About the Society

The Saints Cosmas and Damian Society is an Italian-American organization formed in 1926 during a period of heavy immigration to the United States from Europe. A large group of immigrants from the coastal city of Gaeta, Italy settled in East Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts during this time, bringing with them strong traditions, deep faith, and a commitment to building community in their new home.

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Religion quickly became a cornerstone of that community. While the Archdiocese of Boston opened Saint Francis of Assisi Parish to serve the growing Italian population, many still longed for the customs they had left behind—especially the religious festivals.

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In 1926, a small group of women began gathering to pray to Gaeta’s patron saints, Cosmas and Damian. As the group grew, they began meeting monthly in local function halls. On July 5, 1937, they formally organized as the "Associazione Cattolica Femminile, S.S. Cosmo e Damiano, di Cambridge, e Somerville, Massachusetts", under the leadership of Marietta Colarutolo. They met at the Columbus Association, a local social club at 48 Warren Street in East Cambridge. The group was officially registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on June 2, 1938.

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The first Feast was held without statues of the Saints. Shortly after, a group of men send to Italy for life-sized statues of the Saints. Each of the men donated equally toward the total cost of $265 for the statues and $90 for the cabinet to house them. The Statues arrived in crates which were opened in the home of Cosmo Pennacchio on Porter Street in East Cambridge. The original agreements of the Committee were drawn up by the Law Office of Joseph Cherubino at 129 Fifth Street, East Cambridge, and officially registered on August 6, 1927. The men’s society soon welcomed additional members and began holding meetings separately from the women’s group.

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In April 1948, under Marietta Colarutolo's leadership, the Society purchased a parcel of land at 17 Porter Street. A condemned house on the property was demolished by Gaetano Amendola and Giuseppe Gallena, and a chapel was constructed to house the Saints and serve as a space for monthly meetings.

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As time passed, the neighborhood transformed. Older generations passed on, younger families moved to the suburbs, and family homes and businesses gave way to large commercial developments. The Feast, however, still lives on in its original form, as the tradition lives on in the hearts of the descendants of those who began the festival over a century ago. Families still return to the "old neighborhood" for this annual reunion. 

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The men's and women's societies eventually combined in 1993 to become one large organization, and membership is at an all-time high. The present members of the organization represent the fifth generation of membership for their families, and work tirelessly to carry on the traditions of their descendants and preserve the presence of the Society in our local community.