The Feast of St. Gerard Maiella, C.Ss.R. : A Century of Devotion at St. Lucy's, Newark

Reverend Thomas D. Nicastro

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781609498078
• eBook ISBN: 9781614237150
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

In the late nineteenth century, many Italian immigrants settled in Newark. For these newcomers, the Church became a source of community and strength. Feasts of Patron Saints from their paese, or village in Italy, were a tradition that helped make the new country feel more like the old. At St. Lucy's Church, parishioners held the first Feast of St. Gerard Maiella--the unofficial patron of mothers, children and the unborn--in October 1899, and it has been held every year since. As the decades have passed, generation after generation of Italian Americans return annually to celebrate their heritage and Catholic faith and express their gratitude for St. Gerard's powerful intercession. In this way, the Feast of St. Gerard, the treasure of their grandparents, has become part of their descendants' heritage.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1. The Early Years: An Italian Saint and the Devoted Faithful of Newark’s “Old First Ward”
• 2. The Glory Years
• 3. The Decline of the Ward and Its Anchor: St. Lucy’s Church and the Venerable Feast of Saint Gerard
• 4. The Dark Days and the Pact Between the Priests and the People of the Parish
• 5. The Milestone Years: The Priests, the Church and the Establishment of the National Shrine
• 6. The Treasure and the Heritage Continues: The Legacy of St. Gerard Maiella’s Feast
• Appendix I: “Saint of the Mountain”: Mary Grace Bellotti, the Holy Midwife Who Invoked St. Gerard
• Appendix II: Novena in Honor of St. Gerard Maiella, C.Ss.R.
• Appendix III: Occasional Prayers
• Notes
• Bibliography
• About the Author