Early in the year 1904 the idea of establishing a new church in New Italy came to Marco Smaniotto, Pietro Smaniotto, Bartolo Smaniotto and Dionsio Dallago, and they agreed to meet and home of Marco Smaniotto in the month of March to talk things over. It was proposed to elect a committee of three men who were to present themselves to Bishop James A. McFaul, in Trenton, and ask for his permission to start collecting money towards a new church in that part of New Italy, as it was known at the time. The three selected were: Dionsio Dallago, Domenico Bailone, and Bartolo Smaniotto. They arrived in Trenton on April 1, 1904, and went directly to see the bishop. His Excellency, at first, seemed to be reluctant about granting the requested permission, but in the end granted with the stipulation that they collect at least $1500 before starting to build anything.

Another meeting was not held until February 28, 1905, and again in the home of Marco Smaniotto. They wanted to get things started, that is, to begin collecting money for the new church. For this purpose they formed the society of the Rosary, any officers elected were: Giovanni Smaniotto, president; Marco Smaniotto, vice president; Bartolo Smaniotto, Secretary; Domenico Bailone, vice Secretary; the Dionsio Dallago, treasurer. The trustees were: Andrea Geo minority, Quirino Bailone, Saverio Tamanini, Antonio Frasnelli, and Giovanni Battista Smaniotto. At that meeting $952 were subscribed, and Marco Smaniotto donated one acre of land on the corner of Cornucopia and Dante avenues.

During the next three years the collection of money continued until there was $1417.96 in the treasury. This information was sent to the bishop who, in turn, appointed Rev. Edward C. Griffin to look into this matter of constructing a new church. Fr. Griffin then sent a letter to Father Giuseppe Targia, pastor of St. Mary’s in East Vineland, dated July 21, 1908, in which he stated that he, Fr. Griffin, would arrive in this area on the following Thursday to receive the trustees and put the money in the bank.

Two weeks later, on August 3, 1908, the actual construction of the church began, according to the plans of Mr. Walter E. Turner. The contractor and builder was Edward Valdisseri, assisted by the carpenters Tony Badaracco and Louis Raffo. The structure was to be 68 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 19 feet high on the inside, and made of wood.to keep the cost down, many of the parishioners gave generously of their time and labor, by digging, transporting materials, and doing other important tasks.

The church was finally completed by Monday, July 5, 1909,when it was blessed and dedicated, at 10 AM, to OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY OF POMPEII, by Bishop McFaul, assisted by Frs. James J. Powers and Edward C. Griffin. The cornerstone, donated by Pietro Smaniotto, was also put in place with 1908 on it to commemorate the year in which the construction began. Also present for this happy occasion were Father Giuseppe Targia, pastor of St. Mary’s, and Father Isidore Cortesi, pastor in Minotola. After the ceremonies the bishop, the trustees and several others were invited to the home of Marco Smaniotto where they all partook of a fine dinner. The bishop promised the people a Mass every Sunday, and that he would take care of the parish boundaries, which he did a month later.

The first priest assigned here was Father Agnello Santagnello, and he arrived in the same month of July, 1909. Among his first acts was the erection of a small, four room rectory, put together by the carpenters Louis Raffo and Tony Badaracco, according to a plan they had drawn up and which had been approved by the pastor. The parishioners once more major contributions of money and labor. When completed the house was valued at $1700. Father also procured, either through purchase or donation, many other religious articles that were needed for church services.

Out of his own pocket Father Santagnello paid for one acre of land to be used for a cemetery. The cost was $150 plus $19 for the permit and other incidentals. This purchase took place on August 29, 1909, thus making the cemetery almost as old as the church itself. The DeMatte family has the distinction of having purchased the first lot for $10, for the burial of Rose DeMatte. A child who died right after birth, required half a lot that cost $1.50.

From other written records left by the first pastor of the church, the collection of Sunday, July 18 1909, amounted to $7.00. On the same day there was the baptism of Michele Falzone, with a donation of $1.00, and Mr. Dionsio Dallago, gave the very welcome gift of $12.50. This particular parishioners was always very generous, having donated $585 for the construction of the church alone, and then paying for several church appurtenances as they were needed.

The first recorded marriage that took place here, was that of Luigi Antonio Galbiati and Maria Giulia Dallago, on February 1 1910. The groom was the son of Giuseppe Galbiati and Teresa Pirola. The bride’s parents were Dionisio Dallago and Teresa Bergamo. They were blessed with six children. The good padre tried to make ends meet as best he could with the meager donations the people could afford to make. Apart from the usual expenses for the upkeep of the church and rectory, there were also bills to be paid for personal items, among which a bicycle for $20 which he used in making the rounds of the parish while taking the census. The people, however, tried to help them with gifts of vegetables and fruits and season. Father Santagnello never complained, although the bishop considered it expedient to transfer him on June 26, 1910.

The second pastor was Father Antonio Carusillo, who arrived here in the month of July, 1910, and remained in charge for over nine years. During the last two or three years, however, it became very evident that he was not too well. Father Carusillo finally felt he had to resign, and so, in the month of October, 1919, he left the parish, taking with him the parish diary of his administration. With this action posterity has very little on hand with which to evaluate his activities and accomplishments during those nine years.

