Vol 4-2, Maria's copy2(R).pub (Read-Only) - Filicudi.org
Vol 4-2, Maria's copy2(R).pub (Read-Only) - Filicudi.org
Vol 4-2, Maria's copy2(R).pub (Read-Only) - Filicudi.org
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PAGE 6 LA CANNA SIREN VOLUME IV ISSUE 2<br />
Salina, (Continued from page 5)<br />
walked to the church up very<br />
steep roads and saw the procession<br />
with some men carrying a<br />
life-size statue of Saint Joseph<br />
from the bottom to the top of the<br />
hill, where they placed it in<br />
front of the church. A couple<br />
dressed up as Mary and Joseph<br />
and a small boy representing<br />
Jesus also walked in the procession,<br />
as well as the town's people<br />
who carried special foods<br />
they had prepared just for the<br />
occasion. Finally, when they<br />
reached the church where tables<br />
were set up, everyone gathered<br />
to eat. After the ceremony we<br />
went behind the church and<br />
found 1 via Fontana where the<br />
Ravisis had lived in 1983, but it<br />
was now vacant and repainted.<br />
We learned that the town is hoping<br />
to make it into an herb/plant<br />
museum because Salina is a<br />
natural preserve, boasting more<br />
plant varieties than the other<br />
islands.<br />
On Monday morning at<br />
breakfast we met Clara Rametta,<br />
who with her husband Michele<br />
Carusso, owns the hotel, and she<br />
took us to the town hall where<br />
we found birth records for our<br />
grandfather, Francesco Mandile,<br />
born in 1878 and our grandmother,<br />
Anna Sadoti, born in<br />
1880; we found both in the same<br />
book. Until that moment we<br />
never even knew where our<br />
grandmother was from. Later<br />
that day Clara brought us to the<br />
Museum of Eolian Emigration<br />
and explained the history of<br />
Salina and why people had to<br />
leave the islands: the pumice<br />
market was depressed and at the<br />
same time, the filosera insect<br />
devastated the grape crops. The<br />
economy of the islands went<br />
bust. We then left Clara and<br />
visited the cemetery where we<br />
discovered that Bernardo Ravisi<br />
and his wife had died in 1985.<br />
We recognized them by their<br />
photos, placed in their headstones,<br />
and felt so lucky that we<br />
had met them in 1983.<br />
When we visited Salina in<br />
1983 it was so hot and dry that I<br />
never wanted to return, but visiting<br />
in March made all the difference,<br />
so green and cool and<br />
inviting. It was just perfect the<br />
second time around! Next time<br />
we will stay much, much<br />
longer.<br />
statue of Santo Stefano. The<br />
faithful then joined in a procession<br />
of the statue to celebrate a<br />
mass held in the air-conditioned<br />
chapel, located on the premises.<br />
Father Mandile gave a lively<br />
homily which was apropos to<br />
the occasion upon which we<br />
honor our patron saint, the first<br />
Christian martyr, St. Stephen,<br />
whose remains are believed to<br />
have washed up onto the shores<br />
of <strong>Filicudi</strong> sometime around the<br />
5 th (Picnic, Continued from page 1)<br />
century and now lie in repose<br />
at the Church of San Lorenzo in<br />
Rome. St. Stephen, one of the<br />
first deacons of the church, was<br />
selected to minister over displaced<br />
persons in need of spiritual<br />
guidance and charity.<br />
The guests then enjoyed a<br />
delicious feast featuring a variety<br />
of Italian fare prepared by<br />
individual families, who passed<br />
around samples of such traditional<br />
delights as homemade lasagna,<br />
minestrone, eggplant parmesan,<br />
chicken cutlets and<br />
sfingi. Society members took<br />
turns grilling hotdogs, hamburgers<br />
and Italian sausages while,<br />
replete with fluttering dollar<br />
bills that the faithful had pinned<br />
on it, the statue of Santo Stefano<br />
stood watch.<br />
After lunch a number of<br />
contests engaged the children:<br />
tossing beanbags through various<br />
size openings, and foot<br />
races. The highlight of the afternoon’s<br />
events, however, was a<br />
heroic tug-of-war between rivaling<br />
teams of determined children,<br />
and then, of the macho<br />
adults. No doubt, fans will wait<br />
anxiously for the outcome of<br />
next year’s rematches! Winners<br />
of all contests were awarded<br />
ribbons and prizes.<br />
We are most grateful to<br />
Carolyn Fenn, Administrator of<br />
Maristhill, to the custodians<br />
who set up tables, chairs, etc<br />
and attended to our needs that<br />
day, to the Maristhill Nursing<br />
Home for so generously<br />
offering their beautiful setting<br />
for our celebration, and to<br />
Father Dennis Wheatley, OFM<br />
for allowing us to park our cars<br />
in the Sacred Heart Church<br />
parking lot. A heartfelt thanks to<br />
Al Bonica, our magnificent<br />
picnic chairman; Fr. Jack<br />
Mandile, our generous society<br />
chaplain; Angela Aucoin, our<br />
efficient and enthusiastic<br />
<strong>org</strong>anizer and director of games;<br />
our tireless grill masters,<br />
Stephen Bonica and Phil<br />
Giardina; Tom Taranto and<br />
Gregory Rando who took<br />
photos, and others who so<br />
kindly helped to bring us all<br />
together again and make this<br />
year’s Santo Stefano <strong>Filicudi</strong><br />
picnic an enjoyable and<br />
memorable day.