IL PENSIERO “THE THOUGHT”
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Dicembre 2021 THE ONLY ITALIAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI
NUMERO 12
Remembering Those Who Served and Are Serving
Remembering those who served and are serving to defend our freedom was the theme of the Veterans Day Mass held at Saint Ambrose Catholic Church on Nov. 11. Pio House, made up of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students planned and participated in this remembrance Mass. The students wanted to invite the Veterans to Mass to remind them of how their courage, sacrifice and commitment has given us the freedoms we enjoy every day. Having a Mass for Veterans helps keep them in prayer and lets them know how important they are to our community. During the Mass, stars with a special message were blessed and distributed to the Veterans in attendance by Saint Ambrose Pastor, Fr. Jack Siefert. These stars were taken from old flags for Veterans and active service members to remind them that their service will not be forgotten. They can carry the stars as a remembrance of their service and sacrifice for us all. After Mass, the Veterans were invited to the school cafeteria where the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students sang patriotic songs, read a poem and served refreshments. Many of the students got to sit with their grandparents who are Veterans and enjoy a snack and some old stories. This was a great way for the kids to bond with and
An Italian American Publication
remember how very important Veterans are to our country.
Fratellanza Memorial Mass submitted by Angelo Sita
Fr. Jack Siefert celebrated the Fratellanza Society Annual Mass on Sunday, Nov. 14 at St. Ambrose. Every year the Fratellanza has a Mass in honor of their deceased members. While all deceased members are remembered, any member who has died in the past year is remembered with a candle. In this current year, only one member has passed away, Armando Pasetti. Armando had been a member of the Fratellanza for over 50 years. In his honor, his daughters, Angela Holland and Lorenza Pasetti each carried a candle and placed them on the altar rail, and they kept the candles as a remembrance of their father. After Mass, Fr. Seifert invited the Fratellanza members to come to the altar and he led them in the traditional Fratellanza Memorial Prayers for deceased members. For 2021, the Holy Father, Pope Francis asked parishes around the world to remember St. Joseph. In honor of the Pope’s request, the Fratellanza donated a large floral bouquet that was placed on the St. Joseph Altar at St. Ambrose. After the service in the church, the Fratellanza members went to Guido’s Pizzeria and Tapas for lunch.
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Fratellanza Society 155th Annual Banquet submitted by Angelo Sita
The Fratellanza Society celebrated its 155th Annual Banquet on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Orlando’s Banquet Center in South County. Rev. Leo J. Spezia was the emcee for the evening. Fr. Jack Siefert delivered the Invocation. Fr. Siefert thanked the Fratellanza for asking him to say the opening prayer and he looks forward to working with the Fratellanza in the future. Bob Hawkins, the Banquet Chair, thanked all that attended and President John DeBellis welcomed everyone to the 155th Anniversary Banquet. The Fratellanza awards a Rev. Leo J. Spezia every year to a deserving individual, who is not a member of the Fratellanza, and has provided service to the Italian American community of St. Louis. This year, Fr. Leo presented to Joe Puleo. Mr. Puleo is the director and made the DVD – “America’s Last Little Italy – The Hill.” This film has won many awards across the country and has brought a lot of attention to St. Louis’ Italian neighborhood. Maria Mancia, the Italian Consul General in Detroit, said, “I commend… Mr. Joseph Puleo… in preserving this precious history of the Italian and Italian-American community in St. Louis…Works such as Continued on page 5