Thus began the archaeological explorations that were to span thirty years as researchers, scholars, and scientists sifted through tangled layers of ancient subterranean structures far below the foundations of the basilica and journeyed back in time to slowly unravel the secrets surrounding the burial place of the great saint.  

   Our speaker, Father Phillip Bené will guide us on a slide tour of the excavations and tell the exciting story of the discovery, the investigation that followed, and the search for the truth about the contents of the secret early Christian tomb that was found far below the church, with specific focus on the site’s history and its significance as the burial place of the great Apostle, Saint, and first Pope.  Father Bené is a Priest of the St. Louis Archdiocese and Judge of its Metropolitan Tribunal.  He holds Masters Degrees in both Divinity and Theology from the Kenrick School of Theology in St. Louis and a Licentiate in Canon Law from Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.  After serving three years in parochial ministry in our Archdiocese, he was appointed to Rome three years ago to pursue further post-graduate studies.  Father Bené is presently a candidate for the Doctorate in Canon Law and will be defending his dissertation next spring.
 

   The Club celebrated the occasion with a special cake and a toast given in Italian by member Cavaliere Valerio Bianco.  
  
   The certificate of the Club’s Italian Heritage Award (Il premio del patrimonio italiano) was given to Angela Mazzola in recognition of her dedication to the community of St. Louis and to the Club.  The award ceremony concluded with the presentation of flowers to Angela by member Carol Lozano.

   Joseph Colagiovanni described his duties as HVC, a position that is a part of the Italian Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The HVC reports directly to Consul General Enrico Granara in Chicago and represents Italy’s interests in the greater St. Louis Metropolitan area.  He categorized the duties of his position as “Protection, Process, and Promotion”.  Protection (about 10% of all activities) assures that Italian nationals in the area receive the rights established by international laws and treaties between Italy and the United States.  
   
   Process (about 30%) involves three principal areas:  passports, pensions, and visas.  Passports and pensions work is minimum because only about 500 Italian citizens live in Missouri.  There are about 30,000 Italian citizens living in the 11 states for which the Consul General Granara is responsible; of these, 20,000 to 25,000 are in the Chicago area, with the rest distributed throughout the balance of Granara’s territory.  Visas, on the contrary, represent the bulk of the HVC process work, since every one traveling to Italy for employment or for an extended stay must obtain an Italian visa; and if a person is a citizen of certain Asian, African, or middle eastern country, a visa is required regardless of the duration of the stay.  Many individuals require visas:  students, university faculty, certain types of tourists, members of religious congregations, and company executives.  More than 85% of the HVC visa activity is with non-Italians.  

   Promotion represents the effort to enhance a broad range of economic and business activity between Italy and American organizations.  It is the most time-consuming part of HVC’s job, as there is a very significant level of economic activity between Italy and Missouri-based companies.  For example, such firms as Anheuser-Busch, Boeing Aircraft, TWA, and Emerson Electric have major Italian interests.  It is also, in Colagiovanni’s opinion, the major reason why he was selected for the HVC position.  He concluded his presentation with a description of a trade mission to Italy he is organizing for the later part of this year in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Economic Development. 

   In addition to serving as Honorary Italian Vice Consul in St. Louis, Joseph Colagiovanni, Esq. is a partner in the firm of Bryan, Cave and is in charge of the firm’s international construction law practice.  He is an adjunct Professor in the Washington University School of Law and a member of the Italian Club of St. Louis   
 

   For the Italian Club, she has been a tireless worker, chairing as well as serving on many committees.  She currently represents the Club on the Columbus Day Corporation Board.  A member of numerous other organizations, she has been active in the Greater St. Louis Citizens Council for World Affairs and served as Committee Chairman for the Council’s 1960 United Nations Day.  Particularly committed to religious organizations, her accomplishments include National Chairman and National Vice-Chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the National Council of Catholic Women; VP, Executive Council of the Laymen’s’ Retreat League; VP, Archdiocesan CYC, and member of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women and Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Youth.  She also worked on many projects, activities, and committees for the St. Ambrose Parish.  She is deeply devoted to the Dominican Laity movement and belongs to the Third Order of St. Dominic.

