A Look at the Fourteenth Annual Battle of Bitonto Commemoration in New York City

Battle of Bitonto (c.1750) by Giovanni Luigi Rocco

Members of our little neobriganti community in New York City gathered at Amunì Ristorante (7217 3rd Avenue) in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn last Saturday for our Fourteenth Annual Battle of Bitonto Commemoration in memory of King Carlo di Borbone’s decisive victory over the Austrians in Apulia on 25 May 1734 and the subsequent founding of the Bourbon Dynasty of Naples and Sicily (later the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies).

Moved forward on account of the Minor Rogation Days, Ascension Thursday and Memorial Day Weekend, revelers exchanged Bourbon-themed gifts, won raffle prizes and, as always, enjoyed a bountiful Sicilian repast.

We honored the fallen on both sides with prayers and toasts. Viva 'o Rre!

Carciofi fritti

Arancini

Milinciani fritta (breaded eggplant, roasted peppers and mozzarella)

Pizza

Cavatelli with sausage, broccoli and pignoli

Braciola di maiale al forno

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Raffle prizes included artisanal soaps from Casa Amalfi and
a tie with the coat-of-arms of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Artisanal soaps, fleur-de-lis placemats and repurposed Argenio watch boxes with King Carlo di Borbone filled with various Kingdom of the Two Sicilies lapel pins

A Prayer for Uvalde, Texas

Ven. Antonio Margil de Jesús, ora pro nobis

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the horrific May 24 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas and their families. Taking place just ten days after the deadly attack in Buffalo, New York, our society clearly suffers from a grave spiritual malady. May Venerable Antonio Margil de Jesús, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Joseph and the Holy Innocents watch over the Great State of Texas.

Prayer for the victims

Loving God, welcome into your arms the victims of violence and terrorism. Comfort their families and all who grieve for them. Help us in our fear and uncertainty, and bless us with the knowledge that we are secure in your love. Strengthen all those who work for peace, and may the peace the world cannot give reign in our hearts. Amen.

Feast of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice

Santa Maria Ausiliatrice, ora pro nobis

May 24th is the Feast of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice (Our Lady, Help of Christians). Instituted in 1815 by Pope Pius VII in fulfillment of a vow he made to God during his captivity (1809-1814) in Savona and Fontainebleau by Napoleon, the invocation Auxilium Christianorum (Help of Christians) actually dates back to 1571 when Pope St. Pius V included it in the Litany of Loreto in gratitude of the Holy League’s great victory against the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7th. Our Lady, Help of Christians famously came to the aid of Christendom again in the 17th century when Emperor Leopold I of Austria invoked the Blessed Virgin's help against the Turks during the Battle of Vienna. The siege was broken on the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary when Poland's heroic King Jan Sobieski and his winged hussars rescued the Imperial City from the Ottoman invaders. In celebration I’m posting a prayer to Our Lady, Help of Christians by San Giovanni Bosco. The accompanying photo of votive wall shrine dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians was taken in 2019 in Piazza Bellini in Naples. Evviva Santa Maria Ausiliatrice!

Prayer to Our Lady, Help of Christians

Most holy and Immaculate Virgin, Help of Christians, we place ourselves under your motherly protection. Throughout the Church’s history you have helped Christians in times of trial, temptation and danger. Time and time again, you have proven to be the Refuge of sinners, the Hope of the hopeless, the Consoler of the afflicted, and the Comforter of the dying. We promise to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, your Son, to proclaim His Good News of God’s love for all people, and to work for peace and justice in our world. With faith in your intercession, we pray for the Church, for our family and friends, for the poor and abandoned, and all the dying. Grant, O Mary, Help of Christians, the graces of which we stand in need. (Mention your intentions.) May we serve Jesus with fidelity and love until death. Help us and our loved ones to attain the boundless joy of being forever with our Father in heaven. Amen.

Photo of the Week: San Raffaele Arcangelo and Tobia by Renato Rossi

San Raffaele Arcangelo e Tobia by Renato Rossi, 1931, hand painted ceramic tiles on the facade of the Confraternity of Annunziata and Rosario (next door to the Chiesa San Giovanni) in Vietri sul Mare. Photo by New york Scugnizzo

High Mass for the Feast of Santa Rita da Cascia at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, New York

Santa Rita da Cascia, ora pro nobis

After the traditional Latin Mass at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, I visited the statues of a few familial and personal patrons, and prayed for our Prior, His Grace Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone. Evviva Santa Rita da Cascia!

San Giovanni Battista, ora pro nobis

San Rocco di Montpellier, ora pro nobis

Santa Lucia, ora pro nobis

Remembering King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies

January 12, 1810 - May 22, 1859

In memory of King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies, we pray for the happy repose of his soul. Viva ‘o Rre!

