shrines in the world.
Patroness of aviators, Our Lady of Loreto is also petitioned by new and potential homeowners. In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to Our Lady of Loreto. The accompanying photo of The Translation of the Holy House of Loreto (ca. 1510) by Saturnino Gatti (L'Aquila 1463–1518) was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of art. Ave Maria!
Prayer to Our Lady of Loreto
Our Lady of Loreto, Our Glorious Mother, we confidently turn to you; receive our humble prayer. Humanity is troubled by great evils, which it wishes to overcome on its own, and is in need of peace, justice, truth and love, yet thinks it can find these divine realities away from your Son.
O Mother! You, who carried the Divine Savior in your immaculate womb and lived with Him in the Holy House that we venerate on the Loreto Hill, grant us the grace to seek Him and imitate His example, He who leads us to salvation.
December 9, 2016
A Prayer for Georgia’s Police
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| The Archangel Michael smiting Lucifer 16th century painting by Giovanni Angelo d'Amato da Maiori, Duomo di Ravello Photo by New York Scugnizzo |
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Officer Nicholas Ryan Smarr of the Americus Police Department and Officer Jody Smith of the Georgia Southwestern State University Police Department who were killed in the line of duty on December 7th in Americus, Georgia. May Saint Michael the Archangel, Patron Saint of Police Officers, protect and watch over you.
Prayer for Police Officers
O Almighty God, Whose great power and eternal wisdom embraces the universe, watch over all policemen and law enforcement officers everywhere. Protect them from harm In the performance of their duty to stop crime, robbery, riots and violence. We pray, help them keep our streets and homes safe, day and night. We commend them to your loving care because their duty is dangerous. Grant them strength and courage In their daily assignments. Dear God, protect these brave men and women. Grant them your almighty protection, Unite them safely with their families after duty has ended. Please God, grant us this wish. Amen
Also see: • A Prayer for the San Antonio Police Department
• A Prayer for the Des Moines Police Department
• A Prayer for the Baton Rouge Police
• A Prayer for Policemen
The Search for our Ancestry (XXXI)
Are You My Cousin?
By Angelo Coniglio
After having my DNA tested by 23andMe, registering with the site on-line, and seeing preliminary results, I invited certain of the other participants to share their genomes (genetic ‘blueprints’) with me.
My selection of those I invited was based on several factors: were the person’s ‘haplogroup’ codes similar to mine, indicating common ancestors in the distant past? Were the surnames listed in his/her profile familiar, possibly matching surnames in my direct ancestry? Were the ancestral towns listed the same as mine, or near to them geographically? How close was the indicated relationship?
That last criterion bears deeper consideration. The tests run by 23andMe consider that one’s total genome is represented by a cumulative length of chromosome segments of 7,440 centiMorgans (cM). The combined length of all the matching segments from another person is compared to 7,440, and an approximate percentage of shared DNA is calculated. In theory, then, my child would have a total matching length of 3,720 cM, or 50% of my DNA. To give a feel for the degree of relationships found for me so far, one of the earliest relatives found has a total of 36 cM in two segments, for a shared DNA percentage of 0.48%. That’s less than one-half of one percent! But according to 23andMe, this person is my ‘3rd to 5th cousin.’ That is, the DNA shared is about the same as it would be for a 3rd to 5th cousin.
These numbers may seem miniscule, but consider the following: 50% of my DNA should come from my father, 25% from my grandfather, 12.5% from my great-grandfather, and so on. By the time I’ve counted back seven generations, I have less than one percent of my ggggg-grandfather’s DNA. Because of changes in DNA over the generations due to random mutations, the actual percentage retained from each ancestor may be less than the theoretical amount. So 0.48% shared DNA, from my example above, may mean a relationship as close as a third cousin.
Many folks who have their DNA tested are reluctant to share their names or their ancestors’ surnames and ancestral towns. There are generally two reasons for this: they are concerned about ‘privacy’ and possible identity theft; or, those who have developed their own ‘paper’ family trees are reluctant to make those trees available to others, because of ‘pride of ownership.’ In my view, those who have such concerns shouldn’t bother having their DNA tested, since such reluctance effectively suppresses any interaction with potential relatives.
Generally, for genome comparison, I chose to invite folks who shared ancestral surnames and/or places of origin. My reason is that I feel those people have the greatest chance of having developed a ‘paper’ genealogy that somewhere ‘meshes’ with my own, and in that way I hope to find names, dates and records that I have not yet included in my family tree.
For example: my earliest known Coniglio relative is my 4th-great-grandfather Filippo. From a son’s marriage record, I know he died after 7 January 1770, and was probably born around 1715. I know his wife’s name, Vincenza Ricotta, and the names of five sons: Pasquale, Gaspare, Angelo, Amadeo and Felice; all from Serradifalco, Sicily. Let’s say I find a person, call him Joe, with a very small percentage of matching DNA, but who lists an ancestral town of Serradifalco, with ancestors surnamed Coniglio.
I contact Joe, we share genomes, and in correspondence he tells me he’s the descendant of Giuseppe Coniglio, born in 1740, son of Filippo Coniglio and Vincenza Ricotta. He has their baptism and marriage records, and has found that Filippo’s father was Pasquale Coniglio, born in Serradifalco in 1680. So, by having my DNA tested, and comparing it to a distant relative who had his tested, after inspection of sources and corroboration, I’ve found an extension of my own family tree and the name of my fifth-great-grandfather. DNA testing didn’t extend my ‘tree’, but it gave me the means to do so.
