December 30, 2020

Top Ten Posts of 2020

(Top, L-R) Celebrating the 94th Annual Feast of San Gennaro; Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament with HRH Princes Beatrice di Borbone; and Celebrating the Feast of Padre Pio and Michaelmas Embertide; (Center) 2020 March for Life; (Bottom, L-R) Celebrating the Feasts of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, San Giocchino and San Rocco; Celebrating the External Solemnity of the Feast of the Madonna del Rosario; and Celebrating the Feast of St. Anne
01 Addressing Procrustes
02 Review: Babylon Berlin on Netflix
03 Marching for Life in Washington D.C.
04 Review: Ultras on Netflix
05 A Catholic Quest for the Holy Grail with Author Charles A. Coulombe
06 Reflections on NYC's Mother Cabrini Monument
07 Church Furthers Cause of the Martyrs of Casamari
08 Celebrating the Feasts of the Bl. Carmelite Martyrs of Guadalajara & Bl. María Mercè of the Sacred Heart
09 Celebrating the Feast of the Blessed Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne in Brooklyn, New York
10 Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in NYC with HRH Princes Beatrice di Borbone delle Due Sicilie
(Top, L-R) Celebrating the Feasts of Sant'Andrea Avellino, San Trifone, San Respicio and Santa Ninfa; Celebrating Charles Coulombe's 60th Birthday; Celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, and Celebrating Michaelmas

Honorable mention:

11 Paying Our Respects to the Very Rev. Msgr. Joseph F. Ambrosio at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Newark, New Jersey

12 Celebrating the External Solemnity of the Feast of the Madonna del Rosario di Pompei in Brooklyn, New York

13 Looking After My Ancestors with the Holy Innocents’ Purgatorial Society


Click here to see last year's results

December 28, 2020

Photo of the Week: Massacre of the Innocents by Belisario Corenzio at the Duomo di Salerno

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Memorial Mass for Servant of God HM Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies, in Newark, New Jersey

After Mass, members of the Order take a commemorative photo
with the portrait of SG King Francis II of the Two Sicilies
A look at Sunday’s Mass for the repose of the soul of Servant of God Francesco II di Borbone (1836-1894), King of the Two Sicilies, sponsored by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St, George at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (259 Oliver Street) in Newark, New Jersey.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated ad orientem by Knight of Ecclesiastical Grace Rev. Fr. Edmund Amil Luciano III. He was dutifully assisted by server Alan Bridges. Knight of Ecclesiastical Grace Rev. Fr. Michael C. Barone and US Delegate HE Cav. John M. Viola sat in choir. Cavalieri in attendance were Nob. Dr. Robert La Rocca, Cav. John J. Napoli, Cav. Hon. Jude-Anthony Tiscornia, and Cav. Dr. Victor Metallo.


Buon Natale! Buon Anno! and Viva ‘o Rre!

Portrait of SG King Francis II of Bourbon with flowers
and flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
(L) Beautifully decorated high altar. (R) Fr. Luciano and server Alan bridges
(Above & below) There was an array of medals on display
Holy cards with prayer for the Beatification of SG Francis II of Bourbon, the last King of the Two Sicilies, were distributed to participants

Prayer for the Beatification of SG Francis II of Bourbon, the last King of the Two Sicilies


O One and Triune God, Who casts Your glance on us from Your throne of mercy, and called Francis II of Bourbon to follow You, choosing him on earth to be king, modeling his life on the very Kingship of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, pouring into his heart sentiments of love and patience, humility and meekness, peace and pardon, and clothing him with the virtues of faith, hope and charity, hear our petition, and help us to walk in his footsteps and to live his virtues.


Glorify him, we pray You, on earth as we believe him to be already glorified in Heaven, and grant that, through his prayers, we may receive the graces we need. Amen.

