Holy Mass for the First Anniversary of Death of Msgr. Joseph Ambrosio, Ecclesiastical Knight Officer of Grace

Knights and Dames of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George are invited to attend in mantle, and Clergy to concelebrate or assist in choir dress, at a bilingual Holy Mass for the First Anniversary of Death of Msgr. Joseph Ambrosio, Ecclesiastical Knight Officer of Grace of the Constantinian Order, on Monday, October 4 at 7 pm.

Due to the church being painted, the Mass will be held in the Parish Center (former School) of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 269 Oliver Street, Newark, NJ 07105 - between Adams and Van Buren Streets. Parking available on Chesnut Street.

A Pontifical Mass and Dedication of a Commemorative Plaque is tentatively planned for Sunday, November 7 at 5 pm. A confirmation email will follow, once details are finalized.

Please RSVP by replying to this email ASAP if you are planning on attending.

IHSV

Photo of the Week: Painted Tiles Depicting San Michele Arcangelo in Pomarico, Matera

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Photo of the Week: San Matteo at the Basilica Cattedrale SS. Matteo e Gregorio in Salerno

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Thousands Celebrate the 95th Annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy, New York

After Mass at Most Precious Blood Church, the Figli di San Gennaro process the statue of our glorious patron down bustling Mulberry Street with great fanfare.
Photo by Andrew Giordano

Pilgrimage to The Holy Mountain

Neoborbonici atop the Holy Mountain

Ant. In viam pacis et prosperitatis dirigat vos omnipotens et misericors Dominus, et Angelus Raphael comitetur vobiscum in via, ut cum pace, salute et gaudio revertamini ad propria.*

I cannot thank Fr. James Miara and the organizers of Juventutem NYC enough for allowing this old-fogey the opportunity to partake in their inaugural Vexilla Regis traditional young adult walking pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady to Graymoor Monastery in Garrison, New York on Saturday, September 11th. A spiritually edifying and faith-filled day, the excursion was a terrific opportunity to observe our devout and dynamic Catholic youth in action. Their religiosity and sanguineness was inspiring and restored my wavering expectations of young folk in these uncertain times.

Fr. Miara blesses the pilgrims and the processional statue of Our Lady

Meeting up with some fifty pilgrims at dreary Grand Central Station in Manhattan, we took an hour long train ride along the Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line to Manitou in Putnam County, New York. Greeted and blessed by Fr. Miara, our troop began its vigorous ten mile trek with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima through the verdant hilly uplands to Graymoor Monastery, informally known as “The Holy Mountain.”

Fr. Miara led us in prayer

Blessed with picture perfect weather, we wended our way through the bucolic countryside singing and praying to Our Lady, as she implored in Fatima. Fr. Miara, who is the Pastor of the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Midtown Manhattan and chaplain of the NYC chapter of Juventutem, offered Holy Confession at the rear of the procession the entire journey. On the few occasions we crossed paths with the locals, the passersby overwhelmingly showed their support.

The pilgrims make their way through the countryside with great pageantry

Sadly, but not surprisingly, even in rural areas there are a handful of virtue signalers who marred the picturesque landscape with their woke agitprop and hollow slogans scrawled on planks of weathered wood. Tempted to call it graffiti, the unsightly signs were legible and spelled correctly so they were most likely erected by misguided property owners, rather than spoiled teens. 

The entrance procession during Mass

After processing for a little over two hours we arrived at Graymoor, the tranquil home to the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement. Ascending the mountain, we passed several shrines and a small cemetery before settling in to the outdoor Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua for High Mass. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated by Fr. Miara, who was dutifully assisted by several servers and cantor. 

High Mass was celebrated beneath the Baldacchino di Sant'Antonio

Following Mass, we mingled and broke bread together in a shady picnic area. Treated to an impressive spread, there were heaping trays of grilled chicken, pork spare ribs, Italian deli sandwiches, and various salads with all the fixin’s. Since I was fasting, I only indulged in a few vegetables to help keep up my strength, but everything looked delicious.

Consecration of the Host and the Wine

Sated, we had the opportunity to explore the monastery grounds, and pray and meditate at the various shrines, chapels and grottos. I was able to briefly visit the St. Anthony of Padua candle grotto; the Servant of God Fr. Paul Wattson tomb; the Byzantine Rite Chapel of the Holy Spirit; and the St. Francis of Assisi chapel with high altar that once marked the spot at Mount Alverna where he received his holy stigmata in 1224. 

The pilgrims were treated to a splendid array of food

Amazingly, the statue of St. Francis of Assisi enthroned above the historic altar is one of only two in the world created with the saint’s death mask. So, instead of an idealized depiction, the image is an accurate likeness of the saint’s visage after of his death.

