Our Lady of Grace's feast and festival to serve as homecoming for local priest

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The ageless Our Lady of Grace Feast and Festival, which will be held Thursday, Sept. 4, through Sunday, Sept. 7, and feature a variety of Italian foods, will also serve as a special homecoming for a native son of the Roman Catholic parish in Johnston.

The Rev. Alfred V. Ricci, who grew up as a parishioner at the church and whose parents Victor and Evelyn Ricci are still active communicants, is coming home for the Feast of the La Madonna della Difesa.

Ricci, who is currently pastor at St. Gregory the Great Church in Warwick, will be the homilist next Tuesday, Sept. 2, when the Johnston-based parish holds the first of three religious events in conjunction with its annual festival.

His parents have been parishioners at Our Lady of Grace since Ricci was a teenager. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest at Our Lady of Grace on April 26, 1980.

Ricci will be the celebrant at the 7 p.m. Mass on Sept. 2, and the homily will be followed by a candlelight procession and rosary outside the church located at 15 George Waterman Road in Johnston.

Ricci will also be the homilist on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at the 7 p.m. Mass.

On Sunday, Sept. 7, Ricci will be the main celebrant at the 10:30 a.m. Solemn Mass, which will be followed by the always-colorful Madonna della DiFesa procession featuring various organizations of the parish and local community.

Our Lady of Grace will follow a century old tradition for the procession, during which ribbons are placed on the robe of the statue of the Madonna. As a devotion to the Blessed Mother, parishioners pin money on the ribbons as a special offering for their intentions.

Ricci was educated at St. Anthony’s School in Providence and graduated from Johnston High School in 1970. He went on to attend Our Lady of Providence Seminary and St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester, N.Y.

This year’s feast and festival will open at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, and all carnival rides, food booths and other offerings as well as entertainment will run until 9 p.m.

The four-day event – which chairman Joe Quartino and an army of volunteers are hoping draws record-setting crowds to “Festival Field” on Sheridan Street across from the church – will continue on Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and conclude on Sunday at 9 p.m. following an afternoon and evening full of events.

One such happening will be Our Lady of Grace’s annual grand raffle, which this year will include a giveaway totaling $7,000. Each family of the parish is encouraged to purchase the tickets they received through the mail.

Quartino said the drawing will take place on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 9 p.m.

Volunteers will also be at the grand raffle booth – located under the big top tent – throughout the festival.

In addition to the grand raffle, a minor raffle with prizes totaling $500 will also be available. These tickets are priced at $1 each. The grand raffle tickets can be purchased for $50 each.

Well-known disc jockey Gary Salzillo and musical groups like Ambrosiani, Brother 2 Brother, Steve Cass and the Calamari Brothers and Vini Ames and Sh-Bop will provide this year’s entertainment.

And, as Quartino so aptly noted, organizers “will have food booths with a multitude of Italian delicacies and favorites all made right on the premises.”

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