The church crèche
Being the Feast of San Giovanni Evangelista,
Fr. Luciano blessed our wine in the sacristy
After Mass, a few of us continued the celebration with a festive luncheon at nearby Taste of Portugal.
Paella Valenciana
(L) We set up the new prayer card by the poinsettia.
(R) Revelers imbibed sangria and caipirinha, Brazil's national cocktail
Flan

December 27, 2020

Celebrating La Vigilia and Other Christmas Traditions

Baccalà in umido with tomato, onion and olives
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
Like many Duosiciliano Americans, my family still keeps the tradition of La Vigilia di Natale, the southern Italian ritual of eating seafood and eschewing meat on Christmas Eve. We don’t do the so-called Festa dei sette pesci, or “Feast of the Seven Fishes,” but we do eat a variety of aquatic delicacies.

Despite regular and varied claims to authenticity, I believe the “Seven Fish” custom is a recent fabrication. Though much more lavish then in the past, according to our matriarchs there were never a set number of dishes served. We simply ate what we could afford, and what was fresh and available.


Today, we normally have shrimp, calamari, clams, mussels and scungilli (whelk), which all can be prepared in a variety of ways. Capitone fritto alla napoletana (fried eel) use to be the main course, but nowadays, since the passing of my grandparents, the dish has been replaced with aragosta (lobster), ricci di mare (sea urchin), seppia (cuttlefish), or baccalà (salt cod). This year, we enjoyed baccalà in umido (stewed codfish) and mini lobster tails.


Following the fish bonanza, we had three different types of meatless panzerotti, a delicious deep-fried crescent-shaped dough filled with onions and capers; sweet ricotta; and the classic mozzarella and tomato.


After the usual assortment of fruit, nuts, and delicious sweets, I left early for Midnight Mass, missing out on (I'm told) a raucous game of tombola with the kids. I also missed our customary passeggiata through Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, to admire the festive Christmas decorations. My family has been doing this for as long as I can remember, though originally it was in Canarsie and East New York, Brooklyn, where my maternal grandparents and great-grandparents were from.

Insalata di mare
Fritto misto di mare
Coda di aragosta alla griglia
Spaghetti alle vongole 
Panzerotti
Homemade Torrone
Homemade cartellate with fig syrup

After the Second Mass at Dawn (Commemoration for St. Anastasia) and the High Mass for the Nativity of Our Lord, we spent the rest of our Christmas morning exchanging presents. Normally we would make the rounds and visit extended family and friends until dinnertime, but unfortunately COVID-19 has many on edge. Respecting their wishes, we had to settle for phone calls and text messages. 


No less extravagant than the Eve, Christmas dinner was a culinary tour de force with plenty of hot and cold antipastiinsalata, baked manicotti and perfectly cooked filet mignon (i.e. rare). Normally we would have a ham, but since the passing of my father it was replaced with the steak. Fruit, roasted chestnuts, dessert and caffè completed the meal.


Between courses we played the 2020 edition of our family’s highly competitive "Christmas Bowl." Just because we can no longer stomach the NFL (and just about every other professional U.S. sports league) doesn’t mean we gave up playing football. Sadly, after a hard fought match, our side could not repeat last year’s heroics (fluke) and we lost.

The Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 W 37th St.) in Manhattan

Before leaving church we lit candles and prayed for the poor and forgotten Souls in Purgatory by the Infant of Prague shrine and the church crèche
Look what I found under the Christmas tree!: (L–R) Nobility and Analogous Traditional Elites by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, On Considerations by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, The Counter-Revolution: Doctrine and Action (1789-1804) by Jacques Godechot, Memoirs from Beyond the Grave (1768-1800) by François-René de Chateaubriand, Blessed Charles of Austria: A Holy Emperor and His Legacy by Charles Coulombe; Aladdin's Problem by Ernst Jünger, and The Crisis of Modernity by Augusto del Noce
Prosciutto e melone
Cold antipasti with burrata, soppressata, sharp provolone,
roasted peppers, Gaeta
and Cerignola olives, and fennel
Hot antipasti (actually room temperature) with polpette di ricotta,
focaccia Pugliese
, and frittata di scarola
Manicotti
Filet mignon with salad
Homemade lemon ricotta cookies
Homemade Struffoli

Not quite finished yet, on December 26th, the second day of Christmas and St. Stephen's Day (my saintly Confirmation namesake), we usually celebrate with torrone, a sticky nougat candy made from honey, nuts and egg whites that dates back to Roman times. I like mine with a glass of Strega or Amaro.

