SOCIETY OF SAINT MARY OF THE SNOW
BROOKLYN, NY
Our Story
1888 - 1913
Period of Establishment
By the time Brooklyn became a Borough of Greater New York on January 1st, 1898, the Society of St. Mary of the Snow had already been in existence for ten years.
We were founded in 1888 by immigrants from Sanza, a small mountain town in the provice of Salerno, Italy. Our founders sought opportunities in America as they escaped extreme poverty and hunger. They were determination to become good citizens in their new land, while honoring and keeping their culture, traditions, and Sanzese and Italian heritage alive. One of the most important traditions was the feast of Our Lady of the Snow; celebrated every year in Sanza from July 27 - August 5th. Click here to learn more about the history of the feast and its celebration in Sanza.
As they navigated a new land, immigrants in a foreign land, our founders had to overcome language barriers, cultural differences, severe prejudices, and discrimination. To support one another, a group of Sanzese immigrants decided to form a mutual-aid society. Because of their great faith in Sanza's patroness, they named our organization in her honor and committed to celebrating her feast in their new home of Brooklyn, New York. Thus, the Society of Saint Mary of the Snow was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 1888.
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The Society grew over its first 10 years, and on April 20th, 1899, the organization received a Certificate of Incorporation from the Office of the Secretary of the State of New York. This was also the date that our founders formally set forth the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society of St. Mary of the Snow. These principals have guided our organization over the years.
"The aim of this Society is to foster the mutual accord of its members; promote the general welfare and help them in any possible way so that they may always perform their duties and be good examples to the community and to their children. In order to achieve such a noble aim, it is necessary that misunderstandings and gossip and all the hatred from which all evil derives, be brought to an end."
From our founding, the importance of respect, community, charitable work, service, the celebration of our Sanzese and Italian culture, and honoring our faith in Our Lady of the Snow have always been an integral part of our identity. At the dawn of the 20th century, the Sanzese immigrants began to settle into their new home, leaving their mark on the Brooklyn community, and deriving the necessary strength and courage to face the challenges of a new world from their community and their faith. For example, they collecting supplies and financial aid to those affected by the terrible earthquake in Messica, Italy in 1907. They supported one-another, continued the tradition of the yearly feast, and focused their attentions on others in need, establishing the Society as a cultural, spiritual, and charitable organization.
1914 - 1942
Period of Growth
1914 - 1942 was a period of continued growth for our Society, though this period was marked by many significant historical events.
During World War I, many members aided in the war efforts by serving in the United States Military. The Society also organized fundraising efforts, contributing substantial donations to the American Red Cross, as well as other charitable efforts including:
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1918 - Purchasing United States Liberty Bonds
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1921 - Erecting a monument in Sanza, Italy in memory of the men, women and children lost to the horrors of war.
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1927 - Raising donations in support of earthquake victims in Avezzano, Italy
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1930 - Restoration efforts of the church in Sanza, Italy
Our Society's deep dedication to the principles of mutual aid and support were unwavering, both to members of our organization, and to the larger national and world community. The Society began to assume a position of leadership in the community. Sadly, the position of Italian immigrants in American Society remained difficult in the early 20th century. Immigrants continued to experience prejudice and discrimination. Our Society actively worked to combat prejudice, particularly to encourage the youth (particularly young immigrants and first-generation Americans) to pursue education and reach their full potential. To this day, our yearly scholarship fund is one of our most honored traditions. Our Organization also sought to highlight positive role models by honoring and regoznising members of the Sanzese and Italian-American Community who became leaders in the fields. For example, the Society organized a banquet honoring Dr. Joseph Donza, who was the first Sanzese immigrant to become a Doctor. Dr. Donza graciously became the Society Doctor, providing healthcare to the members of the society and their families. He served in this capacity until his death, endearing himself to all by his unselfish devotion to Our Lady of the Snow and the community. The society also created enrichment and education programs for the youth, such as music lessons, and the All Sanzesi Band of the 1930s. The Society was committed to fostering a full and rich development of each individual person's talents.
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This time period also saw the formation of the Saint Mary of the Snow Junior Society. This provided the children of Sanzese immigrants a safe space to meet and socialize while instilling the importance of faith, brotherhood, tradition, and mutual respect in the next generation. The Junior Society was an effort of the organization to plan. Many members of the Junior Society eventually became members of the Major Society and went on to hold leadership positions within the organization.
Throughout this period, the 5th of August celebration continued to be a vital part of our organization, marked by zeal and fervent devotion to Our Lady of the Snow. Each year was marked by a Ceremonial High Mass Our Lady of the Snow, followed by a festive parade through the community, and ending with gala activities on the night of the Feast. These activities were conducted in close cooperation with the community's first Italian-language church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The Society celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1938, with a memorable banquet at the Half Moon Hotel in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
The Society was very proud of its accomplishments, but as Angelo Guerriero, the President of the Society at the time, stressed, there were many things left to achieve, and many more ways for the Society to grow. One of their goals for the future was to acquire a permanent home for the Society through the purchase of its own space.
1943 - 1988
Period of Expansion
The period of World War II was a difficult one of the Sanzese immigrants, as it was for all Americans. The lifeblood of the community - its youth - went forth to all corners of the world, with some sadly never to return, to serve their country with distinction in all branches of services and in all ranks; enlisted men as well as officers.
