 | Feb. 25, 2006 Carnevale at San Rocco Oratory, celebrated in the St. Anthony Hall.
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 | The
word "carnevale" or "carnival" in English is "Meat-farewell." During
Lent, people used to abstain from meat on weekdays; hence before Lent,
they would celebrate.
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 | The carnival in 2006 is well attended.
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 | Lucy Prisco is on the right, during Vespers, on Friday night during Lent
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 | For the funeral of Lucy Prisco, the San Rocco Oratory was filled to overflowing.
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 | Jeanette Dandurand led the singing, at the funeral Mass.
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 | Mary Jean and Sam Argento, at the 2001 ACP Benefit
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 | May Devotions at San Rocco Oratory
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 | July, 2006: New stained glass windows are installed at San Rocco, with the help of John and Jackie Graham.
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 | In
storage since 1995, here is the stained glass window of St. Rocco that
previously was above the front doors of the church. As of July, 2006,
this window was installed at San Rocco Oratory, above the front doors.
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 | September, 2006: The San Rocco Centennial includes entertainment.
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 | Over the three days, hundreds of people participate in the San Rocco Centennial.
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 | Jake and Thelma Biamonte have a caricacture drawn.
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 | Mims and Madeline Mancini checking out photos of graduation classes from Mt. Carmel grade school.
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 | September
10, 2006, Centennial Mass is celebrated inside the Oratory. As is
customary in the Roman Rite, the deacon, Ray Deabel, proclaims the
Gospel, while all are standing. (Because of rain, the field outside was
muddy; we could not have Mass outside.)
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 | Sept
10 Centennial Mass with Bishop Perry, concluding the Eucharistic
Prayer: "Through him, with him, in him . . . " The deacon, Ray Deabel,
elevates the chalice.
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 | For
Communion at the Centennial Mass, Father Ed McKenna (left) and Deacon
Ray Deabel (right) assist Bishop Perry (center). As usual, the people
receive Communion under both kinds. During Communion, two servers hold
candles, as at the Gospel.
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 | From the left are Deacon Ray Deabel, Bishop Perry's assistant, Bishop Perry, and Father Ed McKenna.
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 | Father
Wayne Prist, pastor of Queen of All Saints, on the far north side of
Chicago; he drove all the way down to Chicago Heights for the
celebration.
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 | Onward, Vivian!
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 | Dec.
31, 2006: Holy Family Sunday. First row of choir, from left: Bev Green,
Sharon Billo, Luisa Pizzoferrato, Raven Hodge, Mary Jones, Cesarina
Planera, and Sue Baggio. Second row, from left: Celeste Jones
(director), Frank Giobbi, Sam Ciambrone, Tom Planera, Rob Markionni, and
Ken Ziccardi. Absent: Marty Bramlette Hesse (in Thailand); Nick
Markionni and Carol Dallesandro.
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[Jan. 1, 2006] Giovanna Locascio is
baptized at San Rocco, the daughter of John and Maria [Pistone]
Locascio, granddaughter of Giuseppe and Giovanna Incandela. [Jan.
10] With one preliminary meeting the previous December, a newly formed
committee begins work on the 100th anniversary of San Rocco. The
Centennial celebration is planned for September 8-10,
2006. Nick Markionni and Ken Ziccardi assume
leadership of the planning committee. [Jan.
21] Madeline Buzelli is buried today from San Rocco Oratory, at 11
a.m., the usual time. At 10 p.m. Father Gilligan says Mass at
Seton Academy for a marriage preparation group meeting there.
[Feb. 7-10] The priests of this region [Vicariate VI/southern suburbs] are on retreat in Mundelein, Illinois, at the Stritch Retreat House. [Feb. 10]
Joseph Pagoria is buried today from San Rocco Oratory. Committal
is at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. He is
survived by his wife, Virginia, and three daughters. [Feb.
20] Priests of the area gather at the San Rocco hall, named after St.
Anthony, for lunch and a cluster meeting. Carol Dallesandro and
Priscilla Fushi prepare the food. The Archdiocesan program
for group purchasing ("Resource Renewal Project") is introduced by the Coleman Group.