(L) Makeshift shrine to Santo Stefano. (R) Shot of Strega with Sicilian Torroncino

As always, the ladies outdid themselves and treated us to another memorable Christmas. Buon Natale!


~ Giovanni di Napoli, December 26th, Feast of Santo Stefano primo Martire


Amended for 2020

In Memory of HM King Francesco II di Borbone

Memorial for HM King Francesco II 
Photo by New York Scugnizzo*
Today we commemorate the anniversary of the death of His Majesty Francesco II di Borbone, the last King of the Two Sicilies.
Eldest Son of HM King Ferdinand II and his first wife HM Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy, Francesco was born in Napoli on January 16, 1836. With the tragic death of his pious mother (who died from complications during childbirth), the Crowned Prince was raised by his stepmother Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.
On January 8, 1859 Francesco married Maria Sofia of Bavaria, daughter of Duke Maximilian, by proxy in Munich. The newlyweds met with much fanfare for the first time in Bari on February 3rd. Sadly, they had only one child, Christina Louise Pia (1868), who died when she was only six months old. Continue reading

December 18, 2020

December 16, 2020

Statement of HRH Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies on the Beatification Process of King Francis II

HRH Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
On the Opening of the Beatification Process of Francis II of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

With the opening of the cause of beatification of His Majesty Francis II, last King of a peaceful and fruitful nation, the “damnatio memoriae” imposed by the victors, causing this sovereign to be remembered in Italian history with the name Franceschiello, is finally put to an end.

 

Francis II had a varied and complex personality. In the few months of his reign, he was unable to put an end to a crisis which had begun far away, of which he had been bequeathed the difficult inheritance. But still, throughout the course of his life, he knew how to give ample proof of total closeness and identification with the peoples he governed. Not only because he prevented the destruction of Naples.


Giving precise orders to the garrisons present in the city to not shoot upon the arrival of Garibaldi’s troops, but above all, during the battle of Volturno and the following siege of Gaeta, he did so in a way that none of the prisoners, Garibaldi’s men first, and then the Piedmontese, would be treated villainously, as was then the practice among the troops fighting him.


Servant of God Francis II of the Two Sicilies

Deeply Catholic, Francis II made of Christian doctrine a doctrine of life, always relieving the sufferings of his people, even following the fall of his Kingdom. And, although restricted economically, his aid was never lacking to those who asked him for it. He always had the dignity of a King.

 

And throughout his life, made up of mourning and suffering, the least of which was the loss of his only and most beloved daughter, Maria Christina, he faced all of these trials with Christian patience. So much so, to cause Pius IX to say that Francis II resembled a little “Job.”

 

Were these the signs of a weak character? No.

 

It was the sign of an interior strength determined to not give way even a millimeter, on the principles of international and dynastic political law, but aware that the end of the Kingdom and his consequential exile were the fruit of past errors which his filial devotion did not allow him to officially recognize.

 

Now, the opening of the beatification process on the part of the Bishops Conference [of Campania], is an important sign, for which I would like to personally thank all who have contributed to the maturation of this decision.

 

Obviously the process will be concerned with the more specifically religious aspects of the life of Francis II, but it will help to contextualize his historical figure with objectivity.

 

And in this, I will personally commit myself to emphasize how much good His Majesty accomplished.

 

We owe it to his memory, but we also owe it to Southern Italy, because history teaches us that without the past, there is no future.


And, unfortunately, this is what Southern Italy lives out, every day.

 

Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro


Head of the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies


Grand Master


16 December 2020

 

English Translation: American Delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George

Viva 'o Rre! Francis II of the Two Sicilies has been Officially Declared a Servant of God

SG Francesco II, ora pro nobis
Prayer for the Beatification of SG Francis II of Bourbon, the last King of the Two Sicilies


O One and Triune God, Who casts Your glance on us from Your throne of mercy, and called Francis II of Bourbon to follow You, choosing him on earth to be king, modeling his life on the very Kingship of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, pouring into his heart sentiments of love and patience, humility and meekness, peace and pardon, and clothing him with the virtues of faith, hope and charity, hear our petition, and help us to walk in his footsteps and to live his virtues.

