Holy Rosary Church celebrates 113^th Italian Festival in Downtown JC

By Sally Deering

August nights are a time to celebrate when La Festa Italiana, the Old World Italian Street Festival hosted by Holy Rosary Church turns Historic Downtown Jersey City into five summer nights of music, dancing, food and fun!

La Festa Italiana 2016 begins Wed, Aug. 10, and continues through Sun, Aug. 14, on Sixth & Brunswick Streets. On these five summer nights, the neighborhood surrounding Holy Rosary Church will come alive with rocking dance music, games of chance, kids†activities, and a wide-array of delicious foods and libations. La Festa Italiana runs from 5 pm-11 pm Wednesday-to-Friday, and 3 pm-11 pm Saturday & Sunday. The last night (Sunday) at 11 pm, the “Super 50/50” Raffle winner will be chosen. Last yearâ€s ticket-holder won over $10,200.

La Festa Italiana honors the veneration of Maria SS. Dellâ€Assunta & San Rocco, and offers the Downtown community the opportunity to party with its neighbors. This yearâ€s La Festa Italiana features live bands, fun for the kids, food and souvenir vendors and Italian delicacies made by Holy Rosary Church parishioners like Fresh Hot Zeppoles, lemony Limoncello and “Our Famous Rice Balls”.

Founded in 1885, Holy Rosary Church is the first Italian Roman Catholic Parish in New Jersey. Pastor of Holy Rosary Church, the Rev. Jerzy (Jurek) Zaslona says La Festa Italiana pays tribute to the churchâ€s 131-year history and strengthens community ties.

“I thoroughly enjoy this five-night feast,” Rev. Zaslona says.  “As a church, we are here to serve the people of Jersey City and La Festa Italiana gives us the opportunity to become a more integrated community.”

La Festa Italiana 2016 has a 5-star line-up of music performed by live bands and music groups, featuring

Wed, Aug 10:               CRAZY 80â€s

Thurs, Aug 11:     LTZ (Less Than Zero)

Fri, Aug 12:                 Matt Colligan & Friends

   Mike Buscio Acoustic (Caffe Italiano)

Sat, Aug 13:     The Cameos

    Party of Five Acapella (Caffe Italiano)                  

   

   

Sun, Aug 14:                Total Soul

 Every night of the festival, on 6^th & Brunswick St., DJ Dan of Blueline Productions will keep the party dancing!

Our sponsors for La Festa Italiana 2016 include Brunswick Center, Tony Ferrara & Associates of Jersey City, Grillo for Council-Nicholas J. Grillo 2017, Dr. Michele J. Dimaira, DMD, MS, PA, Catholic Cemeteries, Panepinto Properties, Commonwealth/Fleetwood, Monteleoneâ€s Bakery, Sorrentino Electric, and Yelp.

This year, La Festa Italiana 2016 will be a “Foodieâ€s Paradise” with vendors like Mayon Grillâ€s Filipino BBQ, Pure ‘n†Simple Flatbreads†coal-fired brick oven pizzas, the Angry Crab food truck serving crab cakes and lobster rolls; and Liege (Belgian) Waffles which will also serve crepes with lots of topping choices, and they have a gluten-free crepe, too. And thereâ€s more, like mouth-watering Italian sausage sandwiches, Greek specialties, and delicious desserts including hand-made cannolis at Caffe Italiano in Holy Rosaryâ€s backyard.

Lots of returning, local food vendors, too, like Gia’s Gelato & Café in Jersey City, which will be selling 26 flavors of Gelato like “Kitty Kitty Bang Bang”, vanilla gelato with Oreo cookies, raspberries and white chocolate. Owners Angela Ratliff and Deb Brackett agree La Festa Italiana has been great for business and offers many opportunities to meet people who eventually become regulars.

“It allows us to be part of the community and reach out to a large number of potential customers,” Brackett says. “When we sell Gelato at La Festa, we talk to so many customers who become aware of all we sell at Giaâ€s down the street.”

Lunaâ€s Bowtique will sell hair products like bows and headbands, and be sure to visit the Radical Wellness tent, where you can purchase essential oils, teas, and energy-therapy products.

“Weâ€ll be bringing a lot of new blends, teas, oils, and energy balancing bracelets, which were a big hit last year,” owner Jimmy Benito says. “At La Festa, we meet a lot of new people and build relationships with them.”

This is the 8^th year Jason Gitlin, owner of Delenioâ€s will be selling his delicious Brooklyn-style pizzas (thin crust) with fresh homemade Mozzarella, meatball sliders, clams and mussels.

“La Festa is a good experience and a great way to make new friends,” Gitlin says. “The people at Holy Rosary are really good people. I have a photograph from 1921 in my restaurant. Itâ€s the same festival. All the people and police are lined up on 6^th Street. La Festa is a long-running tradition thatâ€s great for the neighborhood.”

Lucky Honey Bee is a full-range of natural bee products that will again be sold at this yearâ€s La Festa Italiana. Other ‘stars†of the festival are the Hourly 50/50s, and the popular Money Wheel.

On Sat, Aug. 13, church parishioners who are Ferris High School alumni can meet at the Parish Center for the 7^th annual Ferris High School Reunion & Caffe Italiano, where Michael Buscio Acoustic and Party of Five Doo Wop will be entertaining. Both Buscio and Party of Fiveâ€s Joe Calamito are sons of Holy Rosary Church.

Religious traditions are another important highlight of La Festa Italiana 2016.

