Culture

Hailing from the Avellino region, he answered the call for an Italian priest to serve the growing immigrant population in Lawrence.

In anticipation of the upcoming World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Sept. 27, the Archive Department is collaborating with the Office of Multicultural Ministries to share a series of historical migration stories. These stories will highlight the impact that immigrants and refugees have had on our archdiocese, inviting us to remember those whose journeys, experiences, and sacrifices have helped to shape our shared history. Remembering these stories serves to remind us that we are all people on a journey -- a community shaped by generations of people who have crossed borders in search of safety, opportunity, and a place to call home.
This week, we are highlighting the migration story of Father Mariano Milanese, OSA, and his legacy as the first pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Lawrence from 1904 to 1935.
Before the Bread and Roses strike, before the arrival of the Venerini Sisters and the foundation of Holy Rosary Parish, the city of Lawrence welcomed a new priest to its environs. This priest was new in more ways than one: having been ordained on Aug. 15, 1902, he had only been Father Mariano Milanese, OSA, for three months before he arrived in Lawrence on Dec. 2, 1902. Hailing from the Avellino region, he answered the call for an Italian priest to serve the growing immigrant population in Lawrence. His ministry over the next 30 years would establish a spiritual home for this community as they put down roots, started families, and grew in faith.

Italian immigration
Italy at the turn of the 20th century was a region of significant change. The land that would become Italy began in the 19th century as several separate governments that were annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1861 through the Risorgimento, creating the Kingdom of Italy. Rome was declared the capital in 1871, just nine years before Father Milanese was born in 1880. These states, while newly unified in name, were not unified in spirit, and many new Italians lived lives of poverty and social chaos. The prospect of prosperity felt increasingly compelling. Many farmers and laborers soon embarked for the US.
The first Italians arrived in Lawrence in 1891 to break a railway strike. Hundreds would soon follow, and by 1899, the formerly Irish neighborhood of lower Common Street was markedly Italian. These new immigrants found work in the railways, mills, and factories of Lawrence, but were still in need of a space to practice their faith.

Rooted in faith
In 1898, Father James T. O'Reilly, OSA, then pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Lawrence, established a mission for the Italian community. Soon, they expressed desire for an Italian priest and parish of their own: enter Father Milanese in 1902.
Father Milanese began as an assistant at St. Lawrence O'Toole Church, saying Mass in the lower portion of the church for Italian parishioners. In 1904, St. Lawrence O'Toole moved to a new location, and Father Milanese was able to secure a lease on the now-vacant building. With a church, a priest, and the approval of the Augustinian Order, Holy Rosary Parish was officially established.
On July 3, 1904, the first marriage at Holy Rosary was celebrated when Domenico Schiavone and Vincenza Grieco became husband and wife. Domenico and Vincenza both immigrated to the US in 1901, but it is unclear whether they traveled together. By the time of their marriage, they were living on Common Street around the corner from Holy Rosary Church. They would go on to have five children, all baptized at Holy Rosary.
In 1909, Father Milanese invited the Venerini Sisters to come serve in Holy Rosary Parish. Five religious were soon on their way: Sisters Augusta Setaccioli, Debora Bolli, Rosa Vagni, Maria Fondi, and Teresa Mongini. When they arrived in Lawrence, "it seemed that the entire colony had come out to welcome the sisters . . . Banners, a musical band, and speeches provided a glorious 'Hosanna' of welcome for these humble and courageous sisters." They soon opened a day care center for children and offered Italian language classes in the evenings for adults. At Holy Rosary, the sisters started a children's choir, Children of Mary Sodality, and Society of Altar Boys.

Growth and development
Holy Rosary quickly became a hub for the Italian community in Lawrence. In 1910, only six years after it opened, the parish recorded 568 baptisms and 140 marriages. In 1935, Father Milanese was succeeded at Holy Rosary by Father Lorenzo Andolfi, OSA. Father Andolfi was born in Roccalvecce, Viterbo, Italy and immigrated to New York City in 1926. At Holy Rosary, Father Andolfi continued his predecessor's legacy of growth by beginning a mission for the Italian community in neighboring Methuen, which would eventually become St. Lucy Parish in 1958.
Ultimately, many Italian immigrants did find community, employment, and faith in the US. While some returned to Italy, many others established themselves on these shores in pursuit of "a brighter future for themselves and for their family," as Jessica Lander describes the American Dream in her book "Making Americans." The legacies of these immigrants, particularly clergy and religious, are marked by their religious fervor, which echoes through the decades. "Had there been peace and quiet on the old continent," Giovanni Schiavo muses in "Italian-American History, Volume II," "most of the French, Italian and German priests who came over would have remained at home . . . Europe's loss became America's gain."

REBECCA MAITLAND IS AN ARCHIVIST OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.

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