At the Edge of November: Among the Dead, Awaiting the Dawn

November dies hard in the North. In rural upstate New York—where I now find myself spending long stretches of time for a project that has unexpectedly become something of a spiritual retreat—the land turns austere. The trees stand stripped to their bones, the ground stiffens under frost, and the air itself feels thin, as if the world were exhaling its last breath before winter’s long hush. Out here, silence does not merely fall; it descends, settling over the hills like a burial shroud.

It is fitting that Holy Mother Church has long dedicated this month to the Poor Souls—those forgotten, suffering spirits in Purgatory who await the full vision of God. As November draws to a close, one feels their nearness more keenly. The forests seem haunted, not with terror but with memory. Every gust through the branches whispers of our ancestors who walked these same cold paths, who lived, dreamed, and died as we will. The liturgical calendar and the natural world speak with one voice: memento mori. Remember death, so that you may remember life rightly.

The Church does not flinch before the presence of the dead. She prays for them, intercedes for them, acknowledges their plight and their dignity. In this way, we remain a people bound not only by blood but by the mystery of the Communion of Saints. We live with the dead; our ancestors walk beside us always. And as the month of the dead approaches its final dusk, the heart is called to introspection. What have we done for those who can no longer help themselves? What have we done to prepare our own souls for the judgment that awaits?

Advent breaks upon the horizon—a new liturgical year, a new beginning, born from darkness. Before the angelic trumpets and shepherds’ glad cries of Christmas, before the candles blaze and the Gloria returns to our lips, there is a period of deliberate austerity. Advent is not a premature Christmas, no matter how our culture insists on decking the halls in early November. It is a penitential season, a time of watchfulness, of holy longing. It is the night vigil before the dawn.

No one loves Christmas more than I do, but to skip Advent is to ignore the aching silence that makes the Incarnation thunderous. To rush into celebration is to forget the weight of history, the groaning of humanity awaiting its Redeemer. The Church, in her wisdom, asks us first to sit with the dead, with our own mortality, and with the humility of expectation. Only then can we truly grasp the miracle of God made flesh.

And so, as November ends and Advent begins, we do well to pause. To pray for the forgotten souls. To remember the ancestors whose faith shaped our own. To let the starkness of the season carve away our illusions. To stand in the cold, beneath the bare trees, and feel the nearness of both the grave and the manger.

For in this dark threshold between seasons, the veil grows thin, and eternity draws close. Here, surrounded by the memories of the dead and the promise of a coming Savior, the soul learns again how to hope.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 29th, the Vigil of Saint Andrew the Apostle and Feast of St. Saturninus of Toulouse

Silent Knights, Living Stories: The Manteo Marionettes at the IAM by Prof. Jo Ann Cavallo

Saturday, December 6th at 3:00 pm

$15 per person (includes admission to the Museum's current exhibitions)

Italian American Museum
151 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10013

Step into the world of chivalric heroes! Join Prof. Jo Ann Cavallo as she brings the legendary Manteo marionettes to life!

The Catanese-American puppeteer Agrippino Manteo brought countless characters from the Paladins of France cycle to life for Italian American immigrant communities in New York City, performing nightly from 1923 to 1939. From 1950 to 1989, his descendants crafted new stories for wider audiences featuring some of the cycle’s most beloved heroes. Today, over thirty Manteo marionettes – including Carlomagno, Gano, Rinaldo, Orlando, Rodomonte, and Agramante – have found a home at the Italian American Museum. The intricately constructed and exquisitely decorated figures silently gaze back at visitors, as if awaiting the chance to enact their chivalric adventures once again.

In the absence of a puppeteer, Jo Ann Cavallo offers the next best thing: reintroducing these figures to contemporary audiences by describing their character traits and sharing highlights from their stories. Attendees will then have the opportunity to meet the puppets face to face in the exhibit – and to continue the conversation.

