Observing the 2018 Friday of Sorrows at Most Precious Blood Church in Little Italy, New York

Ave Maria!
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Friday evening, the Knights of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George joined some 40 pilgrims at Most Precious Blood Church (113 Baxter St.) in Little Italy, New York to celebrate the Friday of Sorrows in honor of Maria Santissima Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows). The Mass was offered for Palma Tropiano-Gangone, the Order’s late Grand Master HRH Prince don Ferdinando Maria di Borbone of the Two Sicilies, and persecuted Christians around the world.

HRH Prince don Ferdinando Maria di Borbone and Palma Tropiano-Gangone

Confessions were heard prior to Mass by homilist Fr. Christopher Salvatori SAC, Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in East Harlem, New York.

Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form was celebrated by the Very Rev. Msgr. Cav. Joseph Ambrosio, Chaplain of the Order and Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Newark, New Jersey. Fr. Stephen Saffron, Parochial Vicar at St. Anselm Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn was the deacon, and Fr. Edmund Luciano, Parochial Vicar at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church in Bridgewater, New Jersey was the subdeacon. The sacred ministers were dutifully assisted by MC Lorenzo Tinio, thurifer Teddy Thongratnachat, crucifer Tom Gilmore, acolytes Brian McGuire and Joseph Lucia, and members of the Church of the Holy Innocents Schola Cantorum. 

(L) Most Precious Blood's Pietà. (R) Once again, our friend Michael kindly lent us his beautiful statue of Our Lady of Sorrows for the Mass

A firebrand in the pulpit, Fr. Salvatori spoke at length about the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary's grief and desolation. Striking a chord with many in attendance, I don’t recall the last time I heard so many people discussing a sermon after Mass.

HE Delegate Cav. John M. Viola, Vice-Chancellor Cav. Patrick O’Boyle, Dame Luisa Maria Cristfano and Rosanna Minervini, and Cavalieri Thomas Barra, Rocco Berardi, Thomas Crane, Nicholas Fedeli, Vincent Gangone, John Napoli, Anthony O’Boyle, Joseph Panepinto Jr., and Charles Sant’Elia were in attendance. 

Mass concluded with the solemn veneration of the Relic of True Cross.

Christ the Redeemer

Many thanks to Msgr. Donald Sakano, Pastor of Most Precious Blood Church and the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, Bill Russo, Eddie, Emily and the rest of the Parish family for your continued warmth and hospitality. Thank you to the members of the Congregazione Maria Ss. del Sacro Monte di Novi Velia Salerno di Jersey City, New Jersey, USA and the St. Rocco Society of Potenza in New York for your much appreciated help and support. Special thanks to Michael Verra for sharing your beautiful statue of the Madonna Addolorata with us. It was an honor and a privilege to celebrate our faith and culture with you at Most Precious Blood. Ave Maria!

(L) The Society of Our Lady of Sacro Monte color guard. (R) Cav. Charles Sant'Elia with the flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

(L) Cav. Sant'Elia. (R) Cav. Nicholas Fedele with the Order's Labarum 

Knights and dames process down the aisle

Dame Luisa Maria Cristfano and Rosanna Minervini 

Cavalieri Thomas Barra, Vincent Gangone and Rocco Berardi

Cavalieri Joseph Panepinto Jr., Anthony O’Boyle and Thomas Crane 

Knights and parishioners fill the pews 

(Above and below) Celebrating Solemn High Mass

Glorious San Gennaro 

Deacon Fr. Saffron sings the Gospel

Fr. Salvatori gave an inspiring sermon 

(L) The Crucifix and Relic of the True Cross were veiled for Lent.
(R) Monsignor incensing the altar during the offertory

Receiving Holy Communion

Meditating after Holy Communion 

Worshipers venerate the Relic of the True Cross

After Mass, Monsignor was given a beautiful antique print of HM Blessed Maria Cristina, Queen of the Two Sicilies, for his 70th Birthday

Celebrating La Tavola di San Giuseppe with the Associazione Culturale Pugliese Figli Maria SS. Addolorata in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

La Tavola di San Giuseppe
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Sunday afternoon, I had the great pleasure of joining my friends of the Associazione Culturale Pugliese Figli Maria SS. Addolorata for their annual La Tavola di San Giuseppe and Easter celebration at St. Athanasius School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. As always, the society went above and beyond, transforming Saint A’s auditorium into a veritable paese della cuccagna, or land of plenty. 

