Between East and West: Finding Both Lungs of the Church

Christ Pantocrator, Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily

For over a decade now, I have been a regular attendee of the Traditional Latin Mass. Its silence, reverence, and sense of sacred continuity have long nourished my spiritual life. Yet over time, I found myself increasingly drawn to the Christian East.

I had attended Byzantine and Melkite Catholic Divine Liturgies before, appreciating their beauty and ancient traditions, but only recently was I able to arrange my schedule in such a way that I could regularly participate in both the Latin and Byzantine rites each week. Far from creating a conflict, I have found that each deepens my appreciation for the other.

The Traditional Latin Mass impresses upon the soul the transcendence of God through sacred silence, ritual precision, and the contemplative spirit of the Western monastic tradition. The Divine Liturgy, by contrast, immerses one in a world of chant, iconography, and the language of the Church Fathers, constantly drawing the faithful toward the mystery of theosis and participation in the divine life. Together, they reveal different facets of the same Catholic faith.

Perhaps this attraction should not surprise me. As a son of Southern Italy, I come from a land that has long stood between East and West—the Occident and the Orient. Both have left their mark upon the Mezzogiorno. The mountains of Calabria, the coasts of Sicily, and the villages of Apulia once echoed with both Latin and Greek prayers. Even today, traces of that inheritance remain.

Having now made room for both in my spiritual life, I have come to appreciate more deeply the inheritance they share and the spiritual riches each continues to offer.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 29th, Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

Pope Leo XIII on Wealth, Poverty, and Virtue

Portrait of Pope Leo XIII,
ca. 1878, Fabio Cipolla

"...The true worth and nobility of man lie in his moral qualities, that is, in virtue; that virtue is, moreover, the common inheritance of men, equally within the reach of high and low, rich and poor; and that virtue, and virtue alone, wherever found, will be followed by the rewards of everlasting happiness. Nay, God Himself seems to incline rather to those who suffer misfortune; for Jesus Christ calls the poor "blessed";(20) He lovingly invites those in labor and grief to come to Him for solace;(21) and He displays the tenderest charity toward the lowly and the oppressed. These reflections cannot fail to keep down the pride of the well-to-do, and to give heart to the unfortunate; to move the former to be generous and the latter to be moderate in their desires. Thus, the separation which pride would set up tends to disappear, nor will it be difficult to make rich and poor join hands in friendly concord."

Reprinted from Rerum Novarum: Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII on Capital and Labor, May 15, 1891, www.vatican.va

An Afternoon at Coney Island

Entrance to the Scream Zone with the iconic Steeplechase Face 

For old times’ sake, a few friends and I spent the afternoon at Coney Island. It had been years since we’d gone together, and it felt good to revisit a place that held so many memories.

With the ocean breeze cutting through the summer heat, we strolled the historic boardwalk, watched the waves roll in, and took in familiar landmarks like the Parachute Jump and the legendary Cyclone. We also stopped by the Coney Island Museum, whose exhibits preserve the rich, wonderfully eccentric history of one of New York’s most iconic seaside destinations. Later, we enjoyed drinks at the Freak Bar, where the spirit of old Coney Island—with its carnival atmosphere and sideshow traditions—still lingers.

No visit to Coney Island would be complete without a stop at Nathan’s Famous for a couple of hot dogs and fries.

In memory of my late uncle, and to keep his favorite joke alive, I performed it for my friends. Before ordering, I asked the young lady behind the counter whether she had frog legs.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Good,” I said. “Then hop over there and get me a couple of hot dogs.”

My friends laughed, and for a brief moment it felt as though my uncle were there with us. Some traditions—and some jokes—are simply too good to retire.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 28th, Feast of St. Irenaeus

The legendary Cyclone roller coaster

Deno's carousel

A closer look at the beautifully carved horses

The Wonder Wheel

A view from the Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier

(L) The Parachute Jump. (R) A seagull perched on a
lampost along Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier

A view of the surprisingly empty beach from
the Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier

I still miss the New York Cosmos

A mural of a mermaid

The Coney Island Museum was well worth a visit.
Unfortunately, photography of the exhibits was not permitted.

The iconic Steeplechase Face seems to be everywhere at Coney Island

Antique Steeplechase Face buttons

Vintage signs inside the Freak Bar

An old box of Bonomo’s saltwater taffy on display

(L) Vintage playbill advertising performances by Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Ray Walker, Jimmy Durante, Helen Twelvetrees, Mae West, and other stars of the era. (R) Photograph of Madam Tirza (the stage name of Leona DuVal), the trailblazing burlesque performer whose famous “Wine Bath” act entertained audiences at Coney Island from 1940 to 1953

Vintage painted carnival pins once used in a classic knockdown game

A cluttered wall behind the bar, covered with
an eclectic assortment of Coney Island memorabilia

Illuminated sideshow signs, including one for Princess Alena, the “Gorilla Girl”

