As much as I was disappointed for not being able to join many of you at the Christmas Gala, this was offset by my two-week trip to Molise. I joined my brother Joseph, who was on a mission to help organize, in cooperation with authorities in Molise, a conference and exhibit on “Pane e Lavoro” (Bread and Work), depicting the experience of Italian immigrants in western Pennsylvania. The conference and exhibit are tentatively scheduled for the spring, and will be held in Isernia. We were guests of the Province of Isernia. Our host was Assessore Angelo Iapaolo. Some of you met him when our Society hosted a dinner at Marco Polo for the Molise delegation attending the NIAF Gala dinner this past October.
I would like to share with you some highlights of the trip as they relate to our Society's activities and programs:
One of our first visits was to Colle a Volturno, where we met with Mayor Alessandro Arcaro, and Prof. Mario Melone, Director of the “Instituto Comprehensivo di Scuola” which has received our Society’s Joseph di Sandro Scholarship Fund (this was a follow-up to a visit made by Ennio this past summer). The funds apparently have not yet been put to use, as the school authorities and the local parent/teacher association are trying to resolve some differences of opinion on how to best use money for the school. I was assured that this is a temporary delay and that our Society would be informed on the use of the money. I was also assured that an appropriate plaque would be installed in the school in honor of Joe.
We also managed to visit San Giuliano di Puglia. We met with Dr. Adriano Ritucci, President of the “Comitato delle Vittime della Scuola Elementare” (Committee of the Victims of the Elementary School), which was completely destroyed by the earthquake in October 2002. The impact of the earthquake was evident in villages we stopped in as we drove to San Giuliano, such as Santa Croce di Magliano, Bonefro, and Montelongo. Prior to entering San Giuliano, we stopped to visit the cemetery. It was an emotional experience. I must confess, led me to tears. To the immediate right of the cemetery, after entering the gates are the crypts of the 27 children and teacher, with their pictures and mementoes from many parts of the world still on display. We were received by Dr. Ritucci and a number of associates in a hangar close to the village. (The hanger is a temporary holding area for memorials dedicated to the children and the village, which will ultimately be housed in a permanent memorial to be built later this year). Dr. Ritucci was once again quite appreciative for the donation given to the Committee by our Society. We concluded our visit with a short tour of the town, which is almost completely destroyed. Driving along the main street, with all the houses destroyed, one wonders how so many people managed to escape such destruction. Of the villages’ 1,300 inhabitants, only 35 families have been allowed to return to their homes. The rest are staying with relatives or occupying temporary housing.
Part of my mission was also to enhance the relationship between our Society and Molise. One of the initiatives since the founding of the Society was to develop a student exchange program with Molise and Abruzzo. I am delighted to report that such a program may come to fruition this summer with Molise. I was pleasantly surprised when Angelo Iapaolo informed me that the town of Sant’Elia in Pianisi, located about 36 kilometers from Campobasso, hosted last summer a group of students from a school in Jersey City, NJ. Signore Iapaolo arranged for me to meet the mayor of the town, Michele Petrecca, to explore the possibility of having our Society plan a similar exchange program. He welcomed the idea. It is worth noting that the town hosted these students at no cost to them. The town provided all the lodging, food, sightseeing trips in Molise, etc. for the one-week stay. The students were responsible for the cost of travel and incidental expenses. The Mayor made a similar offer to our Society. The students, based on the feedback I received from Rosalie Romano, the teacher who organized the trip, were delighted and extremely pleased with the hospitality and program offered by the town. I propose to submit the Mayor's offer to our Officers for their consideration and (hopefully) approval to proceed with the exchange. The Society would be bound to arrange for a similar exchange program with students from Molise.
The trip concluded with an official visit to the President of Molise, the Honorable Michele Iorio, in Campobasso. We spent some time with him, exchanged gifts, and reminisced about his visit to Washington, DC on the occasion of the NIAF Gala dinner. He recalled the warm hospitality that some of our officers afforded him during his visit. Mr. Iorio expressed his solidarity and support to our Society's purpose and objectives and welcomes continued cooperation with our Society.
In conclusion, I could not say enough to express my deep appreciation to Dr. Iapaolo, Dr. Raffaele Martuo, President of the province of Isernia, and to Hon. Michele Iorio for the cordial reception we received during our two-week stay in Molise. I may also add that I did manage to visit my native village of Roccamandolfi.
Our task now is exploit the opportunities that are available to our Society by the region of Molise. In this regard, I hope that our President can exploit similar opportunities with the President of Abruzzo, Mr. Pace.