Our Legacy; Celebrating Cape Verdean History

St. Anthony Chapel Foundation honors Cape Verdeans who have brought prominence to the City of Norwich; by promoting the rich Cape Verdean culture, customs, music and continuously instilling a sense of pride in their heritage.

For most, their Ancestors immigrated to the USA from one of the ten Islands in Cape Verde:  Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista; Maio, Santiago, Fogo, Brava; to seek a better life for their families.

Some of the accomplishments include:  St. Anthony’s Chapel; DelGado Brothers and Santos Brothers Bands; Cape Verdean Santiago Society Incorporated on June 6, 1939; Stone Masons Julius Gonsalves, Belmiro Rodrigues Sr., Joseph Santos; Judge John M. Newson; Judge Charles W. Groce III; privately owned Cape Verdean Businesses; Nursing /Business Professionals and Norwich Free Academy Cape Verdean Student Club.

The Foundation will be capturing Oral Histories; which will be utilized for future publication.  This project falls in line with a daylong conference at Manchester Community College on June 4, 2012 entitled “Our State, Our Stories” which focuses on collecting, preserving and sharing oral histories in the 21^st century.    

 The Celebration will be held on Saturday May 19, 2012 at the Sidney Frank Center for Performing Arts, located at the Norwich Free Academy 305 Broadway,  Norwich, CT; 05:00 to 09:00 p.m.   A Buffet dinner will be served and Dr. Isadore Ramos, former Mayor of East Providence, will be our Guest Speaker.  Entertainment by Jose L. Spencer, Amadeu Fontes and Manuel Monteiro

Tickets are $25.00 per person and can be obtained by contacting:  Roberta J. Vincent (860)705.3176 or Alfred H. Gonsalves (860)917.9586 by May 18, 2012.  There will be no tickets sold at the event. 

The following Cape Verdeans will be honored:

Edwin G. Almeida                      

Ronald W. Andrews                   

Jeanette M. Cardoza

Mildred E. Cardoza                    

Mary A. Delgado                       

Alinda R. Depina

Anthony L. Gomes                     

Judith A. Gomes                        

Alfred H. Gonsalves              

David A. Gonsalves Sr.              

Marion L. Livramento                

Anna B. Parrish

Joseph A. Perry                         

Marvin C. Perry                         

Thomas A. Perry

Laura A. Pina                            

Emily A. Pires                           

Francis E. Roderick Sr.

Eva Rodrigues                           

Margaret P. Thompson              

Virginia DeBarros Thompson

Frances DePina Toliver              

Antonio M. Santos Sr.                

Joseph M. Santos Sr.

Julio R. Vaz    

John B. Vincent   

The St. Anthony Chapel Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the history of the Chapel and to foster understanding of the Chapel as a symbol of the arrival, establishment and settlement of Cape Verdeans in the City of Norwich through education and cultural awareness.

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