Fr. Michael Panicali, Parochial Vicar of St. Mark's in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

Mass was celebrated by Fr. Michael Panicali, who spoke at length about San Giuseppe and the importance of maintaining, in the face of a hostile society, the masculine virtues (loving father, devoted husband, hard working provider, etc.) embodied by Jesus’ stepfather. The service concluded with a blessing of the Easter baskets and Saint Joseph’s Table.

Chalice with pall, ciborium and cruets

After Mass, partygoers enjoyed a fun-filled evening with a sumptuous repast, replete with homemade southern Italian delicacies, plenty of dancing, games (egg hunt, raffles, 50/50), and the coronation of the society’s new “King” and “Prince.” The children even got a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny and a slew of festive helpers.

Roman Missal

Thank you President Lucrezia Nardulli, Josephine DiDonna, JoAnn Marinelli, Bernadette Codispoti and the rest of the Association for your hard work and dedication. Your warmth and generosity is second to none. It’s always a pleasure to celebrate our faith and culture with you. Evviva San Giuseppe!

Fr. Panicali blesses Francesco Lioce, the society's
"Father of the Year" recipient and his statue of St. Joseph

Fr. Panicali blesses the children's Easter baskets

La Tavola di San Giuseppe

After Mass, Fr. Panicali blesses the table

Guests break bread after the blessing

Antipasti galore

Focaccia Pugliese

Funghi ripieni and cavolo cappuccio stufato

Arancini and tiella di patate, cipolle e pomodori

Pasta con sarde, mafaldine di San Giuseppe, and tortellini con piselli

Frutta mista, the healthy option for dessert

Dolci assortiti, the delicious option for dessert

Table laden with raffle prizes

(L) Newly crowned, "Prince" Giovanni is flanked by his princely predecessors, Jack and Nicola. (R) Golden egg hunt winner, Salvatore gets his prize

A lighthearted moment with Vito, Lucrezia, and newly crowned "King" Joe, and his regal forerunners Dominic and Michael

Partygoers trip the light fantastic

Tuesday Trifecta: Tuesday Stations, 13 Tuesdays of Saint Anthony, and 3rd Tuesday of the Month Malta Walk

Devotional prayers for Sant'Antonio da Padova
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Tuesday, March 20th, saw the convergence of three of my devotions: Tuesday Stations of the Cross with the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George; the first of 13 Tuesdays of prayer for Sant’Antonio da Padova; and the 3rd Tuesday of the Month food walk for the homeless with the Knights of Malta.

Each Tuesday during Lent, my fellow Knights and I meet at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood (113 Baxter St.) in New York City’s historic Little Italy to pray the Rosary and meditate on the Stations of the Cross. We pray for our sick, our ancestors, and our Royal Family, among others.

(L) Thirteenth Station: The Body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross and given to Mary. (R) The St. Anthony of Giovinazzo Society statue of Sant'Antonio

Being the first of the 13 Tuesdays of prayer leading up to the Feast of Sant’Antonio da Padova on June 13th, we added those prayers and meditations to our weekly practice. 

We hope to keep the prayer meetings going after Lent, but I heard through the grapevine there is a possibility the church will no longer be staying open late on Tuesdays. We will keep you posted.

Finishing our prayers, we made our way up Mulberry Street to the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral rectory (263 Mulberry Street) to join Dama Francesca Tempesta and the Knights of Malta Auxiliary for their monthly food walk.

Francesca Tempesta, DM (second from right), and the Order of Malta Auxiliary

Each month, volunteers put together care packages with food and toiletries, and distribute them to the homeless. Due to the inclement weather the turnout was a little bit smaller than usual, but the dedication and drive of those who were able to make it more than made up for the loss of manpower.

