Defense Manufacturers Conference

FATHER DEMO SQUARE – New York City 6th Avenue & Bleecker Street Our Lady of Pompeii Church Corner of Carmine Street & Bleecker Street August 2, 2007 Father Antonio Demo (1870-1936) was born on April 23, 1870, at Lazzaretto di Bassano in the province of Vicenza, Italy. His study at the diocesan and Scalabrinian seminaries was twice interrupted by mandatory military service. Father Demo immigrated to Boston to do missionary work in 1896 and arrived in New York to serve as assistant pastor of Our Lady of Pompei a few years later. In 1900 he was appointed pastor of the church, whose magnificent Italianate building stands northwest of the park at the corner of Bleecker and Carmine Streets. As pastor, Father Demo was respected for his excellent organizational skills: record-keeping, establishing church groups, working with local charities, and raising funds. Under his leadership, Pompei expanded its liturgical music programs, opened a day care center, and held its first bazaar. In addition to serving as a spiritual counselor to his parishioners, Father Demo was active in social services -translating documents and conversations, finding jobs, making loans, aiding in the immigration process, and writing personal recommendations. His spiritual care was exemplified by his hard work and generosity of spirit in response to the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire, which claimed the lives of 146 female employees on March 25, 1911. In 1923 Father Demo learned that Sixth Avenue (now …