Photo of the Week: The Cappella San Gaetano in Monte San Giacomo

Photo by Andrew Giordano

Preserving Southern Italian Religious Art at St. Rita’s Church in Staten Island, New York

Our Lady of Purgatory 

I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was to learn that Fr. Eugene J. Carrella, Pastor of St. Rita’s Church (281 Bradley Ave.) in Staten Island, New York, was able to save the statues of Our Lady of Purgatory and St. Michael the Archangel from obscurity. Once part of the extraordinary collection of statues that once graced now-closed St. Joseph’s Church in Chinatown, New York, the two works of sacred art were among my favorites to pray before (due to my devotions to the Poor and Forgotten Souls in Purgatory and the Prince of the Heavenly Host) whenever I attended Mass there. In fact, I purposely sat beneath the statue of St. Michael during my very first Mass at that church.

St. Michael the Archangel

Unlike the incredibly beautiful statues of San Rocco, San Vincenzo, San Giovanni Battista, the Madonna delle Grazie and the Madonna della Stella, who were relocated in 2015 to Most Precious Blood Church in Little Italy, and St. Anthony of Padua Church in the South Village, New York, the two were safely stored in a church warehouse on Staten Island.* Afraid they would be forgotten like so many others, I often wondered what would become of them [and the statue of St. Jude, which remains a mystery].

Now that I know they have a new home, I look forward to visiting them again soon and praying for the rejection of heresies within the church and in reparation for church closings and the insults and blasphemies against Our Lord Jesus Christ.

God Bless Fr. Carrella and his mission to preserve and promote Southern Italian devotional art. Anyone interested in viewing Father’s awe-inspiring collection of religious artifacts and relics should reach out to him. You will not be disappointed.

(Above & below) The statues are prepared for the move

(Above & below) Our Lady of Purgatory at St. Joseph's Church

(Above & below) St. Michael at St. Joseph's Church

[*] In 2023 the statues of San Giovanni Battista and the Madonna della Stella were moved from St. Anthony of Padua Church to Most Precious Blood Church.

Also see:

• A Look at Our Grand Tour of the Church of St. Rita in Staten Island, New York (Part 1)
• Bittersweet Move: The Translation of the Relic of San Vincenzo and Society Statues to Most Precious Blood Church in Little Italy, New York

Making My Annual Pilgrimage to Santa Rosalia

Santa Rosalia, ora pro nobis

I finally got to make my annual pilgrimage to the Santa Rosalia street shrine on 18th Avenue and 72nd Street during the ongoing feast in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Evviva la Santuzza!

(Above & below) Outdoor chapel on 18th Avenue and 72nd Street

Reclining statue from the now-closed Santa Rosalia Church

The processional statue

Prayer cards

Grilled octopus at Lucy's

Shrimp spiedini at Lucy's

Chicken and pork spiedini at Lucy's

Stigghiola at Lucy's

Hot peppers at Lucy's

This year’s procession will begin at the street shrine on 18th Avenue and 72nd Street on Sunday, August 27th at 2PM. Mass will be celebrated at St. Domenic Church (2001 Bay Ridge Parkway) at 4PM. Refreshments will be generously served at Villabate Alba (7001 18th Avenue) following Mass.

Santa Messa Commemorativa a 155 anni dalla scomparsa di Michelina Di Cesare

In Mignano Monte Lungo (CE)

Feast of Sant’Aredio di Limoges

Sant'Aredio di Limoges, ora pro nobis

August 25th is the Feast of Sant’Aredio di Limoges (d.591), also known as St. Yrieix, Abbot. Founder of several churches and monasteries in France, many healing miracles have been attributed to his intercession. He is invoked against deformities and inflammations of the aorta.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Aredius. The accompanying photo of the walnut and jewel-inlaid silver and gold reliquary busts of St. Yrieix was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.* Evviva Sant’Aredio di Limoges!

Prayer to St. Aredius

God our Father, enable us who honor the memory of St. Aredius, to share with him in the joy of eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

* Regrettably, the town of Saint-Yrieix-La-Perche, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France, claims the reliquaries were illegally purchased by the museum in 1906 and has requested that they be returned.