Jo Ann Cavallo is Professor of Italian at Columbia University, where she has taught since 1988. She has published numerous studies on Italian literature and culture, with particular attention to Renaissance chivalric epic and its afterlife in popular traditions. Her latest books, The Sicilian Puppet Theater of Agrippino Manteo (1884–1947): The Paladins of France in America and The World beyond Europe in the Romance Epics of Boiardo and Ariosto, received multiple awards and have been published in Italian translation.

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Remembering Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresia

A few Austrian stamps from my collection issued in 1980 for the
200th Anniversary of the death of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresia,
mother of Maria Carolina, Queen of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

In memory of Maria Theresia (13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780), Holy Roman Empress, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Bohemia, and the rest, we pray for the happy repose of her soul.

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

A Lament for the Passing of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies by Giacinto de' Sivo

Giacinto de' Sivo b. 29 November
1814—d. 19 November 1867

"I don’t say the old Regno was faultless, that it was a paradise. Wherever men govern each other there is always bound to be some discontent, whatever the country. Human good is relative – everything cannot be quite the same for everybody. Some nations are warlike, others consists of farmers, or of merchants, artists or manufacturers; what suits them is for them to decide. Only bad judges omit to weigh good against evil, since as many blessings as possible and as few ills are the real measure of a country’s prosperity. Political bias magnifies a government’s failings without taking the times and the circumstances into account, and crudely simplistic judgements obscure anything else worthwhile – as if perfection were attainable by human endeavours. Closing one’s eyes to all that is good makes everything else look bad and raises countless questions. Naples had fewer troops than France, fewer ships than London, less liberty than America, not so much of the fine arts as Rome, and less polish than Paris, though those are not the only things which make for happiness. Nonetheless, in relation to its size and status the country had enough of them to be second to none. Commerce, arts and letters, morality, religion, security, comfort, industry, civil rights, all these it had in plenty. People lived pleasantly and inexpensively, with an abundance of entertainment and amusements; anybody who avoided subversive politics enjoyed complete freedom and could do what he liked. In short the realm was the happiest in the world. Countless foreigners who came to it prospered so much that they settled. 

"During the last forty years the population increased by a quarter. There was a wealth of public buildings, of good roads, aqueducts, warehouses, free hospitals, bridges of stone, brick or iron, arsenals, arms factories, barracks, foundries, high schools, academies, universities, churches, royal palaces, convents, monasteries, harbours, docks, shipping, fortresses, prisons, orphanages, flourishing industries, scientific farming, prize herds, reclaimed marshes, reservoirs, rivers harnessed for irrigation, botanical gardens, pawnshops, corn exchanges, stock markets and finance houses, freeports, arts and crafts institutes, funded charities, savings banks, insurance agencies, shipping brokers, merchant banks, railways, electric and submarine telegraphs, and every other amenity of civilized life. As for crime, murder was rare. Paupers were few and hunger practically unknown, since there was provision by religious, private, municipal and government charities. There was no paper money, only gold and silver. Taxes were light and expenses small – one lived very well on a modest income. Work was plentiful, prices low and holidays many. There was respect for the gentry, for the law, for authority, safety and order for everyone everywhere. 

"Then Gladstone came and called the regime ‘the negation of God,’ fed with lies by the opposition who wanted to bring in their ‘God’, and ruined us…almost unbelievable calumnies were repeated in newspapers all over the world."

* Reprinted from Naples: A Travellers’ Companion selected and introduced by Desmond Seward, Atheneum, 1986 pp. 294-296. The excerpt is originally from Giacinto de' Sivo's Storia delle Due Sicilie dal 1847 al 1861 (Rome, 1863). 

Autunno (Autumn) by Cav. Charles Sant’Elia

Autunno

Ll’autunno è d’’e cumpagne,
Nuttate senza fine,
Cammenate e chiacchiarate,
Butteglielle pe quatto, cinco o seje,
Vermicielle e pane sereticcio,
‘O riesto ‘e sciampagna e mieze sigarre
Pe tuttequante,
Stórie nove e ricorde ‘e tanno,
Resate e silénzie.

