The Feast of the Assumption at St. Mary's--During a Bygone Era*
by William Sansalone, historian and
"native of St. Mary's now residing in the Washington, D.C. area"
* By clicking on the link above, you will be taken to our history page, which is identical to this one with the exception of having pictures as well.
Most of St. Mary's founders were immigrants from Europe, and virtually all of their native villages had a patron saint. On that saint's feast day, the pastor celebrated a High Mass, and his parishioners organized a parade to honor "their" saint. Afterward, a public gathering took place featuring music, games, food, and fireworks.
Because St. Mary's of Malaga was named for the Blessed Mother, the Feast of the Assumption became--and has been--the parish's main celebratory event since the church's beginning in 1922. Back then, Mr. Giovanni Di Matteo, one of the parish's founders, was the main organizer of this mid-August feast. These celebrations replicated, in Malaga, the fondly remembered festivals of the Old World.
Parishioners blessed with long years and clear memories can still recall the sight of the statue of the Blessed Mother--festooned with ribbons on which worshipers had pinned dollar bills--being hoisted onto the shoulders of young men for the parade after the High Mass on Sunday morning. They can recall the sound of the Red, White, and Blue Band as it marched behind the statue westward on Dutch Mill Road almost as far as Malaga Lake.
As the young men carrying the statue of the Blessed Mother approached the Malaga Post Offiuce--then situated on the northwest corner of what is now Old Dutch Mill Road and Old Delsea Drive--Mr. Corval Richman, husband of Post Mistress Pearl Richman, descended the post office steps with a crisp dollar bill in his hand (a significant amount then) and pinned it on the statue. This gesture by a non-Catholic was an expression of the regard he had for the faith of his foreign born Catholic neighbors. (Quite a few non-Catholic donors are listed on the Founder's Roll that has hung on the rear wall of the church for the past 87 years.)
After Mr. Richman's gracious gesture, the parade turned left and proceded onto Delsea Drive as far south as the Simms residence or the Bova farm or the Cesare farm (traffic was no problem then) before returning. As the paraders approached the church grounds, they were greeted by the enticing aroma of zeppole (cruller-like fried dough) and other delicacies being readied for the afternoon and evening festivities.
Volunteer barkers urged people to "step right up" and test their strength and skill at knocking over bogus milk bottles with a baseball. The white bottles, made of wood with metal interiors to impart stability, were arranged in a pyramid 30 feet behind a counter. "Three balls for a nickel," the barker cried, "and one of these beautiful prizes is yours!" (The prizes were mainly stuffed animals.)
Young Raynard Infante from New York City, a relative of several area families, impressed local people with his Neapolitan love songs, which he sang from the bandstand that once occupied the area where St. Mary's outdoor shrine now stands. Another favorite amateur singer was Mr. Giuseppe Alvino, one of the church's founders, who rendered "O Sole Mio" with a fervor old-timers still talk about.
After a respite from the mid-day parade, members of the Red, White, and Blue Band took their places on the bandstand and entertained the crowd during the afternoon and evening. The music consisted of popular melodies, including ragtime and patriotic songs, mostly Sousa marches. The band's electrifying "Stars and Stripes Forever" preluded the festival's finale: fireworks.
As band members put their instruments away, firework technicians sent up aerial bombs that exploded high above in a cascade of color. This lured the crowd to the southern edge of the church grounds, where the rectory now stands. From that point, one could see technicians igniting the fireworks mounted on wooden structures on the knoll where the Malaga firehouse is today. Ground-level fireworks, including spinning wheels and "Niagra Falls," alternated with aerial displays depicting patriotic themes such as the Statue of Liberty, the Mayflower, and the American flag.
The fireworks (and the two-day festival) ended at about eleven o'clock Sunday night with detonation of an ear-splitting battery of explosives buried two feet below the ground--enough to destroy a small army. With the acrid smell of explosives still hanging over the church grounds, those who came in their primitive farm trucks and tin lizzies honked their horns in appreciation while others tramped home humming the songs the Red, White and Blue Band had played.
by William Sansalone, historian and
"native of St. Mary's now residing in the Washington, D.C. area"
* By clicking on the link above, you will be taken to our history page, which is identical to this one with the exception of having pictures as well.
