On July 16, 1875, more than a decade before the town had its own Catholic parish, Italian immigrants in Hammonton met at the home of Antonio Capelli to pray to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, giving thanks for safe passage to the United States, for a successful harvest and for good fortune in the years to come. On July 16, 2025, the town of Hammonton wi...
READ MOREThe canonization of Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint, will take place on September 7, Pope Leo XIV has announced. Acutis, an Italian teenager who died from leukemia in 2006, will be declared a saint by Leo at a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square expected to be attended by thousands of young people. Acutis was just 15 when he d...
READ MOREForget about Turin, Italy’s so-called “city of magic.” Instead, focus on Naples. The intriguing book “Partenope degli spiriti” (Rome: Viella, 2024), edited by Francesco Paolo de Ceglia, persuasively argues that Naples is the heart of Italian miracles, spiritualism, and esotericism. This volume explores the city’s rich spiritual heritage and wonders...
READ MOREWhen we think of Pisa, we think of its leaning tower, but there is much more in town to enjoy, starting with the famous Luminara di San Ranieri, one of the most charming and visually striking traditions in Italy, celebrated every year on the evening of June 16th. Held in honor of San Ranieri, the city’s patron saint, the event transforms the histo...
READ MOREVolunteer Joe Cirillo spent years shepherding the efforts to revive the beloved St. Ann's Italian Festa in Raritan Borough − before he even had the opportunity to attend one. Due to COVID-19 and financial difficulties, the principal fundraiser for St. Ann Church and accompanying St. Ann Classical Academy was in purgatory for five years. But thanks...
READ MOREWhen Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8, Cabrini High School excitedly began reflecting on possible ties the city and the high school might have to the new pontiff. The first thing that caught the attention of teachers was that Pope Leo gave his first official address in Spanish and Italian, and his main theme was about immigration. St. Frances Xavi...
READ MORETwo Holy Relics of St. Anthony of Padua will visit the Archdiocese of New York as well as the dioceses of Brooklyn and Paterson from Friday, June 6 to Sunday, June 15. The two first-class Relics will be accompanied by Fathers Mario Conte and Fabio Turrisendo, two Franciscan friars from the Pontifical Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy. The two...
READ MOREThe National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) extends its warmest congratulations and blessings to Robert Francis Prevost, who has been elected as the 267th Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and will take the name Leo XIV. As the leading organization for Italian Americans, NIAF recognizes the profound significance this moment holds for...
READ MOREWhen a relationship reaches a milestone, it’s time to celebrate. That’s what happened a few months ago when Walla Walla and its sister city Cannara, a small town in central Umbria, celebrated 10 years of friendship with a gift that carries significant meaning. To recognize the signing of the pact of friendship, Cannara sent its sister city a scale...
READ MOREFaithful and pilgrims can visit the tomb of Pope Francis in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore starting from Sunday 27 April, the day after his funeral in the Vatican. The papal basilica, also known as St Mary Major, is located in the Esquilino area of Rome near Termini train station. The church is open every day from 07.00 to 19.00, with last en...
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