On top of everything, I had the privilege of leading the group in saying the Daily Prayer of Order before hitting the pavement.

Volunteers received spiffy new tote bags to help carry the food 

Anyone interested in supporting this noble endeavor can contact the Order of Malta Auxiliary at nycaux@orderofmaltaamerican.org or call 917-566-3937. For additional information, the Order can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/maltaauxiliarynyc.

Il Regno Turns Nine

Another productive year under our belt, Il Regno reached one more modest milestone by surpassing a million visitors. We couldn’t have done it without the help of our friends and contributors who generously volunteer their time and energy to our little enterprise. Thank you one and all, we greatly appreciate your support and (as always) will continue our efforts to the best of our abilities.

Presenting Meridiunalata

We are very excited about our new bilingual Poesia Duosiciliano (Two Sicilies poetry) initiative. As expected, the first installment of Meridiunalata, featuring the Neapolitan poetry of Pino Rispo and the Calabrian of Ciardullo, was well received. In time, the project will grow in scope and, I'm confident, in popularity. In addition to translating poems into English, we thought it would be fun to render some American classics into Neapolitan. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe will be our first undertaking.

Upcoming Events

In addition to the many wonderful cultural and religious functions we support and participate in, we have several of our own planned for the upcoming year. Preparations are already underway for our 10th Annual Battle of Bitonto Commemoration in May and our 3rd Annual Traditional Latin Mass for the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel on September 29th. We are also thinking about organizing our 1st Annual Two Sicilies Poetry Reading, featuring the Neapolitan verse of Cav. Charles Sant’Elia and others. We will keep you posted on these and other exciting events as they develop.

Friday of Sorrows

Tomorrow night (Friday, March 23rd), in conjunction with the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, we are sponsoring the Second Annual Solemn High Latin Mass in honor of the Madonna Addolorata at Most Precious Blood Church in Little Italy, New York. The Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be celebrated at 7:15 PM by the Very Rev. Cav. Msgr. Joseph Ambrosio, Fr. Stephen Saffron, and Fr. Edmund Luciano. Confessions will be heard prior to Mass by Fr. Christopher Salvatori. Afterward, the Relic of the True Cross will be exposed for solemn veneration.

In addition to the Constantinian Order, invitations to participate have been extended to other Catholic Orders, including The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta and The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Maintenance Update

In our ongoing efforts to streamline and improve the overall quality of the site, we continue to edit content, delete redundant material and fix or remove broken links. With over three thousand posts to comb through, this exhausting, but necessary, overhaul has been taking much longer than we anticipated. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Carrying San Gennaro on Mulberry Street

On a Personal Note

Once again, I had the great privilege of carrying the statues of San Rocco di Potenza and San Gennaro at their respective feasts in Little Italy, New York. For me, lifting the saint in a procession is an incredible honor and a uniquely exhilarating experience. Any devotee who has done so, understands what I mean. Luckily for me, I won’t have to wait very long to do so again, because I’ve been asked to carry the Madonna Addolorata at this year’s Good Friday procession and Santa Rita at her upcoming feast in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

Meeting HRH Princess Beatrice di Borbone–Two Sicilies at my friends Nicole and John Viola's wedding was definitely one of the more memorable moments of the past year. Her Highness was warm and gracious, and I am absolutely committed to serving her illustrious family.

On a somewhat lighter note, I was unexpectedly recognized by three different associations for my evangelism and cultural activism. In the span of five days last October, I received a certificate of appreciation from the Comitati Due Sicilie USA, an award from the Associazione Amici di Totò from Naples, and a plaque from the Associazione Culturale Pugliese Figli Maria SS. Addolorata. While my endeavors are done out of a sense of duty, not for personal accolades or financial gain, it’s nice to know they are appreciated by members of our community.

Crown of thorns and nails at
St. Ephrem Church, Brooklyn, NY

Lent

Intensifying my fast this year, I gave up all meat, pasta, bread and sweats for Lent. Except for missing San Giuseppe’s zeppole and sfingi, I found this to be surprisingly easy to do. I think next year I will also abstain from alcohol.

