Saints Anthony & Rocco history

Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish was formed in July of 2010, the combination of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish and Saint Rocco Parish, both founded in Dunmore, Pennsylvania over 100 years ago. 

HISTORY OF ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA PARISH

The first thirty families of Italian immigrants in Dunmore settled in the areas known as Bunker Hill and Sport Hill. In 1891 this Italian faith community was officially recognized as St. Anthony of Padua Parish. The first baptism in the new parish was that of Ann Morelli, daughter of Salvatore and Pasqualina Barbario Morelli, on November 20, 1891. For a few years, the parish gathered for Mass in a hall and was served by various priests from St. Peter’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s Church in Dunmore.

However, the original group was soon augmented by others from the provinces of Avellino, Calabria, San Cataldo, Abruzzi, Perugia, and the cities of Naples and Calitro, so that by 1894 the number of families had grown to 250 and was steadily increasing. In that year, the construction of a parish church for the Italian community began, on land on Smith Street that was donated by the Spencer Coal Company.

The church was dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, and Rev. Domenico Landro was appointed its first official pastor. He served the parish from 1894 to 1900 and was succeeded by Rev. Giuseppe Angeletti, who oversaw the building of the rectory and became the first resident pastor. He was followed by Rev. Giuseppe De Monte, who remained at St. Anthony’s for two years, until 1906. Rev. Francis Valverde was appointed pastor in 1906 and remained at St. Anthony’s for 22 years, during which time the parish increased in size and devotion.

In 1928, Msgr. William A. Crotti became the fifth pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish. Msgr. Crotti had been the assistant pastor at St. Anthony’s from the time of his ordination in 1925, and, with the exception of 18 months as pastor of a Carbondale parish, his appointment and subsequent tenure at the parish until his retirement in 1973 meant that virtually his entire priestly career was dedicated to the service of St. Anthony’s Parish.

In 1940, the Sisters of the Maestre Pie Filippini Order founded a convent at St. Anthony’s, where they taught religion, music, Italian, dramatics, domestic arts, and academic subjects to elementary and high school children. The devotion of the Filippini Sisters enhanced the parish life in countless ways, and their presence in the parish continues to this day.

The parish grew steadily during this time, until by 1949 it numbered over 1,450 families and 5,000 individuals, and the six Sunday Masses were filled to capacity. Msgr. Crotti received permission from Bishop Hafey to build a new church with the stipulation that he also build a school, so the building was planned to house the  school in the lower level of the church. Ground was broken on October 11, 1949 for the new edifice a few blocks from the original church. The school opened on September 6, 1950, with Kindergarten and grades 1 through 4. Each year a grade was added until a K-8 school was filled. The building was designed so that all classroom floors were above grade, yet with only 6 steps to the entrance of the church level. The new church was dedicated on Sunday, January 7, 1951 by Bishop Hafey, at a Mass which not only blessed the new structure but also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the pastor’s ordination to the priesthood.

Msgr. Crotti also oversaw the building of a new convent capable of housing 21 sisters. The presence of the Filippini Sisters was a great help in staffing not only the new St. Anthony’s Elementary School but also the new Dunmore Central Catholic High School, which Msgr. Crotti had been instrumental in establishing.

During Msgr. Crotti’s 45-year pastorate, in addition to the new school and church construction, St. Anthony’s parish societies were organized, a catechetical center was established, and a grotto replica of the grotto at Lourdes was erected on the rectory grounds.

Upon Rev. Crotti’s retirement, Rev. J. Anthony Tito was appointed to serve St. Anthony’s, and he remained from 1973 until his retirement in 1994. During this time, he renovated the church interior according to Vatican II standards, and also renovated the parish hall, which had been the former church.

Msgr. Anthony C. Marra began his 12-year pastorate at St. Anthony’s in 1994 and renovated the church interior, adding paintings to the ceiling of the nave depicting contemporary examples of faith and courage like Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pope John XXIII, and Bishop Oscar Romero. He also constructed a ramp at the front of the church to make the church more accessible to those with physical disabilities.

Upon Msgr. Marra’s June 2006 retirement, Rev. Alfred Vito became pastor of St. Anthony’s. At this time, the diocesan schools were restructured, and St. Anthony’s School closed. In September 2007, Rev. David Cappelloni was appointed pastor and began to guide the parish through the Diocesan Called to Holiness and Mission Pastoral Planning. Rev. Cappelloni made some capital improvements to the church and properties and, as pastor of both St. Anthony’s and St. Rocco’s, implemented collaborative efforts between the two parishes in all aspects of parish life, to prepare for the consolidation of the two parishes.

In its 116-year history, St. Anthony’s was a bastion of the faith in Dunmore and an active force in the life of the community. 19 sons of the parish have responded to God’s call to become priests, and 10 women have entered the religious life, witnesses to the strong devotion to the faith nurtured in this parish. 

