Celebrating First Friday and the Feast of San Francesco D’Assisi with the Fratelli della Santa Fede

Sacro Cuore di Gesù at Holy Innocents

Over the years, we’ve attempted to organize a lot of fun social and cultural activities. We’ve tried forming, among other things, a bocce league, a hiking club, a book and gaming club, even a poetry club, all with varying degrees of success. Some showed promise, but eventually petered out, while others just flat out bombed from the start. However, of all our initiatives the most successful (and clearly the most important) has been the formation of our Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith), a traditional Catholic men’s society (società di uomini) devoted to spiritual combat, heroic acts of charity, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Kingship of Christ. 

While in the works for several years, the FSF officially came together as a group on Friday, June 28, 2019 at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan, fittingly on the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sacro Cuore di Gesù). Since then, the Sanfedisti have devoutly returned to “the Little Catholic Church around the corner” every First Friday for Mass and Holy Hour to offer reparations to the Sacred Heart.

Yesterday, on the Feast of San Francesco d’Assisi, we attended Low Mass with Fr. James Miara to fulfill our fourth consecutive First Friday of the month together, though some of us have been keeping the devotion individually for longer. I’m ashamed to say, I will have to restart my nine in a row again next month, because I was not in a state of grace and didn’t receive Holy Communion.

It’s still early days, but thus far this undertaking looks auspicious. My enthusiasm is matched (perhaps surpassed) by my austere brethren, who continually look for more ways to invigorate our spiritual and communal lives. In addition to the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Sanfedisti are committed to daily prayer and the Holy Rosary, traditional penitential practices (e.g. observing Ember Days), acts of charity, venerating the saints, and, of course, attending the Tridentine Mass whenever possible.