Festa Italiana Features Book Signings, Cultural and Cooking Demonstrations
By Lynne Conner, Observer Correspondent
August 18, 2022
ROCKFORD—The recipe for Laura Padron’s book, “Building St. Joseph Altars: a Feast for the Soul” mixes love, prayer and Divine Providence to yield a comprehensive go-to guide for creating this age-old tradition honoring St. Joseph.
Padron hosted book signings at the 43rd annual Festa Italiana, Aug. 5-7, on the grounds of Boylan Central Catholic High School.
An Illinois native, Padron has lived in both Cedarville and Rockford. She began attending local St. Joseph altars in 2014.
“Building St. Joseph
Altars: a Feast for the Soul”
is available in hardcover, paperback and E-book formats at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Fulton Books. Copies are also available at Vineyard Books and Gifts, 1638 N. Alpine Rd., Rockford.
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After moving to California two years ago, Padron said Divine Providence led her to a startling revelation, “I was driving down the street, listening to the Bookmark program on EWTN radio and it just hit me like a brick,” Padron said.
“I had to write a book on how to create St. Joseph altars. I remember looking up at the mountains and the heavens and wondering how I was going to write a book.”
In a mere eight months, Padron, a nurse practitioner by trade, had completed her first book. She credits her “altar friends,” those who have directed St. Joseph altars at Rockford-area homes and Catholic churches, for their contributions to the book.
“I have a very good publisher at Fulton Books, which makes me think of Bishop Fulton Sheen, so this project was meant to be,” Padron said.
While Padron’s book pays homage to the history of Rockford’s St. Joseph altars, it also provides a step-by-step monthly countdown to building a home or parish altar.
“My book is designed to help anyone who wishes to host a St. Joseph Altar. There are chapters on fundraising for your altar, publicity, how to construct and set up an altar, and, of course, lots and lots of recipes for St. Joseph altar food. Writing this book was a love story to Rockford and its 100-year tradition of St. Joseph altars,” she said.
The book boasts numerous photos which illustrate every aspect of building an altar and has several chapters dedicated to the savory and sweet cuisine of the altar. “The most fun part of the book for me was compiling recipes for the cookie chapter,” Padron said. “For any of the sweets you would see at an altar, we have provided recipes and photos.”
Since prayer and spiritual devotion, Padron said, are first and foremost in planning and hosting a St. Joseph altar, the book has a novena, blessings and prayers associated with St. Joseph.
“The novena to St. Joseph is a spiritual practice that your St. Joseph altar committee can pray during the nine days leading up to the altar,” she said. “I have also included a blessing for the altar that the priest can do before the meal is served.”
Padron will be hosting a virtual St. Joseph altar on her YouTube channel starting in January of 2023. The videos will show an altar being built using the timelines in her book.
Padron summed up the reason behind her book, “Planning and hosting a St. Joseph altar takes prayer and love, but the real message is about building our Catholic faith through tradition and community.”
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