The Original Nathan's Famous, founded in 1916

Nathan's Famous hot dogs and fries

Nathan's Famous deep-fried, battered frog legs

The legendary Williams Candy Shop, serving Coney Island since 1941

(L) A table inside the Freak Bar featuring the iconic Steeplechase Face. (R) Some of the many delicious sweets in Williams Candy Shop

New Book — Tracing the Transformation of Southern Italy in The Long Fourth Century BCE

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

• Tracing the Transformation of Southern Italy in The Long Fourth Century BCE by Christian Heitz, Matthias Hoernes, Agnes Henning, and Edward Robinson

Publisher: Routledge
Pub. Date: October 27, 2026
Hardback: $200.00
Language: English
Pages: 570

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Photo of the Week: Detail of the "Cleopatra Verospi" Sarcophagus, Vatican Museums

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Feast of the Most Precious Blood Of Jesus at Corpus Christi Church in South River, New Jersey

Remembering Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie

Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg and Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

In memory of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, who were assassinated in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, we pray for the happy repose of their souls.

Eternal rest grant unto Their Highnesses, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

The Last Reader Leaves

Emil Mihail Cioran (1911-1995)

“Only unfinished—because unfinishable—works prompt us to speculate about the essence of art.” ~ E.M. Cioran, Drawn and Quartered

Nine days ago, I wrote about a small nihilist-themed book club that a group of young people invited me to join. At that time, the club had already been reduced from five members to two. Of the original participants, only I and one other reader remained. I remarked then that we would see how long he stayed.

The answer, it turns out, was less than two weeks.

Before we even finished our second selection, Drawn and Quartered by E.M. Cioran, he too dropped out, leaving me as the sole surviving member of what had once been a book club—a somewhat absurd ending for a group dedicated to discussing the absurd.

I cannot say that I am surprised. Disappointed, yes, but surprised, no.

One increasingly notices among the young a tendency toward enthusiasm without perseverance. New projects are eagerly proposed, clubs are formed, identities are adopted, and ambitious plans are announced. Yet the discipline required to sustain such endeavors often proves lacking. The excitement of beginning seems far more attractive than the obligation of continuing.

Still, I do not regret participating. Camus was worth revisiting, and Cioran remains as sharp and unsettling as ever. If nothing else, the experience confirmed a lesson that extends well beyond books: ideas matter only when one is willing to pursue them beyond the initial excitement. Intellectual life requires curiosity, but it also requires endurance.

The book club may be dead. The reading continues.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 27th, Feast Day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

El Círculo Leandro de Castilla anuncia su curso virtual «En defensa de Cristo Rey»

Se invita a los correligionarios de todo el pueblo carlista a participar en este ciclo de sesiones dedicado al estudio de la Realeza Social de Jesucristo.

Con el propósito de cultivar la formación doctrinal y ofrecer herramientas de análisis frente a las corrientes del pensamiento moderno, el Círculo Tradicionalista Leandro Castilla convoca a la Comunión Tradicionalista y a los amigos de la Causa al Curso de Formación Virtual – Julio 2026: «EN DEFENSA DE CRISTO REY».

Las ponencias estarán a cargo de Mg. Javier Gutiérrez Fernández-Cuervo, secretario del círculo mistiano y autor del libro En defensa de la realidad, quien examinará los fundamentos teológicos y políticos que sustentan el orden social cristiano frente al naturalismo racionalista y las premisas del liberalismo contemporáneo.

Temario y Cronograma de las Sesiones

Las conferencias se desarrollarán los días martes y miércoles del mes de julio, articuladas bajo el siguiente orden temático:

• 1 de julio: Doctrina de Cristo Rey
• 7 de julio: Cristo Rey es Dios (contra la autodeterminación liberal)
• 8 de julio: El hombre caído necesita de Cristo Rey (contra el naturalismo racionalista)
• 14 de julio: Cristo Rey y el misterio de la Unión Hipostática
• 15 de julio: El Sagrado Corazón de Cristo Rey
• 21 de julio: Cristo Rey y la Eucaristía
• 22 de julio: Educación para la militancia de Cristo Rey
• 28 de julio: María Reina y la verdadera devoción

Detalles del Encuentro

El Círculo extiende una atenta invitación a los carlistas de todas las Españas para sumarse a estas jornadas de estudio a través de la modalidad a distancia.

Horario: De 19:30 a 21:00 h (Hora peruana) Modalidad: Virtual (Acceso libre) Enlace de ingreso: meet.google.com/yhf-thuo-env Informes e inscripciones: A través de WhatsApp en el número (+51) 983 435 321

Confiamos en que este espacio sea de provecho para los correligionarios que buscan profundizar en la doctrina que sostiene nuestros ideales comunes.