Eternal rest grant unto His Majesty, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Feast of San Costantino il Grande

The Arch of Constantine in Rome. Situated between the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum, the triumphal arch was dedicated in 315 to commemorate the Emperor's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milivian Bridge

In the Eastern Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, May 21 is the Feast of St. Constantine the Great, Equal to the Apostles and Emperor. Once widely venerated across Southern Italy, the Emperor's cult has sadly diminished and become more localized. Patron saint of converts, he is also the patron of San Costantino Albanese in Provincia di Potenza in Basilicata and Capri Leone in Provincia di Messina in Sicily.

According to tradition, the night before his great victory over the usurper Maxentius at the Battle of the Milivian Bridge on October 12, 312 AD, Constantine dreamt of the Chi and the Rho (XP), the first two letters of Christ’s name in Greek, and heard a voice proclaim In Hoc Signo Vinces, which means “By this sign you will conquer.”

That morning the Emperor had a vision of the cross emanating from the light of the rising sun and commanded his men to paint the Chi and the Rho on their shields and his golden standard (labarum). As proclaimed in his dream, adopting the insignia of Christ he routed his enemy on the field of battle.

Soon after his great victory, the Emperor legalized Christianity with his famous Edict of Milan, thus ending 300 years of Christian persecution by the Romans. A great benefactor of the Faith, he granted privileges, built churches and convened the First Council of Nicaea. In 324 AD Constantine moved the Empire's capital from Rome to Byzantium, which was rechristened Constantinople. He was baptized on his deathbed in 337 AD.

In celebration, I’m posting the prayer to St. Constantine. The accompanying photo of the Arch of Constantine was taken during my 2007 pilgrimage to Rome. San Costantino il Grande, ora pro nobis.

Prayer to St. Constantine

O God, You who work in mysterious ways, we thank you for St. Constantine and the important role he played in the flourishing of the early Church. The proverb holds that You O Lord direct the heart of a good king and guide all his ways. Truly it was you, working through Constantine, that freed your Church from the unjust oppression it had lived under for centuries. May you direct the heart of world leaders still today, so that your Church may be free and kept safe from all harm. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Meridiunalata XXX: Abbrúsciala by Cav. Charles Sant'Elia

Reprinted from Cav. Charles Sant'Elia's Meridiunalata/Southernade, an evocative bilingual (Neapolitan/ English) collection of poetry written between 1989 and 2010.*

Abbrúsciala 

Abbrúsciala
Sta lettera ca te sto screvenno, 

Mo ca stammo luntane, 

Manco 'o suonno
Nci'ha da aunì. 

Abbrúsciala
Int'a nu fuoco ardente, 

Miéttela llà mmiezo 

Int' 'o core d' 'e sciamme 

Ca nun fujesse. 

Abbrúsciala
E nun te ne ncarrecà chiù 

'E stu penziero
Ca nun maje nce avev' 'a stà 

Ma ca nc'è caduto. 

Abbrúsciala, 

Abbrúsciala...

Tu pe me. 

Burn It 

Burn it
This letter that I’m writing you, 

Now that we’re far apart,
Not even dreams
Can unite us. 

Burn it
In an ardent fire,
Put it there in the middle 

In the heart of the flames 

So that it not escape. 

Burn it
And don’t bother any more about 

This thought
Which shouldn’t have been
But which fell upon us. 

Burn it, 

Burn it... 

You for me. 

* Self-published in 2010, Meridiunalata/Southernade is a treasury of poems gleaned from Cav. Sant'Elia's previous collections (Nchiuso dint''o presente, 'A cuntrora, and 'O pino e l'éllera), which were circulated among friends in New York City and Naples. Special thanks to Cav. Sant'Elia for allowing us to reprint his poetry and translations.

Photos of the Week: Details of the Pulpit at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, New York

After High Mass Sunday morning I took a few pics of the
marble Franciscan Saints adorning the hexagonal pulpit

New Book — Pierre-François Hugues d'Hancarville: The Complete Collection of Antiquities from the Cabinet of Sir William Hamilton

Forthcoming title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Pierre-François Hugues d'Hancarville: The Complete Collection of Antiquities from the Cabinet of Sir William Hamilton by Madeleine Howler and Sebastian Schütze

Publisher: Taschen

Publication Date: Aug. 16, 2022

Hardcover: $80.00

Language: English

Pages: 514

Read description

Click here to see more books

Listing does not imply endorsement

High Mass for the Feast of the Apparition of San Michele Arcangelo on Monte Gargano and Supplica at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, New York

After the traditional Latin Mass we prayed the Supplica
beneath the statue of the Madonna del Rosario di Pompei

Madonna della Pace, ora pro nobis

Beautifully decorated high altar

San Michele Arcangelo, ora pro nobis

Photo of the Week: Street Shrine Dedicated to Our Lady in Naples

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Congratulations U.S. Lecce! I Lupi Returns to Serie A

After a short but harrowing spell in Serie B, U.S. Lecce won promotion back to Serie A with their 1-0 victory over Pordenone yesterday at the Stadio Via Del Mare in Puglia. Zan Majer’s goal in the 46’ secured the Giallorossi victory and their most welcome return to Italy’s top flight football. We wish them all the best and much success. Forza Lecce!

