The humble brick church that houses San Gennaro holds the secret to a past when Italian-Americans so passionately loved the Roman Catholic Church that religious imagery dominated most of Italian art and culture. The church grounds itself are a red brick tapestry of cobblestones, rectangular treads, some in a straight horizontal line, others paired in L-shapes, or octagons and small squares, all worn smooth and made dull by time. Too many footsteps to count have tread here to visit this holy landmark, where saints, the famous and not-so-famous, ward off misfortune and suffering to make pious intercession with a merciful God. Paying homage to God means giving enough money, alms and offerings, to the church in the names of dead saints. The trick is to find the saint who can effectively muster the greatest influence with God. So just in case, all of the saints are represented here. Not one has been left out.
Gold and bronze flank murals, frescoes and sculptures in colors that are muted, bright or bold. Art hovers overhead on ceilings, cradles every wall and nests within every nook. The saints are manifold. Surely, even heathens recognize their names: Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony of Padua, Bernadette of Lourdes, Elizabeth Seton, Mother Cabrini, Agnes, Agatha, Santa Lucia, and of course San Gennaro, whose own sacred shrine room is found up a small staircase toward the back of the church. God loves them all, and especially San Gennaro, patron saint of Naples, who emigrated to America in the 1940s. This saint came on the heels of the Neapolitans who fled rule under Italy’s notorious dictator Mussolini and flocked to the U.S. Paying homage to saints means money changes hands. There is more than one way to make an offering to a saint—you can buy a wall fresco, a brass plaque, or offer fresh-cut flowers at the feet of Mother Mary and baby Jesus, both of whom are adorned with halos. You can also light a votive candle at the foot of your preferred saint. Real candles burn in jewel tone red and yellow glass. Behind the altar, three panels of murals are hung, depicting Jesus as a young lad teaching the rabbis,