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St. Joseph Senior Social Club committee members Maria Caporella-Montante, right, and her husband Chester place food items on St. Joseph’s Table at St. Joseph Marello Parish hall in Pittston.

St. Joseph Senior Social Club President Theresa Ormando chats at a table.

Guests applaud the Rev. Joseph Sibilano, OSJ, after announcing his 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

Guests visit the buffet line at the St. Joseph’s Table gathering at St. Joseph Marello Parish hall in Pittston.

A statue of St. Joseph sits atop of the three-tier table of food donations to the needy.

Rev. Joseph Sibilano, OSJ, blesses St. Joseph’s Table during the annual setting at St. Joseph Marello Parish hall.

PITTSTON — Father. Joseph Sibilano, O.S.J., has been an ordained priest for 50 years – and he’s cherished all 50 of those years.

Sibilano, 76, reverend of the Oblates of St. Joseph Semianry, was recently honored at a special lunch at St. Joseph Marello Parish.

“I was ordained in March and I finished my schooling in June,” said Sibilano, who was ordained in Rome. “We then prepared all of the paper work and I came here (from Rome) in December of 1965. It will be 50 years in December that I’ve been here.”

Sibilano also ministered in St. Joseph Marello Parish, when it was known as Mt. Carmel Parish, from 1967 to 1979, from 1986 to 1990 and then from 2011 to 2013.

St. Joseph Marello Parish is staffed by the Oblates of St. Joseph Seminary.

Prior to being honored, Sibilano blessed the St. Joseph table and the food bestowed upon it.

Parishioner Maria Caporella-Montante said the food will be donated to those less fortunate.

“The significance of the (St. Joseph) table is to feed the poor,” said Montante. “St. Joseph answered the prayers in Sicily, (Italy) many, many, many centuries ago and they promised a table to him. So, every feast day a table is prepared and all of the food on the table will go to St. John the Evangelist’s soup kitchen.”

A feast day is a Catholic tradition in which the Catholic church assigns one date out of the year for each and every canonized saint — known as the saint’s feast day. Those saints are remembered on their individual feast days with special mention, prayers and a scripture reading.

The Feast Day for St. Joseph is officially March 19 and the Oblates of St. Joseph Seminary in Laflin will have special masses to celebrate it at 7 and 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Afterwards, those in attendance enjoyed a lunch consisting of meatballs, chicken, salad, potatoes and rigatoni.

“This is our way of celebrating the Feast Day and giving thanks,” said Montante. “We’re eating and then we’re going to feed others who have no food. That’s the concept.”

The St. Joseph Senior Social Club, of which Montante is vice president, sponsored the Feast Day lunch.

The Senior Social Club is a group of retirees within the parish and community that meets once a month to socialize and have fun.

“We go on trips and after our socials here we play bingo, cards and just socialize,” said Montante. “In fact, on March 18 we’re going up to the Catskills (in New York) and they also are doing a table there in honor of St. Joseph.”

When everybody was done eating, it was time for Sibilano to be honored.

Prior to that, he made it clear he did not care about receiving anything, and that it was all about the people.

“I don’t want anything,” said Sibilano. “This is important, the people coming together. The friendship here with the people, that’s important in life.”

Sibilano called being honored a true privilege and that the people who associate themselves with him, and the church, are his real reward.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” said Sibilano. “I am so grateful these people are remembering me for my ordination and my ministry here.”