March 13 - March 26, 2014
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Parish fears Precious pastor’s removal Continued from page 1
continuing until they appoint a new pastor.” From the Mulberry St. rectory, Father Fabian will move to the Franciscan retirement home on Thompson St. Parishioners fear that could come any day, but no moving date has been announced. “Hopefully, I’ll come back to visit,” he said. “I’m very close with the people. You never can tell when I can come back to help out.” Emily DePalo, who has lived in Little Italy her whole life (“I went to P.S. 130”) and has been the church secretary for two years said “we feel bad,” about Father Fabian’s leaving. “He loves the parish. He has so much energy and a sharp mind…. “I was confirmed, had communion, buried my family at this church. My sister was married here,” she said, listing her life-long connection to the church. “We don’t know why they can’t find a Franciscan replacement,” she said, explaining that the Franciscans are giving the church back to the Archdiocese and while continuing as a Roman Catholic church, it will be unaffiliated with any order. As she spoke prior to the Ash Wednesday Mass, another parishioner came by to pay the yearly fee for upkeep of the four commemorative (electronic) candles lit at the base of different Saints. DePalo also greeted George and Mary Tropia who drove 40 miles from Freehold, New Jersey to attend the noon mass. “Most Precious Blood Church is the jewel of Little Italy,” Tropia said. “We don’t know when we’ll see Father Fabian again.” DePalo said that about 400 in total attend the four weekend Masses. “On Saturday, there are some who travel by train from Brewster, for the 5:30 Mass.” The 2 p.m., Sunday Vietnameselanguage service draws 200 with a Vietnamese priest. Marieteresa Porcher Allen, 11, travels to the church from Riverdale with her mother Karenbeatrice Porcher every weekend. She was an alter server with Father Fabian on Ash Wednesday. “She was baptized and had first communion with Father Fabian,” her mom recounted. “We’re devastated. She’s been crying ever since she learned he’d be leaving. He’s very in tune with the younger generation.” Allen said, “He’s so current. No one should force a priest into retirement, especially, one as vibrant as Father Fabian. He connects with young people and old people. It’s obvious age discrimination.” An Archdiocese spokesperson declined to comment on any details regarding Fabian. The parish began in 1891 and the Franciscan order, Church of the Most Precious Blood has been at 109 Mulberry St. since 1898. A beauty of a house of worship, the church entrance looms above Baxter St. The congregation started to serve Italian immigrants who arrived in the late 1800s and the beginning of the 20th century. They were a devoted population mostly from Naples and southern Italy. Eventually, many moved to the outer boroughs and neighboring states. The largest service and turnout is the annual Mass, the last Saturday in September, in honor of San Gennaro (martyred in 305 A.D.), the Patronal Feast of Neapolitans. The church has a relic, a bone of San Gennaro. The first Feast was celebrated in 1926. As the host church for the 11-day Feast of San Gennaro, the statue of San Gennaro is taken on a procession through Little Italy streets. Monies from the Feast and selling religious items year-round pay for the church, which is self-sufficient, DePalo explained. The church has seen its share of wear and tear in its 115 years. Of the time he’s been at Precious Blood, Father Fabian noted his efforts in taking care of the physical building that was in great need of repairs when he arrived. The sanctuary, the hall, rectory, courtyard, and façade have been renovated under his watch. In 1997, Cardinal O’Connor attended the rededication with great approval.
Downtown Express photos by Tequila Minsky
Father Fabian Grifone put the ash on a young parishioner March 5 at the Church of the Most Precious Blood in Little Italy, but he will likely be replaced soon because of his age. Another parishioner said her daughter has “been crying ever since she learned he’d be leaving.”