By: Raymond Guarini
Members of Figli Di Pomigliano D’Arco celebrated the Feast Day of St. Felice at Our Lady of Grace in Howard Beach, Queens on Saturday, January 17th.
This annual celebration is both cultural and religious as the Feast of Saint Felice is a terrific way for members to re-unite with one another in a shared custom dating back to the Society’s ancestral town in honor of their patron saint.
Saint Felix of Nola was a Christian priest at Nola near Naples in Italy. He sold off his possessions to give to the poor but was arrested and tortured for his Christian faith during the persecution at the hands of Roman Emperor Decius. He was freed from prison by an angel so that he could help Bishop Maximus (Saint Maximus of Nola) as the Bishop’s health was in decline.
Immediately after being freed, Saint Felix went straight to Bishop Maximus who was alone and very ill. At the time, Roman soldiers were seeking anyone connected to the Catholic church to imprison or sentence to death. Saint Felix quickly moved the Bishop to an abandoned building and once inside, a spider began to immediately spin a web so that the building looked long abandoned. The Romans passed by the building thinking it impossible that anyone would have been inside due to the web.
Saint Felix continued to live in Nola and minister to its residents until he was again captured by the Romans and killed upon the orders of Emperor Decius in 251.
Most accounts of Saint Felix’s life were derived from the poetry of Paulinus of Nola who is the Saint honored by the Dance of the Giglio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
There are several churches named after Saint Felix in Nola, and most of his relics are contained in the Cathedral of Nola. Saint Felix is the patron Saint of animals and spiders.
Figli Di Pomigliano D’Arco is a non-profit organization established in 2007, and founded by: Giovanni Toscano, Antonio Ceriello, Vincenzo DeFalco, Carmine DeFalco, and Andrea Ceriello.
Their mission is to promote and advance the culture and history of Pomigliano D’Arco through social, educational events and professional assistance.
For information on becoming a member or to connect at future events, please follow this link: https://www.fdpda.org/
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