Program

Legends & Lore®

Subject

Folklore

Location

70 Central Ave, Norwich, CT 06360, USA

Lat/Long

41.530023, -72.060013

Grant Recipient

A Capela do Santo Antonio, Inc. aka St. Anthony Chapel Foundation

Joseph “Jose”  Candido Delgado (1881-1967) was born in Sao Nicolau, in the Cape Verde islands located off the coast of Western Africa. At the age of 24, he immigrated to the United States searching for a better life. Not long after his arrival, he married Geralda Almeida and the young couple settled in Norwich, Connecticut where they would raise their six children.

Delgado had always been a devout Catholic. As a young man it was his wish to attend seminary, but unfortunately his family could not afford to send him. This did not deter his faith. He reportedly had a dream where he saw the chapel he would soon build in his mind. Using the image as a blueprint and his own resources and labor, Delgado toiled for several years before unveiling the St. Anthony Chapel, located fifty feet from his residence.

The structure was modestly sized, with the interior measuring 16 feet long and 9 feet wide. It could accommodate up to 30 worshippers. Open to all and never locked during Delgado’s lifetime, the chapel was baptized on July 4, 1926. This baptism was inscribed in Portuguese over the chapel door. The iconic chapel served as a symbol of the arrival, settlement and establishment of Cape Verdeans in Norwich, CT.

In 1977 the Cape Verdean Santiago Society completed a restoration of the chapel. As of 2021, Jose Delgado’s chapel continued to welcome all visitors through its doors.