Father Antonio Demo, an Italian immigrant appointed by Archbishop Michael Corrigan of the Archdiocese of New York in 1899, led the charge at Our Lady of Pompeii to address the Catholic Church’s neglect of Greenwich Village’s Italian-American population.  Unlike previous ventures to religiously accommodate Italian-American Catholics in Greenwich Village, Demo respected the Italian-American community and sought to integrate his parish in said community to the fullest extent possible.  His services catered essentially exclusively to the Italian-Americans; Masses were regularly conducted in Italian, thus only those who knew the Italian language, namely Italian immigrants, were encouraged to be in attendance.  This contrasts prior unsuccessful instances when Italian-Americans were expected to worship alongside Catholics from different ethnic backgrounds, such as Irish-Americans who frequently and openly discriminated against them.  Under Demo’s leadership, a parochial school was established not only for Our Lady of Pompeii, but also for numerous other Italian-American churches as well.  In defiance of a Catholic Italian stereotype, Demo heavily stressed the religious education of Italian-American youth.  Also among Demo’s notable actions were his honoring the memory of Our Lady of Pompeii parishioners lost to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, forming partnerships with several charity organizations such as the Children’s Aid Society, and advocating on behalf of local Italian-Americans who found themselves confronted with a difficulty associated with adjusting to life in America.

– NC

“Catholicism and the Security of the Italian-American Identity”

Source:  Brown, Mary Elizabeth.  “Italian Immigrant Catholic Clergy and an Exception to the Rule: The Revered Antonio Demo, Our Lady of Pompeii, Greenwich Village, 1899-1933.”  Church History, Vol. 62, No. 1 (March, 1993): 41-59.  JSTOR.