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Italian Work in the Greater New York Conference

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 24, 1908

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 85, No. 39.

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Italian Work in the Greater New York Conference

By LOUIS ZECCHETTO

THE Italian work in the Greater New York Conference is progressing nicely. August 15 Brother A. Saverese baptized four converts as a result of his open-air meetings. Besides these four converts, a number of others are interested in the third angel’s message.
In our tent-meetings in Brooklyn all through the summer the attendance has been equal to the capacity of the tent, and some evenings there were about a hundred persons outside, listening to the preaching. In fact, we have kept the Catholic priest busy going from house to house with a pail containing holy water (so-called) to bless the homes, and drive the evil spirit out that has been brought in by us. He has also threatened them with excommunication, and forbids them to come to his church, in case he should find out that they entered the tent. For this reason quite a number of the people listened from the outside. We managed to preach from the Catholic Bible sometimes, and this has been a help to gain the confidence of some. At the beginning, the people being of Calabria, one of the most ignorant and superstitious provinces in Italy, they threatened to burn our tent, and gave us so many days to move; but later on the same persons, after they had heard the message, all gathered to our assistance to save the tent when there was a heavy storm that threatened it.
When we presented the Sabbath question, a number signified their intention of accepting it, but after hearing some other doctrines that we as a people hold, some withdrew; still we have quite a number who meet with us on every Sabbath day.
Brother R. Calderone is having a good attendance where he is preaching at Wallabout Mission, and we trust our Heavenly Father will enable us to reach this people.
Our Italian paper, L’Ultimo Messaggio, is increasing in circulation steadily. We hope every reader of the REVIEW will help us to circulate this monthly paper in order to make it self-supporting. We received an encouraging order from South America, increasing their circulation club from fifty to three hundred fifty. We hope other conferences will follow their example.
LOUIS ZECCHETTO.