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The Colangelos

The Colangelo Family
in Canada

Lady of Mount Carmel Church, ca 1950. <br />(Courtesy Paula Colicchia)

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, ca 1950.
(Courtesy Paula Colicchia)

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, ca 2008. <br />(Courtesy Gabriele Scardellato)

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, ca 2008.
(Courtesy Gabriele Scardellato)

At that time, the Roman Catholic Church in Toronto was very Irish in character. Even in churches designated for Italian churchgoers, the priests were often Irish–Canadians (only occasionally, northern Italians), and the Mass was recited in Latin. The church hierarchy looked down on the peasants from Italy, believing them to be neither religious nor "civilized" enough.

The Colangelo Family
in Canada

But at Mount Carmel and other Italian churches in Toronto, the congregations participated in parish activities. For the Monteleonese, one of these was the celebration every August 16 of the feast day of San Rocco, patron saint of their town.

Religious procession in Monteleone di Puglia, possibly celebrating the feast of San Rocco, ca late 1950s.
(CMC, Christian Bennedsen Collection, P37-12.L1-45.001, E2007-00448)

Members of the Monteleone Social Club at a banquet at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto, late 1950s. The club still exists.
(CMC, Christian Bennedsen Collection, P37-17.L6-1.001, E2007-00449)

In 1942, Carmela and Michael bought their first home at 190 Arlington Avenue, near St. Clair Avenue and Bathurst Street-an area that was then emerging as part of Toronto's newest Italian immigrant settlement area. Michael opened a new shop, West End Cleaners, at 2394 Bloor Street West, where he offered dry-cleaning and laundry services, as well as shoe repair.

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