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During the period of Lent, the good people of S.Andrea
observed the laws of the Church faithfully. During the harsh periods of that
era, when staples were meagre, they obeyed the mandates of their religion
with tenacity. The older people (l'antichi) could be counted on
reproach by chanting:
Corajisima, Corajisima
cuaddhu stuartu ondassasti cavulu all'uartu, ondassasti erva ari timpuni,
Corajisima pizzicuni’. (Lent, lent, with your crooked neck/ there is
no more cabbage in the garden/ there are no more edible weeds in the hills/
Lent, you scoundrel you)
Fasting and abstinence from meat were the order of
the day. It was customary at the time to hang a dummy from the window (scarecrow
looking) with 40 feathers around his body. Each day a feather would be
removed to signify one less day left of penance. The last one I remember was
hanging from the window of Nicola Maria Voci. That was the last one to be
seen. The custom faded away into oblivion after that. The Church looked
desolate and wrapped in sorrow. With all statues wrapped in purple and the
bells silent in mourning, only the sound of the tirriti’ and the tocca
could be heard during all religious ceremonies. The Sepulchre, laid in the
centre of the church nave, was a testimony to the spiritual anguish of the
faithful. It was customary to sow wheat in clay pots and grow it in total
darkness to prevent the occurrence of photosynthesis. The stalks would be
white, devoid of chlorophyll, and would surround the Sepulchre. Did the
absence of chlorophyll signify "Death”? I do not know. It was done
that way.
During this period of mourning, much was being done to
prepare the Church for the events that were to follow. Nicola Maria Voci (‘u
Paraturi) would begin work on his paratu (display) by spanning
frames across the vault of the nave. On those frames he would hang the
drapes in a cascading fashion as to give brightness and add a sense of
beauty to the surroundings. Nicola accomplished all that with the assistance
of some of his sons. They would walk along the ledges high up on the ceiling
of the church nave, hanging the drapes in alternate colors, creating a
harmony of vivid beauty. The Saints and Madonnas housed in the Church must
have liked his creations. All the years that he went about making parati
they protected him from falls, which would have been fatal.
As Nicola was going about his paratu, members of
the Congrega del Rosario were busy building the apparatus that would propel
upwards the statue of the Christ on Easter Day. The device consisted of a
platform and a vertical shaft on which the platform would ride up and down
carrying the Christ that was secured on the platform. Another platform,
built at a higher level, would sustain a boulder secured by a rope tied to
the lower platform. When dropped, the boulder would cause the Christ to rise
at the proper speed and explode through the simulated Tomb high above the
Altare Maggiore. Attention was paid to every little detail to assure a
successful Resurrection.
The celebration of Easter would begin Saturday before dawn.
The first phase was the lighting of the holy fire with sparks created by
striking two flint stones together. The task was assigned to a member of the
Colinu family, either ‘Cola ‘e Colinu or Cianzu ‘e
Colinu.I tend to think that it was Cianzu who was more apt to go
near a church than ‘Cola. The people would bring branches and other
pieces of wood for the occasion and take the embers home when the
celebration was over. High Mass would commence shortly thereafter with the
blessing of the water which would be used throughout the year for baptismals
and in the holy water receptacles conveniently located at the entrance of
the Church for the faithful to make the sign of the cross. Although only
three priests took active participation in the actual celebration of the
Mass, all available priests were present, wearing white vestments. I can
describe to you the events that took place during Mass, but not necessarily
in its proper sequence. At one point the priests present would lie in a
prone position in front of the Altar as they do when ordained by the Bishop.
The significance of such ritual escapes me. Perhaps someone else can fill in
the meaning. On the main pulpit of the Church, the one from which the
Panagirico was usually made, Don Bruno Voci, the brother of Nicola Maria
Voci, whose voice had an operatic quality to it, would intone the Order of
the new Religious year (cantava i caliandi).
An unblemished white Lamb would be brought in a chest (‘a
sporta) by a woman and set at the side of the Altare Maggiore.It was the
Pascal Lamb and an offering to God by Vincenzo Varano‘u gucciari
(the butcher). What happened to the Lamb after the festivities were over I
do not know. I do remember that children would seek the Lamb and pet it with
enthusiasm. In their innocence (mine too, when I was a child) they believed
that they were touching the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the
World. The next event was the washing of the feet of the Apostles. Twelve
men were selected for this ritual. In 1945, members of the cast that
participated in the performance of the "Pigghiata," were
chosen to participate in the ceremony. I, as S.John in the Pigghiata,
was among the selected. An honor, which I cherish to this day. The
Archpriest would wash our feet and regale us with a focaccia (cucceddhata).
The gift of eternal Life.
It was after this ceremony that things would begin to hum
inside the Church. Excitement pervaded in the air in anticipation of what
was to follow. An Angel of God, hidden among the drapes that Nicola Maria
had hung, would slowly make his appearance as if descending from on High. As
Mass continued, the Angel would approach the simulated tomb and stand at its
side. Excitement, electricity, anticipation were all emotions present in
each and everyone. Mass itself became marginal, as all eyes were focused on
the Angel. All present, and the church was indeed full, knew what to expect!!!
At various intervals the Angel would knock on the Tomb, almost to say”
Wake up! Time has arrived for you to fulfil the prophecy. When the
Archpriest would intone” GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO" the Angel would
knock for the third time. Behind the Altar, the boulder would be dropped and
the Christ would explode through the tomb announcing to the world his
resurrection from the dead. A GLUARIA was brought to a successful completion!!
At that moment in the ceremony, Vito Varano, Antonio Varano, Bruno Sama',
Andrea ‘e Minghi would play their drums while Ndria ‘e
Nchianimi would bang away at his crancascia. Not to be outdone by
the drummers, Pietro ‘u Pulici, Pana Piarzu and ‘Cola
‘e Tornau, would play their bagpipes accompanied by a man (don't
recall his name) who played a pipitula. Simultaneously, Franciscu
‘u Segrastanu would ring the Church bells, as children scampered to
the altars located in the Apses to ring the bells, which were attached on
the side of each Altar. The silence and gloom of lent was over, excitement
was in everyone. Celebration was everywhere, it was time to go home and
feast on frittuli e ova (cotechinos, a kind of spiced sausage for
boiling and eggs).
Tomorrow will be a new day. A day when Mary receives word
that her Son has risen. She will set out to search for Him wandering the
narrow cobbled streets of S.Andrea, standard bearing Angels informing Her of
His whereabouts. In time, as she approaches the vicinity of the Iannone
Palace, she will spot him by the old Pharmacy of Andrea Sama'. They both run
towards each other, as only Mother and Son would, and meet in what is known
as ‘A CUMPRUNTA. It is my understanding that the Cumprunta is still part
of the Andreolese culture and performed every year. I am sure it is exciting,
but is it the same? My childhood memory does not allow me to think so. Can
anyone really replace Vito Varano being chased by the standard bearing
ANGIALIADDHI? I doubt it very much, as he displayed a flair and flamboyance
unparalleled. To all the beautiful people of S.Andrea, to all its
descendants wherever they may be, it was my desire not to bore you. If I did,
forgive me. To Anna, my faithful collaborator and translator, you have been
the wind beneath my wings. How can I thank you! These articles would not
have been possible without your help and constant encouragement. To
Francesco Romeo and Alfredo Varano, the stalwarts responsible for the Web I
offer my gratitude and appreciation. May God bless you one and all.
Angelo Iorfida, Canton, Ohio USA March 16 2002
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