$10,000 for the Italian Postulants

Italians at Saint Joseph’s parish were able to join together for a fundraiser event on Sunday 30 April to raise funds to support the two Italian-Australian Postulants, Matthew Frijo and Michael Iezzi with their studies of the Italian language. “Lunch for the Postulants” attracted over 150 parishioners and friends of the Somascan Fathers in an all-out Italian-style family lunch. The event raised $9,645, including donations for those who could not attend but wished to show their support for the postulants.

Fr Christopher De Sousa, Postulant Director, opened the lunch with a solemn prayer and blessing on all present, especially on those who worked hard for the success of the event and for all benefactors who continue to support the two postulants.

During the day, words of appreciation were spoken by Mrs Sonya Frijo, Matthew’s mother. “Thank you to everyone for coming and sharing this beautiful day with Matthew and Michael, on behalf of my husband Robert, with Michael's mum and dad. It is a blessing for us to see how many people love and respect them and are here to join with us. Secondly, I'd like to thank all the people that cooked and prepared for the day. We are so appreciative of all their hard work and it shows what a beautiful community there is here at St Joseph.”

“Matthew and Michael, we are very proud of you and what beautiful young gentlemen you have become. We are all here to share in your journey of your vocation. You are the sunshine of our lives and we are also proud of you. Thank you,” concluded Mrs Frijo.

Matthew Frijo prepared a speech for the occasion, attempting to also showcase the learning of the Italian language undertaken so far through Ms Gianna Di Genua who has been teaching the two young men Italian twice a week.

“Sia io che Michele vi siamo grati per la vostra presenza e il vostro aiuto. Un grazie particolare a Marco, Antonino, Antonia, Rosaria, Alfia, Luigi, Maria, Dolly, Maurizio, Mario, Nerina e Giovanni. Grazie mille per il vostro tempo e per aver organizzato il pranzo di oggi! Da quando sono entrato a far parte della comunità italiana qui a Moorebank, nel gennaio 2019, non ho ricevuto altro che incoraggiamento e affetto da parte di tutti.”

“Nonostante l'iniziale apprensione di Marco nei miei confronti (che lascio spiegare a lui), sono stato accolto a braccia aperte e preso sotto la guida di Carmelo Furfaro e Leonardo Pellizzeri, che mi hanno insegnato a servire la Santa Messa in Italiano con riverenza e pietà. Ho trovato una casa nella comunità italiana e una Messa capace di fare esprimere al meglio la bellezza della nostra fede cattolica.”

Matthew continued his emotional speech, recalling that “as an Australian with Italian Heritage my sense of being Italian was largely shaped by my experiences of being with Nonno and Nonna, Alfredo and Assuntina Frijo growing up and the stories told of them. Unfortunately, Nonno passed away when I was only 4 and Nonna 10 years later when I was 14. So for many years as an adolescent I missed that connection with my Italian patrimony. It wasn’t until I joined the Italian Mass community in Moorebank in 2019 that I began to experience a restoration of my cultural inheritance and reconnect with my Italian identity.”

Matthew also noted that “unfortunately, many of my generation of Australo-Italiani, while continuing to maintain a great respect for their Italian culture, have lost all respect for the Catholic faith. In turn they give themselves to a prideful and lustful perversion of what they think it means to be Italian. I also was not immune to such a perversion of my Italian identity. As Marco or anyone who knew me at 15 could tell you I was a very arrogant and vain teenager. But by the Grace of God this distortion of my Italian identity began to be restored by an encounter I had with God when I was 16 in a Church in Florence while on pilgrimage. In traveling to Italy I was able to witness this authentic interaction between faith and culture I once knew and experienced in my Nonni continuation on the last page