Quantcast

Figli di San Gennaro donates to Catholic schools

Figli di San Gennaro board members with students from the East Village’s La Salle Academy at the Jan. 6 presentation of charitable checks from proceeds from the Feast of Gennaro.
Figli di San Gennaro board members with students from the East Village’s La Salle Academy at the Jan. 6 presentation of charitable checks from proceeds from the Feast of Gennaro.

BY LINCOLN ANDERSON |  On Tues., Jan. 6, Figli di San Gennaro (Children of San Gennaro), the nonprofit community organization that has been presenting New York City’s annual Feast of San Gennaro since 1996, donated a total of $149,500, representing net proceeds after expenses, from the 2013 and 2014 feasts to Catholic education, churches and other community organizations assisting  children and seniors.

The checks were presented at a reception at Most Precious Blood Church, at 113 Baxter St. in Little Italy, the national shrine of San Gennaro. Figli di San Gennaro donated $72,500 from the 2013 feast and $77,000 from the 2014 feast, bringing the total of donations to charity since 1996 to more than $2 million.

Among local schools receiving checks were LaSalle Academy, Transfiguration School, Our Lady of Pompeii School and Xavier High School.

Other organizations receiving checks included The Bowery Mission, Project Open Door, Mott St. Senior Citizen Center, Little Italy Street Art Order (LISA) and Sons of Italy Committee.

The City Hall monitor who has overseen all the financial transactions of Figli di San Gennaro since 1996 approved all the checks and co-signed them.

Next September, the annual feast, celebrating the patron saint of Naples, will be celebrating its 89th year.

In announcing the charitable contributions, Joseph Mattone, president of the Figli di San Gennaro board of directors, said, “Presenting an event of this magnitude over a period of 11 days in New York City, can be very expensive, but I am happy to say we have been able to keep our pledge to support these organizations and we will continue to do so.”