The annual celebration in honor of St. Anthony set for Sunday, June 12
The annual feast of the Saint of Padua will be held Sunday, June 12, 2011, at St. Peter’s Italian Church. Feting the Miraculous Saint born in Portugal will be the society named after the Saint with all the zeal and ardent faith it’s known to have.
The St. Anthony Society, has been presided for nearly twenty years by Italian-born Johnny Angiuli, who, besides conserving a deep rooted veneration for the Saint, has propelled the society to more activities benefiting the church, as well as bestowing donations to the Basilica in Padua. Particularly noted are donations to our brethren residing in Congo-Brazzaville in Africa. In a letter received by Mr. Angiuli, the director of the great Antonian Family, Father Ugo Sartorio, expresses his anguish and his hopes and joys as follows.
“With the donations received, we’ll be able to realize 80 wells of potable water for the Diocese of Nkaye. To us it might be something of no consequence, but for these people it could mean life anew because the water they had previously drunk produced illnesses and, sometimes, death.”
This is primarily the reason why this year’s edition of the Feast of St. Anthony has a special significance, a particular and brotherly act of solidarity, an incalculable humanitarian gesture of brotherhood.
The St. Anthony Society is always on the vanguard when it comes to helping the Italian church. It is second to none other when it comes to displaying the same care, the same interests of fraternalism towards the brethren afflicted by misfortune or by the economical set-back of our nation.
Sunday, June 12, 2011, the feting society shall be remunerated by the presence of 400 persons gathered at Casa Italiana after having sung glory to God and to his humble servant St. Anthony previously in the church in the course of the High Mass scheduled at 11:00 a.m., and during the procession of the Saint along the neighboring streets of the church.
The statue of the Saint will be accompanied by the clergy headed by Rev. Raniero Alessandrini, the pastor of St. Peter’s, by the faithful and the Italian Band led by Maestro Joseph Sapia.
A bit later, perhaps about 1:00 p.m., and soon after the distribution of the Blessed Bread, the feast will continue at Casa Italiana with a lavish dinner featuring a filet mignon and scampi as well as other gifts of God, and for the ensuing dances proposed by the seven musicians of the Duo Domani. Tickets for the event cost $50 each, including the raffle tickets.
On Monday morning at 10:00, on the day the Saint is universally celebrated, the society named after him will offer another High Mass, and a free breakfast to all who have attended the church functions.
Would you like to attend? You must hurry, though. Call Mrs. Donna Angiuli at (323) 225-8119. There might be a ticket or two left. You won’t regret it one bit, especially if you, after the appetizing dinner, will still have room for the barbeque items on sale for the lowest prices during the dances.
Luigi Smaldino