Coniglio is the author of the book The Lady of the Wheel, inspired by his Sicilian research. Order the paperback or the Kindle version at http://bit.ly/SicilianStory
Coniglio’s web page at http://bit.ly/AFCGen has helpful hints on genealogic research. If you have genealogy questions, or would like him to lecture to your club or group, e-mail him at genealogytips@aol.com
December 8, 2016
Dyker Heights Outdoor Presepe Napoletano
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The manger scene with Mary, Joseph, Magi and a host of angels
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
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It’s that time of year again when local artisan John Miniero displays his annual outdoor presepe in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn (14th Avenue, between 79th and 80th Streets). The Neapolitan Christmas tradition has been a neighborhood favorite for many years and continues to astonish onlookers with its whimsy and complexity.
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| (Above and below) sprawling cityscapes dot the magical tableau |
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| A pifferaro takes a break from collecting wood to play some music |
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| Half-hidden scenes of historic Naples |
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| Playful swine in their muddy pen |
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| Pilgrims cross a stone bridge spanning a babbling brook |
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| John's Presepio is a wonder to behold |
December 7, 2016
Feast of Sant’Ambrogio
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| Sant'Ambrogio, ora pro nobis |
Deus qui pópulo tuo ætérnæ salútis beátum Ambrosium minístrum tribuísti: præsta, quæsumas; ut, quem Doctórem vitæ habúimus in terris, intercessórem habére mereámur in cœlis. Per Dóminum.
December 7th is the Feast of Sant’Ambrogio (St. Ambrose), Confessor and Doctor of the Church. Protector of the Sicilian towns of Cerami in Enna and Buccheri in Siracusa, St. Ambrose is also, inter alia, the patron saint of bee keepers, candle makers and students. In celebration, I'm posting a Prayer to St. Ambrose in Latin and English. The accompanying photo was taken at Saint Michael's Church (29 Wooster Place) in New Haven, Connecticut. Evviva Sant'Ambrogio!
Prayer to St. Ambrose
O God, Who didst give blessed Ambrose to Thy people to be a minister of eternal salvation, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be worthy to have him as our intercessor in heaven whom we have as a teacher of life on earth. Through our Lord.
December 5, 2016
Photo of the Week: St. Nicholas, the Fasting Child
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| Southern Italian agate cameo with gold frame showing the infant Nicholas refusing his mother's milk. According to legend, the precocious infant would abstain from nursing each Wednesday and Friday, serving as an exemplar for fasting and abstinence. Carved about 1200-1250, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo by New York Scugnizzo |
December 3, 2016
Compra Sud — Learn Neapolitan with Anna Scognamiglio
Let's support those who keep our traditions and folkways alive
Neapolitan Lessons — It’s never too late to learn Neapolitan. Professional language teacher Anna Scognamiglio offers students of all ages custom 1-on-1 coaching over live video chat. Book your sessions at Savvy now!
* Our recommendations will be unsolicited, and only from our personal experience. No second hand suggestions will be made.
December 1, 2016
Celebrating the Feast of San Giacomo della Marca at Ribalta
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Showing off our Due Sicilie Pride
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
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Not that our appetites needed stimulation, but before being seated we kicked off our meal with the customary aperitivo ritual by the bar. I don’t usually imbibe hard alcohol for lunch, but the chill in the air put me in the mood for a cocktail. Thanks to a former sweetheart from the American south, I acquired a taste for Kentucky bourbon, so I nursed a double Maker's Mark® neat.
Warmed up, we were seated just in time for the Napoli–Sassuolo match. As it happens, Ribalta is also the home of Napoli Club NYC so we had the opportunity to watch the game on their large projection screen while enjoying a variety of classic Neapolitan specialties, including Pizza Margherita, Gnocchi alla Sorrentina and Paccheri alla Genovese.
Thanks to the cheerful company and delicious food, the disappointing 1-1 draw didn’t dampen our spirits and the merriment continued well into the evening.
A hospitable proprietor and generous host, Rosario treated our jovial party to an array of desserts and espresso, perfectly capping off our celebration. As always, it was an honor and a privilege to celebrate our faith and culture with such dear friends. Forza Napoli Sempre! Evviva San Giacomo!
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| Paccheri alla Genovese |
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| Gnocchi alla Sorrentina |
New Books (December 2016)
• The Clement Bible at the Medieval Courts of Naples and Avignon: A Story of Papal Power, Royal Prestige, and Patronage by Cathleen A. Fleck
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: November 2, 2016
Paperback: $54.95
Language: English
Pages: 370
Read description
• Opera, Theatrical Culture and Society in Late Eighteenth-Century Naples by Anthony R. DelDonna
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: November 2, 2016
Paperback: $54.95
Language: English
Pages: 340
Read description
• Music in Seventeenth-Century Naples: Francesco Provenzale (1624–1704) by Dinko Fabris
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: November 2, 2016
Paperback: $54.95
Language: English
Pages: 336
Read description
Click here to see more books
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