   In addition to the Italian Heritage Award, throughout her career, Angela has received numerous other awards including the Joseph Cardinal Ritter Catholic Action Award (1960), the UN Crusade for Freedom Certificate of Merit (1960), the Globe Democrat St. Louis Woman of Achievement Award (1962), the Adult Service Award, the St. Louis Archdiocesan Council of the National Association of Catholic Youth Award, and the St. Louis Columbus Day Corporation’s Spirit of Columbus Award.  She was listed in Who’s Who of American Women (1959-60) and named Italian of the Month by the Il Pensiero Italian newspaper (2/99)
 
 

The Club's mini series of Classic Italian Films held this past spring at the St. Louis Bocce Club was a great success.  We will continue the series in the fall and are extremely pleased to hear that member Carla Bossola has graciously agreed to introduce and discuss the films; however, since certain films are difficult to find in the St. Louis area, we are asking for your help.  If any member has videotapes of Italian films, we would greatly appreciate it if you would let the Club borrow them for use in the series.  Films must be in Italian with English sub-titles.  Please let us know what titles you have by e-mailing Barbara Klein at barbara201@aol.com or writing to her at 3154 Rentchler Road, Belleville, IL 62221.  Due to our licensing agreement, the videotapes must have been obtained legally (no copies please).  Mille grazie!!  
 

   On behalf of the Club, we wish to extend our prayers, sympathy and condolence to the family of Vicki Bottini-Hosner who passed away on June 4, 2000.  Vicki joined the Italian Club just this past year.  Her illness prevented her from being more active; however, she had great pride in her heritage and was looking forward to learning more about its customs and traditions through participation in the Italian Club. 

   In 1986 Vicki was one of the first participants in the Italian Heritage Youth Exchange Program of Shaw School and the Cheltanham Lions.  She was very active in the organization and administration of the Italian Heritage Concerts held at St. Ambrose, the Giro della Montagna (Tour of the Hill Bicycle Race), and the trip to the Festa-Italiana in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Vicki was 34 years old.

We wish to extend our sincere sympathy to the families of member Edward Berra on the recent death of his sister Janet Berra Noel and also to member Mary Rubano Duncan on the death of her mother, Dorothy Rubano.    
 

We are very pleased to announce that Carl Giordano, Nicoletta Parato, and Robert Taveggia were accepted into membership of the Italian Club at the June meeting.  Benvenuti nel nostro Club!
 

La serata si è conclusa con la lettura della poesia intitolata Il fuoco da parte del suo autore, il nostro connazionale Dion.  

Un grazie particolare per la splendida serata a Madda e Baldo Gandolfo, i quali, oltre alla magnifica cena, hanno fornito lo spumante per il brindisi in onore del 54^esimo anniversario della Repubblica italiana, del primo anniversario di Italiano per Piacere, e dell’ospite d’onore.

La prossima riunione avrà luogo il 2 agosto al ristorante Da Baldo e comincerà alle 18.30.  Durante la serata ascolteremo Benedict T. Viviano, OP, Ph.D., sacerdote domenicano e professore di studi biblici all’Università di Friebourg, Svizzera, che parlerà su Giordano Bruno, eretico bruciato, un soggetto che non mancherà di suscitare interesse e discussione.  Don Viviano è nativo di St. Louis, dove spesso viene a trascorrere le vacanze estive con la sorella Patty e la zia Orsolina Chiappetta.  

Per prenotare chiamate Franco Giannotti alla Venmar Systems, telefono 314-428-2266, interno 211.   Oppure usate la posta elettronica indirizzandola a Francog@venmar.com.  Siete pregati di prenotare con un po’ di anticipo.  
 

Questa volta la poesia non è di un poeta famoso, ma di un nostro connazionale che si firma col nome di Dion.  La sua è la vivida immagine di una famiglia intorno al focolare in un tempo ormai lontano. 

Toglie la cenere e la legna
quasi spenta attizza, ne aggiunge
dell'altra piu' sottile e soffia,
ecco che sfavilla, schizza, divampa,
e un brivido ne sente..