The bishop was not exactly prepared for the sudden departure of Father Carusillo, since he did not have another Italian priest available as a replacement. Consequently, between October, 1919 and October, 1920, the Church of Our Lady of Pompeii had no resident pastor. The people were told that the pastor of St. Mary’s, that is, Father Bartolomeo Montrucchio, would take care of their spiritual needs for the time being. They very reluctantly accepted the services. Father Montrucchio made mention of this fact in an entry left by him an old record book still at the Pompeii Church: “With the idea of having a pastor of their own, the trustees and the people in general never let me administer the affairs of Our Lady of Pompeii. So they are responsible of (sic) everything did happen in said Church. In faith, Rev. B. Montrucchio.”

On Oct. 2, 1920, the parishioners of Our Lady of Pompeii Church received in their midst the next resident pastor in the person of Father Giuseppe Monaco. This priest was to leave a lasting impression in all of New Italy because of the great zeal and energy displayed in his work during his eight years here. The year 1922 is especially memorable because in that year his sister Lorenzina arrived from Italy, and was to serve as his housekeeper in Pompeii and then later parishes that Father attended. In 1922 Father Montrucchio left St. Mary’s Church, and Father Monaco was asked by the Bishop to take over St. Marys as a mission. In April of that same year, St. Mary’s wooden church burned down, but by the end of the year Father Monaco adding new one in its place, this time built not of wood but of brick and stone.

In June of 1924 the responsibilities of Father Monaco were increased when he was assigned the missions of Dorothy, Richland, Milmay, and Risley. When Saint George’s Church in Risley burned down in a forest fire on May 16, 1926, the bishop asked Father Monaco to take care of the Mizpah area where there was no church has yet. The date of the Mizpah assignment was October 24, 1926. (Previously all these missions had been under the jurisdiction of the Church in Mays Landing.)

With six places to take care of, Father Monaco had more than he can handle. The bishop was fully aware of this fact, Annie began sending him one young priest after the other to help him out. At first it was a Father A. Janusas who came for several weekends. Then in the month of October, 1924, a Father Andrew Down, O.S.B., began coming by train from Camden. His name appears many times, between October, 1924, and June, 1927, in the baptismal and marriage records of the missions. A Father Ed McKenna also gave a canned in the summer of 1927. Beginning with October, 1927, the Italian Augustinians from Philadelphia started taking turns in traveling to these parts on weekends. Their names were: Fathers Antonio Bartolomei, Agostino Bonanni, Aurelio Marini, Ambrogio Colorito, and Aurelio Ciantar.

Both Bishop Walsh and Bishop McMahon, his successor, had been receiving very favorable reports about these Italian “Monks”, and soon they began to give serious thought about inviting them to take over this area on a permanent basis. All of a sudden things began to happen in quick succession. In July, 1928, Father Joseph Monaco was transferred to St. James’ Church in Trenton, and Father Aurelio Ciantar, O.S.A., was made pastor of our Lady of Pompeii church. (Father Monaco remained in Trenton for two years, and then, in 1930, was made pastor of our Lady of Mount Carmel in Camden where he stayed till his death on August 25, 1944.)

Father Ciantar was a native of Malta, and had been in this country since 1920, with previous assignments in the Detroit and Philadelphia. Being fluent in both English and Italian, his religious superior and the Bishop considered him well qualified for the rectorship of the church of our Lady of Pompeii. He had for an assistant Father Eugene Fiteni, O.S.A., and together they worked very well for several years. In October, 1929, they supervised the construction of the church in Mizpah, which, at the suggestion of Bishop John McMahon, was named after his patron saint, St. John the Evangelist.

These two Padres decided to live in the rectory of our Lady of Pompeii, because it was in much better condition than the parsonage at St. Mary’s. There was, however, a lot of pressure put on Father Ciantar by the parishioners of the latter church on account of the humiliation they felt in having a church that had been reduced to the status of a “mission”. They wanted their own pastor living in their midst. Father Ciantar expressed his willingness to comply with their wishes if they took steps to make the rectory livable. The people reacted very favorably, because through the efforts of such leaders as Rose Cresci, Dan Conway, and David Raffo, to mention only a few, they managed to raise the sum of $6000. Father Ciantar then went ahead with the task of repairing an enlarging rectory, and surrounding it was beautiful trees.

On March 8, 1930, Father Ciantar left Pompeii to take up residence at St. Mary’s, the transferor having been made official by Bishop McMahon. At the same time father Eugene Fiteni, O.S.A., was made the next pastor of our Lady of Pompeii. He was to hold this position for 18 years, the most time here of any pastor before or after him. Father Fiteni found himself in the middle of the “great depression” of the early 30s and had to struggle to meet his obligations. He did his best, however, in keeping the church property and repair.

In 1938, with the help of the parishioners and interested friends, Father Fiteni erected the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, and then invited people from all over to make a pilgrimage here. His efforts proved to be very fruitful, because since then thousands of devout souls have made the annual pilgrimage to this shrine. The many visitors have also provided much-needed financial help to the parish. Between 1945 and 1947 Father Fiteni worked assiduously on the Replica of Mount Calvary, and is also has helped to attract many devout Christians to the church.

Father Fiteni left East Vineland on April 1, 1948, and went to the church of St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Philadelphia, where he remained till the following April. His next move was to our Lady of Pompeii church in Dobbs Ferry, New York, where he was the bursar for 10 years. His last few years were spent in semi-retirement. On February 28, 1966, Father Eugene Fiteni died suddenly of a heart attack in the rectory of Dobbs Ferry. His body was shipped to East Finn, and funeral services were accorded him in a solemn manner in the church of our Lady of Pompeii on March 5, 1966. He was laid to rest in a priests’ section of St. Mary’s cemetery in East Vineland, NJ.

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