The first Italian immigrants to the Fitchburg area worshipped at St. Bernard's Church, the mother church of Catholicism in northern Worcester County and at that time, the second oldest Catholic parish in the diocese, after St. John's in Worcester.
St. Bernard's was founded in 1847 and became the founder for several other parishes. The dates and circumstances of their foundations are a mini history in themselves of the growth and diversity of the City of Fitchburg in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish was founded in 1867 to serve the growing community of West Fitchburg. By 1886, French speaking Canadians from Quebec and New Brunswick founded their own parish, Immaculate Conception.
The growth of the Cleghorn section of the city mandated a parish to serve that neighborhood, and St. Joseph Parish was founded in 1890 by the Missionaries of LaSalette, who continued to serve until recently.
South Fitchburg, too, soon demanded a parish to serve their community and St. Francis of Assisi Parish was formed in 1903.
Still, the Italian immigrants and the growing generation of Italian-Americans, although welcomed as part of the community of St. Bernard Parish had no spiritual home to call their own. Enter Father Pasquale M. Russomanno, a remarkable priest of whom too little is known.
Father Russomanno was born in Naples and came to Newark, New Jersey, where he was instrumental in founding an Italian-American Catholic Church. He also founded parishes in Texas and Pennsylvania before coming to St. Bernard's in 1907. Within one year, he had focused the energies of the Italian immigrants, purchased the land on Salem Street which the church still occupies, and began the church building, which was occupied on Easter Sunday, April 26, 1908. To the amazement of his new parishioners, but not surprising to anyone who understood his peripatetic nature, Father Russomanno announced that he was leaving for Illinois to begin yet another parish, while handing over the leadership to Father Angelo Carpinella.
Under Father Carpinella's capable pastoral leadership (1908-1946), St. Anthony di Padua Parish took on the characteristics it continues to this day.
Knowing the critical importance of religious education for the continuation of the Faith in the next generation, Father Carpinella invited the Religious Venerini Sisters to come from Italy to Fitchburg. That hearty band of four Sisters were the Second Venerini community in the United States and now represent (since closing the first convent in Lawrence in 1995) the oldest continuing Venerini community in the Western Hemisphere.
Father Carpinella moved out of his rectory into a cold water flat, turning his residence over to the Sisters, who immediately began their ministry of nursery school and day care for infants, religious education and Italian language instruction for children, and sewing and embroidery classes for girls and women.
The continued growth of the parish required that Father Carpinella be aided by associates ("curates," as they were called then), so a rectory was built at 2 Beekman Street to accommodate the pastoral staff. Father Carpinella also saw the importance of ministering to Italians in the Cleghorn section of Fitchburg, so he began to celebrate Mass at St. Joseph's Church. The families gathered there became the nucleus of the Madonna of the Holy Rosary Mission on Oak Hill Road, which ultimately became the eighth parish in Fitchburg in 1955, with a new church building on Theresa St. (A seventh parish, St. Camillus de Lellis, had been established in 1953 for North Fitchburg).
When Father Carpinella was transferred to Worcester, he was replaced by Father Nicola Mongiello. Father Mongiello supervised the building of St. Anthony School in 1951, soon followed by an addition in 1954 which doubled the enrollment. It was planned at that time to put a second story on the school for a parish gymnasium and social center, but it was never undertaken.
Father Mongiello, always a great supporter of the Venerini Sisters, had been instrumental of their purchase of the Rosemont Novitiate on Prospect Street. He died before seeing the completion of the new convent in 1962. That important work was completed by Father John Capuano, who was curate here under Father Carpinella from 1940, and through all the years of Father Mongiello's pastorate. Named to succeed him in 1960, he remained here until 1969, totally renovating the church and adding the Ell to accommodate the crowds at Mass.
When Father John was transferred to Worcester, he was replaced by the too brief pastorate of Father Michael Genovese, 1969-72. Father Robert Grattaroti (1972-79) and Father Rocco DiLorenzo (1979-85) continued the growth and development of the parish and the school under their pastorates. The ministry of Father Peter Inzerillo (1985-2000) was a time of great growth and affirmation of lay ministry initiatives. Nor will we ever forget the great love and compassion of our faithful Parish Administrator, Father Jack Siciliano, during the challenging years 1994-2000.
This brief history from 1908 to 2000 was written by Father Robert Bruso, Pastor 2000-2013, as it was printed in a 2001 Festa Program Book. Among his many contributions to our parish, Father Bob was a learned historian and writer. Within months of arriving, he researched and listened to fellow parishioners' stories not only about the parish but about their individual families and genealogy. I dare say he knew the parish history and parishioners' "background" stories better than even our "old timers"! Thanks to his vision and pride in our parish we embarked on a yearlong celebration with multiple events culminating in a grand Centennial reception to mark our rich history.
To view our 100 year historical documentary, full of original photos, history, and personal remembrances, please click on the link below:
More history from 2000 to 2023 to follow in the months ahead...