April 22, 2005
This will be my last email from Cefalu. I leave for
Assisi in two days.
From my journal: One of the aspiring postulants, Melchiorre (he is not
fluent in English and I am not fluent in Italian) invited me to walk with
him this last week of my stay at Gibilmanna. He gave me a tour of the place
that was really touching to me. With God’s help, we were able to
communicate with each other very well. The small ways of being kind are
what lead to greater things. I always remember the saying: “The mighty oak
was once a tiny acorn.” My coming to
Sicily is small, all things considered, but I
believe it is by doing so that we help with the bridging of culture and
family and friendship that will touch many lives in the future. Sharing our
faith and love for Gesu Cristo (Jesus Christ), no matter where we are in the
world, is what it is all about!
He has put into my heart a marvelous love
For the faithful ones who dwell in his land…
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
It is you yourself who are my prize. Psalm 16.
Pace e Bene…and I would add, “e Amore,”…Peace and Everything Good and Love,
padre Dennis
April 19, 2005
Again I give you my thanks for all your labors of
love and all those at SOH. I hope all is well with each of you. You are deeply
in my heart.
By a miracle of God, I was able to find the town of
Salaparuta, Sicily, where my grandmother was
born. Father Baldassare Graffagnino of Salaparuta found our family tree of
Nancy LaBella, my grandmother. She was born on 4-17-1875 in Salaparuta, Sicily
and died in Kansas City, KS, on 5-17-1938. Fr. Graffagnino also found out that
the LaBella side of the family goes all the way back to the “capostipite,” head
of the family. His name is Calogero (Charles) LaBella and his wife Angela.
They lived in the 1700’s. Wow. There is a famous St. Calogero in Sciacca,
Sicily and I got to see his relic at the Sanctuary of St. Calogero. What a
small world it is. Sciacca is only a 30 minute drive to Salaparuta.
By the way, Father also found a death record of Vita
LaBella that is dated 1622. Vita is the name of my first cousin, Vita Joanne
Alonge Whitney. So the first recorded name of the LaBella Family is Vita
LaBella in 1622. Wow, talk about roots; we have them! Praise God!
Another miracle was that I took the
picture of my grandmother, Nancy LaBella Tusa (Tousa) and my picture at her
grave site in KCK and by accident left them with Fr. Graffagnino. So after
leaving Sicily in
1895, she was finally returned home to native soil on April 13, 2005, that is
after 110 years and me with her, so to speak. God is good! I almost arrived on
her birthday in Salaparuta. I had a sense during Morning Prayer, that this was
my grandmother’s wish that somehow she get back home to Sicily and thru the
pictures she certainly did! Father also told me that he would now add our
family history to his records and maybe in the
new addition of the present book
called, “Salaparuta Ieri e Oggi ’92,” our family will be there.
At the healing Mass at Cure of Ars Church, Mary
[Ferro] told me that she had a daughter in Sciacca. So Denise [Mary's daughter]
and I were able to arrange to meet her family in Sciacca and they took me around
the area to see many places. Andrea and Denise have three daughters, who are
just wonderful: Maria Elena, Christina and Jessica. Christina will make her
first Holy Communion on May 29th in Sciacca, Sicily. I told her we
would remember her on her very special day. It is also the Feast Day of the
Body and Blood of Christ. Wow! Denise and her daughters are bi-lingual. Praise
God!
I would have never found Salaparuta in such a
wonderful way, had it not been for the visit to Sciacca to see the Nicolosi
Family.
I hope all this makes sense. God
has been with me at every turn of the way.
I love the expression in Italian:
“mio Dio,” my God. It is so endearing.
Love, Padre Dennis
April 11, 2005-Cefalu,
Sicily
Wow! It is so good to see this all in print [on the web site] and the
beautiful pictures too. God is good! Wow, I am going in one
direction and then something out of the blue happens and I just follow
knowing that God is directing.
For the prayer groups, a gentleman, Steve Goodwin, from London gave this
card to me with these words of St. Clare. They may be given to the Prayer
Groups and to the community on and internet as well. She says:
"Gaze upon Him, Consider Him, Contemplate Him, the one you desire to
imitate." Wow!