HISTORY OF ST. ROCCO PARISH

St. Rocco’s Parish was organized in 1904 by a group of young Italian men residing in the Bunker Hill section of Dunmore who called themselves “the Society of the Congregation of St. Rocco’s Church.” These immigrants came from the small Southern Italian town of Guardia dei Lombardi, located east of the city of Naples in the Province of Avellino. When these immigrants arrived from Guardia, they brought along their devotion to St. Rocco, a saint of particular devotion among the Guardiesi.

Desiring to form a parish to perpetuate their devotion and traditions, the Society solicited support from approximately 40 families, who would form the base of the congregation. The first child baptized in the new parish was Philomena Mamie Castellano, daughter of Peter and Vincenza Riccardo Castellano, who was christened on March 16, 1904 by Rev. Clement Cavaletti, one of several priests who administered the sacraments and celebrated Mass for the congregation in its early days.

The Society officers Antonio DiPietro, Giovanni Portonova, Giuseppe Boniello, and Angelo Medico, along with trustees Gaetano DiSavino, Willie Pennella, Luigi Gialanella, Francesco Giannetta, Rocco Savero, Francesco DiPietro, Antonio DiSavino, and Vincenzo Rezzino, purchased a church building from the Presbyterian Church, and St. Rocco’s Church was dedicated on August 20, 1905, just after the Feast of St. Rocco. For 17 years, St. Rocco’s Parish was a mission of St. Anthony of Padua Parish. By 1922 parish membership had increased to 145 families, and Rev. Pasquale Pussomando was appointed as the first resident pastor.

Each succeeding pastor left a mark on the parish. Between 1923 and 1939, Fr. Michael DeSarno, an eloquent speaker, oversaw the enlarging of the church and the installation of a marble altar, altar railing, Stations of the Cross, and a new baptismal font. He also organized the Holy Name and Mount Carmel Societies, the Blessed Virgin Sodality, and the Holy Rosary Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and instituted a religious education program for the parish children. Fr. John O’Malley endeared himself to the parish during his three-year pastorate from 1939 to 1942 with his mastery of the Italian language, and his erudition and priestly character increased the parishioners' spirituality. Fr. Louis Pilati, the pastor from 1942 to 1951, was well-known for his homilies. He made some renovations to the church building and was instrumental in purchasing the rectory. During this time the Maestre Pie Filippini Sisters began their many years of service to St. Rocco’s in providing religious education to the youth of the Parish, visiting the sick of the parish, and maintaining the parish census.

Fr. Joseph Ferrese, who followed Fr. Pilati, renovated the church hall, rectory, and church building. He was known for his concern for the sick and elderly, as well as for his strong singing voice. During his 1951-1958 pastorate, the parish marked its golden jubilee, and Fr. Ferrese organized a minstrel as part of the celebration. Fr. Myron Florey was also known for his concern for the sick and the elderly. During his pastorate, from 1958 to 1967, he promoted devotion to the Blessed Mother by constructing a grotto in her honor and encouraging recitation of the Rosary. He refurbished the rectory and was involved in the construction of Dunmore Central Catholic High School.

Fr. Anthony Tombasco, known as "Father Tom," first came to St. Rocco’s in 1967 and stayed for ten years. He liquidated the parish debt, acquired adjacent property for the parish, and made renovations to the hall, rectory, and interior and exterior of the church. During his pastorate, the Altar & Rosary and Holy Name Societies were revitalized, the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts were organized, a men's choir and a children's choir were formed, and a grotto in honor of the Blessed Mother was erected. In 1977, Fr. Joseph Cipriano arrived and, over the next 7 years, continued the work begun by Father Tom by completing the interior renovation of the church, including the installation of a mosaic of the Crucifixion in the sanctuary, new lighting, and a new baptistry, pulpit, tabernacle, and altar. He also renovated the rectory kitchen and presided over plans for the parish's 75th anniversary celebration. In 1984, Father Tom returned to Dunmore and remained as pastor of St. Rocco’s for 22 years.

In January 1999, a fire erupted in the church and caused extensive damage to the interior. Daily and weekend Masses were held in the church basement until Easter, when the refurbishment of the church was completed. Following Fr. Tom’s retirement, Fr. Alfred Vito’s brief tenure initiated collaboration with St. Anthony of Padua Parish. Fr. David Cappelloni has overseen capital improvements to the properties and, as pastor of both St. Anthony’s and St. Rocco’s, solidified collaboration between the two parishes in all aspects of parish life. He encouraged members of both parishes to work together for the Annual Italian Festival.

The Italian Festival, held each year around the feast of St. Rocco, includes a Mass and procession with the statues of St. Rocco and other saints, during which the pastor blesses those who line the route with the relic of St. Rocco. It continues a tradition handed down from the immigrants from Guardia dei Lombardi who founded the parish.