After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, the St. Joseph’s Day Dinner returned to St. Mary’s Hall in Marlboro last Saturday evening. This year marked the 32nd time the Italian Heritage organization UNICO hosted the Feast of St. Joseph Day dinner.

UNICO member Jerry Amoroso, who chairs the dinner, said it was started by charter members of the club who wanted to give something back to the community. He said the money UNICO raises is used to support many charitable initiatives that they donate to in town. He joined UNICO in 1989 and said he enjoys the camaraderie of the club and believes in the mission to help those in need in the community.

The Feast of St. Joseph honors the husband of the Virgin Mary and the legal father of Jesus and falls on March 19. UNICO, however, moved the date to April because the weather is better and because many residents have just returned from wintering in Florida.

Joe Lo Piccolo keeps alive the Sicilian tradition of baking specialty breads that he displays on the St Joseph’s table at the dinner that people can take some home with them.

“Anything on the table we make it so we can give to others,” he said, adding that he and his wife Caterina and other family members do all the baking.

Lo Piccolo said his wife comes from Mezzojuso in the province of Palermo, Sicily. On St Joseph’s Day an outside Mass is celebrated there and then people cook for the entire town of about 3,000 people.

“It’s a tradition from generation to generation,” he said.
Lo Piccolo said the Marlborough chapter of UNICO ends up giving away any money they raise for scholarships, to fight cancer, to kids with disabilities and for food gift cards to local families at Christmas time to name a few of their charitable causes.

“Before Covid we were giving away $25,000 a year and hopefully we can get back to the needy causes that we do,” he said. “I think it’s important that small organizations are supported because we support the community and it’s essential that we get younger people involved otherwise our traditions will die. The past is the past but the future should be a good reflection of what was good in the past and bring it forward.”

To join UNICO people can ask any member of the organization to sponsor them and then attend a general meeting that takes place on the fourth Thursday of the month.