Patchogue’s St. Liberata Festival Set For Sept. 18

PATCHOGUE, NY — The Friends of St. Liberata will honor Village of Patchogue Housing Inspector Joseph Brandi as the Italian-American of the Year at their annual Italian feast on Sept. 18.

Brandi, 73, has been an active member of the Patchogue-Medford Community for decades, in particular with Patchogue-Medford Schools athletic programs, Patchogue Knights of Columbus, and the Friends of St. Liberata, chamber director David Kennedy said in an email.

Before his tenure at the village, Brandi taught school for the Connetquot School District for 35 years, 22 of which he did not take a “single day off,” according to the Greater Patchogue Foundation. He is a founding member of the Maple Avenue Neighborhood Watch, and can often be seen patrolling on his bike in an effort to keep the area safe, the foundation stated in its newsletter.

The St. Liberata festival, which is held every September, celebrates Italian culture and features a procession with a statue of the saint, as well as vendors selling Italian food, as well as performances by Italian musicians on Main Street. People often pin money to the statue’s robe in hopes that their prayers will be answered.