MALAGA – “This is the beauty of the Church,” said Father Ariel Hernandez, pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, gesturing to the generations of faithful gathered Aug. 6 in Saint Mary Church.
“By faith, and by the fruit of our families, we are here today … [with] a devotion to Our Lady,” he preached to the hundreds who attended Mass before celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Italian Festival held in honor of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
Encouraging all to honor their ancestors’ steadfast faith, Father Hernandez said, “We need to ask the Lord to make us witnesses – like those who built up this church – and teach our children the true Church, the true faith, to continue this [tradition] from generation to generation.”
Saint Mary Church on Old Dutch Mill Road, a worship site of the Newfield parish, was dedicated in 1922 under the direction of Msgr. James A. Bulfin, then-pastor of nearby Sacred Heart, Vineland. Over the decades, generations of faithful kept the Italian festival tradition going, typically held the first weekend of August. The celebration is now sponsored by the Malaga Feast of the Assumption of Saint Mary.
“This is what we look forward to, always,” said 70-year-old Rosemary Alvino, parish sacristan, who took part in the Marian procession after Mass. Clad in blue and carrying a blue streamer, Alvino said she couldn’t remember a time when she wasn’t a part of the Mass and festival – and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “There’s something special here” in the community and the faith born over the past century.
Alvino attended the event with her mother Rita, 97, who was enjoying her 75th festival. “This is a tradition I wouldn’t miss for the world,” Rita Alvino said.
The family of the late James “Steve” Stephenson also weren’t about to miss the event – even if it meant traveling from Wisconsin. A beloved longtime fixture in the parish community, Stephenson passed away in 2021. The majority of his family, including his wife, Linda, traveled to Malaga to mark the centennial and keep their patriarch’s faith tradition alive.
Daughter Wendy Currie spoke of “memories flooding back” as she attended Mass, took part in the procession, and enjoyed gathering with family and friends, the sounds of music and laughter from those playing at the game booths mingling with the smell of festival food.
“Today reminded me of how much my father loved this church,” she said.
Jennifer Brown, Currie’s sister, said it meant a lot that her four children could follow in the footsteps of their grandfather. Two of her children, 21-year-old Isaiah and 10-year-old Cecilia, both took on notable duties at the festival. Isaiah sang during the Mass as part of the choir, and Cecilia crowned a statue of the Blessed Mother.
Currie and Brown fondly recalled their childhood years working at the festival, either shucking corn or manning the game booths. What they took away from this year was a renewed desire to keep the flame of their father’s faith alive.
“My number one goal – like my father’s – is to teach my children the faith,” Currie said.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