Ll’autunno è d’’e cumpagne,
Na réfola ‘e viento a Montmartre,
Na prummessa ‘e n’appuntamiento,
Ll’addore ‘e cena ncopp’’e Quartiere,
Na speranza mmocca,
‘A luce eléttrica d’’a Metropolitana,
‘O fummo blù ‘o’ ponte
Ll’ore longhe ca spárteno
‘A fine d’’a fatica d’’o principio sujo.

Ll’autunno è d’’e cumpagne,
Voce mmigrante e suonne antiche,
Programme suspirate
Int’’e tramm’a mmuro int’’e palazze,
Mille penziere nziste
‘E nu dimane, n’ammore nuovo,
Na telefonata a casa
Comm’’e finte e zuppa ntiemp’’e guerra,
«Mamma nce ‘aggi’’a fatto…»

Ll’autunno è d’’e cumpagne,
Pe chi nun nce sta cchiù,
Pe chi sta fora, pe chi sta nchiuso,
Pe chi sta a ll’atu munno,
Pe chi mo è sulo na canzona,
Nu brínnese appriesso a n’ato
Attuorno a sta tavulella
Sott’’e parasole scarfante,
‘O patrone nce tene mente
Cu ritratte ‘e giuventù int’a ll’uocchie
E nun nce caccia.

Autumn

Autumn is of friends,
Endless nights,
Walks and chats,
Little bottles for four, five or six,
Vermicelli and stale bread,
Leftover champagne and half cigars
For everyone,
New stories and memories of back in the day,
Laughter and silences.

Autumn is of friends,
A breeze in Montmartre,
A promise of a date,
The fragrance of dinner up in the Quartieri Spagnoli,
A hope in the mouth,
The electric light of the Métro,
Blue smoke on the bridge
The long hours that divide
The end of work from its begining.

Autumn is of friends,
Migrating voices and old dreams,
Plans whispered
In the elevators of the buildings,
A thousand stubborn thoughts
Of a tomorrow, a new love,
A telephone call home
Like wartime fake substitutions and soup,
"Mamma I made it…"

Autumn is of friends,
For those who are no longer here,
For those abroad, for those inside,
For those in the netherworld,
For those who are now just a song,
A toast one after another,
Around this little table
Beneath the heating towers,
The café owner watches us
With portraits of youth in his eyes
And doesn’t boot us out.

Simple Pleasures: A Neapolitan Touch for Christmas

During a visit to the Italian American Emporium in Little Italy, New York, I came across a charming batch of terracotta figurines—tiny, expressive hands frozen in il gesto del carciofo, the classic pinched-fingers gesture, imported straight from San Gregorio Armeno in Naples. Their warmth, humor, and unmistakable cultural flair struck me immediately, and I realized they’d make perfect stocking stuffers for Christmas: small tokens of Southern Italian spirit, crafted with the same wit and artistry that have defined Naples for centuries.

Buona Festa del Ringraziamento (Happy Thanksgiving)

Celebration of the First Mass attributed to Léon Trousset

We at Il Regno wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving Holiday. Even in hard times there is still a lot to be thankful for. We're thankful for our family, our brethren, and our faith. We're thankful for opportunities to work, and provide for ourselves and our loved ones. We're thankful for the past, because there can be no greater teacher. May we learn our lessons well. God bless you all. Buona Festa del Ringraziamento!

