 |
The 1901 statue of San Vincenzo
Photo by New York Scugnizzo
|
By Giovanni di Napoli
Sunday, October 26th, I made my way to Saint Joseph's Church (5 Monroe St.) in New York City, for the 113th Annual Feast of San Vincenzo Martire di Craco. Mass was celebrated in English and Italian by Rev. Monsignor Nicholas Grieco, who just happens to be of Cracotan descent. During his homily, Father Grieco gave an inspiring account of San Vincenzo’s life and commended the Craco Society for their important spiritual and cultural endeavors. As always, cantor Susan Mello did a fantastic job leading the congregation in song and thrilling us with her stirring rendition of Inno a San Vincenzo, a hymn to Saint Vincent.
Following Mass, devotees lined up to pin donations on to the Saint and venerate his relic near the original statue [see image above]. The celebration quickly moved to the church auditorium, where we enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner prepared by C & C Catering.
In addition to the religious aspects of these types of celebrations, what I enjoy most about the Feasts is no matter how big or small they are, they each offer something culturally unique. Whether its reciting Sicilian poetry—like at the Feast of San Giuseppe in Ridgewood, New York—or carrying la conca—like at the Feast of San Rocco in Astoria, Queens—there is always something to connect us with our past.
Needless to say, the Feast of San Vincenzo is no different. The most obvious examples are, of course, the food and language. Not only did we get to try some regional specialties, for instance the delicious digestivo Amaro Lucano, we also got to hear the Cracotans speak lucano, the regional vernacular of Basilicata.
Another way the Craco Society connects us to our ancestral homeland is with an actual piece of it. This year diavolicchio (little hot peppers) grown from seeds originating from Craco were distributed to the partygoers. They also gave out small bundles of wheat, symbolic of the heraldic device (three stalks of wheat) on Craco’s coat of arms [see image right].
Finally, they offered devotees an opportunity to purchase highly detailed hand-painted replica figurines of the upright statue of San Vincenzo back in Craco. Blessed by Monsignor Grieco, the beautiful statuettes (believed to be the first of their kind) are a fantastic keepsake and a tangible representation of San Vincenzo's presence in our lives.
I want to thank President Joe Rinaldi, Fred Spero and all the members of the Craco Society for their warmth and hospitality, it's an honor and a privilege to celebrate with you and I look forward to doing so again next year. Evviva San Vincenzo!
 |
| After Mass, members line up to venerate the relic of San Vincenzo |
 |
(Left) An ornate reliquary with bone fragment of San Vincenzo
(Right) A close up of the Saint's Helmet and replica blood reliquary |
 |
| Donations are pinned on to the 1930's era statue |
 |
| Afterward, Stephen La Rocca proudly carries San Vincenzo to the auditorium |
 |
| President Joe Rinaldi delivers his welcome address |
 |
| Everything looked so appetizing; we couldn't wait to dig in |
 |
| After dinner, we enjoyed some caffè, dessert and... |
 |
| ...some of Sal's delicious homemade Limoncello |
 |
| We also polished off several bottles of southern Italian bitters and wine |
 |
Wheat stalks and little red peppers (diavolicchio) were given to attendees
|
 |
A look at the replica figurine of San Vincenzo
|
