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Memorial Chapels
(Capitèli - Kapelice)
Chapel of
Serafino
Tercovich
Serafino (a.k.a. Zarco) Tercovich pf Astoria, New York, was born in the Brdo region of Istria
and was a survivor of three shipwrecks that were hit by mines or torpedos
during World War II. On the third, he was one of eight
men out of 292 that sailed on the Sant' Antioco
who survived
a hit at Capo Bon. While floating in the Mediterranean
sea between Sicily and the coast of Africa "barba Serafin" made a vow to
Our Lady that he would build her a chapel if he was saved. [Istarska
Danica 1993 has an article about this.]
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Inscription above the door:
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He was picked by the English as a prisoner of war, suffered
from frost bite on one of his legs, and the English doctors wanted to
amputate that leg. He refused to give his consent and opted instead for
physical therapy. He never had any problems after that. As did many other
Istrians, he returned to Istria at end of 1943 thinking that the war was
essentially over for them. Instead, there was a continuation of the war
that in many ways was more brutal and fraticidal that anyone imagined.
Because of the political situation in Istria, it took him 47 years to fulfill his promise
in 1992.
On August 5 1992, on the Feast of Our Lady of the
Snows, Serafino's chapel was blessed and a holy mass was celebrated there for all the
people who died in the shipwreck that he had survived.
About six months after the completion of the chapel, Serafino passed
away.
Sant' Antioco
- Tonnellate: 5048
- Dettagli della sorte: Benzina tra Napoli
e Biserta
- Causa della perdita: Sommergibile
- - Quando: 15/12/1942
- - Dove: Capo Bon
- Avversario che causò la perdita: sm
Unruffled
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