ARPA, a cultural organizations for Pugliesi in the Chicago area, held its annual Feast of St. Nicholas on May 16. Celebration included the symbolic and traditional procession around town, an outdoor mass held on the grounds of the Italian Cultural Center in Stone Park, Illinois, complete with a playing band and fireworks. A dinner-dance followed at a banquet hall later in the evening.

Much more below ...

Cliccate sulla bandiera per la versione in Italiano.
Click on the flag for the Italian version.

1. Story
   
2. Participants
   
3. Photographs

A feast in honor of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Bari, was held in Chicago on May 16, 1999, organized by the Association Regionale of Pugliesi in America (ARPA). The celebration included a mid-day holy mass outdoor with procession and fireworks held on the grounds of the Italian Cultural Center (3800 West Division, Stone Park, Illinois, USA), followed by a dinner-dance later in the evening at Villa Brunetti Banquets (9755 West Grand Avenue, Franklin Park, Illinois, USA). About 280 people attended the outdoor event, primarily Italian American with ancestral roots in Puglia (pugliesi), Italy.

The procession, a walk around on city streets much like a parade without vehicles, started at 11:30 a.m. L'ARPA Giovanile, the younger folks, lead the procession with flags and standards flying in the gentle breeze of a sunny and beautiful spring day that underlined this festive occasion. People lined up in a procession that extended for about three hundred feet, followed by Rev. Gino Dalpiaz, the officiating priest, Joe DeBenedictis, ARPA's president, and other board members of the organization. Finally came the statue of St. Nicholas carried on shoulder by bearers (four to eight) and flanked by four escorts carrying pole-top baskets of flower, floating high above the crowd. The Sicilian Band of Chicago followed the Saint, filling the air with festive tunes. The procession started in front of the chapel and made its way on city streets to then enter the green fields of the Italian Cultural Center where a mass was officiated in honor of the Saint. Acknowledgements and thanks were given by Rev. Dalpiaz, Pat Capriati, and Joe DeBenedictis.

After the mass, the procession reentered the streets and posed at one point along the return trip to watch the fireworks, which added to the festive atmosphere with thunder, crackling, and smoke. The procession returned to the starting point in front of the chapel where the Saint was placed on a stand and people had an opportunity to pose for group photographs. The ceremony was concluded with the Saint being returned to the chapel while the band played loudly.

Together with similar manifestations in previous years, it was a ground-breaking effort by this community to band around Bari's patron saint, St. Nicholas, as a unifying regional symbol, intending to cultivate its cultural roots, to experience again old customs, and to pass on this heritage to future generations.

About 450 people attended the dinner-dance that afternoon. The elegant event was filled with music and tunes by Paul London and his brother, the orchestra I Diamanti, and by the Dynamite DJ. Door prizes and raffle prizes provided excitement during dinner, which was followed by dancing late into the evening.

index

Participants

The following groups were present:

• ARPA Giovanile
• Società S.S. Crocifisso di Rutigliano,
    Frank Lamascese Representative
• S. Amatore Martire di Cellamare
• Maria S.S. della Croce di Triggiano
• Maria S.S. di Costantinopoli di Bitritto
• Maria S.S. Addolorata di Mola
• S. Rocco di Valenzano,
    Frank DeFrenza Representative

Notable included:

• Joseph DeBenedictis, president
• Vito Ancona, vice president
• Rocco Carbonara, 2nd vice president
• Nicola Lepore, treasurer
• John Nitti, vice treasurer
• Rose Mallardi, secretary
• Mariangela Palumbo, vice-secretary
• Paula Imbrogno, Miss Puglia 1999
• Pat Capriati, master of ceremonies

Feast Committee:

• Pasquale Caputo, honorary chairman
• Vito Mazzoccoli, chairman
• Frank Pavone, co-chairman
• Giuseppe Quaranta, sergeant of arms
• Frank Pavone, assistant
• Ralph Ferrara, assistant

Warning: There are 27 pictures in the following collection (nearly 1 Mb); depending on your Internet connection, it may take up to a few minutes to complete the download.

Fig 1. Shoulder-carried, the Saint left the Chapel of the Italian Cultural Center followed by the Sicilian Band of Chicago.

Fig 2. The procession, with about 280 people, stretched for a few hundred feet making its way on city street around the Italian Cultural Center.

Fig 3. Rev. Gino Dalpiaz in front of the Saint.

Fig 4. The green fields provided a beautiful background on this spring day.

Fig 5. The mass was held in the shade on picnic grounds.

Fig 6. Pat Capriati read some news and messages from Bari, Italy.

Fig 7. After the mass, the procession restarted on these wooded grounds.

Fig 8. This was the first celebration of St. Nicholas held at the Italian Cultural Center of Stone Park.

Fig 9. Groups representing various towns and cultural organizations participated with their standards.

Fig 10. Miss Puglia 1999 and other teenagers lead the procession.

Fig 11. Pasquale Caputo (on the left in foreground) walking next to Rev. Gino Dalpiaz (right) is the sponsor of the new statue of St. Nicholas.

Fig 12. Procession back on city streets.

Fig 13. ARPA's board members carrying the Saint with Joe DeBenedictis, president, in foreground.

Fig 14. ARPA's board members posing in front of Saint.

Fig 15. Triggiano representatives; members of Maria S.S. della Croce.

Fig 16. Valenzano representatives; members of S. Rocco di Valenzano.

Fig 17. Other group from Valenzano.

Fig 18. Other group from Triggiano.

Fig 19. Cellamare representatives, S. Amatore Martire.

Fig 20. Mixed group, mostly ARPA's functionaries.

Fig 21. Caputos, Palumbo, and others.

Fig 22.

Fig 23. DeFilippis'.

Fig 24. DeBenedictis' and others.

Fig 25.

Fig 26. Sicilian Band of Chicago.

Fig 27. The celebration continued indoor the banquet hall in the evening with dinner and dance.

return to the ARPA 1999 page

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