Glorify him, we pray You, on earth as we believe him to be already glorified in Heaven, and grant that, through his prayers, we may receive the graces we need. Amen.

December 15, 2020

Prayer for the Beatification of Francis II of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies

It was announced last week by the Archbishop of Naples, His Eminence Crescenzio Cardinal Sepe, that the opening of the beatification process for His Majesty, Francis II of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies, is hopefully imminent, as the Conference of Bishops of Campania asks for the nulla osta needed. We may soon have the happiness of referring to the King as ‘Servant of God.’ Please join in praying for his glorification, with the following text:

Prayer for the Beatification of Francis II 

O One and Triune God, Who casts Your glance on us from Your throne of mercy, and called Francis II of Bourbon to follow You, choosing him on earth to be king, modeling his life on the very Kingship of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, pouring into his heart sentiments of love and patience, humility and meekness, peace and pardon, and clothing him with the virtues of faith, hope and charity, hear our petition, and help us to walk in his footsteps and to live his virtues. 


Glorify him, we pray You, on earth as we believe him to be already glorified in Heaven, and grant that, through his prayers, we may receive the graces we need. Amen. 

Source: American Delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George

Around the Web: Tradition in Action Present ‘The Human Process,’ a Summary of 50 years of Analysis of the Revolution by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
For the first time ever, we present to the public "The Human Process", the first volume of the MNF, which is a collection of many volumes that summarizes about 50 years of analysis of the Revolution by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. 

This ensemble of studies was meant to be a public Manifesto - MNF - to denounce the Revolution. 


This volume describes how man should reach the Absolute to fulfill his life; what the Revolution does to prevent it; what the Counter-Revolution must do to help it.


Read the work here: traditioninaction.org/Library


Source: Tradition in Action

Photo of the Week: Ritratto di Gentildonna by Pietro Scoppetta

Portrait of a Gentlewoman by Pietro Scoppetta 
(Amalfi 1863-Napoli 1920), Maschio Angioino, Napoli
Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Mass for the Repose of the Soul of King Francis II of the Two Sicilies to be Offered in Newark, New Jersey

The Annual Mass offered for the repose of the soul of His Majesty sponsored by the United States Delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George will be celebrated on Sunday, December 27th at 10 am by Fr. Michael Barone at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (259 Oliver Street) in Newark, New Jersey. Masks must be worn, and social distancing followed.

For those unable to attend in person, the Mass will be livestreamed on the Parish Facebook Page.


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.

December 14, 2020

Celebrating Gaudete Sunday and the Feast of Santa Lucia

Private shrine dedicated to Santa Lucia with ex voto
After Holy Mass Sunday morning, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) celebrated the Feast of Santa Lucia with some traditional Sicilian fare. Evviva Santa Lucia!
High Altar (between the Tridentine Low and High Masses) and the 
statue of Santa Lucia at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents in NYC
Panelle (Sicilian chickpea fritters)
Caponata and meatless arancini
Savory cuccia with mushroom and currants
Chocolate cuccia for dessert

December 12, 2020

Viva 'o Rre! The Beatification Process for King Francis II of the Two Sicilies is Underway

Queen Maria Sophia, the heroine of Gaeta, and King Francis II of the Two Sicilies
Archbishop Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe of Naples has announced that the cause of Beatification of King Francis II of the Two Sicilies (1836-1894) will be presented at the next session of the Diocesan Tribunal for the Causes of Saints on December 16th. If approved, the court will begin an investigation into the “heroic virtues” of the King with the interrogation of witnesses. The first step towards Canonization, His Majesty will be proclaimed a Servant of God and join his mother Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy (1812-1836) on the path to holiness.

For more on the Cause of Beatification of Good King Francis II visit the Fondazione Francesco II Delle Due Sicilie on Facebook or at www.fondazionefrancescosecondodelleduesicilie.it


The Annual Mass offered for the repose of the soul of His Majesty sponsored by the United States Delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George will be celebrated on Sunday, December 27th at 10 am by Fr. Michael Barone at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (259 Oliver Street) in Newark, New Jersey. Masks must be worn, and social distancing followed.


For those unable to attend in person, the Mass will be livestreamed on the Parish Facebook Page.


Prayer for the Beatification 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.