Video Feature: Boston’s First Annual San Gennaro Feast

As the weather improves, preparations are being made for another Summer feast season in Boston’s North End. To wrap up the 2018 feast season, videographer Rocco Capano shares these feature highlights from Boston’s First Annual San Gennaro Feast.

San Gennaro is the patron saint of Naples, Italy. For the first Boston feast, a newly created statue of Saint Gennaro by the sculptor Ettore Marinelli was revealed just weeks after it was blessed by Pope Francis in person at the Vatican. Authentic pizza ovens were brought in as restaurants and food vendors served up classic Italian feast food of pizza, sausages, meatballs, pasta and cannoli. Crowds came out for three nights of outdoor dining and high-end entertainment including The Midtown Men, Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti, the New York Bee Gees, Tenor Giovanni Formisano and local favorites Vanessa Salvucci and Vinyl Groove. On Sunday, a traditional procession was held through the streets of the North End followed by a Mass at St. Leonard Church with Karyn Polito, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.

The 2018 inaugural effort was organized by the Saint Gennaro Foundation Boston, a 501(c)3 non-profit, established by Frank DePasquale, Nick Varano and Pasquale Trotta.  Organizers of this non-profit organization intend for proceeds to be used for autistic children charities, assisting parents and needy families with temporary housing, meals and transport assistance to hospital services in Boston.