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Photos by Tom Janatowski / Courtesy of Saint Mark Catholic Church.
Feast of Saint Mark: Creating a place for culture 1
Visitors and volunteers at the 2013 Feast of Saint Mark celebrate the Birmingham area’s Italian heritage and culture and recognize the story of the parish’s patron, Saint Mark the Evangelist, with a full evening of fun and food at the church.
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Photos by Tom Janatowski / Courtesy of Saint Mark Catholic Church.
Feast of Saint Mark: Creating a place for culture 2
Visitors and volunteers at the 2013 Feast of Saint Mark celebrate the Birmingham area’s Italian heritage and culture and recognize the story of the parish’s patron, Saint Mark the Evangelist, with a full evening of fun and food at the church.
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Photos by Tom Janatowski / Courtesy of Saint Mark Catholic Church.
Feast of Saint Mark: Creating a place for culture 3
Visitors and volunteers at the 2013 Feast of Saint Mark celebrate the Birmingham area’s Italian heritage and culture and recognize the story of the parish’s patron, Saint Mark the Evangelist, with a full evening of fun and food at the church.
Feast of Saint Mark
Saint Mark Catholic Church
April 26 • 4-11 p.m.
Robert Sbrissa realized something was missing at Saint Mark Catholic Church. The parish had strong roots in the Catholic faith and was connected with its patron, but it wasn’t as tapped into the turn of the century as it could be.
In 1905, Birmingham’s Italian immigrants founded the first Saint Mark Catholic near Ensley, and soon after it opened its doors, the parish became home for much of Birmingham’s Italian population. They were coal and iron workers, mostly laborers in the mills and furnaces. For decades, local Italian culture was cultivated at Saint Mark.
But for decades, that wasn’t the case.
“When I moved here in 1996, I saw a lot of Italian names and I knew the city’s Italian background, but I couldn’t see any signs of the culture thriving,” Sbrissa said. “I talked to friends who said there used to be feasts all over town 30 years ago, but nobody carried on the tradition.”
So, in 2012, Sbrissa set out to create a flagship event for his parish that both honored Saint Mark the Evangelist, a disciple of Jesus and author of a book of the Gospels, and the church’s Italian founders. He wanted something multigenerational that captured the essence of the traditional Italian celebration — a full-day affair where the whole family could eat, be entertained and hold court. He called it the Feast of Saint Mark.
“Almost immediately, everyone got around it,” Sbrissa said.
Organizers of the first event thought they’d have 500 attend, and they sold out of their 1,500 tickets. Last year, they doubled the tickets to 3,000 and still sold out.
“It’s big, but not too big,” parishioner Jodie James said. “For us, it’s really about making sure you can feed everyone and feed them well.”
For this year’s event, scheduled for April 26, organizers will feature food and specialty products from Arnone’s Italian Sausage, Mr. P’s Butcher Shop & Deli, Tony’s Spaghetti House, Tellini’s Italiano and Graffeo Brothers Sausage.
Main courses include Chicken Marsala, Eggplant Parmigiana and Rigatoni Marinara, all prepared by Chef Benard Tamburello, former co-owner of Bellini’s Ristorante & Bar on Cahaba Valley Road. Traditional Italian beverages, including Italian wines and beers and authentic Limoncello, will complement the feast.
“We’re trying to do everything as authentic as possible, down to every detail,” Sbrissa said. “We want to present a good slice of what traditional Italian feasts are like.”
This year, the event starts at 4 p.m. — an hour earlier than years past — and lasts until 11 p.m. at the church, located at 7340 Cahaba Valley Road. Sbrissa said many elements were specifically designed to keep families, from toddlers to grandparents, entertained for hours. Attractions include a ring toss and face painting, mechanical rides, live music, a cigar patio, espresso, carnival games and a bocce court. Tickets are $20.
“The beauty of it is that one price includes the meal and everything else,” Sbrissa said. “And it all goes back to the parish, to support community causes and local projects.”
But Sbrissa stressed that the goal isn’t the money raised. He said the Feast of Saint Mark is expensive to hold, especially when attempting authenticity in every aspect, but the cost is worth it to see families coming together.
“Nothing is more satisfying than to see grandchildren at the table with their parents and grandparents and everybody is having a good time,” he said.
For more or to purchase tickets, visit feastofstmark.com.
Food by
Chef Benard Tamburello
Arnone’s Italian Sausage
Mr. P’s Butcher Shop & Deli
Tony’s Spaghetti House
Tellini’s Italiano
Graffeo Brothers Sausage
Live music
Ross Gagliano and SpellBound
Henry Lovoy and Razz Ma Tazz
Dance South Dance Team
Frank Ranelli and Big Daddy’s New Band
Total A$$et$
Members of the Rockin’ Rebellions
Attractions
Face painting
Mechanical rides
Carnival games
Bocce court
Cigar patio
Espresso
