History:
The St. Rocco Society was founded in 1889 by immigrants from the Southern Italian City of Potenza in the Basilicata region, on Roosevelt Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Every year since it’s founding, without interruption, the society has celebrated St. Rocco’s feast with procession. It is one of the oldest Italian American Societies in New York State.

After the demolition of Saint Joachim’s Church on Roosevelt Street, the original home of the St. Rocco feast due to urban renewal, the feast was and is still celebrated at St. Joseph’s Church on Monroe and Catherine Streets a few blocks from the original site.

Although the Society was founded by men from the Italian city of Potenza (some of whose descendants are still members of the society), from it’s earliest days immigrants from many towns in the provinces of Potenza and Matera participated in the procession. Eventually, those who participated came from every area of Southern Italy and Sicily.

The focus of the feast is the procession of the Statue of St. Rocco. Even before St. Rocco begins “his walk” through the neighborhood he is nearly covered with the money offerings of his faithful. The statue carried on the shoulders of the members is accompanied by an Italian street band for the entire length of the approximately three hour long walk. Following the statue, march the devotees as a means of thanking the saint for his powerful help and looking forward to future graces and blessings through his intercession.

Well into the 1940’s thousands of people traveled to St. Rocco’s feast to honor their beloved Saint by walking in his procession in the scorching August heat. However, with the passing of the years and a diminishing Italian population in the neighborhood, attendance, through remaining strong, lost some of its original strength. Through it all, Angela and Anna Carnevale, two dynamic sisters and daughters of one of the founding members of the society, kept the procession going without interruption. For too many years to count, their dedication kept the feast alive. It was at Angela Carnevale’s urging that Mr. La Rocca was asked to become President of the Society and assume it’s leadership eight years ago.

Stephen S. La Rocca, an attorney and Senior partner at the New York law firm of Stephen La Rocca, PLLC has made it his mission to renew the active participation of the Italian American community and all of the St. Rocco devotees in this event. “It’s like Christmas, Easter and my birthday all rolled up into one”, says La Rocca.

Mr. La Rocca is determined to see St. Rocco’s feast not only experience a renaissance in terms of attendance, but he is also a stickler that all of the ancient Southern Italian traditions be followed to the letter.

La Rocca, the maternal grandson of immigrants from Basilicata (his paternal grandparents were from Sicily) has a fierce devotion to his patron saint and it has been his goal to restore the feast to its former glory. He works tirelessly each year to increase awareness of the feast. Prior to becoming President, due to the fact that most of the members were elderly, the statue of St. Rocco was rolled through the streets on a wheeled cart. That was the first thing that changed.

“It started with a few friends willing to do me a favor”, says La Rocca, “now we have 30-40 men in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s literally fighting over whose turn it is to carry the saint and who would not miss the feast for the world. The number of young men keeps growing with each year. The Society has toyed with the idea of lengthening the already three hour long procession to accommodate all the enthusiastic new members.

After St. Rocco’s statue is let down from the men’s shoulders to receive offerings and veneration as it is re-lifted onto their shoulders, the men shout with tremendous joy “VIVA SAN ROCCO”!, long live St. Rocco. As the procession progresses, the shouting becomes contagious with participants in the procession as well as bystanders joining in with a heartfelt “VIVA SAN ROCCO”!

“VIVA SAN ROCCO”, has become the official slogan of the Society, a sort of battle cry in the efforts to keep expanding the feast each year.

This feast although rejuvenated by so much “young blood” remains an important event for the seniors of the area who cry tears of joy when they see the statue of St. Rocco carried out of St. Joseph’s Church. So many believed that the feast of St. Rocco was destined to get smaller and not larger. With intensive advertising, some older Italian Americans have returned to lower Manhattan to celebrate a feast they were not sure still existed. Many people who return, experience nostalgia but more importantly exuberance over the feast’s extraordinary rebirth. Certainly the feast is an event for all ages.

Remarkably, the procession of August 22, 2010 will not deviate in any material way from the original, held in Potenza, Basilicata, Italy 121 years ago and those held on New York’s Lower East Side at the beginning of the last century.

As it has been for the last three years, “u cinte”, or more commonly known among Italian Americans the “candlehouse or candelabra” will be carried for the entire procession in front of St. Rocco’s statue. It is composed of over 200 candles arranged in a multi- tiered wooden frame decorated with ribbons and flowers and topped with a small image of the Saint. The candlehouses are carried in front of the saint’s statue either on top of the devotee’s head or with the larger versions, which are carried by two or more people.

St. Rocco’s “candlehouse” was designed and constructed by Salvatore La Rocca, the society president’s father. Salvatore La Rocca spent the entire month of July, 2003 and much of August designing, constructing, painting and decorating the candlehouse. A fitting tribute to St. Rocco on his feast day.

St. Rocco’s fame comes in large part as a healer par excellence, patron saint of the sick. He is tremendously popular in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy, also once known as Lucania. It is estimated that he is the patron Saint of approximately eighty percent of the towns in the region and in those towns of Basilicata where he is not the patron Saint of the town, there always exists a strong devotion to him and yearly procession. His reputation as an overall miracle worker made him greatly loved throughout the South of Italy and Sicily. Feasts are held in his honor throughout Southern Italy and Sicily during the month of his feast day.

Last year’s feast drew Italian Americans from New York City’s five boroughs, Long Island and New Jersey. In addition, there were devotees from Connecticut , Canada and even Italian Australians visiting relatives in New York City. Whether they came from literally across the street, or from other states, they all brought their enthusiasm, love and devotion to this annual event.

The astounding level of interest shown by the Italian American community in this event, is profoundly moving. These are people who genuinely believe in St. Rocco and want to publicly demonstrate that love and belief in true Southern Italian style.

Although the bulk of the proceeds were and will be donated to St. Joseph’s Church and School, for the first time in 2004, a portion of the proceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society in recognition of St. Rocco’s role as patron Saint of the sick. The Society intends to repeat that donation each year and hopefully begin donations to other medical charities, as donations to St. Rocco on his feast day increase with each year.

For Membership information or to contact the Society:
St. Rocco Society of Potenza
Stephen S. LaRocca - Society President
Email:  Stephen@Stroccosociety.com