Altar and statue inside the San Francesco d'Assisi chapel

As they say, all good things must come to an end, so we reconvened by the large Crucifix at the monastery entrance and sauntered back to Manitou station. Invigorated by the experience, the prayers and hymns were actually more spirited and louder during the return procession. Recounting the events of the day on the train ride home, everyone (despite the sore muscles) was clamoring for more. A resounding success, I see a bright future for the Juventutem NYC.  

Tympanum inside the Byzantine chapel

~ Giovanni di Napoli, September 14, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

* Ant. May the almighty and merciful Lord lead you in the way of peace and prosperity. May the Angel Raphael be your companion on the journey and bring you back to your homes in peace, health, and happiness. ~ Blessing of Pilgrims

(L) Large Crucifix by the entrance. (R) Sant'Antonio da Padova candle grotto

Photo of the Week: Crucifix Inside the Duomo di Napoli

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Around the Web: Quest for the Catholic State

Drapeau-Carillon-Sacre-Coeur

Reprinted from tumblarhouse.com

By Charles A. Coulombe

After the French Revolution Count Joseph de Maistre, probably the greatest of counter-revolutionary thinkers, uttered this warning: "Know how to be a monarchist: in the past it was instinct, today it is a science." He was fully aware that traditional loyalties and institutions had been questioned by the revolutionary turmoil; in particular rationalism and illuminism attacked the Throne and the Altar and pursued a strategy of laicisation of State and unchristianising of society. They fought sacred monarchies because they denied that authority is derived from God and rejected the idea that society is a natural development of families, is founded on traditions, is an organic entity; to this they proposed the notion of a hypothetical contract. De Maistre knew very well that political battles must first be won in the field of ideas, a teaching which was to be stressed by another great French monarchist, Charles Maurras, and that the Revolution, even if defeated on the battlefield, still lay in wait (Massimo de Leonardis, "Monarchism in Italy," Royal Stuart Review, vol. 8, no. 1, 1990, p. 5). Continue reading

A Faith-Filled Labor Day Weekend

This weekend's missalettes and Holy Hour of Reparation booklet

Celebrating First Friday and the Feast of San Pio X

O God, who to safeguard the Catholic faith and to restore all things in Christ, filled Pope Saint Pius the Tenth with heavenly wisdom and apostolic fortitude, graciously grant that, following his teaching and example, we may gain an eternal prize. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. ~ Collect

Our faith-filled Labor Day Weekend began Friday evening at the packed Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Midtown Manhattan for the Feast of San Pio X, the “Hammer of Modernist,” and First Friday devotion.

Arriving early for Holy Confession and Eucharistic Adoration, we lit candles and prayed for the intentions of our sick family and friends. Ever devoted to our ancestors, we also prayed for the remission of the poor and forgotten Souls in Purgatory.

"The Return Crucifix" and statue of San Pio X in the sacristy

After Adoration and the Benediction, the congregation recited the Holy Rosary, the Friday perpetual Novenas to “The Return Crucifix” and the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the Angelus at 6pm. Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form was celebrated by our Pastor Fr. James Miara.

Mass was followed by the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and all night Eucharistic Adoration.

Normally we would stay overnight, but mixing up our routine this month we decided to attend First Saturday at Most Holy Redeemer Church (173 E. 3rd St.) in New York City's East Village, so we only stayed for the Holy Hour of Reparation.

Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Holy Innocents Church and the
Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at Most Holy Redeemer Church

Celebrating First Saturday and the Feasts of Santa Rosalia and Santa Candida la Vecchia

Omnípotens sempitérne Deus, qui in Corde beátæ Mariæ Vírginis dignum Spíritus Sancti habitáculum præparásti: concéde propítius; ut ejúsdem immaculáti Cordis festivitátem devóta mente recoléntes, secúndum cor tuum vívere valeámus. Per Dóminum nostrum.

Almighty everlasting God, who in the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary didst prepare aa dwelling worthy of the Holy Spirit; grant in Thy mercy, that we who with devout minds celebrate the festival of that immaculate heart, may be able to live according to Thine own Heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Collect

Saturday afternoon we joined over one hundred parishioners at Most Holy Redeemer Church in the East Village for the First Saturday devotion in honor of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. The Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (usus antiquior) was sung by Celebrant and Homilist Fr. Seán Connolly. Fr. Donald Kloster was the Deacon and Fr. Evans Julce was the Subdeacon. The sacred ministers were dutifully assisted by several servers and the very talented Schola Cantorum. A handful of seminarians sat in choir.

Hail Refuge of sinners! Hail, Star of the Sea! Hail, Queen of Creation! Our hope is in thee! ~ verse from the Fatima Hymn

After Mass, Fr. Connolly led us in praying the Holy Rosary and singing of the Fatima Hymn with traditional waving of white handkerchiefs. We completed the First Saturday devotion with Holy Confession and fifteen minutes of meditation.

