Celebration included Mass, procession, and veneration of St. Fara relic from Italy
DETROIT— For Guiliana Kempf, attending Mass at Holy Family Church in Detroit Sunday, June 30, and taking part in a procession honoring Saint Fara was a special moment.
Kempf, who carried the Italian flag during the pre-Mass procession, walked in front of the relic of St. Fara, which was brought to Detroit from Cinisi in Sicily, Italy, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the local social and religious organization, Societa Santa Fara di Cinisi – or, Santa Fara Club – a community organization based in Sterling Heights, dedicated to preserving and celebrating Italian heritage and culture.
“I came here to celebrate Santa Fara because it’s part of my culture,” said 15-year-old Kempf. “This is an opportunity to make memories and do this with the people I love.”
St. Fara, also known as Burgundofara, was a 7th-century French saint honored as the patron of Cinisi, the hometown of Kempf’s maternal great-grandparents. Kempf said she hopes to visit the town and the church in person in the coming years.
Fr. Antonio Ortoleva, pastor of Santa Fara Church in Cinisi, brought the relic to be venerated at the request of the Santa Fara Club in Detroit.
Through a translator, Fr. Ortoleva said he was so happy to accept the request to bring the relic of the saint’s clothing to Detroit for this momentous occasion. He said he came to Detroit and immediately found a warm welcome for his presence and the relic he brought.
“On this day of celebration, it was a complete joy to meet so many Italians, not just from Cinisi but from other places in Sicily and Italy – all in one grand family to celebrate Santa Fara,” he said.
Hundreds of people filled the pews at Holy Family Church, built in 1909 by Italian immigrants. To the right of the main altar, there is a statue of Santa Fara, which has been inside the church for more than 100 years. Fr. Ortoleva, PIME US Missions Director Fr. Daniele Criscione and Holy Family’s Reverend Fr. Paul Ward celebrated the mass.
Fr. Ortoleva particularly appreciated the procession, led by many carrying various religious organization banners, and the prayers and songs typically recited in Italy in honor of the patron saint during her feast day in April.
“It was very emotional to enter into Holy Family Church and to live in that unique, extraordinary moment,” Fr. Ortoleva continued. “Celebrating mass together, we were able to give thanks to our Lord for his work in gathering this community.”
Additionally, Fr. Ortoleva added that the celebration was a bridge that connected lives and an exchange of love and prayers.
“We are connected by our past, our present and our future yet to come,” he noted.
Alfonso Chirco, 83, who was born and raised in Cinisi, attended the celebratory mass with his wife, three children and many of his grandchildren.
“The relic of Santa Fara is usually in Cinisi, and bringing it here has made us a stronger community,” Chirco said.
“Fr. Antonio brought a lot of the spirit of Cinisi here; the good feelings of where we were born,” Chirco said. “He made this day a special day for all of us from Cinisi. It was beautiful to have him here in church and for grandkids to meet him.”
Santa Fara Club President Michael Biondo said bringing Fr. Ortoleva was significant for generations of local families to be connected to their religious traditions and ancestral roots. Processions honoring local patron saints are part of the Catholic traditions found in Italy.
“It’s special to have a piece of Santa Fara here in Detroit, and it is equally important to have Fr. Antonio here for our families to bridge the gap between Italy and the USA,” Biondo said. “This celebration has brought so much joy and nostalgia for many of us here.”
Vincent Sclafani said he felt it was a memorable event to attend with his son and grandchildren.
“I wanted them to get more involved in our culture,” Sclafani said. “They know our stories, and now they see people here with similar stories.”
It was also significant for Sclafani as Holy Family is also the church where he and his wife were married.
“I want (my children and grandchildren) to know the history of this church, and that my wife and I were married here and that my father-in-law helped build it."
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