Most of St. Mary's founders were immigrants from Europe, and virtually all of their native villages had a patron saint. On that saint's feast day, the pastor celebrated a High Mass, and his parishioners organized a parade to honor "their" saint. Afterward, a public gathering took place featuring music, games, food, and fireworks.
Because St. Mary's of Malaga was named for the Blessed Mother, the Feast of the Assumption became--and has been--the parish's main celebratory event since the church's beginning in 1922. Back then, Mr. Giovanni Di Matteo, one of the parish's founders, was the main organizer of this mid-August feast. These celebrations replicated, in Malaga, the fondly remembered festivals of the Old World.
Parishioners blessed with long years and clear memories can still recall the sight of the statue of the Blessed Mother--festooned with ribbons on which worshipers had pinned dollar bills--being hoisted onto the shoulders of young men for the parade after the High Mass on Sunday morning. They can recall the sound of the Red, White, and Blue Band as it marched behind the statue westward on Dutch Mill Road almost as far as Malaga Lake.
As the young men carrying the statue of the Blessed Mother approached the Malaga Post Offiuce--then situated on the northwest corner of what is now Old Dutch Mill Road and Old Delsea Drive--Mr. Corval Richman, husband of Post Mistress Pearl Richman, descended the post office steps with a crisp dollar bill in his hand (a significant amount then) and pinned it on the statue. This gesture by a non-Catholic was an expression of the regard he had for the faith of his foreign born Catholic neighbors. (Quite a few non-Catholic donors are listed on the Founder's Roll that has hung on the rear wall of the church for the past 87 years.)
After Mr. Richman's gracious gesture, the parade turned left and proceded onto Delsea Drive as far south as the Simms residence or the Bova farm or the Cesare farm (traffic was no problem then) before returning. As the paraders approached the church grounds, they were greeted by the enticing aroma of zeppole (cruller-like fried dough) and other delicacies being readied for the afternoon and evening festivities.
Volunteer barkers urged people to "step right up" and test their strength and skill at knocking over bogus milk bottles with a baseball. The white bottles, made of wood with metal interiors to impart stability, were arranged in a pyramid 30 feet behind a counter. "Three balls for a nickel," the barker cried, "and one of these beautiful prizes is yours!" (The prizes were mainly stuffed animals.)
Young Raynard Infante from New York City, a relative of several area families, impressed local people with his Neapolitan love songs, which he sang from the bandstand that once occupied the area where St. Mary's outdoor shrine now stands. Another favorite amateur singer was Mr. Giuseppe Alvino, one of the church's founders, who rendered "O Sole Mio" with a fervor old-timers still talk about.
After a respite from the mid-day parade, members of the Red, White, and Blue Band took their places on the bandstand and entertained the crowd during the afternoon and evening. The music consisted of popular melodies, including ragtime and patriotic songs, mostly Sousa marches. The band's electrifying "Stars and Stripes Forever" preluded the festival's finale: fireworks.
As band members put their instruments away, firework technicians sent up aerial bombs that exploded high above in a cascade of color. This lured the crowd to the southern edge of the church grounds, where the rectory now stands. From that point, one could see technicians igniting the fireworks mounted on wooden structures on the knoll where the Malaga firehouse is today. Ground-level fireworks, including spinning wheels and "Niagra Falls," alternated with aerial displays depicting patriotic themes such as the Statue of Liberty, the Mayflower, and the American flag.
The fireworks (and the two-day festival) ended at about eleven o'clock Sunday night with detonation of an ear-splitting battery of explosives buried two feet below the ground--enough to destroy a small army. With the acrid smell of explosives still hanging over the church grounds, those who came in their primitive farm trucks and tin lizzies honked their horns in appreciation while others tramped home humming the songs the Red, White and Blue Band had played.