(Article published Dec 17, 2007 in The Daily Journal)“Hardly a Mega-Church, But Big on Faith”
By DEBORAH M. MARKO Staff Writer
VINELAND — The St. Barbara Roman Catholic Chapel entrance is not barred.
Each day, all in need of comfort are welcome.
Enter and light a candle.
Slip into a pew and savor the sanctuary’s soothing silence.
Whisper your prayer.
For more than 100 years, the single-room Roman Catholic chapel on Oak Road has attracted those seeking solace as well as those steadfast in their faith, says Thelma Scarpa Bucikowski, the chapel society’s secretary.
Founded as the Scarpa family chapel, St. Barbara is now registered under the Diocese of Camden as part of Queen of Angels Parish.
That is a rare distinction, meaning a local bishop officially recognized the chapel, diocesan spokesman Andrew Walton said. He knows of only two recognized family chapels in the diocese, which spans six counties.
The other is the shrine honoring St. Padre Pio, established by Peter and Marie Dandrea on their Landisville farm.
Regular weekly Masses are not celebrated at family chapels.
And although the intimate setting prompts about a half-dozen couples to contact the St. Barbara Society annually requesting permission to be married there, diocesan regulations don’t permit baptisms or weddings there.
While these family chapels don’t replace places of worship, Walton noted, they might draw people in and help deepen their faith.
Christmas Glow
During the year, people passing St. Barbara Chapel might be unaware it is open, Bucikowski said. But in December, the chapel glows with the light of its Nativity scene. That seems to attract attention and more visitors.
Anyone who adds his or her name to the guestbook, which sits to the right of the front door, is literally blessed. Their names are included in a St. Barbara Society prayer. The list has grown to about 600 people per year, Bucikowski said.
The diocese permits two annual Masses at St. Barbara. One is held in May to honor the Blessed Mother. And the devout observe St. Barbara’s Feast Day on Dec. 4 with a Mass.
Then the chapel society sets up and displays the grand-scale Nativity scene, accompanied by delicate lighting and inspirational music.
It’s a visible reminder of the reason for the season, Bucikowski explained.
“We just want to share the true meaning of Christmas.”
Family Roots
That’s been a Scarpa family mission for more than 100 years.
The chapel’s roots stretch to the fertile soil of Salento, Italy, the home of brothers Gaetano and Antonio Scarpa (Charlene’s great-grandfather, the man who built “grandmom’s house.”) As young men, they served as altar boys for their local church, St. Barbara.
In 1888, the two men immigrated to the United States, settling in Vineland. Despite the distance from their homeland, the Scarpas’ devotion to St. Barbara remained resolute.
So much so, they requested a statue of St. Barbara be sent from Italy. Upon arrival, the delicately carved 5-foot olive wood likeness was placed in a dedicated room in Gaetano Scarpa’s Oak Road home, where the brothers prayed the Rosary.
The family invited other relatives and friends to join them.
Starting a tradition that continues through today, no one was turned away.
A Chapel is Built
In the early 1920s, the Scarpa family constructed the petite chapel for St. Barbara on family land, just across Oak Road from the Scarpa homestead.
Gaetano and Antonio, then grown men, continued to hold an active role in celebrating Mass.
“They were the oldest altar boys,” Bucikowski fondly recalls.
Over time, the chapel’s history intertwined with local folklore. The St. Barbara Society is now working with the Vineland Historical Society to have the 60-seat chapel designated a historical landmark.
For Bucikowski, it’s the foundation of her personal history.
“St. Barbara was my baby sitter,” she said.
While family members toiled in the fields, the youngsters would find a safe haven in the chapel.
“My sister and I would want to play Mass,” Bucikowski said. “Both of us wanted to be the priest; there was no congregation.”
Facing Fire
In 1967, the annual Nativity display almost led to the chapel’s demise.
It is believed hay in the Nativity scene ignited during Christmas weekend. The Vineland Times Journal reported the blaze “raced up the inside walls burning the rafters and charring the roof.”
But the chapel, as well as the St. Barbara statue, survived.
It seemed fitting.
St. Barbara is the patroness of all in danger of death from lightning, storms and fire, Bucikowski said.
Marianne Bagliani, the great-great-granddaughter of Gaetano Scarpa and a Millville Public Schools art teacher, restored the charred statue.
St. Barbara was returned to her place of honor where she stands today, offering a gentle smile to those who enter.
Looking to the Future
Today, the chapel thrives under the stewardship of the Scarpa family.
Charles Scarpa and his sister, Linda Phebus Scarpa, are St. Barbara Society co-presidents. There are about 50 members.
Bucikowski serves as secretary. Her husband of 50 years, Walter, is vice president and treasurer.
In 1969, Thelma Scarpa Bucikowski reported that St. Barbara appeared to her in the chapel.
“I had just dropped my children off at school,” she said. “I came to the chapel to light a candle.”
At the time, she was concerned about her mother’s ill health. She knelt to pray.
“I saw her,” Bucikowski said, pointing to the left of the altar where she says St. Barbara made herself visible.
“It was so peaceful when I saw her,” she said, recalling the saint’s beautiful waving hair.
Bucikowski believes St. Barbara was asking for help.
“I had the feeling she was saying, ‘I am here for you and the chapel,'” she said.
And in kind, Bucikowski said, she believes that St. Barbara was requesting help in spreading the word of St. Barbara and the local chapel.
It’s a calling she honors to this day.
Bucikowski spends a lot of time at the chapel. She’s passionate about spreading the word of St. Barbara and encouraging visitors.
“If your patron saint is with you all the time, it becomes part of your life,” she said. “I do really love what I’m doing and I try to do the best that I can, through the Lord.”