Local pastors of large parishes are especially interested in this
program. For many pastors, this is their first visit to the new
San Rocco community. According to a recent financial report,
the Archdiocese of Chicago is saving over $400,000 per month,
because of the Resource Renewal Project. Parishes and other church
groups, including agencies and schools, benefit through
substantial discounts from major suppliers. [Feb. 25] On the grounds of the Oratory, San Rocco hosts a carnival, with dinner at 6:30 p.m.
[March 1] For Ash Wednesday,
there is a simple Liturgy of the Word, concluding with the imposition
of ashes. The Eucharist is not celebrated; today is a day of fast
(from food) and abstinence (from meat). Today, demolition work
begins on St. Joseph Church, Chicago Heights. [March 3] In the
afternoon, Father Gilligan meets with Bishop Perry, to see how best to
invite Cardinal George to preside at the Centennial Mass Sept. 10 or
perhaps to come another day. If the Cardinal can't come, Bishop Perry
says he will preside. There is also some discussion
of setting up a finance committee for San Rocco and for
promoting "best practices," such as having two money counters each week, with a night deposit. Also, this Friday evening, the Oratory begins its Lenten practice of Stations of the Cross, followed by Vespers. This prayer continues every Friday during Lent. [March 5] MacKenzie Kathleen Linzmeier is baptized, daughter of Brian and Renee [Fares] Linzmeier. [March
7] Lucy [DiGiovanni] Prisco is buried today, from San Rocco. She
did much work for the Oratory, from its inception, including sacristy
preparation and maintenance of the vestments and paraments. She
also helped organize the annual DiGiovanni reunion. Her widower is Mike Prisco, an usher at San Rocco; her grandsons, Paul and Nikko, serve regularly at Mass.
[April 6] St. Joseph's Church,
just north of San Rocco, in Chicago Heights, is fully demolished
today. Father John Siemanowski, pastor of St. Agnes Church, Chicago
Heights, says a prayer and speaks. [April 11] Cardinal George presides over the annual chrism Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, concelebrating with priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago. [April 13] Holy Thursday is observed with an evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. [April 14] Good Friday is commemorated with a Liturgy of the Word and veneration of the cross. [April 16] Easter Sunday is celebrated with great solemnity. [April 23] Lena and Albert Fares celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, with a special commemoration at Sunday Mass. [April 25] A wake is held for Jerry Hesse, the husband of our organist, Marty Bramlette. Many people from San Rocco drive down to Mattoon, Illinois, where the wake is held in St. John's Missouri Synod Lutheran church.
Father Gilligan stays overnight at a local motel; the next morning, as a
member of the congregation, he takes part in the funeral, a
Liturgy of the Word.
[May 15] Some San
Rocco people meet, to discuss a finance committee for the Oratory.
Ray Grothaus comes in all the way to South Holland from Frankfort;
he regularly submits reports and prepares the annual budget. [May 17] At Infant Jesus of Prague church, Flossmoor, Illinois, we celebrate the funeral of Sam Argento. He was a board member of American Catholic Press and a frequent visitor to San Rocco Oratory. He also sang in the choir, in 2001, for the Mass welcoming Cardinal George. In 2003, he brought people to San Rocco, to join the choir for the funeral of Joan Termini. Sam is survived by his wife Mary Jean, his son and daughter, as well as a stepson, Father Brian Barker of the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois. Father
Barker presided at the funeral Mass. Both Bishop Perry and Father
Gilligan also participated, as well as several of the younger
priests whose seminary education Sam had sponsored personally. At
7 p.m. at San Rocco, we celebrate May devotions, with many
songs in honor of Mary. There is also a procession and a May
crowning. [May 20] Sarah Cameli of Yorkville is buried today from
San Rocco. Before she moved, to be closer to her family, she never
missed Mass at the Oratory. She was a faithful member of the
community.
 | Sarah Cameli is on the left, in the Corpus Christi procession outside the Oratory.
