A Look at the 2022 "Dyker Lights" Christmas Displays in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn (Part 1)

Sunday evening we took a walking tour of the always spectacular "Dyker Lights" Christmas displays in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn sponsored by the Italian Enclaves Historical Society. This year, we were joined by a few friends from the Filitalia Philadelphia Chapter.

Meeting at the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette (8201 13th Avenue), Fr. Juan Luxamma offered us an opportunity to visit the church grounds to meditate, pray and light a few candles before our walk.

Gathering our strength before our wintry jaunt through this veritable Christmas wonderland, we stopped by Tasty Pastry (8216-18 13th Avenue) for some espresso and cannoli.

We are always amazed by the neighborhood's dazzling and festive decorations. Each year it seems to get bigger and better. Buon Natale!   

Annual Mass to Commemorate Servant of God King Francis II of Bourbon-Two Sicilies at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Wallington, New Jersey

Francesco II, ora pro nobis

The Annual Mass sponsored by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George to commemorate SG Francis II of Bourbon-Two Sicilies will be celebrated on Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at 6 pm at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church (127 Paterson Avenue) in Wallington, New Jersey.

Prayer for the Glorification of King Francis II of the Two Sicilies

[For private use only]

Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant HM Francis II, King of the Two Sicilies, from every bond of sin, that being raised in the glory of the resurrection, he may be refreshed among the Saints and Elect. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Meridiunalata XXXIV: 'Dicembre' by Cav. Charles Sant'Elia

Dicembre

Dicembre, trase cu 'a festa d''a Patrona d''o Regno,

L'anniversario d''e nonne,

'E juorne pássano dint'a niente,

Po fernesce cu Natale,

'A gente mia sperduta p''o munno,

'O vierno d''a vita ca torna a nce ncuità,

E chella ca saglienno

'E rarune 'e Chiaja gira

Arravugliata int''a sciarpa soja

E dice, «me n'aggi''a jì…»

Cumpagne mieje, aizammo 'e becchiere,

A chi sta fora,

A chi nun nce sta cchiù,

A ll'anno ca vene,

Scennimmo abbascio 'o puorto

E guardámmece 'e vvarche abbannunate

E sunnámmece 'o sole 'aústo,

Ore chiene 'e prummesse,

Nu dimane cchiù buono

Pe tutta sta gente.

Dicembre nce amm''a salutà.

December

December enters with the feast of the Patroness of the Kingdom,

Grandparents’ anniversary,

The days pass in a blink,

Then it finishes with Christmas,

My people spread across the world,

The winter of life continues to irritate us,

And that girl going up 

The steps of Chiaia turns

Wrapped in her scarf

And says, «I’ve got to go…»

My friends, raise your glasses,

For those who are abroad,

For those who are no longer with us,

For the coming new year,

Let’s go down to the port

And watch the abandoned boats

And dream about the August sun,

Hours full of promises,

A better tomorrow

For all these people.

December we have to say good bye to each other.

Photo of the Week: Detail of the Triumphal Arch of the Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino)

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Ponderable Quote from 'The Divine Right of Minorities' by Otto Von Habsburg

Otto Von Habsburg (1912-2011)

"This haste is the great weakness of present-day politics. We have no time. The West in its dealings with the East is handicapped because it must produce results before the next election. We are forced to short-term projects that will mature in a single legislative session. Anything that cannot promise immediate results is by that token not worth undertaking. And with our eyes directed toward tomorrow’s results, we too often overlook how similar maneuvers in the past had no results at all, or bad ones. But this is not alone a matter of our political habits and structures; it is the symptom of something deeper. It is characteristic of a generation that has lost its sense of historical perspective and become so self-centered that it no longer sees the continuity of which it is a part. In rejecting its past, it has renounced its future, and sometimes its erratic and futile measures in the present convince one that these are the desperate activities of those who truly anticipate annihilation. The perspective of history has been lost because history gives up its meaning only in the perspective of eternity. All that can be worked toward on earth in the span of a single human life takes on meaning and value only when seen under the aspect of eternity, man’s participation in which sets the final seal on all his actions. Against the assurances that eternity holds, man discovers his own dimensions and is guarded against making the over- or under-estimation of himself that leads to destruction in the world. Those who think they have but one life to live can do little good that will outlast it. Man is distinguished from the animal by his reason, and the distinction of man’s reasoning is that it can discover and work toward goals that are beyond the brief extent of his own animal life. 

