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At the foot of the Alps, the tiny region of Valle d’Aosta is home to eleven mountain shrines, sanctuaries and hermitages. These small chapels are testament to centuries old Catholic practices based upon the local folk traditions. Penitent souls have made processions to these isolated locations for generations to give thanks for their prayers being...

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Renée Anne Louprette, internationally acclaimed concert organist, will present an organ recital as part of the annual San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy. Erben Organ Days 2019 is a series of concerts and events highlighting our historic 1868 Henry Erben Organ. Ms. Louprette will be playing both the 1868 Henry Erben and the 1859 Hall & Labagh orga...

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In a renewal of the venerable tradition of Sicilian faithful from the town of Sciacca, hundreds of Italian-American Catholics gathered in Norristown Sunday, Aug. 18 for the 115th annual feast in honor of la Madonna Santissima del Soccorso di Sciacca (supported by the M.S.S. Society). After Mass celebrated by Msgr. John C. Marine and other clergy at...

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The Madonna Bianca festival in Portovenere, Italy happens every year on Aug. 17, and it’s an evening of beauty, light, and music in honor of the village’s patron saint. But what exactly is this ceremony, and why has it endured for hundreds of years? The answer lies deep in Italian culture and Roman Catholic faith. The story of Madonna Bianca begins...

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It goes without saying that 100 years of service is an impressive feat for any business or organization, no matter how big or small. 100 years of service implies a century full of honesty, communal respect, and dignified professionalism; and in the funeral home profession, these qualities are the pillars on which it stands. Coxe and Graziano Funera...

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“It was very obvious right from the beginning that these thousands of records were seeing a lot of use and being handled every single day. We were seeing broken bindings, fading ink, pages that were dried and flaking apart,” said Lester, a layperson with degrees in both history and archive management. “So I realized something had to be done soon.”...

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Italian culture and cuisine will be celebrated Aug. 9 to 11 at the San Rocco Festa in Center Township Municipal Park. The 94th annual festival, named for the patron saint of Patrica, Italy, serves as a homecoming for many former Beaver Valley residents. The Festa opens each day at 5:30 p.m., serving up homemade Italian food along with more traditio...

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The 115th celebration of the MSS Feast, held on Sunday August 18 at Holy Savior Church will show yet again the very close connection of Norristown to the city of Sciacca in Sicily. The MSS Feast, which is highlighted by the traditional street procession through the east end of Norristown, with 25 people carrying a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary,...

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The New Kensington church basement is filled with the sounds of people talking and laughing and working. There is flour on the floor. There’s more on the hands and aprons of those who have gathered in the heat of a summer July morning. They are here baking homemade cookies for the Mount Saint Peter Parish’s 38th annual Festa Italiana. This three-da...

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The pews of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Williamsburg were packed July 16 as Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio celebrated a bilingual Mass honoring the parish feast day in English and Italian. “Today is a day that those devotees of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are really, very happy,” Bishop DiMarzio said. “It’s her feast day. It’s a day that they show th...

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