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Feast of St. Joseph events to benefit needy March 19, 22

March 8, 2020

The weather has been unseasonably mild this year, yet families and individuals continue to be cold and hungry.

Many organizations benefit from generous donations during the holidays, but many people then return to their daily routines and forget those in need.

For members of UNICO, March provides an opportunity to celebrate the feast of St. Joseph and continue the age-old Italian tradition of caring for those in need in his honor.

A special altar, La Tavola di San Giuseppe, will be placed Thursday, March 19, near the main altar in St. Edmond Church, Rehoboth Beach. The table will be filled with donations of nonperishable food items, bread and rolls, to be blessed and distributed to those in need. In Italy, the tradition is for the food to be prepared, and people invited to eat heartily and take what remains with them.

Each year in Delaware, Nicola Pizza in Rehoboth Beach and Old World Breads in Lewes donate fresh-baked rolls and loaves of bread to enhance the event. During or directly after the celebration of morning mass Thursday, March 19, the donations are blessed and the bread, called “il pane di San Giuseppe,” St. Joseph’s bread, is offered to area residents attending the mass, to take home and share with family and friends. The remaining bread and nonperishable food items are then taken to local food pantries and shelters.

The St. Joseph’s Day celebration and outreach program will continue after masses from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Sunday, March 22. UNICO member and friends will prepare zeppole, a special St. Joseph’s Day treat. Other Italian baked goods such as cakes, cookies and holiday breads will be sold. Proceeds will be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which assists area residents with utility bills, food and clothing as needed throughout the year.

All are invited to participate in these events.

For more information or to make a donation, call 302-226-0620.

 

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