Mount Carmel and Loreto Italian Festival in Worcester canceled
Dear Friends, it is with great sadness that we announce that we are cancelling the 2020 Mount Carmel and Loreto Italian Festival. We come to this decision after much consideration. The Mount Carmel and Loreto family wish everyone good health during this unprecedented time. We continue to pray with all of you for those around the world affected by t...
Italian festival hosted in Boston’s North End canceled due to coronavirus pandemic
New England’s largest Italian festival, hosted in Boston’s North End, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. After consulting with the city, representatives of St. Anthony’s Society made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Saint Anthony and Saint Lucy Feast. “For over 100 years, Saint Anthony’s Feast has celebrated faith, family,...
Tresca Donates Food To Mass General Healthcare Workers
Tresca, located at 233 Hanover Street in Boston’s North End, recently donated trays of Italian food to healthcare workers at Massachusetts General Hospital. The food was delivered by hockey star Ray Bourque. The hospital workers replied to the donation with the message, “Thank you Ray Bourque and Tresca for fueling our #mghblake12icu night crew!! L...
Italy needs Connecticut and the U.S. now more than ever
In the epic Latin poem “The Aeneid,” written between 29 and 19 BC, the Roman poet Virgil coined the phrase “Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes ” which translated into English means “Be wary of Greeks bearing gifts.” The adage is commonly used to warn of a supposed gift or act of virtue that is a hidden threat. This timeless warning has even more import...
Enfield Italian Festival Canceled For 2020
Concerns over the new coronavirus pandemic have prompted officials of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society to cancel one of Enfield's largest summer events, the 95th annual Italian Festival. Society president Carl Sferrazza announced the cancellation Tuesday night, marking the first time the feast will not be held since its inception in 1926. He sa...
When the neighborhood “Nonna” dies, mourning is just not the same
In the deeply Italian Newton neighborhood known as “The Lake," where funerals for elders traditionally draw hundreds, mourning a woman who was a “Nonna” to all was muted Saturday by COVID-19. For decades Pasqualina Lucchetti would walk down the block on Saturdays to get her hair done and pick up fresh bread — no matter what the weather was. But on...
Bart Giamatti focus of new book ‘Fearless’ by New Haven-born author
When Neil Thomas Proto started delving into the life of Yale University president A. Bartlett Giamatti, he expected to tell a story of tremendous personal and professional accomplishment — a tale of a life well-lived. What he found was something quite a bit more complex. Proto’s book, “Fearless: A. Bartlett Giamatti and the Battle for Fairness in A...
The Governor Who Dissed New Yorkers
When every other Democrat in America was swooning over Andrew Cuomo, Gina Raimondo was sparring with him. I can’t say I’m surprised. Raimondo, the second-term governor of Rhode Island, is blunt and sometimes contrarian. That’s what I’ve always liked about her. I can’t say I like how she singled out New Yorkers, stopping cars with New York license p...
‘Strega Nona’ Author Tomie dePaola Dies at 85
Beloved children’s book author Tomie dePaola died, his publisher announced on Monday. He was 85 years old. He was best known for writing the Strega Nona series and 26 Fairmount Avenue. “We mourn the loss of a master storyteller. Tomie dePaola has passed away. We extend our sympathy to his legions of readers, friends, and colleagues,” Winding Oak Ch...
The Feast of San Gennaro has Been Canceled for September
The Feast of San Gennaro would have celebrated its third Boston iteration this year but has been canceled for this September, according to its North End organizers Frank DePasquale, Pasquale Trotta and Nick Varano who vow to bring it back in September 2021. “It is with a heavy heart that we have to postpone our beloved Feast of San Gennaro this ye...
Three Johnston residents installed as members of Italo-American Club
They have distinguished their respective crafts and community while also playing major roles in highly important nonprofits. They are Johnston residents who have each carved a unique niche in the town’s tradition-rich history who recently added another chapter to a rather unique record book. “I’m proud to have this honor,” Mayor Joseph Polisena tol...
Barbara Davitt Named Italian Mayor of the Day in Prospect
Mayor Robert Chatfield (at left with Ms. Davitt) and Bob Accetura, who held the ceremonial title in 2019, bestowed the honor upon Barbara at the beginning of her "Coffee Break" program on Thursday morning. During the presentation, Mayor Chatfield noted Barbara's decades of civic involvement, volunteer work and commitment to promoting the arts, comm...