THE 110TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MONONGAH, WEST VIRGINIA MINING DISASTER
On Sunday, December 3, 2017at 10:30 a.m., a Holy Mass was celebrated at Holy Rosary Church to commemorate the victims of the Monongah, West Virginia mining disaster (the Mass also honored Santa Barbara, the Patron Saint of the Marina Militare). The Monongah mining disaster occurred on December 6, 1907 in two mines owned, at the time, by the Fairmont Coal Company.
This tragedy claimed the lives of (officially) 362 men and boys (unofficial reports put the number of casualties at more than 500, which included children who, at the time, were not recorded when entering the mines). This tragedy has significant meaning for AMHS, given that the majority of Italian immigrants who were killed came from the region of Molise (87 of the 171 immigrants from Italy). This disaster left behind 250 widows, and more than 1,000 children.
The Society, through one of its founder and President Emeritus Lucio D’Andrea, arranged to display, in front of the Church altar, a statue of a miner (made from coal), a miner’s head lamp, and a piece of coal from Monongah Following the Mass, a reception was held in Casa Italiana, and remarks were offered by Father Ezio; Catherine Flumiani, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Italy; Gianni Meffe, President of the Associazione Culturale “Monongah”; AMHS President Maria D’Andrea-Yothers; and Lucio D’Andrea, President Emeritus
From left, Gianni Meffe, Catherine Flumiani, Maria D’AndreaYothers, and Lucio D’Andrea
Messages were also conveyed from Michele Petraroia, Regional Counselor of Molise, and from Joseph D’Andrea, Former Honorary Consul of Italy in Pittsburgh. A special note should be made of Joseph D’Andrea, brother of Lucio, who conducted extensive research on the Molisani victims of the tragedy, culminating in the publication of the book “Monongah – Cent’Anni di Oblio” (“Monongah – 100 Years of Oblivion”.
Poster boards were displayed in Casa Italiana, with photos of the mining disaster; events held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of this tragedy; and the names of Italian miners who lost their lives. Also played was the video “Monongah Remembered”, which connects the impact of the Monongah disaster, still the worst mining disaster in American history, with its eventual ramifications for governmental safety regulations.
(A copy of this video is available on request to Lucio, at ldandrea1933@comcast.net A primary objective of the Society, in promoting this event, was to educate and inform the larger Italian and Italian American community about this disaster, which has been relegated to the archives of history. Many who attended the event were surprised to learn about this tragedy and the many lives it claimed. The Society expresses its appreciation to the Embassy of Italian and to Father Ezio Marchetto for their support in commemorating this tragedy.