Category Archives: Feast of Saint Joseph Community Film Project

Joyous Saint Joseph Pasta-making Day!

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Each year Nina and Franco Groppo open their hearts and home to the community to honor Saint Joseph, the patron Saint of workers, fathers, and families. The house is full of family and friends coming together to attend the nine day Novena and prepare for the feast to celebrate Saint Joseph, which is always on March 19th, a Thursday this year.

Felicia Sciortino and Nina dedicated the altar to honor the crew of the Fishing Vessel Lily Jean that sank on January 30th. Captain Gus Sanfilippo and six crew members were lost at sea. There is a beautiful model of the ship, made by Felicia’s brother Domenic Di Maio, and the altar is decorated with lovely symbols and handmade artifacts (made by Felicia) representing the hardworking men and women who fish the sea.

It is such a joyous day making pasta with these wonderful friends and I so love photographing and filming the event. A video is coming and in the meantime, here are a few snapshots. It’s baby Julian’s first Saint Joseph and Nina and Franco’s first great-grandchild so there are tons of photos of this adorable little nugget. Julian is the son of Steve and Mikaela LeBlanc, the grandson of Maria Groppo, and Steve and Melanie LeBlanc, and the great-grandson of Nina and Franco.

Celebrating the Feast of Saint Joseph with Family, Friends, Faith, and Devotion

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Welcoming Spring with the most joyful celebration – Happy St. Joseph’s Day, Happy Spring!

Viva San Giuseppe!

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF SAINT JOSEPH

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The year 2025 marks the Groppo Family’s 30 year tradition of hosting the nine day novena and Saint Joseph Feast Day.

People from all walks of life are invited to the Feast of Saint Joseph at the Groppo’s welcoming home. There was a steady stream of hungry celebrants throughout the day and evening. Tables were laden with wonderfully delicious dishes, featuring both Sicilian cuisine and Gloucester seafood. Thank you to Nina, Franco, Maria, Enza, and this wonderful community of family and friends for sharing the very special tradition of the Feast of St. Joseph. 

Viva San Giuseppe!

More photos and footage to come –

Feast of Saint Joseph Pasta-making with the Groppo Family and Friends

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The Groppo home was bursting with pasta-makers preparing for the Feast of Saint Joseph, which is celebrated every year on March 19th. I am so sorry I missed the first part of the morning when the house was twice as full, but happy to post these photos from the tail-end of the exuberant fun. So much love and joy shared in this beautiful community of family and friends <3 <3 <3 Viva SanGiuseppe! 

Celebration of the Heart

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Feast of Saint Joseph preparations are well-underway with the Groppo community of Family and Friends. So much love <3

SAINT JOSEPH KIDS MAKING PASTA!

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Best pasta making day ever!

Kids Pasta Making Day will be available to view today only as it is part of the larger Feast of Saint Joseph Community Film Project.

CAFFE SICILIA’S MARIA, NINA, AND DOMENIC DEMONSTRATE MAKING SPECIAL SAINT JOSEPH ALTAR BREAD

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Artists-in-the-Kitchen Maria Cracchiolo, and her parents Domenic and Nina Damico, demonstrate how to create beautiful bread in shapes symbolic of Saint Joseph and inspired by nature. Watch as Maria, Nina, and Domenic artfully shape angels, a carpenter’s saw, San Giuseppe scroll, Saint Joseph sun, snails, flowers, butterflies, grapes, and more.

As you will hear Maria’s story unfold (while deftly shaping the dough), her family’s tradition of making the Saint Joseph altar bread began several years ago, for a very heartfelt reason. In 2010, her young daughter was facing a very serious operation. Maria had never made the special Saint Joseph altar bread, but decided that year to make it her devotion to Saint Joseph. Maria taught herself how to shape the bread, finding inspiration in old photos of altars, and also from images, which she found online, of bread made in Sicily. Maria lived in Italy for five years, attending art school and studying fashion design. When I write “Artists-in-the Kitchen” you’ll see why after viewing the video.

Both of Maria’s parents, Nina and Domenic, were born in Sicily and grew up celebrating the Feast of San Giuseppe in the Sicilian tradition of feeding the poor and orphaned, and welcoming all who came to their table. Thank you Maria, Domenic, and Nina for graciously welcoming me into your Caffe Sicilia’s kitchen!

Many thanks to Mayor Sefatia for the suggestion to contact Maria and family to interview for Gloucester’ Feast of Saint Joseph film project.

This video is part of the larger Feast of Saint Joseph Community Film Project and will be available to view for one day.

JOE VIRGILIO MAKING SAINT JOSEPH ROLLS

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The Virgilios began making St. Joseph rolls in the early 1950s, for the Feast of Saint Joseph, and today, they make them year round. Back then, there were so many families that celebrated Saint Joseph traditions that even as young kids, Joe and all his cousins had to hurry to the bakery after school to help their grandfather fill the St. Joseph roll orders. Now the bread is made with state of the art equipment but in his grandfather’s day it was all made by hand. Joe smiled thinking about how his grandfather would love today’s mixing and baking machines. I went home with a camera-full of stories and bag full of Joe’s bread, both generous, and much-appreciated gifts.

This video is part of the Saint Joseph Community Film Project and will be available to view for one day. The screen may say, “sorry, because of its privacy setting, this video cannot be played here.” If that is the case just click the “watch on Vimeo” link. Thank you <3

Virgilio’s Saint Joseph rolls are super yummy plain, with a touch of butter, or olive oil, and are even more super delicious made into one of their world-famous sandwiches!