One of the most important holidays for many Italian and Italian American Catholics is The Feast of St. Joseph or La Festa di San Giuseppe. St. Joseph, earth-father of Jesus, is the patron saint of the Universal Church, carpenters, orphans, the needy, and the homeless, among others. The day has always been celebrated on March 19^th, but this year because the date is during Holy Week, the Vatican has changed the day of The Feast of St. Joseph to March 15^th.

 The holiday is especially prevalent in Sicily, where St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of the island. During the Middle Ages, a great drought almost caused a famine, but prayers to St. Joseph brought rain. In gratitude, a feast was held in the piazza for all the townspeople to share. Over the years, the symbolism of the feast was transformed to the altar of churches and then to altars or tables in homes, with food prepared to feed the needy.

Today, many churches, Italian organizations, restaurants, and private homes “give” a St. Joseph’s Table. The altar is usually three levels, signifying The Holy Trinity. The top level typically holds a statue of St. Joseph, sometimes surrounded by flowers. The other levels may have candles, flowers, figurines, prayer cards, breads in various shapes, and traditionally oranges and lucky fava beans. The beans are lucky because they thrived during the drought. Then there is the food – soup, pasta, seafood, sometimes meat, salads, all types of raw and cooked vegetables, fruit, and an assortment of desserts.

 Some altars are quite elaborate with large statues under flowered trellises, fountains, and banners declaring “Viva San Giuseppe.” Others can be quite small, tucked into the corner of the dining room, but adorned with a lace cloth, a statue of St. Joseph, and the traditional accompaniments on a smaller scale. It’s customary to have a priest bless the table, which assures that prayers to St. Joseph will be answered. The food may be auctioned off, or a fee is charged, or some just pay what they can. All proceeds and any remaining food is donated to charities.

 More about St. Joseph

 On St. Joseph’s Day every year another event occurs – the return of the swallows to Mission San Juan Capistrano in California. The mission was founded in 1776 and named for the Franciscan Saint, Giovanni da Capestrano, who took his name from his hometown. The town of Capestrano in Italy is located in the province of L’Aquila in the region of Abruzzi. Abruzzi is a relatively new region, established in 1963. Before then it was part of Abruzzo-Molise. Capestrano is an ancient hill town located about 70 miles southeast of Rome.

 The tradition of the swallows returning to Capistrano is said to be centuries old, but several legends endure. Among them is the story that the returning swallows were being chased away by a merchant in the newly formed town, and a Franciscan priest invited the swallows to the Mission. While no one may know exactly the reason why the swallows return to Capistrano, the celebrations are numerous with “the traditional bell ringing, pageantry, live entertainment, ethnic foods, and cultural merchants all to mark the return of those famous birds to Capistrano.”

 Swallows on a Mission

 Map of Italy and Capestrano

 Pictures of Capestrano

 Several months ago, while researching an article about pizza, I visited a blog, Sunday Sauce. Almost anyone who is Italian will automatically relate to the name of this blog. Sunday sauce was certainly a tradition in my home. I remember a large oval pot filled with tomato sauce (which we called gravy), braciole, sausages, meatballs, and pieces of pork. It simmered for hours and was so worth the wait.

 While the name of the blog caught my attention, it was the article about the “world’s greatest pizzeria” that made me stay. The descriptions of the food and the food and restaurant reviews are very informative, and those incredible pictures are guaranteed to make you hungry! Visit Sunday Sauce, and be sure to sign up for the blog feed.

 Oh, and visit to read the fantastic review of Con Amore, which starts with, “A breath-taking oceanfront setting, a romantic refurbished inn, delicious Italian recipes, the history of Italy’s foods and...sexy Italian men. Sounds like a dream novel for your typical (female) fan of Italian food, doesn’t it? This is the setting of Con Amore” … Go to Sunday Sauce to read the rest.

 Another Web site to visit is Thirty-One Days of Italians which promotes Italian American Heritage Month by honoring, each day in October, an Italian or Italian American who has significantly contributed to America. In the Literary section (scroll down), four names have been added – Helen Barolini, John Ciardi, Pietro di Donato, and Daniela Gioseffi. Much has been said about the importance of reading the works of Italian American authors to preserve our heritage and culture. This year, another vote will take place to elect 14 to join the honorary members who have significantly contributed to America.

 The Web site is also easier to navigate. The categories under Contributing to America have been divided into separate pages. Right now, a few are still grouped together, but eventually each category will be on a separate page. In the next few months, articles about the history of Italian immigrants and their lives in America will also be added.

 Promoting Italian heritage can be a full time job, and as many of you know, I spend quite a lot of time on it. Last year, NIAF awarded me a grant, and the Italian Historical Society of America has been extremely supportive. Each month, I contribute an article to La Gazzetta Italiana, the Italian American newspaper; and the magazine, In Buona Salute, publicized Thirty-One Days of Italians in its inaugural issue, and features Con Amore in the current issue. Online, many Italian Web sites have promoted Thirty-One Days of Italians, and The Italian American Press and ItaliaUSA.com have been most helpful. You may notice their logos with links throughout the Thirty-One Days of Italians Web site.

 While Italian America Heritage Month is celebrated in October, it must be officially proclaimed each year by the president. Some states have made it official, but the federal government does not officially recognize it. A search for “Italian American Heritage Month” or “National Italian American Heritage Month” at The White House Web site returns with “No results were found for your search.” Our heritage is at stake, and we are especially vulnerable because National Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15^th to October 15^th. Search for “National Hispanic Heritage Month” at the White House Web site and see the results.

 If you or your organization support my work, please consider becoming a sponsor. Several sponsorship levels are available, and in return your organization or Web site logo with link will be placed on the Thirty-One Days of Italians Web site. For individuals, consider becoming a sponsor to help preserve Italian heritage for your children or grandchildren, or in memory of your immigrant parents or grandparents. A separate sponsor page for individuals and families can include the names of those you honor. It is important that my work continues and Thirty-One Days of Italians becomes a nationwide event.

 In keeping with the Italian theme, I’m also revamping my jtmancuso Web site. This month is the ten-year anniversary of that Web site, and I’ll be adding some new features – a few pages of basic Italian cooking techniques and reviews of Italian books. I’ll also be expanding the Italian-related links pages and will be adding some feature articles about all things Italian.