Madonna di Fatima, ora pro nobis

Statues of Sant'Alfonso Maria di Liguori and St. Clement Mary Hofbauer

Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, Fr. Connolly invited everyone to partake in some coffee, delicious Portuguese pastries and fellowship in the verdant church gardens. Warmly welcomed, we mingled with parishioners and other guests, including our friends from the WestChestertons, a Westchester County Chapter of the American Chesterton Society.

Special thanks to our friend Jackie who did a spectacular job
setting up coffee hour and for bringing the Portuguese pastries

Fr. Connolly warmly welcomed everyone in the church gardens

Jackie and John with St. Joseph and Our Blessed Mother

Before leaving, we visited the rectory and Father graciously gifted us a few books. I received a copy of Alphonsus Liguori: The Redeeming Love of Christ edited and introduced by Joseph Oppitz (New City Press, 1995) and Saint Gerard Majella: His Writings and Spirituality translated by Peter Heinegg (Liguori, 2002). They will make great additions to my library; I can't wait to tackle them.

Greatly appreciated gifts from Fr. Connolly 

Back in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, we continued our celebration in honor of Our Lady, la Santuzza, and Santa Candida la Vecchia at our favorite Sicilian culinary hotspot, Amunì Ristorante (7217 3rd Avenue). As always, Chef Dardanello outdid himself and treated our convivial party to a sumptuous repast replete with delicious Sicilian fare and chef specials.

Carciofi fritti

Classic meat and peas, and meatless arancini

Crocchè di patate

Pasta with peas

Grilled swordfish

We enjoyed some Nero d'Avola and limoncello

Affogoto

Tartufo

Sated partygoers with Chef Dardanello

Celebrating the Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost & the Feasts of San Lorenzo Giustiniani & the Madonna Nera del Sacro Monte di Viggiano

Ecclésiam tuam, Dómine, miserátio continuáta mundet et múniat: et quia te non potest salva consistere; tuo semper múnere gubernétur. Per Dóminum.

Let Thy continued pity, O Lord, cleanse and defend Thy Church: and because it cannot continue in safety without Thee, may it ever be governed by Thy goodness. Through our Lord. ~ Collect

We returned to Holy Innocents Sunday morning for both the 9:00 am Tridentine Low Mass and the 10:30 am Tridentine High Mass for the Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost and the Feasts of San Lorenzo Giustiniani and the Madonna Nera del Sacro Monte di Viggiano, Regina della Lucania. Fr. Miara was the Celebrant at both.

(Above & below) Great to see so much young blood at the Tridentine Masses

Our buddy Max with li'l brother Logan and Jasper

Briefly catching up with friends at coffee hour, we left a little early to meet up with our brethren in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn for our celebratory luncheon at Paneantico Caffe (9123 3rd Avenue), a popular Calabrese eatery specializing in profuse sandwiches on a choice of brick oven or Neapolitan style breads. More than just a sandwich shop, they also have plenty of hot and cold dishes, daily specials, and an impressive assortment of desserts.

Steak with mozzarella and broccoli rabe

Spicy soppressata with mozzarella and grilled eggplant

Grilled chicken with tomato, lemon and arugala

Mortadella with mozzarella and grilled eggplant

Hot capicola with mozzarella and fried eggplant

Steak with mozzarella and grilled onions

Always fun and filling, our lighthearted celebration concluded with a surprise raffle. The prize was a set of three Salernitana pins.

Since most of us are Napoli fans, winning the badges of newly promoted Campanian rivals could have been disappointing or awkward. However, since I root for all the southern Italian teams, I was very happy to win the prize despite the intense rivalry between the two clubs. Keeping one for myself, naturally I gave the others to the Salerno fans among us. Forza Granata e Forza Napoli Sempre!

Yours truly won a set of three Salernitana 1919 pins

An Uneventful Labor Day

The rest from labor is not to be understood as mere giving way to idleness; much less must it be an occasion for spending money and for vicious indulgence, as many would have it to be; but it should be rest from labor, hallowed by religion. Rest (combined with religious observances) disposes man to forget for a while the business of his everyday life, to turn his thoughts to things heavenly, and to the worship which he so strictly owes to the eternal Godhead. ~ Excerpt from Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII, The Leonine Encyclicals, 1878-1902 (Agnus Dei Publishing, 2014)

Since Sunday is our weekly day of rest, the yearly secular Labor Day holiday seems a bit mundane and prosaic in comparison. As a working stiff myself, I would much rather have equitable co-operation between capital and labor (à la Rerum Novarum) or a Holy Day of Obligation off than some meaningless Monday. Having said that, I made the most of the day running errands, visiting family, and saying my daily prayers. We did not celebrate as a group. Semper in Christo.

Photo of the Week: The Horse Tamer Outside the Gardens of the Royal Palace in Naples

One of two equestrian statues outside the entrance to the gardens of the

Royal Palace in Naples. The statues are copies of the Horse Tamers from St. Petersburg, Russia, and were a gift to King Ferdinand II of Naples from Czar Nicholas I during a state visit to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1846.

Photo by Andrew Giordano