Prayer at Harvest and Thanksgiving

O God, source and giver of all things, you manifest your infinite majesty, power and goodness in the earth about us: We give you honor and glory. For the sun and the rain, for the manifold fruits of our fields: For the increase of our herds and flocks, we thank you. For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace, we are grateful. Supreme Lord of the harvest, graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil, in union with Jesus, your Son, as atonement for our sins, for the growth of your Church, for peace and love in our homes, and for salvation for all. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Catholic Movie Night at Atrium Stadium Cinemas in Staten Island, New York

Simple Pleasures: A Chance Encounter with the Man of La Mancha

At a quiet garage sale, half-hidden between dusty frames and forgotten trinkets, I stumbled upon a small plaster relief plaque depicting the knight-errant Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza—an unexpected tribute to Miguel de Cervantes in so humble a setting. The piece, worn but dignified, seemed to beckon from the pile, as if the pair were once again setting off on an unlikely adventure. The discovery was a reminder that beauty and meaning often await us in the most unassuming places.

A Prayer for Queen Isabella the Catholic’s Intercession

Isabella the Catholic, ora pro nobis

Almighty Father, in Your infinite goodness You made Queen Isabel the Catholic, a model for young ladies, wives, mothers, women leaders and government rulers. As the first sovereign of the American continent You granted to her heart a sense of piety, justice, compassion and the vision of a new land full of promise. Grant us the grace to see Your infinite majesty glorified in her prompt canonization, and through her intercession...[ask for your particular needs] that we ask of You in this present need through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Servant of God, Queen Isabel, pray for us.

Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be...

Pray to the Servant of God Isabel the Catholic and ask her intercession for your particular needs. When you obtain your favor, please inform the: Comité Reina Isabel, P.O. Box 268237, Chicago, IL 60626-8237, U.S.A.

* Prayer courtesy of Queen Isabella the Catholic. Portrait of Isabella I of Castile (April 22, 1451— November 26, 1504) by Luis de Madrazo (1825-1897)

Another Important Work Brought to Light

Once again, Gianandrea de Antonellis has performed a service to all who care about the long-suppressed, often-distorted, and routinely neglected history of the old Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. With La reazione d’Isernia del 1860 (Alta Terra di Lavoro), he brings to public attention a work whose documentary wealth and moral clarity cut straight through generations of Risorgimento myth-making.

Francesco Bax's La reazione d’Isernia del 1860, as introduced by de Antonellis, is a scholarly contribution of rare honesty. By assembling forgotten documents and refusing to bow before the dictates of “official history,” Bax reminds us that the past is not a fixed monument but a contested field in which truth demands courage. The volume, as presented here, should be read by anyone seeking to understand not only what happened in 1860, but how nations construct—and enforce—the stories they prefer to tell about themselves.

From the Foreword*:

It is a difficult undertaking to succeed in telling the truth when the regime imposes upon the writer its own version, punishing transgressors. Whether it is the Mancino Law (25 June 1993, no. 205 and subsequent expansions) in Italy, the Gayssot Law (13 July 1990) in France, or the ‘Law for Historical Memory’ (Law 52 of 26 December 2007, later evolved into the ‘Law on Democratic Memory,’ no. 20 of 19 October 2022), all these state impositions not only punish a mere opinion crime, but force historians to conform to what is politically established, even when documentary research may demonstrate the opposite of what the legislator has decreed.

In the nineteenth century, the idea of turning historiographic reconstruction—or, in the case of very recent events, chronicle writing—into a matter of law had not yet occurred to anyone. But since history is written by the victor, and in order for it to become common lore, to be instilled from the earliest age into the minds of children, it must be protected from any contamination—especially when such contamination tells a truth contrary to what must be the official truth.

Thus, during the Risorgimento, the fable of the popular and spontaneous uprising of the inhabitants of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies against the Bourbon government (naturally, inherently corrupt and hated by all) must not be altered by even the slightest criticism of the Piedmontese regime, of its stifling bureaucracy (far worse than the Bourbon one!), of its oppressive taxation, of the violence of the Garibaldian troops, and of the brutality of the Bersaglieri corps and the Piedmontese in general (whom Carlo Alianello, not by chance, called ‘the SS of 1860’). [1]

