Nazzareno Formosa (29 March 1901 - 22 July 1937) was an American-Maltese Roman Catholic priest who served as curate of the Parish Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Manhattan, New York City.

The Reverend

Nazzareno Formosa
Curate of Sacred Hearts Church
ChurchRoman Catholic
ArchdioceseNew York
In office1927-1937
Orders
Ordination2 August 1925
Personal details
Born(1901-03-29)March 29, 1901
DiedJuly 22, 1937(1937-07-22) (aged 36)
New York City, United States
BuriedSt. John Cemetery (Queens)
NationalityMaltese
Residence307, East 33rd Street Manhattan
ParentsNikol Formosa
& Maria Caruana

Biography edit

Rev. Nazzareno Formosa was born in the village of Għarb, Gozo, Malta, on 29 March 1901 to Nikola Formosa and Maria Caruana, the last to be born of 8 children. He studied in Italy and was ordained a priest on August 2, 1925. In 1927 he emigrated to the United States to minister to the growing Maltese population in New York City. He became a naturalized American citizen and was incardinated as a priest of the Archdiocese of New York. He was then assigned to the parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary as curate to Monsignor Joseph Congedo.

For the next ten years Reverend Formosa ministered to both the parishioners of Sacred Hearts Parish and to the Maltese community in Manhattan and Astoria, Queens. He served as the chaplain to numerous associations formed within the Maltese community in New York.[1] Nazzareno died in Columbus Hospital on 22 July 1937, at the age of 36, as a result of appendicitis. His funeral was held at the Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary which was attended by almost 800 people. He was buried in St John Cemetery in Queens.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ "The Maltese in New York", Malta Migration. Retrieved on 20 July 2016.
  2. ^ The Maltese Presence in North America. Retrieved on 4 August 2020.