THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, September 1, 2023 Page 7 ~ Malden Musings ~ Saint Rocco 2023 Edition By Peter Levine R amblings and picked up pieces while delighting in my 56th year at the San Rock Festa...What fun we had three weeks ago at the 93rd Annual Feast of Saint Rock! Pearl Street was rocking — bursting at the seams with San Rock Pilgrims longing to sample the homemade Italian food, bust a move to the fab musical lineup and eager to share with friends and family alike the aches, pains and illnesses they’ve endured since the last time they met (oh vey!). Insert smiley face. The Feast (don’t call it a Festival!) has been around for 93 years. We are lucky to have had at least two locals at this year’s Feast that have been around for each and every single one of them. I had my picture taken with 95-year-young Nick “Handsome Nick” Angelo on Sunday followed by a great Kodak Moment with Jimmy Carducci’s mom, Esther, who at 98-years-young is still hosting family and friends in her backyard, making sure the fried dough is not overcooked. Looking over the multitude on the jam-packed Saturday night (WildFire kicked out the jams, bigly!), I saw many faces that I did not recognize. Truth be told, that brings much joy to the hearts and minds of those running the Feast. The Feast has always been inclusive, never exclusive. I also saw many familiar faces. It’s like that on San Rock weekend; you may not live in the neighborhood any longer but your heart lives on forever on that lyric little neighborhood we call Edgeworth. Growing up in Edgeworth, we set our summer social calendar around the Feast, realizing that there’s one more shivoo before the dreaded school year starts. When we were young, we never paid attention to how the Feast was organized or how it was structured. The Feast just happened. On that second weekend in August, the food stands were just set up, the music just played on, the Grease Pole was planted and the pretty neighborhood girls just appeared — every year. I certainly pay attention these days since I am on the committee. So many components to running this thing of ours. Who knew?! With that said I bring to you this article from the Malden Evening News in 1974. Pay attention to the names. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. You’ll notice familiar last names from almost 50 years ago. Many of the same names that helped organize the very fi rst Feasts; many of the same names that still have a hand in the Feast in 2023. The San Rock Feast (not a Festival!) was lovingly handed down, generation to generation: “Large Crowds Expected for Saint Rocco Fete” Large crowds are expected all weekend for the three-day St. Rocco Festival (Feast!) that starts tonight with an Italian child star as the featured performer. Guglielmo Villaggio, 10, will open the festivities tonight with the Midnighters musical group. Villaggio, who has already reached star status in Italy, will appear on the Lawrence Welk Show in the fall. A “Cavalcade of Stars” is planned Saturday featuring six entertainers and Angelo Picardi, an internationally known singer, will return Sunday. All performances are scheduled from 8-11 p.m. They will be given outdoors on Pearl St. near Saint Peter’s Church, which is a holding the festival (Feast!). The highlight of the festival (Feast!) will be the annual procession Sunday afternoon of the statue of Saint Rocco which this year will feature two drum and bugle corps. The event has been a tradition for almost 50 years in the predominantly Italian parish in honor of its patron saint. Born to French nobility, St. Rocco later renounced his wealth and worked among the poor in Italy. Many miracles on their behalf have been attributed to him. One St. Peter’s parishioner, fl ying through heavy fl ack on a bombing raid over Germany in World War 2, reports of closing his eyes and praying to St. Rocco to get him through safely and he says he arrived unscathed over his target. The festival (Feast!) was started by the late Rocco Candalora and Donato DeScipio was chairman of the event for more than 20 years before he was forced to give it up two years ago (1972) because of illness. John Puleo is the current chairman and the Rev. Joseph MUSINGS| SEE PAGE 16 Pictured from left to right: Rylee Walker, Gianna Spadafora, Carmella Spadafora, Kaylee Sullivan.
8 Publizr Home