Debbie Egan-Chin/New York Daily News
Monsignor David Cassato (right) and Downtown Ronnie Califano organized the annual Christmas doo-wop fund-raiser at Saint Athanasius Church.
St. Nick must love St. Athanasius Church. Because every year St. A’s puts on the best Christmas show in Brooklyn, with an oldies lineup of doo-wop groups that will knock your candy-striped socks off.
“In the past, we included a meal or sold food,” says Downtown Ronnie Califano, organizer of the annual St. A’s Christmas Show, set for 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the church, 2154 61st St., Brooklyn. “But let’s face it: Bensonhurst people make some of the best homemade food in the city. So this year, people pay $ 60 for the show and you bring your own food.”
All soft drinks and spirits must be purchased at the venue.
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“But just you watch the food the women march in here,” he says. “It’ll be like a reality-TV show on the Food Channel. Who makes the best gravy, best lasagna, eggplant parm. Fuhgeddaboudit. People will mangia , sip vino, and then come the Italian pastries. Ma-done ! And then everybody watch out because here comes the show, which is gonna be a blowout to celebrate St. A’s 100th birthday and especially Christmas.”
The groups will include Jay Siegel’s Tokens, Lenny Dell and the Demensions and Bob Miranda and the Happenings.
“Nowhere else in New York can you eat, drink and watch great oldies acts without crossing a bridge or a tunnel for $ 60,” says Califano. “In Manhattan, you pay $ 60 to park the car. Here, you park free. And you help raise money for a church and a pastor that keeps this neighborhood alive. Msgr. (David) Cassato is the true shepherd who holds a whole neighborhood flock together.”
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Borough President Marty Markowitz, who helped hold Brooklyn together as it evolved over the past two decades into a 21st century community of culture, commerce and Bohemia, says Cassato is the quintessential modern cleric whom others of all faiths should emulate.
“He’s the Hollywood monsignor,” says Markowitz. “Movie-star handsome, charismatic. Women love him. He’s the Pope of Bensonhurst. I have to leave my office of borough president at the end of the month, but I wish I could run for the congress of cardinals so someday I could vote for Cassato to be Pope. He’s a blend of old-school Brooklyn and new Brooklyn, who welcomes all the new immigrants with open arms and new young families, exactly the kind of cleric who will bring young people back to church in the Borough of Churches.”
He’s right. As other churches struggle to fill the pews, Cassato’s gregarious, funny, human touch attracts almost 3,000 parishioners every Sunday to St. Athanasius. Many pack the two Spanish-language Masses. You can also find the NYPD’s former chief of department with his mother, wife and kids in one pew. And old-time street guys in pews across the aisle. Many were baptized, received First Holy Communion and Confirmation, got married and will have their funeral Masses in St. A’s.
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It’s a House of God that is also a second home to its people.
“The Christmas fund-raiser on Dec. 7 will be exactly 100 years to the day of the first Mass said in St. A’s on Dec. 7, 2013, by Father Eugene Donnelly, our founder,” says Cassato. “This was a mostly Irish and German neighborhood then. It has evolved over the years. The first Italian pastor didn’t come until 1996. I came in 2001. And our parish is growing. We have 800 kids in religious instruction, 70% Hispanic, and 320 kids in our school, 20% Hispanic.”
Cassato knows most of his regular parishioners on a first-name basis, knows all the local merchants, tends to the sick and also finds time to serve as one of the chaplains to NYPD. “Come to the Christmas show and feel the warmth of old-time and new Brooklyn, a community of faith, family, friendship,” he says.
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Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum of Borough Park plans to take him up on it. “I go to the St. Athanasius Christmas show every year,” he says. “Not only is Msgr. Cassato a dear friend, but with my name how could I not like a Christmas show?”
St. Nick is not the only one who must love St. A’s.
For tickets or more information, call (347) 671-5556.
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