The Madonna and
the Saint
In Craco, the
feast of the Madonna della Stella is celebrated
on the second Sunday of August. The following
week, many Crachesi travel to Pisticci to join
that town’s celebration of San Rocco. There is a
connection between these celebrations going back
centuries in Italy.
Thomas Frascella,
president of the San Felese Society of New
Jersey researched the relationship between the
celebrations and posted an extensive story on
the San Felese Society website.
San
Fele, a town in the province of Potenza about 90
miles north of Craco, celebrates the feast of
the Madonna di Pierno, who bears a great
likeness to Craco’s Madonna della Stella. The
story behind both the Madonna figures is very
similar and their connection is understandable.
Frascella points
out that, “During the fourteenth and subsequent
centuries San Fele like the rest of the adjacent
region was exposed to repeated outbreaks of
plague ...." This was a natural consequence of
the region’s geographic location along the trade
route of the ancient Appian Way. During this
period, Marian devotion as well as devotion to
St. Rocco, a figure associated with miraculous
recoveries from the plague became quite common
in the region.
Every town and
village in the region has a church and/or statue
of St. Rocco and a Marian statue which is posed
in a maternal rendering... Statues of Mary in
this pose generally are referred to by the title
Our Lady of Good Succor or Our Lady of Perpetual
Care reflecting the image’s historic connection
as protector from disease.”
With immigration
to America, Frascella goes on to say, “Many of
those who arrived at the port o
f
New York settled, at least for a time, in the
Lower East Side.... The area consisted of
crowded largely substandard housing and poor
sanitation even for the norms of its day. As a
result there were unusual levels of disease. As
an example, during this period the child
mortality rate among the Italian population in
the area was about fifty per cent, twice the
rate of the rest of the city…With the above as
background it is not surprising that the oldest
Italian American religious “street” festival is
the St Rocco festival of Little Italy which
began in the late 1880’s and continues to be
celebrated to this day.”
On August 21 the
122nd Feast of San Rocco will be celebrated in
Lower Manhattan, while on the same day the San
Felese Society will celebrate the Feast of Our
Lady of Pierno in New Jersey.
This background is
important to understanding the theme of the
Society’s 5th Annual Crachesi del Nord America
Reunion that is timed to coincide with the 110th
anniversary of the statue of San Vincenzo
Martire, the patron saint of Craco. This statue,
donated by the Craceshi immigrants that were in
New York City then, is the last vestige of their
presence there.
After a two year restoration underwritten by
Society members this historic statue and a
presentation plaque will be dedicated at a
special event on Sunday October 23rd. Mark your
calendars to join the celebration.
Saints of the
Immigrants
Immigration
impacts America culture in many ways. Starting
with the discovery and exploration of the New
World, through influencing the founding fathers
of the US, and more recently by the immigrants
during the early part of the last century. They
literally changed the face and culture of
America.
In
1900 Italian culture was almost unknown in
America. Within two decades the labor and
enterprise of the outpouring of Italian
immigrants from Southern Italy and Sicily, and
their children who were born here, contributed
to the building boom that expanded the county.
Culturally, they contributed to the arts, sports
and even the way the county ate. This continued
over the remainder of the 20th century until
they became the mainstream.
Among the cultural
changes they brought to the “Little Italy's,”
were the visible and public displays of the
celebration of religious feasts in the form of
street festivals. During the early part of the
20th century, these festivals were very frequent
as immigrants from different towns showed their
devotion to a patron saint. Over time, as
individuals moved from the areas support for the
lesser known saints dissipated.
Today, there are
fewer but certainly no less fervent celebrations
that continue these traditions. An example
occurs this month when the 122nd Feast of San
Rocco will be celebrated in New York City on
August 21st. This historic event sponsored by
the San Rocco Society of Potenza has wide
support, and is one of the few Italian feasts
that continues to be celebrated in the
traditional fashion.
Starting at St.
Joseph’s Church at 5 Monroe Street, with a
special noontime Mass, the San Rocco’s
veneration continues with a procession through
the historic streets of Manhattan's Little
Italy.
The
original statue of San Rocco (pictured right)
was made in Italy and sent to New York in 1899.
It was carried in the first feast that year and
continued to be used until about 25 years ago
when it was decided it might be more prudent to
use a duplicate to protect the historic original
from possible damage. It is the oldest Italian
American religious society statue in New York.
It was also used in the production of Francis
Ford Coppola’s Godfather II, during the Festa di
San Rocco scene.
The San Rocco
Society and statue was originally housed in St.
Joachim’s Church until it was demolished and the
statue was moved to St. Joseph’s Church.
Although the San
Rocco Feast was always very popular, changes in
the Italian American population of Lower New
York after WWII impacted it.
In 2000, Stephen
LaRocca. Esq. assumed the presidency of the San
Rocco Society and revived the feast bringing
back the excitement and joy of this historic
celebration. Stephen can be reached via email
at:
Stephen@strocco.com.
Consider putting
this event into your plans for later this month
and bring your family, nothing could be more
insightful to children and grandchildren than to
participate in this historic experience that
provides them with a glimpse of the area that
first housed their ancestors.
Join the
celebration and tradition of 122 years of faith
in St. Rocco this August 21.
VIVA SAN ROCCO!
Reunion Plans
The 5th Annual Reunion of the Crachesi in Nord
America and the celebration of the 110th
Anniversary of the statue of San Vincenzo in New
York is scheduled to be held over the weekend of
October 21-23, 2011.
The theme of our
Reunion will revolve around the story of the
statue of San Vincenzo placed in New York in
1901 by Crachesi immigrants. There is an amazing
story behind the accomplishment of a small
handful of individuals.
Being included in
the plans will be a reception and dinner on
Friday night so members can renew acquaintances
and spend time enjoying each other’s company.
The Saturday event
will be a luncheon and information session that
is timed so participants can have the evening
free to enjoy all New York has to offer.
Sunday will
revolve around events starting at noon at St.
Joseph’s Church, 5 Monroe St., Manhattan. After
a special Mass and dedication of the restored
110 year old statue there will be a buffet at
St. Joseph’s Hall.
The event
organizing committee is including some surprises
and adding unique features. Their planning is
almost completed and a fully detailed
announcement will be coming out shortly, but in
the meantime you should set the dates aside.
Our events fall
during Italian Heritage and Culture Month in New
York making it an opportunity for those who are
traveling to enjoy other events. This year their
programs celebrate Italy’s 150th Anniversary of
Unification.
5TH ANNUAL CRACHESI DEL NORD AMERICA REUNION
OCTOBER 21-23, 2011
BROOKLYN & MANHATTAN, NY
Click
here to view
A Year in Craco. Events in Craco for
every month are listed. Thank you to Joe Rinaldi
in Canada for his contribution to this page.
