The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, will be present at the celebrations for the 125th anniversary of the historic visit to the United States and New York of St. John Baptist Scalabrini.
The Cardinal will preside over the solemn main Mass scheduled for Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Our Lady of Pompeii in Greenwich Village, New York.
Let's see how the day was organized.
The Anniversary: We commemorate the 125th anniversary of the pastoral journey undertaken by Scalabrini (known as the "Father of Migrants") to the United States in August 1901. During that visit to New York, he blessed Saint Raphael House , a key facility created specifically to welcome, guide, and protect the flow of Italian migrants landing in the city.
The Celebration: The religious service will offer a crucial moment for the Italian community in New York and the Scalabrinian Fathers to celebrate the memory, faith, and spiritual legacy of the Saint canonized in 2022. A time of gathering and refreshments will follow the Holy Mass.
The Scalabrinian Fathers (Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles) were founded in Piacenza on November 28, 1887 by Bishop St. John Baptist Scalabrini to assist spiritually and materially the millions of Italian emigrants who left for the Americas.
The main stages of history
The foundation (1887): Monsignor Scalabrini, struck by the dramatic situation of migrants in ports and during journeys, founded the male religious institute of the Missionaries of San Carlo.
The first departures (1888): Already in July 1888, the first ten missionaries left for Brazil and the United States to open parishes, schools and reception centers.
The San Raffaele Association (1889): Founded to protect and assist migrants in the ports of embarkation and disembarkation before and after the journey.
The birth of the female and lay branches: In 1895 the Missionaries of San Carlo Borromeo (Scalabrian nuns) were born together with G. and A. Marchetti, and subsequently in the 20th century other secular and lay institutes developed.
Global and current expansion: Over the decades, the mission has expanded to refugees, displaced persons, and migrants of all nationalities around the world. Today, the congregation works in over 30 countries.
Canonization (2022): Founder Giovanni Battista Scalabrini was proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis on October 9, 2022, confirming the title of “Father of Migrants”.