Preceded by an imposing propaganda “war machine” (fueled, it must be admitted, by many Neapolitan exiles from 1848), the Italian invasion crushed every attempt at criticism—however mild—of the new regime. One example is the journal La Tragicommedia, directed by Giacinto de’ Sivo, whose printing press was destroyed by red-shirted squadristi (at least metaphorically), [2] or the newspaper Il Trovatore, whose issues were often seized and whose editor, in February 1869, was subjected to a month of preventive arrest without any charge being filed against him. [3]

In this climate of cultural terrorism (and not only cultural), direct criticism was clearly impossible. One had to resort to irony (as in the case of the two publications mentioned, though with limited success, especially the first), or else adopt a “mask,” like the one apparently used by the clever author of the first of these memoirs […].

Notes

[1] Carlo Alianello, La conquista del Sud. Il Risorgimento nell’Italia meridionale, Rusconi, Milan 1972, ch. XIX, Giustizia è fatta, p. 261:

“Let us stop defining ourselves the ‘good guys’ of Europe; and let none of our northern brothers come complaining about Nazi massacres. The SS of 1860 and the years that followed were called, at least by the inhabitants of the former kingdom, the Piedmontese. So let us stop rolling our eyes, opening our mouths to howl, clenching our fists, and straining our necks to denounce the violence of others in this or other continents. Let ours suffice, to feel a single shiver of shame. We were capable of doing more—and worse.”

[2] Cf. Giacinto de’ Sivo, La Tragicommedia. L’unificazione dell’Italia vista dalla parte del Sud, ed. Francesco Maurizio Di Giovine and Gabriele Marzocco, Il Giglio, Naples 1996, second edition.

[3] Cf. Lo Trovatore carcerato, editorial of 16 March 1869.

Those interested can purchase Francesco Bax’s La reazione di Isernia del 1860. Nel racconto di tre testimoni (D’Amico, 2025) at www.damicoeditore.com

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 24th, Feast of San Giovanni della Croce

*Translations are my own

Feast of St. Bibiana at St. Mary of Mt. Virgin Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey

Photo of the Week: A Telamon in the Forum Baths, Pompeii

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

New Book — History of Naples: The Eternal Port of Culture and Conflict

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

• History of Naples: The Eternal Port of Culture and Conflict by Kings Sketch

Publisher: Independently published
Publication date: October 18, 2025
Softcover: $10.99
Kindle: $5.99
Language: English
Pages: 71

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Requiem Mass with Procession at the Resurrection Chapel at St. Gertrude Cemetery and Mausoleum in Colonia, New Jersey

The Lure of Light: Turner and Companions at the Met

The Lake of Zug, 1843, watercolor and bodycolor with reductive
techniques over graphite, by Joseph Mallord William Turner

Learning from a friend that several lesser-known works by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) were currently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, another friend and I decided to make a day of it. Part of Allegory and Abstraction: Selections from the Department of Drawings and Prints (Gallery 690), these works—shown alongside pieces by Thomas Girtin (1775–1802), Joachim Lüchteke (active 1595), George Romney (1734–1802), and others—are on view through December 9th.

Our appetites whetted, we wandered through the 19th- and Early 20th-century European Paintings and Sculpture Galleries, pausing before Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), Théodore Rousseau (1812–1867), Franz von Stuck (1863–1928), Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), and others along the way. In Gallery 808, we encountered Turner’s inimitable Venice, from the Porch of Madonna della Salute (ca. 1835) and Whalers (ca. 1845).

