Their fathers and grandfathers would have been proud. Antonio. Cosmo. Vincenzo. And so many more hard-working Italians who tirelessly petitioned the Diocese of Providence to grant them permission to build a church where they could celebrate their faith in their language and with their customs – and also create a monument to their devotion to their patron saint, Santa Maria della Civita.

Their dedication paid off 100 years ago this month, on Feb. 21, 1925, when the bishop informed the Rev. Cesare Schettini that permission had been granted for a new church – St. Mary’s – to be built in the Knightsville section of Cranston. “Our forefathers worked so hard pleading and demanding for a church of their own,” Bob Pirraglia, a trustee of the church, said last week.  “They had such a firm belief in their religion -- their loyalty remains an inspiration to us today.”