"The perception of this is not everywhere lost. I came upon an example of it during the Spanish Civil War. The various military units in Spain were recruiting volunteers with posters. One of these was put up by the Requetes, those traditionalists who might be called the Jacobites of Spain. The poster offered no pleasures of travel, no bonuses, no benefits of an incidental education. It simply showed a dead Requete hanging on barbed wire, and over him glowed a star under which was written: “Remember-before God there is no unknown soldier.” Death here was not a sentimental symbol with no reference to what dying in battle is really like, for in a civil war like the Spanish no one escapes a close knowledge of death; yet the Requetes continued to volunteer, knowing that for many of them worse deaths awaited than a clean shot on the barbed wire. Even those who will argue that their deaths were Quixotic (and I am not one who would) cannot deny that these men entered into the decisive moment of their existence certain their lives had not been in vain: their sacrifice would be acknowledged in eternity. Let us hope that the future will not make the same demand on any of us; but whatever coming years may hold in store for us we must recover the understanding that what we do is done in God’s sight. It will be the source of our courage and our assurance that our works, so far as men’s can, will endure." 

* Reprinted from The Divine Right of Minorities by Otto Von Habsburg, Modern Age: A Conservative Review, Summer 1958, pg. 284

Feast of Santa Burgundofara (Fara)

Santa Burgundofara, Ora pro nobis

December 7 is the Feast of Santa Burgundofara (also Fara or Fare), Virgin and Abbess. Patroness of Cinisi, a town and commune in the Province of Palermo, Sicily, she is invoked by those suffering from eye ailments. She is also venerated on April 3. 

In celebration, we're posting a prayer to St. Fara. The accompanying photo of Santa Burgundofara, courtesy of Bill Russo, was taken at Our Lady of Peace Church in New York City. Evviva Santa Burgundofara!

Prayer to St. Fara

O God, who called your handmaid blessed Fara to seek you before all else, grant that, serving you, through her example and intercession, with a pure and humble heart, we may come at last to your eternal glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Festa Nazionale del Regno delle Due Sicilie in Paola, Calabria

Celebrating the Third Annual Sanfedisti Feast of San Nicola di Bari in Brooklyn, New York

Makeshift shrine at the restaurant with icons of Santa Barbara Martire and
San Nicola di Bari, holy water, blessed votive candles, and poinsettias

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. ~ Thorin Oakenshield, The Hobbit

Pasta makes everyone happy

Following Holy Mass at Our Lady of Peace Church Sunday morning, members and friends of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (or Sanfedisti) gathered at Amunì Ristorante (7217 3rd Avenue) in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to celebrate the 3rd Annual Feast of San Nicola di Bari with commemoration of Santa Barbara Martire.

After grace, Chef Vincent Dardanello treated us to another sumptuous multi-course repast featuring fresh cavatelli with a traditional Sunday ragù replete with fall-off-the-bone pork ribs, hot and sweet sausages, meatballs, and braciola di cotenna di maiale. Also on the menu was a cold antipasto, rice balls, and deep-fried artichokes. We finished our festive gathering with aperitivi, roasted chestnuts, raffles, café and dolci.

Heartfelt thanks to our dear friends from the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, the Hapsburg Restoration Movement, San Rocco Society of Potenza in NYC, the Italian Enclaves Historical Society, Brooklyn Latin Mass Society, the Italian Mass Project, the Brooklyn Latin Mass Society, and the Holy Name Society of the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette for joining us in the festivities.

We are especially grateful to Fr. Christopher Cullen for blessing our votive candles at morning Mass and Fr. Leo Camurati for blessing our icons of Santa Barbara and San Nicola during the celebration.

As always, it was a great joy to celebrate our faith and culture together. Evviva Santa Barbara Martire e San Nicola di Bari!

Andrew and John

(L) Flags of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies adorn the shrine.
(R) Andrew, John and Raymond light a few candles

Jim and Cindy

Maria, Anthony and Jim

Matthew and Michael

Mike and Alexis

John and Maria

After the cordial greetings and a toast, the merry and
hungry partygoers quickly got down to serious business

Cold antipasto

Arancini

Carciofi fritti

For the primo we enjoyed cavatelli 

For the secondo we enjoyed a delicious array of pork ribs,
hot and cold sausages, meatballs, and pork skins

Mini-bar with some of the door and raffle prizes

Chocolate filled bomboloni

Castagne arrostite

Photo of the Week: Venere di Capua

The Venus of Capua, Roman 117-138 AD. The arms and
part of the drapery were restored in 1820 by Augusto Brunelli,
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Back for More: Exploring the Met's Neapolitan Baroque Crèche and Seemingly Endless Collection of Art

The Holy Family surrounded by angels, putti and farm animals

My recent visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York City was so enjoyable I couldn’t wait to come back and see the newly installed Angel Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche in the Medieval Sculpture Hall. One of my favorite Christmas traditions, the Met’s annual Nativity Scene always lifts my spirits and helps usher in the Season of Advent. 