A few days too early for the museum’s Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche, which opens Tuesday, November 25, we are already planning our return to this venerable institution.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 22nd, Feasts of Blessed Salvatore Lilli and Santa Cecilia

Lake of Thun, Plate 15 from Liber Studiorum (Book of Studies), etching, drypoint, and mezzotint; first state of three, June 10, 1808, designed and etched by Joseph Mallord William Turner, engraved by Charles Turner (1774-1857)

Swiss City on the Rhine, Basle, Plate 5 from Liber Studiorum (Book of Studies), etching and mezzotint; first state of six, June 11, 1807, designed and etched by Joseph Mallord William Turner, engraved by Charles Turner (1774-1857)

Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, Northumberland, 1796-97,
watercolor and bodycolor, by Thomas Girtin

(L) A Nymph Dancing with a Tambourine, ca. 1776, brown ink and wash over graphite, by George Romney. (R) Allegory of Art, 1595, pen and black ink, brush and colored washes, heightened with white, over red chalk, by Joachim Lüchteke

The Forest in Winter at Sunset, ca. 1846-67,
oil on canvas, by Théodore Rousseau

The Tempest, marble, carved before 1910, Auguste Rodin

Inferno, 1908, oil on canvas, by Franz von Stuck

(L) Head of St. John the Evangelist, oil on canvas, laid down on wood, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. The study may date from 1818-20. It is also possible that it was painted or reworked in 1841, and touches may have been added as late as 1841. (R) The Virgin Adoring the Host, 1852, oil on canvas, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Approaching the Turner paintings in Gallery 808

Venice, from the Porch of Madonna della Salute, ca. 1835,
oil on canvas, by Joseph Mallord William Turner

Whalers, ca. 1845, oil on canvas, by Joseph Mallord William Turner

Annual Angel Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

November 25, 2025 through January 6, 2026

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York

Exhibition Overview

On view in the majestic Medieval Sculpture Hall, this beloved holiday tradition features a 20-foot blue spruce adorned with 19 cherubs, 59 angels, and an additional 71 figures that evoke 18th-century Naples Nativity scenes.

The installation is set in front of the eighteenth-century Spanish choir screen from the Cathedral of Valladolid in Gallery 305.

For more info, visit www.metmuseum.org

New Music: Napoli Inedita

Forthcoming music that may be of interest to our readers.

• Napoli Inedita performed by Xavier Sabata, Ignacio Prego, Alicia Amo

Label: Aparte
Release Date: December 12, 2025
Audio CD: $18.29
Number of Discs: 1

Available at Amazon.com

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Annual Retreat for Men at the Seminary of The Immaculate Conception Retreat House in Huntington, New York

Remembering Emperor-King Franz Josef

In memory of Emperor-King Franz Josef of Austria (18 Aug. 1830–21 Nov. 1916), we pray for the happy repose of his soul.

Eternal rest grant unto His Imperial 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

Pictured is an antique postcard depicting the Emperor in prayer with the poem Unser Kaiser im Gebet by Harry Sheff. Reprinted below in the original German, we also offer translations in English and Neapolitan by Cav. Charles Sant'Elia.

Unser Kaiser im Gebet

Vater im Himmel, Lenker der Sonnen,
Zeuge für mich, der in Demut Dir nacht!
Ich nicht habe den Kampf begonnen,
Ich nicht streute die blutige Saat !
Doch von Feinden und Neidern umgeben
Rief ich mein Volk zu eiserner Wehr,
Laß Deinen Geist uns're Waffen umschweben,
Uns sei der Sieg – und Dir sei die Ehr'.

Our Emperor in Prayer

Heavenly Father, ruler of the suns,
Witness for me, who is humble in the night!
I didn't start the fight
I did not strew the bloody seeds!
But surrounded by enemies and envious people
I called my people to an iron defense,
Let Your Spirit float around our weapons
Victory be to us - and honor to you.

'O Mperatore Nuosto Mprejaría

Pate ca staje ncielo, Re d''o sole,
Addeventasse testimmonio pe me, ummele dint''a notte!
Nun aggio accommenciato 'a battaglia
Nun n'aggio jettato 'e semmenze 'e sango!
Ma attornejato 'a nemmice e gente mmeriosa,
Aggio chiammato 'a' gente mia a na defesa 'e fierro,
Fa' ca volasse 'o Spireto Tujo attuorno a ll'arme noste,
'A vittoria a nuje- e annore a Te.

