Fall feast days celebrated across the Archdiocese of Newark
As the leaves changed and summer turned to fall, churches around the Archdiocese of Newark celebrated a number of notable feast days. Some were popular feasts known across the global Church, some were for saints more closely tied to specific parishes, and other celebrations were unique to the region and the Catholics who settled there.
One thing these feast days all held in common was the joy of the people who participated. Scroll below to see how some parishes celebrated their feast days from late August to early November.
Feast of Saint Bartholomew, the Apostle – Aug. 24
The Church celebrates St. Bartholomew, one of the 12 apostles, on Aug. 24. Nothing is known for sure about the life of Bartholomew after the Ascension of Jesus, but tradition holds that he preached in the East and died a martyr’s death in Armenia.
One parish in the Archdiocese of Newark is named after him: St. Bartholomew the Apostle in Scotch Plains.
Feast of Saint Sebastian – Aug. 26
The Feast of St. Sebastian is celebrated by the Church on Jan. 20, but Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Montclair celebrated the saint during its Italian Festival in late August this year.
Saint Sebastian was a third century Roman officer who was charged as a Christian and sentenced to death. He famously survived being shot with arrows, returned to preach to Emperor Diocletian, and was then martyred.
Feast of Madonna Dei Martiri – Sept. 8
The Feast of Madonna Dei Martiri is traditionally held on Sept. 8, the Universal Feast of the Nativity of Mary. The first celebration dates back to 1399 in Molfetta, with Italian immigrants bringing the celebration to Hoboken 96 years ago. The procession of Madonna Dei Martiri began at St. Francis Church, traveled to the Hudson River for the “Blessing of the Fleet,” and concluded with fireworks over Sinatra Park.
According to the Hoboken festival website, Crusaders were returning to the port town of Molfetta in 1188 when they discovered the Icon of the Madonna floating on the water. They gifted the icon to the Hospice in Molfetta, which served those wounded and dying from crusades in the Holy Land. Those who died were known as Martyrs of the Faith.
Feast of Maria Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows) – Sept. 15
Italian immigrants brought the celebration of Maria SS. Addolorata, Our Lady of Sorrows, from Bari, Italy to Brooklyn in 1948. For the last 30 years, this feast day celebration has also taken place in Nutley as part of the township’s Italian Festival every September.
Feast of Saint Padre Pio – Sept. 23
Padre Pio, among the most popular saints, is celebrated by the Church on Sept. 23 – his death date. The Capuchin friar, famous for his fervent prayer and patient suffering of the Stigmata, died in 1968 and was canonized in 2002.
Saint Pio’s relics are currently on a global tour and made a stop at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.
Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian – Sept. 26
Saints Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers and physicians who lived in third-century Arabia, renowned for their skills and for their refusal to charge for their services. They were martyred for their faith in 287 A.D.
The celebration of Saints Cosmas and Damian was brought to the U.S. in 1926 by Italian immigrants from Gaeta.
Feast of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (Little Flower of Jesus) – Oct. 1
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, known simply as the Little Flower, is known widely in the Catholic Church for her little ways of loving God and her neighbors. She died from tuberculosis at the age of 24 in 1897 and was canonized in 1925. Her feast on Oct. 1 is the day after her death date.
Four churches in the Archdiocese of Newark are named after her: Church of the Little Flower (Berkeley Heights), St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (Linden), St. Theresa (Kenilworth), and St. Therese of Lisieux (Cresskill).
Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi – Oct. 4
The Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi in early October is a widely celebrated date in the Church calendar, due to St. Francis’ fame, widespread influence, and association with animals and the environment. A number of churches in the Archdiocese of Newark hold the Blessing of the Animals around his feast day.
Archdiocesan parishes in Hackensack, Hoboken, and Ridgefield Park are all named after Saint Francis of Assisi.
Feast of Saint Teresa of Ávila – Oct. 15
Saint Teresa of Ávila was a Spanish Carmelite nun and one of only three women in history to be named a Doctor of the Church. A patron saint of Spain, she founded the Order of Discalced Carmelites and was known for a life of prayer that enriched the Church during the 16th century counter-reformation.
One parish in the Archdiocese of Newark is named after her: St. Teresa of Avila in Summit.
Feast of Saint Gerard – Oct. 16
Saint Gerard Majella was an 18th century Italian lay brother who joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1749, only 17 years after the Congregation’s founding. He was known in his lifetime for bearing false accusation with patience and humility and is now renowned as the patron saint of mothers, motherhood, and childbirth.
The popularity of his feast day celebration at St. Lucy’s in Newark led to the church being named as the National Shrine of Saint Gerard in 1977.
Feast of All Saints – Nov. 1
The Solemnity of All Saints, or All Saints’ Day, is a Holy Day of Obligation celebrated on Nov. 1 to honor all the saints, both known and unknown.
Origins date to the earliest centuries of the Church, but the current feast day draws from Pope Gregory III (731-741), who consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of Saint Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for Nov. 1. A century later, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration to the entire Church.
Churches in the Archdiocese held Mass and a number of Catholic schools celebrated with students dressing up as saints (more pictures of Catholic schools celebrating All Saints’ Day can be viewed here).
Pictures of feast days are courtesy of the parishes of the Archdiocese of Newark. Any professional photography displayed is the property of the attributed parish.
