Westfall/Ruccio Family

In In the early 2000s, the Italians of Montclair Oral and Photographic History Project provided digitization for photographs, documents, and personal artifacts of Italians and Italian Americans in Montclair, with the mission to uncover, record, and preserve the precious traces of the Italian American community in Montclair from the late 19th century through the early 21st century. This collection was generously provided for digitization by Jay Westfall and Fred Ruccio.

To view other collections digitized through the project, visit the Family Collection tag.

Oral and Photographic History Project

In the early 2000s, the Italians of Montclair Oral and Photographic History Project provided digitization for photographs, documents, and personal artifacts of Italians and Italian Americans in Montclair, with the mission to uncover, record, and preserve the precious traces of the Italian American community in Montclair from the late 19th century through the early 21st century.

Researchers from Montclair State University met with seniors from the local Italian American community to share the project’s vision. Participants in these early meetings brought some photos and artifacts that became the first materials digitized by the project.

The gallery below includes foundational documents of the project, including the interview guide and recruitment materials.

The project digitized hundreds of documents, photographs, and objects, which can be viewed by visiting the Family Collection tag, and conducted over 50 oral history interviews with Italian American Montclair residents. The gallery below pictures participants in the project.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Our Lady of Mount Carmel church has been a cornerstone of the Italian American community in Montclair for decades. In addition to religious services, it has hosted affiliated saints’ organizations, held celebrations and weddings, and opened the doors to its historic space.

Many of the celebrations historically hosted by Our Lady of Mount Carmel have been revived in recent years. The below galleries show these modern celebrations, including the Mount Carmel Festa and a feast from 2008.

Mount Carmel Festa

2008 Feast

The church building is also an important historical site. Below is a short video tour of the church, led by Father Tony.

Library Exhibit

In the 2000s, the Montclair Public Library hosted an exhibit and associated programming on the history of the Italian American community in Montclair, curated by Donato DiGeronimo and drawing on materials from the Oral and Photographic History Project.

St. Sebastian Society

Founded in 1926, the St. Sebastian Society has a long history in Montclair. Affiliated with Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the society has hosted an annual procession with the St. Sebastian statue alongside several carnivals and celebrations for decades.

Pictured below are some historical photos of the Society’s activities, including the St. Rocco Feast, discontinued in the 1930s.

Some of these traditions are finding new life in recent years; the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival was revived in 2004.

Pictured below is another recent St. Sebastian event, the 2018 macaroni dinner.

St. Donato Society

The St. Donato Society is a recently-established community group primarily composed of men dedicated to honoring St. Donato. For years, the society has maintained a statue of St. Donato at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where it serves as a focal point for their annual procession in the saint's honor. In addition to the procession, some years feature a carnival, bringing together local families to celebrate Italian and Catholic heritage.