A Novena will be celebrated for nine days from August 6-14, in veneration to Our Lady of Assumption.

On Mon., Aug. 15, at 11 am, the Assumption Feast Day Mass, in veneration to Maria SS. Dell’Assunta will be celebrated. At this Mass, we will celebrate the memory of Most Rev. Thomas A. Donato, a son and dear friend of Holy Rosary Church. The Most Rev. John W. Flesey, a long-time friend of Bishop Donato is the Celebrant.

On Tues., Aug 16, at 11 am, the St. Rocco Feast Day Mass will be celebrated.

La Festa Italiana is Holy Rosary Churchâ€s special way of saying thank you to its parishioners and neighbors, as it celebrates 131 years of serving the spiritual needs of its parish and the Historic Downtown Jersey City community. For many years, La Festa Italiana has been the churchâ€s biggest fundraiser for the restoration and upkeep of the church. During La Festa Italiana 2016, the church will be open for visitors to see up close the magnificent beauty that is Holy Rosary Church. Visitors are also welcome to donate a 7-day Memorial Candle in memory of a loved-one.

“Traditions and customs define us as a community,” Rev. Zaslona says. “As a country we have traditions and customs that are recognized and embraced by those who come here; the same with our traditions as a church.  People like to become part of established traditions, therefore, it is important to cultivate and cherish these traditions for generations to come.”

If you go

Wed, Thurs, Fri, Aug. 10, 11, 12 from 5 pm-11 pm

Sat & Sun, Aug. 13 & 14, 3 pm-11 pm

La Festa Italiana 2016

Sixth & Brunswick Streets, JC

(201) 795-0120

www.lafestaitalianajc.com

www.Facebook.com/lafestaitalianajc

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Former  Parishoners of Downtown Jersey City’s Oldest Parish Come back in Record numbers  for this years La Festa Italiana

August 11 to August 15th Holy Rosary Church located on 6th Street between Monmouth and Brunswick Street in Downtown Jersey City held itâ€s annual La Festa Italiana.
The following are images from the five day event which is celebrated each year in August.
What made this years street festival special was Holy Rosaryâ€s upcoming Anniversary of 125 years as a downtown, Jersey City Parish.
Over the yearâ€s the feast has become a meeting place for old
friends, class mates, and neighbors who have since moved away and come back to attend the feast.





See more feast photos

 
Old Friends Tom DAlessandro and Vincent Fano meet after many years at the August 14th Ferris High School Reunion night at La Festa Italiana

All Photos by Newsboi

 

Former Downtown, Jersey City resident Patricia Rettig  enjoys a Sausage, Peppers and Onion sandwich at La Festa Italiana

more photos to come

The post Holy Rosary Feast Brings Out Large Crowds Last Week first appeared on River View Observer.

Tradition…a concept that is certainly not unique to the Italian and Italian American culture, but which is almost universally mentioned when telling the story of those who are of Italian heritage.  Nevertheless, one is tempted to wonder if the paesani who immigrated to the United States from Morrone del Sannio, Campobasso (Region of Molise), Italy, in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and who settled in the ethnic enclave that would become a vibrant “Little Italy” in downtown Jersey City, could have foreseen that their grandchildren and great grandchildren would, more than a century later, still be carrying on one of their grandest traditions.  Probably not!  Yet, that is exactly what is happening, as the third and fourth generation members of the Maria S.S. Dell’Assunta Society, founded by their Morronese ancestors in 1902, are now preparing for the 98th annual Feast of the Assumption, at Holy Rosary Church in historic downtown Jersey City. 

La Festa Italiana, which now encompasses the feast of St. Rocco, in addition to the Assumption feast of old, includes both elements of the traditional Italian feast, combining spirituality with the typical Italian street festival.  The religious celebration begins with a Novena in honor of Our Lady of the Assumption (Thursday, August 6th, to Friday, August 14th, at 7:00 p.m., with a candlelight procession through the streets of downtown Jersey City on la vigilia di festa August 14th) and culminates in the Assumption Feast Day Mass, to be celebrated by Most Rev. Thomas A. Donato, Aux. Bishop of Newark and Regional Bishop for Hudson County (11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 15th), and the St. Rocco Feast Day Mass, to be celebrated by Most Rev. Dominic A. Marconi, Ret. Aux. Bishop of Newark (11:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 16th). 

The old-world style street festival will include deliziosi Italian food, full service bar, outdoor cafe, rides, games, and live entertainment.  A highlight for many is the wine and peaches stand, proudly called “A Taste of Campobasso”, which is still operated by the Society and staffed by the descendants of its original founders, including the popular “Wine Girls”, who will be happy to serve you some of the best wine and peaches around! 

YOU’RE INVITED TO JOIN US!  On August 15th at 9:00 p.m., in front of the Campobasso wine stand, a special “toast” will be offered to honor all feast workers and Society members (including the memory of those who are no longer with us) who have worked hard to preserve Italian culture and the beautiful traditions that our ancestors carried with them from the old country.  Don’t forget to wear your feast shirts, as we gather together for this unique display of unity, love, and respect!  The festival will take place on 6th Street, between Brunswick and Monmouth Streets, in the Downtown section of Jersey City, and will run from Wednesday, August 12th, through Sunday, August 16th, 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m..  For more details, call 201-795-0120 Ext. 103, or Carmine Colasurdo at 201-966-7745.  Buona Festa a Tutti

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