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[May 28] Joseph Carlo Krumdieck is
baptized, son of Stephen and Nickol [Fushi] Krumdick. (The last
names are indeed spelled differently.) Uncle, Rev. Mel Krumdick, a
Maryknoller, was present. [May 31] Jeff Dandurand, 41 years old,
is buried from St. Stanislaus in Posen, Illinois. Jeff is the
carpenter who build the choir platform, the steps under the statue of
Mary, for guest choirs, and the mail slot for San Rocco Oratory.
He donated his labor for the latter. Jeff died of pneumonia, at
Oak Forest Hospital. He was a conscientious and dedicated
worker, liked by all who knew him.
 | Jeff Dandurand at the 1995 ACP Benefit at Surma's Restaurant in Homewood.
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 | With
the San Rocco Choir behind him, Director Tim Woods brings in the
congregation. Jeff Dandurand built both the riser in the back, for the
San Rocco Choir, and the steps on the right, under the statue of Mary,
for the guest choir from Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church. Both
the riser and the steps are needed for the singers, so they can be
heard.
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[June 29] Edward Zarlengo is buried
today from San Rocco. He was the brother of John Zarlengo, whose
company providied asphalt for the parking lots at the Oratory.
[July 18] Vincent Ramacci is buried
today. He was a member of the San Rocco Oratory family.
Vincent is survived by his wife Josephine and sons Vincent and
David. The funeral, with a Liturgy of the Word, takes place at
Steger Funeral Home. Committal is at Skyline Memorial Park, Monee,
Illinois. [July 30] Gianna Marie
Amadio is baptized, daughter of Tom and Allison [Hall]
Amadio. Father David Simonetti from Queen of Martyrs parish came
in to preside at the baptism. He is originally from Chicago
Heights and is a friend of the Amadio family.
 | Father David Simonetti
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[Aug. 4] Victoria Prospero
is buried today from San Rocco. Her surviving daughters are Carol
Dallesandro and Priscilla Fushi. [Aug. 20] The San Lorenzo Festival is
celebrated, beginning with a street procession from the Amaseno
Lodge. Mass at San Rocco Oratory is at 11:30 a.m. today, with the
Roman Canon in Latin and songs & prayers in Italian. An
overflow crowd takes part. There is considerable feasting all day
at the Lodge.
 | San Lorenzo Festival, with statues carried in procession of both St. Lawrence and St. Rocco
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[Aug. 25] Father Gilligan bids farewell to Father
Max Ssekiwala, who served as secretary for Bishop Perry locally.
Father Max came with Bishop Perry often, on visits to San Rocco. He will
be returning to Uganda soon, to his home diocese, Kampala. [Aug.
31] The San Rocco Centennial committee meets again at the offices of
the Wilczynski law firm in Chicago Heights. Everything seems to be
going well for the event. There will be a commemorative book,
with ads and a history of San Rocco. There is also a special
website set up, just for the centennial.
[Sept. 8-10] The San Rocco Centennial
is attended by hundreds of people. It is a great success, in
every way. Friday, there is a calamari dinner; Saturday,
chicken; Sunday, pasta. The centennial had excellent coverage in the Chicago Tribune article, 100 years of devotion, Sept. 8, 2006. Our Lady of the Millennium is also enshrined in our grotto, for the third time, during the Centennial celebration. [Sept.
l0] At Sunday Mass, Bishop Perry presides over a solemn celebration of
the Mass. He also preaches. Guest singers join the choir,
from St. Anthony's in Frankfort. As usual, the San Rocco choir
sings several songs in four-part harmony. To celebrate the
centennial, there are many guests present, who grew up in the old San
Rocco. . [Sept.
17] Anthony David Sebastian is baptized, the son of David and Susan
[Napoli] Sebasttian. David did much work in building and in
remodelling the church building of San Rocco Oratory.
Susan's father, Anthony Napoli, is in charge of the Mt. Carmel Club
building, just to the east of the property of San Rocco Oratory. [Sept.
30] At Scrementi's restaurant, Giuseppe and Mary Pongelli celebrate
their 50th wedding anniversary; they renew their vows there and receive a
special blessing. The food is good, too.
 | Justice Antonin Scalia, of the United States Supreme Court, delivering his address at the ACP annual dinner.