* * *

Benevento Calcio finished in seventh and go into the play-offs. We’re rooting for Le Streghe’s triumphal return to Serie A next campaign. Forza Benevento!

A Musical Night with Anna Lomax Wood, Lilian Caruana, and David Marker

Zampognaro David Marker welcomes guests with his bagpipes

Wednesday evening anthropologist and public folklorist Anna Lomax Wood, photographer Lilian Caruana, and ethnomusicologist David Marker highlighted the musical heritage of Italy with a fascinating presentation and performance at the Center for Italian Modern Art (421 Broome St.) in Manhattan. Ms. Lomax Wood discussed at length the vast and varied regional differences of Italian folk music using powerpoint and audio samples from her father Alan Lomax’s famed collection. 

Canto dei battipali

Ninna nanna

La tammurriata

Ms. Caruana and Mr. Marker shared some photos of the musicians and shepherds they took in Southern Italy and these United States.

(Above & below) Lilian and David's photos

A shepherd in Campania

Mr. Marker also spoke briefly about the history of the zampogna (bagpipe) in Italy and his own musical journey with this ancient and beautiful instrument.

David performs the Novena di Natale

The presentation came to a close with Mr. Marker playing a variety of different instruments from Southern Italy, including a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the Novena di Natale with the zampogna.

Also see:
• Preserving Italian Immigrant Music Making at the Center for Italian Modern Art (CIMA)

Andrea Pirlo Mural by Jorit in New York City

On my way to the Center for Italian Modern Art (CIMA), I stumbled upon the Andrea Pirlo mural by Neapolitan street artist Jorit on Broome and Lafayette streets in New York City.

Dos de Mayo Convivium

Art print of The Charge of the Mamelukes (also
known as The Second of May 1808) by Francisco Goya

In celebration of the 214th anniversary of the May 2nd Uprising of Madrid against Napoleon (1808), my confratelli and I broke bread Spanish style with a late night fiesta at Tomiño, Taverna Gallega (192 Grand St.), in Little Italy, New York. Enjoying a variety of small, delicious plates (tapas), we ate and drank to the memory of the brave and loyal people of Madrid, and to the glorious King’s of Spain. ¡Viva la Contrarrevolución! ¡Viva el Rey legítimo!

Mixed olives and biquinho peppers

Patatas bravas

Croquetas

Pulpo á Feira

Pimientos del piquillo rellenos de bacalao

Chorizos al Infierno

Estrella Galicia '1906' Reserva ESP with dinner
and Caffè macchiato with dessert 

Tarta de Santiago

Filloas Rellenas

Photo of the Week: Basilica Santuario dei SS. Cosma e Damiano in Alberobello, Puglia

Photo by Andrew Giordano

New Book: Fear in the World by Corrado Alvaro

New title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Fear in the World by Corrado Alvaro

Publisher: Vagabond Voices

Publication Date: March 23, 2021

Paperback: $10.88

Language: English

Pages: 295

Read description

Click here to see more books

Listing does not imply endorsement

Feast of Santa Zita

Santa Zita, ora pro nobis

St. Zita, pray for us that we will patiently accept the daily chores Almighty God asks of us and that we will give generously of our time to the poor.

April 27 is the Feast of Santa Zita (1212-1272), Virgin. She is the patron saint of domestic workers, bakers and housewives. According to tradition, Zita was a humble and pious maidservant who, at the age of twelve, was sent to work for a wealthy family in the Serene Republic of Lucca. One day, losing track of time while in prayer at church, she returned late to her master’s kitchen and found the bread she was supposed to bake already made. Thanking her fellow servants for their assistance, they each told her they had not done so and that it was the angels who had baked the loaves for her. 

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Zita. The pictured prayer card was a gift from a friend. Evviva Santa Zita!

Prayer to St. Zita

 

Almighty and glorious God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we ask that through the intercession of your servant, St. Zita, we may grow in grace and virtue as she did. By her steadfast prayers may we find a renewed love for the poor and heartfelt compassion towards those less fortunate than ourselves. By her example of hard work done with great joy and diligence, may we learn how to serve you through earnest fidelity to our state in life and a spirit ready to embrace your will for us in our daily duties. Amen.

Photo of the Week: Maria de Vexillo in the Chiesa San Pietro Caveoso in Matera

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Bust of Servant of God Francesco II was Installed in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples

Photo courtesy of Angela Cuccillato

April 24, 2022, Napoli — A bronze bust of Servant of God Francesco II di Borbone, the last King of the Two Sicilies, was installed in the Chapel of the Royal Tombs in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples. Viva 'o Rre!