Feast of San Pellegrino and Companions

San Pellegrino Martire and
Companions, orate pro nobis

August 25th is the Feast of San Pellegrino, San Eusebio, San Ponziano and San Vincenzo, early Christian Martyrs. San Pellegrino is the patron saint of Altavilla Irpina in Provincia di Avellino. 

Arrested and tortured for their faith and refusal to participate in pagan rituals, the holy men were miraculously healed by an angel. Angered by this, Emperor Commodus condemned them to death. Stripped and bound to columns, they were publicly flogged to death with leaden scourges. 

Buried in a crypt outside Rome by a priest, the relics of San Pellegrino were later translated to Altavilla Irpina on April 11, 1780. 

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to San Pellegrino in Italian. The accompanying photo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at St. Anthony of Padua Church in the Silver Lake section of Belleville, New Jersey. Evviva San Pellegrino!

Preghiera a San Pellegrino

Glorioso S. Pellegrino, taumaturgo nostro protettore mentre sedete trionfante fra le angeliche schiere del Paradiso, volgetevi propizio ai vostri figli devoti che hanno tanto bisogno del vostro patrocinio, del vostro aiuto. Deh Voi, nostro dolce avvocato e protettore improntateci del vostro zelo e della vostra forza di martire. E poiché dal maestoso tempio di Altavilla avete fatto sentire a tanta gente i benefici influssi delle vostre grazie nella successione di tanti miracoli, continuate l’opera vostra e finché il vostro nome suonerà dolce all’anima dei vostri figli, non venga mai meno nei nostri cuori la fede, nella vostra protezione il miracolo. Salve o gloriosissimo Santo, siate benedetto nella vita di martire e nella vita di gloria, siate benedetto in cielo e in terra, ora e sempre, dai vostri devoti, dal vostro popolo di Altavilla. Così sia.

Highlights from a Southern Italian Sojourn

San Ciro, Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo, Napoli

This is the final batch of photos from one group of friends vacationing in Campania and Calabria.

San Ciro, Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo, Napoli

San Giuseppe Moscati, Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo, Napoli

San Giuseppe Moscati, Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo, Napoli

Madonna Addolorata, Chiesa di Santa Maria di Caravaggio, Napoli

Madonna della Divina Provvidenza,
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Caravaggio, Napoli

San Francesco Saverio Maria Bianchi,
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Caravaggio, Napoli

Piazza Dante, Napoli

Bay of Naples

Pizza Napoletana

Outdoor street shrine, Napoli

Ischia

Posillipo

Posillipo

Posillipo

The crypt of Sant'Antonino Abate, Sorrento

Nocera Terinese, Catanzaro

Madonna dell'Assunta, Chiesa Maria Regina della Famiglia,
Nocera Terinese, Catanzaro

Nocera Terinese, Catanzaro

Nocera Terinese, Catanzaro

Nocera Terinese, Catanzaro

Celebrating the 134th Annual Feast of San Rocco di Potenza in Little Italy, New York

San Rocco, ora pro nobis

Responsorio a San Rocco

Ave, Roche Santissime
Qui nobili natus sanguine
Crucis signaris schemate
Sinistro tuo latere.

Numinis in praesentia
Nostra nunc serva corpora
Et crucis per praesidia
A peste oppidum libera.

Roche, peregre profectus
Pestifere mortis ictus
Curavisti mirifice
Tangendo salutifere.

Vale, Roche qui angelice
Vocis citatus flamine
Obtinuiste deifice
A cunctis pestem pellere.

Sit Christe Rex piissime
Tibi Patrique gloria
Cum Spiritu Paraclito
Et nunc et in perpetuum.

V. Ora pro nobis, beate Roche.
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

Oremus

Populum tuum, quaesumus Domine, continua pietate custodi, et beati Rochi suffragantibus meritis, ab omni fac animae et corporis contagione securum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Photos by Maria Cordi