Sulla tavola il vino e la panella,
la minestra si raffredda ma prima
d'iniziare ognuno si segna e dice,
Signore questo cibo benedici.
 
Lei, dopo, al solito rammenda,
lui taciturno muove la brace
e quasi fosse pizza l'intorce,
la storce, la raddrizza come
alla mente torna la giornata,
assorto soffia su una scaglia
e riaccende il tabacco nella foglia..

E' l'ora del Rosario, lei inizia
dai misteri sgranando la corona
tra i riccioli dei bimbi assonnati
sul suo grembo, nel camino rigurgita
il vento e cenere e brace spande,
la luce tremola, si spegne, e buio
resta tutt'intorno.
 
Un pezzo di carta tra la legna
alla lampada ad olio sempre pronta,
la fiammella alle pareti strane
ombre manda e par le muova
in sintonia col vento..

E' tardi, avvolto il mattone
nella pezza e versata l'acqua
sulla legna allontanano le sedie,
un sospiro, uno sguardo intorno
e con la mano curva che protegge
la fiammella portano a letto 
il tepore e la speranza.
 
Piove, il sonno tarda e la luce
piu' non torna, tornera' col nuovo 
giorno ma fino a sera a nulla
serve, serve solo per il camino
tanta legna...

Un mondo semplice dal moderno
cancellato, sole a picco o tanta
legna al fuoco, fuoco come primaria
alleanza, arcaica presenza, quotidiana importanza, fuoco come inconsapevole 
amicizia, piacere, sofferenza, fuoco
come della vita intima essenza.

12.  L’ascesa di Pompeo.  Pompeo e Crasso non avevano i requisiti legali per l'elezione stabiliti dalla costituzione di Silla, tuttavia riuscirono ad ottenere la nomina a consoli portando a Roma le loro legioni, il che segnò la fine delle leggi sillane. 
In seguito ai gravi danni provocati al commercio romano dai pirati che infestavano il Mediterraneo, il senato concesse a Pompeo nel 67 a. C. un imperium straordinario della durata di tre anni su tutto il Mediterraneo e sulle regioni costiere sino a 50 miglia dal mare, con una flotta di 500 navi e un esercito di 120.000 uomini:  a nessuno era stato mai concesso un potere così grande che rendeva arbitri dello Stato.  Pompeo adempì in pochi mesi brillantemente il compito che gli era stato assegnato, sicché in breve anche la Cilicia e Creta passarono sotto il dominio romano.  

Frattanto in Asia Mitridate VI aveva ripreso le ostilità contro i Romani.  Questa seconda guerra mitridatica fu vittoriosamente condotta da Lucullo, che in seguito venne sostituito da Pompeo.  Pompeo sconfisse Mitridate e, dopo aver obbligato Tigrane, re d'Armenia a chieder la pace, rioccupò tutta l'Asia Minore e il regno del Ponto; passò quindi in Siria e, occupata la Palestina, riordinò le nuove province del Ponto e della Bitinia, della Siria, della Cilicia, e ritornò a Roma (62 a. C.). 

Durante l'assenza di Pompeo si era riaccesa vivissima nella capitale la lotta fra oligarchici e democratici ed era mancato poco che il governo senatorio fosse abbattuto da una congiura di cui era capo Lucio Sergio Catilina, giovane e ambizioso patrizio.  La congiura venne rivelata a Cicerone, il quale attaccò Catilina in Senato costringendolo a fuggire.  Questi, recatosi in Etruria per suscitare la guerra civile, fu ucciso in battaglia presso Pistoia (62 a. C.) mentre Cicerone fu chiamato "padre della Patria".  

Il primo triumvirato.  La morte di Catilina e il ritorno di Pompeo dall'Asia sembrava avessero rinsaldato la posizione dell'oligarchia senatoria, ma Pompeo si trovò di fronte l'opposizione del Senato e due rivali:  Crasso e Cesare.  Tuttavia, spinto dall’atteggiamento dei Senatori che rifiutavano di concedere le terre ai veterani, Pompeo strinse un accordo di carattere privato che fu detto triumvirato, prima segreto e poi palese, per una spartizione amichevole delle forze militari e dei comandi nelle province.