Reviving Old Traditions
Background
During the early 1900s, a wave of immigrants from San Salvatore Telesino ("sansalvatoresi") arrived in Paterson, New Jersey. During the 1920s, the sansalvatoresi established a devotion from their hometown. Each year on the last Sunday of July, the devotees would celebrate their town's patron saint, San Leucio. The celebration would include a mass (St. Michael's Church in Paterson) and statue procession/festa (St. Michael's Grove in Totowa).
This devotion thrived for many years until 1979 when a fire destroyed St. Michael's Grove and did substantial damage to the beloved San Leucio statue. With a destroyed statue, devotees moving from the area, and logistical uncertainty lingering, the sansalvatoresi of New Haven, Connecticut took up the torch. Our family society in New Haven restored the statue and continued the devotion up in Connecticut, where it has been thriving ever since.
Now, the San Leucio Society of Paterson's revival is underway. What was once devastation in 1979 may have been by divine design as this devotion will now exist in both Paterson and New Haven annually.
Who was San Leucio?
Saint Leucius of Brindisi is venerated by the Catholic Church on January 11. There is little information about the beloved saint's early life. It is believed that he was born in Eastern Europe.
As already been ordained a bishop, he moved to Brindisi to set up a missionary apostolate to liberate the pagans from their misconceptions of Christianity.
He was the first bishop and patron of the Archdiocese of Brindisi.
How can I help?
Pray for our efforts. Spread the word.
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