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[Oct 7] At the Flossmoor Country Club, American Catholic Press (ACP) hosts a dinner
honoring Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The
Italian-American "Justinian Society of Lawyers" is present in strength;
their president, Celia Gamrath, is the M.C. for the evening. Justice Scalia is introduced by Professor Richard Michael of Loyola University and Justice Anne Burke of the Illinois Supreme Court. Father Gilligan
then gives the Gratiam Dei Award, ACP's highest honor, to Justice
Scalia. In acceptance of the award, the Justice delivers a
profound and fascinating talk
on the religion clause of the first amendment to the
constitiution. There are about 300 people present, including Mayor
Angelo Ciambrone and August Anzelmo. [Oct 17] Rose Granno is
buried at San Rocco. She had become a Catholic relatively
recently and was a faithful member of the Oratory community. Her
widower is Frank Granno. Committal takes place at Lincoln Cemetery
in Elwood, Illinois, near Joliet.
 | It
is the office of the bishop to receive baptized Christians into the
full communion of the Catholic Church. But a priest to whom the bishop
entrusts the celebration of the rite has the faculty of confirming the
candidate within the rite of reception, unless the person received has
already been validly confirmed. (RCIA, 481)
Above, Rose Granno is confirmed, after her profession of faith and
before her first Holy Communion as a Catholic. Her husband, Frank,
stands directly behind Rose.
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 | Rose
Granno, on the right, in 2004, when her grandson, Ray Thomas, was
confirmed and received his first Holy Communion. Ray is third from the
left.
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[Oct 28] Silvia and Cesar Panici celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at San Rocco Oratory with a Mass.
[Nov. 1] Mass is celebrated at 7 p.m. at San Rocco for the Feast of All Saints. [Nov.
18] Albert Marconi is buried today from San Rocco Oratory. He was
a civil engineer for the City of Chicago Heights, for 29 years. [Nov.
19] The soprano section of the choir is augmented by two Marian
students, Mary Jones and, a little later, Raven Hodge.
 | Tom Roeser, columnist for the Chicago Tribune
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[Dec. 3] For the First Sunday of Advent, before Mass, Raven Hodge sings a prelude, "O Thou that Tellest Good Tidings to Zion," from Messiah by Handel. Back in 2001, Angie Palanca sang the same song, in honor of Cardinal George, when he visited us. [Dec. 8] At noon, Catholic Citizens of Illinois
hosts a luncheon in downtown Chicago, with guest speaker Tom
Roeser. Back at San Rocco, Mass is celebrated at 8 p.m., for
the Feast of the Immaculate Conception; only about 15 people show up. [Dec.
24] For the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we are blest with a guest organist
and choir director, Greg Schmit of Homewood. For many years, he
was music director of Incarnation parish in Palos Heights. The choir sings the Trisagion, We Look for Light, and Blest Be the Name of the Lord, as on the other Sundays of Advent. Today, in honor of the Virgin Mary, the choir sings It Is Right and Just; the people sing Daily, Daily, Sing of Mary. [Dec 25] With the help of Celeste Jones,
substitute organist and choir director, the Christmas liturgy is a
great celebration. The choir does the Madrigal Alleluia
for the Gospel procession, which today is especially protracted.
Two lay people help with Communion. The church is fillled for the Mass,
with every seat taken. Since 1997, Celeste Jones has directed two adult choirs and the parish choir at St. Damian's
in Oak Forest; she has also taught at St. Cajetan's on Chicago's south
side, where she was married in 1990. Celeste has a degree in music
education from Colorado State University. [Dec. 25-Jan. 7] During
the Christmas Season, our regular organist, Marty Kabbes Bramlette
Hesse did musicological research, studying how elephants communicate
over long distance, using very low musical tones. Her two
sons assisted her in this research, in distant Thailand. Like the
rest of the country, Bangkok, as Marty pointed out, is very safe and
never has any problem with crime or terrorism.
 | Jerry Hesse, in the center; Marty Bramlette Hesse, at lower right
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 | Jerry Hesse, on the right
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 | Visit to Thailand by Marty Hesse and her sons David (left) and John (right) Bramlette.
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 | Dinnertime, north of Bangkok
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 | Thailand citizen,giving a ride to two guests
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San Rocco Oratory
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