Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
John Galluzzi first joined the San Rocco di Potenza Society around 20 years ago after learning of their mission: To care for the poor and sick like the saint the group is devoted to.
“The men and women in the society are all pointed toward the same thing, continuing to honor and venerate San Rocco,” Galluzzi says.
After years as a member, Galluzzi was asked to accept the responsibility of being the group’s president.
“It’s just a tremendous honor,” Galluzzi says. “I don’t think I really deserve it, I think there’s a lot of people who could do it.”
San Rocco was a 14th-century French noble who gave away his wealth to live as a pilgrim, miraculously healing plague victims across Italy. After contracting the plague himself, he was saved by a hunting dog that brought him food and licked his wounds in a forest cave. When he returned home, ravaged by the disease, his family didn’t recognize him and threw him in prison as a spy. He languished there for five years without complaining or identifying himself. When he perished, his identity was revealed through miraculous intervention.
The society’s signature event is the festa held every August in the saint’s honor at St. William Parish in the Montclare neighborhood on the Far West Side of Chicago. This will be the group’s 123rd celebration.
The society was founded in 1902 by the late Paul V. Carelli Sr., an Italian-born barber who came to Chicago and made a personal promise to celebrate St. Rocco’s feast day for the rest of his life. Carelli gathered his family and friends and held the first celebration on September 23, 1903, at St. Mary of Mount Carmel Church at 67th and Hermitage in the West Englewood neighborhood on the Southwest Side of Chicago.
Hundreds of people gather from across the city and suburbs to celebrate Mass and walk in the procession, which features members carrying the statue of San Rocco.
In addition to the annual celebration, the group hosts a St. Joseph’s Table each year. Galluzzi says they raise funds at both events and donate the money to help the poor and the sick, as San Rocco did.
“We donate as much as we can,” Galluzzi says. “We also like to help out other Italian-American organizations when we can.”
Galluzzi, who is 57 years old and works in sales, lives with his wife and six children in Park Ridge. He says one of his top goals is getting youth more involved in the society.
“All of the Italian organizations, we’ve got to reach out to the young and get them to understand why getting involved is so important,” Galluzzi says. “I’m blessed obviously with six kids so what better way to get it going then with my own kids. Every year as they get older they get more responsibility. It’s the youth that keeps this thing going.”
Galluzzi also says he wants members to reach out to the younger members of their extended families and extend the invitation to join.
“We’ve got great members and are always looking for new ones,” Galluzzi says.
Galluzzi encouraged people interested in being part of the society to call him at at 773-485-1500.
“My foremost task is to do a good job to keep things going,” Galluzzi says.