Trying to focus less on the terrestrial and more on the transcendent, I’ve included the Stations of the Cross and Eucharistic Adoration to my daily prayers and Rosary. This has been exceedingly rewarding.

Admittedly, where I’ve been the least successful has been my goal of making weekly confessions. Other than my own failing, I don’t have a valid excuse. As we approach Holy Week, I plan on correcting this hamartia on Reconciliation Monday, if not sooner. A friend (I hope jokingly) suggested I get a hair shirt, but I don't think I'm ready for that.

Pray Pal

Just a reminder, we are still accepting donations in the form of prayers. So if you like what we do and want us to continue doing it, please say a prayer for us. Your generosity and thoughtfulness are greatly appreciated.

Forza e onore!

Cav. John Napoli
March 21st, the Feast of Bl. Maria Candida of the Eucharist

“Scrivere,” Luigi Finelli’s Latest Collection of Poetry and Reflections

On March 16th surgeon Luigi Finelli's collection of poetry Scrivere was presented and discussed in the Biblioteca Croce- Via Francesco de Mura. (See Fiorella Franchini's review in Il Denaro). Finelli previously published in 2002 Poco più che parole with the Guida publishing house in Naples, receiving special mention in the literary contest “Elsa Morante-Isola di Procida,” and in 2005 E per un istante la mano tremò, won the “Il Minturno” International Literary Prize.

In this latest work Finelli takes the reader on a poetic journey spanning 30 years and addresses themes such as love, time, and eternity. With images and verse he recalls the place of his memories, the Island of Procida, rich in local atmosphere and melancholy. — CSE

A Look at the 2018 Missa Cantata for the Feast of Saint Joseph and Memorial for HRH Prince don Ferdinando Maria di Borbone of the Two Sicilies

After Mass, clergy, knights and servers take a commemorative photo
Photos by New York Scugnizzo

Monday evening, Knights of the Sacred Military Constatntinian Order of St. George joined the parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Newark, New Jersey to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph and commemorate the anniversary of the death of the Order’s late Grand Master, HRH Prince don Ferdinando Maria di Borbone of the Two Sicilies.

Our late Grand Master HRH
Prince don Ferdinando Maria
di Borbone delle Due Sicilie

Mass was sung by celebrant and homilist Very Rev. Msgr. Cav. Joseph Ambrosio, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Chaplain of the Order. Monsignor was dutifully assisted by several servers and the OLMC Church Schola Cantorum. Chancellor Mayor Cav. Pasquale Menna, Vice-Chancellor Cav. Patrick O’Boyle, and Cavalieri Thomas Portelli and John Napoli were in attendance.

After Mass, we adjourned to the parish hall for some refreshments and fellowship. Guests enjoyed a delicious spread of southern Italian delicacies, including ziti al forno, melanzane all parmigiana and pasta con sarde. Needless to say, the meal was capped off with coffee and traditional zeppole and sfingi di San Giuseppe.

Thank you Msgr. Ambrosio, parish staff and all the members of OLMC family for your continued warmth and hospitality. As always, it was a great joy to visit your beautiful church and celebrate our faith and culture together. Evviva San Giuseppe!

(Above & below) Sung Mass was celebrated by
the Very Rev. Msgr. Cav. Joseph Ambrosio 

Thurifer incensing the celebrant  

(L) Altar with veiled statues and Crucifix. (R) Unveiled for his Feast Day, the statue of San Giuseppe is adorned with flowers

Statues and Crucifixes were veiled for Lent

La Tavolata di San Giuseppe in the parish hall

An army of revelers line up for the celebratory meal 

Our delicious dinner was served up with love by Catherine and Michael 

It's always great to see our dear friend Anthony "Tony Mangia" Scillia

Partygoers were treated to an array of St. Joseph's zeppole and sfingi

Photo of the Week: Villa Rufolo's "Garden of the Soul" in Ravello, Salerno

Villa Rufolo's "Garden of the Soul" in Ravello, Salerno
Photo by New York Scugnizzo