St. Joseph’s Table

LITTLE FALLS  It all started with a $1 cookbook. More than 100,000 cannoli later, the Rosary Society at Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish here is once again continuing its 46-year-old tradition of the St. Joseph’s Table. It will be held this year on the weekend of March 17-18. Each cannoli will cost $3 and many other sweets and baked goods will also be sold. All proceeds will benefit the parish.

When Millie Restuccia became a Rosarian at a young age, she joined the other members of Rosary Society helping with the annual sale at the St. Joseph’s Table, traditionally held on or near March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father. She recalled that before the tradition started at the parish many Italians would buy the cannoli at a local bakery for the feast day at a nickel each. The popularity of the baked good sparked the idea to do the sale of homemade cannoli to benefit the parish.

Always a collector of cookbooks, Restuccia’s mother, Mary, was at home listening to an Italian radio station. One commercial was advertising a cookbook for a dollar, so she ordered one for her daughter’s collection. When Restuccia went through the book, she came across a recipe for cannoli. She tried it and everyone enjoyed it.

From there they began making homemade cannoli in 1972. Today, many volunteers including members of the Rosary Society, parishioners and Knights of Columbus from Our Lady of the Highway Council 3835 continue the tradition. They begin preparations six weeks before the feast of St. Joseph, making the cannoli shells. Their goal is to make 200 shells a week in order to make 1,200 cannoli.

“It’s hard work but it’s fun,” said Restuccia. “It feels special to use your talents and give something back to the parish.”

Starting on Feb. 2 and continuing until the feast day, volunteers spend time measuring, mixing, rolling out dough, frying the cannoli shells and packing them. The success is also due to the kindness and generosity of parishioners who donate the ingredients, materials and equipment for making these pastries, as well as many others who donate additional goodies.

Several years ago, St. Michael Parish in Paterson, which has Italian roots, donated the statue of St. Joseph which now graces the St. Joseph’s Table at Holy Angels during the sale. All year this statue is carefully kept in storage for safekeeping until it’s placed in the center of the long traditional table for the feast day. The food is then placed around it and blessed before it is sold.

According to the Rosary Society, the St. Joseph’s Table is a European custom dating back to the 17th century when it was customary to place a statue of St. Joseph in the center of the table and serve foods to the poor and needy. It is widely celebrated in many Italian towns and cities.



Working alongside Restuccia on the day The Beacon visited, was Jackie Bender, who has been making cannoli with her for the past four and a half decades. “I enjoy doing this. I always baked and it’s wonderful it’s for a great saint. I have a devotion to all the saints,” said Bender.

John O’Donnell and his wife, Janet, have enjoyed also making the cannoli. “The Knights are happy to help these ladies out and do good for the church. Anytime anyone needs each other, we’re all here to help at Holy Angels,” he told The Beacon.

After all these years of making cannoli, Restuccia said she has no plans on slowing down.

“I got close to St. Joseph doing this,” she said. “I don’t plan to stop. I have faith that St. Joseph wants us to continue this tradition. Many people have come and gone over the years, but we continue to get many great people to help make the St. Joseph’s Table possible and successful for our parish.”