Votive Mass of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in the Township of Washington, New Jersey

Remembering Alfonso V of Aragon

Alfonso the Magnanimous, King of Aragon, Naples and Sicily
sculpted by Achille D'Orsi on the western facade of the
Royal Palace in the Largo del Palazzo Reale in Naples

In memory of Alfonso the Magnanimous (1396 — 27 June, 1458), King of Aragon, Naples (as Alfonso I) and Sicily (as Alfonso V), 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 the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco, California

Isis-Aphrodite and the Egyptian Cults of Southern Italy

Isis-Aphrodite with Egyptian Vulture Cap,
ca. A.D. 161-180, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photo by New York Scugnizzo

This elegant bronze statuette depicts Isis-Aphrodite, a fascinating fusion of ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman religious traditions. Created around A.D. 161–180, during the reign of the philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius, the goddess is shown wearing the distinctive Egyptian vulture cap, an ancient symbol of divine queenship and maternal protection. Some scholars have suggested that the figure may have been modeled upon Empress Faustina the Younger, reflecting the Roman tendency to associate members of the imperial family with divine virtues and sacred imagery.

Although this bronze was produced in Roman Egypt, images of Isis and related Egyptian deities were also familiar throughout Southern Italy, where the goddess enjoyed a particularly devoted following in the port cities of Campania.

By the first century A.D., the cult of Isis had become firmly established throughout the Mezzogiorno, particularly in the thriving ports of Campania. Naples, Pozzuoli, and Pompeii maintained close commercial and cultural ties with the eastern Mediterranean, allowing Egyptian religious traditions to take root far from the Nile. The celebrated Temple of Isis at Pompeii remains one of the most complete surviving sanctuaries of the goddess in the Roman world.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 25th, Feast of Santa Febronia

Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in New York City

Smoke, Fellowship, and St. John the Baptist: The Sons of the Two Sicilies Pipe Club Returns to Brooklyn

A small devotional shrine dedicated to San Giovanni Battista

Ut queant laxīs
resonāre fibrīs
Mīra gestōrum
famulī tuōrum,
Solve pollūtī
labiī reātum,
Sāncte Iohannēs.

On the Vigil of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, members of the Sons of the Two Sicilies Pipe Club gathered at Amunì ristorante in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, for their third Pipe Night dinner.

Partygoers enjoyed a Sicilian repast prepared by our gracious host, Chef Vincent Dardanello. Among those present were members of the San Rocco Society di Potenza and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George. Special thanks are due to the Order’s Delegate, Cav. John Viola, and Vice-Delegate, Cav. Patrick O’Boyle, for their support of the evening.

In addition to fine food and fellowship, attendees enjoyed a curated exhibition of four landscape paintings by Professor David DiPasquale, a display of antique pipes and vintage brochures from Brooklyn’s former Don-Lou Pipe Shop, a tasting of Sicilian wines, and a makeshift shrine dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

Our friends from the Italian American Podcast recorded interviews throughout the evening, while attendees shared their favorite blends and showed off pipes from Southern Italy and around the world. One fortunate guest departed with the evening’s door prize, a copy of The Question of Hispanidad: History, Culture, and Politics (Arouca Press, 2026) by Miguel Ayuso, courtesy of Il Regno.

Fr. Michael Barone, Fr. Leo Joseph Camurati, O.P., Canon Adrian Sequeira, and Canon Alexis Rouquayrol joined the festivities. Canon Rouquayrol offered grace before the meal and later led the group in chanting the ancient hymn Ut queant laxīs as attendees gathered in the backyard for pipes, cigars, Chartreuse, espresso, dessert, and conversation beneath the summer evening sky.

The evening concluded in a spirit of fraternity, gratitude, and devotion to St. John the Baptist. More important than the food, drink, or prizes, however, was the opportunity to renew old friendships, forge new ones, and strengthen the bonds that unite our community. Those present departed with the shared hope that Pipe Night will once again become an annual observance on the Vigil of the Forerunner. Evviva San Giovanni!

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, June 24th, Feast of St. John the Baptist

San Giovanni Battista, ora pro nobis

    Guests enjoyed a select exhibition of four thought-provoking landscape paintings by Professor David DiPasquale, displayed throughout the evening

The flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

A collection of antique pipes from the former Don-Lou Pipe Shop in Brooklyn

Vintage brochures from Brooklyn's former Don-Lou Pipe Shop

Attendees shared their favorite pipe tobacco blends

An antique pipe from Salzburg, Austria

An intriguing pipe of unknown origin, adorned with two unusual carved faces

(L) A copy of The Question of Hispanidad: History, Culture, and Politics by Miguel Ayuso. (R) Canon Rouquayrol offered grace before the meal 

Attendees stand and face the flag during the playing of
the National Anthem of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Attendees raise a toast and extend their best wishes to Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Palermo and Calabria, on the occasion of her birthday

Tagliere di salumi, formaggi e olive

Arancini

Carciofi fritti

Pesto alla Trapanese

Pasta al forno

Shrimp oreganata

Parmigiana di melanzane

Milanesa de Pollo

Iris

Nero d'Avola and Chartreuse

Professor David DiPasquale discusses the religious
dimensions of his landscape paintings

Canon Alexis Rouquayrol chants the ancient Hymn to Saint John

Guests mingle and enjoy pipes and cigars in the backyard

A.J. and Pat share a laugh with Father Leo

    The evening concludes in the backyard with pipes, cigars,
Chartreuse, espresso, dessert, and conversation