On October 16, 2010, a Saturday, the Society is considering a day trip to Newark to celebrate the feast day of St. Gerard Majella. St. Gerard is the patron saint of mothers and in particular expectant mothers experiencing difficult pregnancies. St. Lucy’s parish in Newark established in the 1890’s is the location of the US national shrine to St. Gerard. Every year on his feast day the parish holds a large religious devotional service and street fair. St. Gerard was an 18^th century religious lay brother who was born in the village of Muro Lucano, the neighboring village to San Fele. His father died when Gerard was eight years old and his mother sent Gerard to live with her parents in their home village of San Fele. Gerard spent the next twelve years of his life living in San Fele and learning the trade of a tailor before entering the religious life. St. Gerard is also recognized as the patron saint of Muro Lucano and of the whole of the Italian State of Basilicata/Lucania.

 IF enough people would be interested we could hire a bus for the trip and possibly also visit the new Basilica in Newark which is nearby as well as have lunch in one of the city’s many great Portuguese restaurants. St. Lucy’s Church is also one of only a very few Churches that has a statue of the Ma Donna Di Pierno on display and bearing that ancient title. Most Churches title such statues under the more modern title of Our Lady of Perpetual Care. The Di Pierno designation reflects that many of the original St. Lucy parishioners were from the San Fele and Vulture region Italy.