New Book — La reazione di Isernia del 1860. Nel racconti di tre testimoni

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at damicoeditore.com

• Francesco Bax, La reazione di Isernia del 1860. Nel racconti di tre testimoni

Publisher: D’Amico Editore
Publication date: January 1, 2025
Paperback: €15,00
Language: Italian
Pages: 154

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In Femminili Spoglie ad Irpino

Feast of Our Lady of Kibeho at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan, New Jersey

Sydney or Megan: A False Dichotomy

Charlie's Angels: Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, and Farrah Fawcett

“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Two “content creators” stopped me on the street the other day, phones in hand and faces lit up with that manic enthusiasm particular to people who film everything. “Sydney or Megan?” one of them asked. I think those were the names.

“Excuse me?” I said, caught off guard.

“Sydney or Megan?” they repeated, as if that clarified anything.

Even though I had no idea who they were talking about, I quickly realized it must be some internet trend, so I decided to mess with them. “Mary Ann over Ginger,” I said, knowing full well the reference was lost on them. Seeing their blank faces, I rattled off a couple more for good measure: “Bailey over Jennifer”—and, getting even more esoteric, “Kate over Jaclyn and Farrah.”

Naturally, the jokes didn’t land. They blinked in confusion—probably thinking I was having a stroke—then wandered off to bother someone else. I never did find out what they were trying to accomplish, but I doubt it was anything profound.

I’m not exactly up to date with pop culture, and judging by those names alone, I doubt I’d have picked either one of them. Give me an Annunziata, a Pasqualina, or a Topazia any day. To be fair, I doubt Sydney or Megan, or whoever they named, would’ve chosen me.

Still, the whole encounter got me thinking about beauty standards—how drastically they’ve changed, and how, in some sense, they haven’t. My own tastes are fairly consistent: I’ve always been drawn to Mediterranean women—dark, gracile, a certain quiet confidence in their bearing. That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate other kinds of beauty; it just means this is where my compass naturally points.

Of course, attraction isn’t the whole story. Beauty may catch the eye, but character keeps the heart. Commonality, trust, loyalty—these things matter more than lip filler, fashion trends, or any other fleeting trait they wanted me to choose between. In the end, all that surface glitter fades. What remains—if you’re lucky—is someone you can laugh with, pray with, and grow old beside.

Instead of “Sydney or Megan,” they should’ve asked something that actually mattered—or was at least remotely interesting—like whether I preferred commitment to convenience or meaning to novelty. Or they could’ve gone with something at least more universal—so even us old folks could play—like blondes, brunettes, or redheads—or, for that matter, naughty or nice. Maybe I would’ve given them a real answer—but more likely, I’d have told them to mind their own business and kept walking, which doesn't make good content.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 19th, Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary

A Disquieting Apathy Amid Rome’s Ruins

During my recent trip to Rome, I stopped beside a massive tuff-stone and brick ruin incorporated into a building on Via Giosuè Carducci. While chatting with a man who worked there, I asked him about it. I expected a story, or at least a hint of pride. Instead, he shrugged.

“I don’t know,” he said.

I assumed he must be new to the area or the job. But no—he told me he’d worked there for over thirteen years.

“In all that time,” I asked, “you never once wondered what it was?”

“No,” he replied flatly. “And I have no interest.”

Perplexed, I turned back to the ruin—an austere fragment of some forgotten glory—and noticed a small placard beside it. I pointed it out and invited him to come read it with me.

“No,” he repeated, sterner this time. “I have no interest.”

I thanked him for his time, wished him a good day, and went to explore the ruin alone. According to the placard, it was a section of the Servian Walls on the Quirinal Hill, dating from the late period of the Kings (578–535 B.C.).

We Americans often lament our ignorance of our own heritage—and rightly so—but this encounter startled me. I never expected such indifference in the Eternal City itself. It was eye-opening, and one of the few disappointments in an otherwise overwhelmingly joyful trip.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 18th, Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of the Apostles Peter and Paul