Page 6 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2026 BASILICA | FROM Page 5 Saint Anthony’s small basement church necessitated the building of a new church, one larger and more spacious. Father Rovai embarked upon a program to construct a new church large enough to accommodate a parish population, which by 1920 was made up of 10,000 parishioners. In the fall of 192 Father Rovai entered into discussions with the Mayor and City Council of the City of Revere to acquire City owned land on Revere Street to build the new Saint Anthony’s Church. On November 19, 192 the City of Revere approved the sale of a parcel of land on Revere Street, to be conveyed to Saint Anthony’s Parish for the sum of twelvethousand dollars in 192 dolSummer is Here! Established 1978 Mid-grade Regular 3.83 4.35 4.87 $4.47 Full Service ULS $3.739 Order online at angelosoil.com Kerosene Now Available! lars (equivalent to two-hundred and twenty-two thousand in 2026 dollars.) Upon the purchase of the land for the new church and with thirty-eight thousand in 192 dollars raised from Saint Anthony’s parishioners (equivalent to nearly seven-hundred and twentythousand in 2026 dollars) Father Rovai commissioned architect Edward Graham to design plans for the construction of the new church which Father Rovai stipulated be in the Italian Tuscan style reminiscent of the style of churches in Toscana, Italy. Mr. Graham estimated that the construction cost of the new church would be one hundred thousand in 192 dollars (equivalent to nearly two million 2026 dollars.) Before construction of the new church could proceed Father Rovai fi rst had to secure permission from the then Archbishop of Boston, William Cardinal O’Connell. The Cardinal advised Father Rovai in 192 that the Archdiocese of Boston could not give permission for the construction of the new church that would cost one hundred thousand dollars until “ a goodly sum of money was on hand.” On August 16,192 Father Rovai again wrote to the Cardinal stating, “in less than one year the parishioners of Saint Anthony’s parish had contributed fiftyone thousand in 192 dollars (equivalent to nearly one million dollars in 2026 dollars) for the new church, and the raising of this huge sum had meant untold hardships for his parishioners who are poor people.” After a few months of deliberation the Cardinal granted permission to begin the construction of the new church on November 2, 192. Finally, in 1925, the ground was consecrated and the foundation was laid for the new church of Saint Anthony of Padua, or as Cardinal O’Connell often referred to it in 1925 as, “ The Basilica on Revere Street.” On June 6,1926 with more than two thousand people in attendance, Father Rovai celebrated the dedication of, “The Basilica on Revere Street” as well as the silver jubilee of his ordination into the priesthood. The exterior of the church was completed at a cost of fi ve hundred thousand in 1926 dollars (equivalent to nine million fi ve-hundred thousand in 2026 dollars) far over the architect’s original estimate of one hundred thousand dollars. Encumbered by a huge debt in excess of four hundred thousand dollars in 1926 (equivalent to seven million fi ve-hundred thousand dollars in 2026 dollars) Father Rovai halted the completion of the interior of the church until the debt could be liquidated. Unfortunately, the Great Depression of 1929 brought such severe fi - nancial hardships that the parishioners of Saint Anthony’s church could no longer aff ord to give the generous donations that in the past had sustained the construction eff ort. Father Rovai would struggle hard in the coming years to try to chip away at the enormous debt, but would never see the easing of the parish’s fi nancial woes. Though the parish was in serious debt during the 190’s hope seemed to be just over the horizon, when Father Rovai, the beloved pastor whose dream made Saint Anthony’s church a reality, died on August 21,19 after having served his parish for thirty-three years. On October , 19, Father Guido L. Pallotta was appointed as Administrator of Saint Anthony’s Parish, the largest Italian Catholic parish in Massachusetts. Father Pallotta immediately undertook the awesome task of liquidating the substantial debt that had been consolidated by Cardinal O’Connell, from four hundred thousand dollars to one hundred thousand dollars. In addition to Father Pallotta’s debt liquidation eff orts, Father Pallotta undertook the restoration and completion of the church interior, which by that time, had not been completed for nearly twenty years. In 19 Father Pallotta commissioned Architect, John Guarino to serve as church architectural renovator. In addition Father Pallotta retained Charles H. Pizzano an amazing sculptor to serve as church ecclesiastical sculptor. It was Mr. Pizzano, often referred to as the Michelangelo of Saint Anthony’s, who created most of the hand carved beautiful life-sized wooden statues and artwork that adorns the interior of the church to this day. (Mr. Pizzano’s father was the the contractor who built the original red brick church in 1905.) The beautiful interior of Saint Anthony’s Church is a lasting monument to the artistic collaboration eff orts of Father Pallotta, John Guarino, Charles Pizzano and Carmine Carbone, who was responsible for church murals. In July of 1951 Father PallotBasilica | SEE Page 7 The World’s First Hearing Aids With Touchscreen Controls. No tiny buttons. No apps. No prescriptions. Call 844-497-3476 to get your 45-day risk free trial. Revolutionary technology with touchscreen control. Hearing modes for any environment. Multiple models to choose from. Portable charging case. 48-hour battery life. UV cleaning. Background noise cancellation. 45-day risk free trial. Atom X FLEET CARD Check Out Our LOW PRICES!
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