Holy Rosary
Catholic Church
Served by the Scalabrinian
missionaries since 1890
911 E. Missouri Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
The History of the Feast of Our Lady of the Audience in Kansas City
Sources differ, but in appoximately 1575, a deadly plague threatened the existence of the people Sambuca, Sicily (see map below). All medical resources had failed and the citizens turned to the Blessed Virgin for help. Miraculously, the plague stopped and the thankful people carried the statue of the Virgin Mary through the town praying and singing with joy.
The feast became an annual celebration. From Sambuca, this tradition was brought to Kansas City by Anthony (Antonio) and Sara (Saveria) Molle in the early 1900’s. They bought an exact replica of the statue of Our Lady of the Audience of Sambuca for Holy Rosary. They organized the annual feast in her honor with a special mass, procession and a festival with food and music. All “paesani” from Italy and everybody in the city were invited to the feast, which became very popular.
Anthony and Sara Molle raised four children: Mary (Russo), had one daughter, Mary Ann, and 2 grandchildren; John had 4 children: Anthony, Frank, John and Sara, who are all married with children and grandchildren; Angelo had three children, Savara, Maddalene and Anthony, all married with children and grandchildren; and Carl had 5 children: Anthony, Savara, Mark, Ben and Carl Jr., all married with children and grandchildren.
Anthony and Sara took charge of organizing the feast with great devotion and pride and they enjoyed the participation and contributions of all the Molle families. When they became unable to organize the feast, their son Angelo took over. Anna Molle, Angelo’s wife, is the only survivor of the four original families who is able to attend the feast. John’s wife, Anne, is in her nineties, and is no longer able to attend.
After Angelo, his brother Carl took charge of the feast and after him his grandchildren and cousins. When the grandchildren married and moved across the city, it became difficult for some to come together for the feast and gradually by 2000, when I arrived at Holy Rosary, the feast was reduced to a mass celebration and a short gathering after mass.
In the last few years, with the help of parishioners and devotees, more interest for the feast was revived. The Molle grandchildren are taking greater interest to continue the tradition originated by their grandparents Anthony and Sara, whose love and devotion to Our Lady of the Audience brought great joy to them, their families and to the whole Italian American community of Kansas City. The 2008 celebration enjoyed a better participation of parishioners and devotees of Our Lady of the Audience.
This year the Statue of Our Lady of the Audience was displayed for Mother’s Day, a week prior to the feast, to enable more people to admire the statue adorned in full regalia and to invite them to participate to the feast today. The statue of Our Lady draped in a jeweled cape with a blue sash holding a crystal rosary and other mementos donated by devotees is displayed only during the annual feast.
There is another inspiring part of the feast. At the end of the mass, while the statue is carried out of the church in procession, people pin money to the mantle of Our Lady in gratitude for blessings received and for new blessings. When the statue is set outside the church, a poem in Sicilian is recited, with a prayer and a blessing, and then a shower of rose petals falls over the statue. People catch and treasure these petals and believe that they are assured Mary’s blessings and good health for another year.
People claim they still receive blessings and even miracles through the intercession of Our Lady of the Audience and they invite all to honor her and pray to her with confidence.
Refreshments are served after mass outside the church and everyone is welcome. We are very grateful to the Molle families, volunteers, and participants for being a part of this century old tradition of devotion and love.
--Fr. Joe