The Neapolitan presepe and Christmas tree in front of the eighteenth
century Spanish choir screen from the Cathedral of Valladolid 

Angelic and lifelike figures abound

Putti and angels adorned with silk robes
encircle the towering twenty-foot blue spruce

A creature of habit, I tend to focus on the same handful of paintings and sculptures during my visits, but this time around I decided to mix things up a bit and explore parts of the museum I have not seen in awhile, including the Modern and Contemporary Art, British Art, and Arms and Armor galleries.

(L) Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus), 1954, oil on canvas by Salvador Dalí.
(R) Madonna, 1958, oil on canvas by Salvador Dalí (1904-1989)

Artillery, 1911, oil on canvas by Roger de la Fresnaye (1885-1925)

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, bronze, modeled 1913,
cast 1950 by Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916)

(L) Portrait of a German Officer, 1914, oil on canvas by Marsden
Hartley (1877-1943). (R) Meeting (Three Graces), 1912, oil
on canvas by Manierre Dawson (1887-1969)

(L) Queen Charlette (1744-1818), consort of King George III (1738-1820),
ca. 1783, oil on canvas by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). (R) King
George IV, when Prince of Wales (1762-1830), after 1798, oil on
canvas by Sir William Beechey (1753-1839) and workshop

(L) Mary Shelley (1797-1851) 1843, marble, by Camillo Pistrucci
(1811-1854.) (R) Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), ca. 1780, Coade
stone, attributed to John Bacon the Elder (1740-1709)

(L) Philip IV (1605-16-65) in Parade Armor, ca. 1628, oil on canvas by
Gasper de Crayer (1584-1669). (R) Armor of Henry II of France,
about 1555, steel, embossed, blued, silvered, and gilt, French

(L). Armor of Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias, 1712, steel, blued and gilt,
gilt brass, silk, cotton, metallic yarn, paper, French. (R) Armor of the
Dukes of Alba, about 1575-85, steel, embossed and damascened
with gold and silver by Lucio Piccinino (active about 1575-90)

(L) Burgonet, in the form of a sea monster, about 1535-45, steal, embossed, partly gilt and silvered, probably Milan. (R) Top view of Burgonet, 1543, embossed steal damascened with gold by Filippo Negroli (about 1510-1579)

Side view of Burgonet, 1543, embossed steal damascened
with gold by Filippo Negroli (about 1510-1579)

Needless to say, I couldn’t deprive myself of seeing a few old favorites in the Medieval, and European Sculpture and Decorative Arts galleries before leaving.

(L) Crozier Depicting God the Father, 1457, gilded silver, translucent enamel
and niello, Naples. (R) Saint Fiacre reliquary in the shape of an arm,
1200-1250, silver sheets on wood, cabochons, and glass, French

(L) Reliquary Arm of St. Valentine, 1300s, silver, partially gilded, sapphire, Swiss. (R) Reliquary of Mary Magdalene's Tooth, made 1300s-1400s,
gilded copper, gilded silver, rock crystal, painted glass, Tuscany

(L) Henri II, King of France, ca. 1555-60, enamel, partly gilded on copper by Leonard Limosin (ca. 1505-1575/77). (R) Charles IX, King of France, shortly after 1561, oil on wood, style of François Clouet (ca. 1516-1572)

Red wax Seal of King Louis XII of France, 1498-1515, French

(L) Bronze medal of François I, King of France, cast after 1515, French.
(R) Bronze medal of Louise de Savoie, Duchess d'Angoulême
and Mother of the Future François I, cast ca. 1505, French

Basin with St. George and the Dragon, late 1400s, Brass, German

New Book — Salvator Rosa: Paint and Performance

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

• Salvator Rosa: Paint and Performance (Renaissance Lives) by Helen Langdon

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Publication Date: July 6, 2022

Hardcover: $25.00

Language: English

Pages: 224

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Click here to see more books

Listing does not imply endorsement

New Music : La Musica Per Arpa

New music that may be of interest to our readers.

• La Musica Per Arpa performed by Rosanna Rolton

Label: Tactus Records

Release Date: 2022

Audio CD: $7.41

Number of Discs: 1

Available at Amazon.com

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Solennità di Maria SS.MA Immacolata con la Storica Tradizione della "S. Messa delle Bandiere" Celebrata a Terlizzi (BA)