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Throughout the war, the Society kept the home fires burning by substantial contributions to the American Red Cross, purchases of War Bonds, and the sending of food and care packages, particularly to soldiers of Sanzese origin, serving the United States Armed Forces. Food, supplies and monetary donations were also sent to impoverished families in Sanza to assist them in their hour of need.
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After the war, the Society honored its returning veterans with a Grand Ball in 1947, celebrating and honoring their sacrifices and the Allied Victory in World War II, and remembering those who lost their lives fighting for their new home. These young men were not forgotten by their Society.
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From 1943-1950, older members encouraged younger members to step into positions of leadership, and the youth proved themselves equal to the task. Working together, the members of the Society were finally able to achieve a great goal in June of 1950. The Society had its own home at last! They purchased historic building located in the heart of Williamsburg at 410 Graham Avenue. The building had previously been a synagogue and a Protestant church before it was purchased and beautifully renovated. It was reported that at the official opening of the St. Mary of the Snow Society Hall, on June 24th, 1950, "there were many gasps of awe and admiration, as well as tears of joy at the momentous achievement!"
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The year 1950 also saw another milestone event in the history of our Society. The Our Lady of the Snow Ladies Auxiliary was founded on September 29th, 1950. With the addition of the Ladies Auxiliary, the total membership of the Society grew to approximately 400! The energetic and devout members of the Ladies Auxiliary made many significant contributions to the community, and continue their tireless efforts today.
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The Society once again found itself involved in the war effort as the Korean War loomed. Many young men were once again called upon to serve their country. Tragically, member Dominick DeAngelis lost his life.
In the 75th year of the organization, the Junior Society was reestablished. Many members of the Major Society were graduates of the original Junior Society, and they felt it was important to continue to raise the youth with tradition, faith and mutual respect. The re-established Junior Society consisted of both teenage boys and girls. Under the guidance of the Major Society and Ladies Auxiliary, these young members learned about the history and tradition of the Society, as well as the principals that governed it: mutual aid and mutual respect. They also continued to grow in devotion to Our Lady of the Snow. In the ensuing years, the Society of St. Mary of the Snow carried on its tradition in aiding its members in troubled times, aiding newly arrived immigrants to find their footing in their new home, and providing support and assistance to the community, both locally and globally. When devastating floods threatened the priceless artworks of Florence, the Society raised funds and donated substantial quantities of money to salvage and restore these masterpieces. When an earthquake leveled many mountain towns in Southern Italy, our Society once again raised funds and donated food, clothing and other supplies to aid the families in need.
As the years passed, the Saint Mary of the Snow Society continued as a deeply respected organization in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg community and the Italian-American community. During this period, our Society worked in close cooperation with the Greenpoint/Williamsburg community's second Italian-language church, St. Francis of Paola.
In May of 1982, local community leaders dedicated the square formed at the intersection of Herbert Street, Graham Avenue, and Meeker Avenue "Our Lady of the Snow Square" in honor of our Society and all the great works we achieved in the community.
1989 - Today
Period of Transformation
They say the first 100 years are the hardest, however, the Society seems to have sailed through those years with relative ease.
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The dawn of the new millennium has proven to bring new and different challenges to our organization. The effects of gentrification and rising housing costs have had a lasting impact on our working-class, immigrant community of Williamsburg, and many members of our community have been driven out of the neighborhood as a result. With our community now scattered across the nation, it is challenging to come together for monthly meetings and regular events.
With these new challenges, however, come new opportunities for growth and interconnections. Our organization has always been guided by the idea of community, service, forging connections, and celebrating cultural heritage, and we continue to live by these ideals.
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We continue to maintain our historic building and service our community, both locally and abroad. Some of our recent service initiatives include:
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In 1997, our Organization raised funds to place a monument and flag at the Our Lady of the Snow Square. Our members also regularly volunteer time to clean and preserve the square ensuring it's beauty for our community.
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After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, our Society collected donations and supplies for families of the victims as well as the brave rescue workers who risked their lives and health working at Ground Zero. We also organized memorial services for the victims of the attacks, particularly the members of our Williamsburg Community who perished in the attacks.
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In 2018, the Society and its members raised funds for the town of Sanza to assist in their capital project to renovate the town's church and the pilgrimage path on Mt. Cervati.
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Our "Snow Angels" initiative organizes regular community service initiatives including visiting the sick and home-bound, volunteering at local soup-kitchens, hosting food drives, coat drives, and our shoe drive, and raising funds for and participating in cancer walks.
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Donating yearly to organizations like the American Cancer Society and St. Jude.
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Continuing our yearly scholarship fund supporting three young adults seeking opportunities in higher education. One of these scholarship awards is named in honor of former president and long-time member Joseph San Pietro who helped to establish the scholarship program and chaired the scholarship committee for many years.
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We continue to host our yearly Feast in Honor of Our Lady of the Snow. This year marks our 137th celebration in Brooklyn. For more information on this year's feast and scheduled events, please click here.
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We also regularly host many cultural events, including Cinema Club Piacere our free monthly film screening, author talks, dance classes, game nights, dance parties, and other events. Click here to learn about our upcoming events!
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As the community has changed, we embrace that change. We are here as a reminder of the hard work and preservation that made the community into what it is today. We hope to be here another 100 years and beyond, to continue our rich traditions, to continue to honor Our Lady of the Snow, to continue to celebrate our culture and heritage, to continue to serve our community, and to continue to inspire in one another our guiding principals of mutual aid and mutual respect.