Palm Sunday -- What Does Your Church Mean To You?

Happy Palm Sunday to all the readers of Italian American Girl. I'm not one for holy rolling or pushing religion on anyone. But as it is, I was brought up with a strong faith in Catholicism. I think everyone has their one way of self Catholic expression and I really don't think anyone is perfect: especially Catholics. In light of all the negative things that have happened in the church which no one denies is definitely bad, we have to also look to our own self expression of what our Catholic churches mean to us.

I think many churches serve as a place to reflect, a place to find peace, family, history and traditions. I recently received a letter from a parishioner in Brooklyn, New York who pleaded for me to read what's happening at her church. She like many others was once the faithful parishioner of a church called our Our Lady of Loreto Brooklyn.

This traditional, magnificent church has been the constant in a changing neighborhood and has served many Italian Americans since the early 1900s in Brooklyn, NY. Many baptisms, communions, weddings, services and masses have happened here and now with the ever changing downturn of economic decisions, church officials have decided to let the church be demolished.

As an Italian American, we fight everyday to preserve our heritage and work on campaigns to raise money to save buildings, (for example; Little Italy) programs, statues, art, language... why is this church being demolished? The driving force behind all bad decisions-- which it seems Italian American history is always getting hammered always goes back to economic factors. Look, I was in church this morning... admiring the beautiful artwork and history....and I thought how you can you destroy something so beautiful for something you know will result as my father would say in dialect (S-K-I-F-E-W --not the true spelling.)

Also, my father worked for the Archdiocese in New Jersey for over 25 years so when I see things like this happen it upsets and actually disgusts me. Do tradition & faith have no place in this world anymore or has the not so mighty dollar brainwashed everyone? I feel for the parishioners in Brooklyn, who love their church. You know the Vatican is old too, are they demolishing that as well for condos in the middle of Rome?

Let us also reflect this is Holy Week with not so holy actions taking place. This parishioner wrote me "I'm praying for a miracle." AMEN TO THAT.

This was also covered in The New York Times: "A Fight for a Church Is Evoking Introspection"

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Faces of America - Immigrant Stories of Famous Americans on PBS

As you know I am always talking about the immigrant story because for me its a very close connection. My father came to America in the 1950s and then my mother later in the 1960s. I am always so intrigued with the story on how my father decided to leave Italy and journey to a place where he knew no one and had nothing. This new show on PBS, called, "Faces of America" really takes an in depth look into the immigrant's story and but what makes it so unique is that they profile famous people, including Meryl Streep, Mario Batali and many others. If you have an opportunity to watch it, you must.. its on PBS.

Faces of America premieres nationally Wednesdays, February 10 - March 3, 2010 from 8-9 p.m. ET on PBS

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/ Tweet

Happy Saint Patrick's Day To All the Irish-Italian Americans.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all the Irish and including our Irish/ Italian Americans. I think the celebration of St. Patrick's Day in the United States is always celebrated to an extreme stereotype but we have to remember history plays an important role to the meaning behind St. Patrick's Day. Happy St. Patrick's Day!


http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=89 Tweet

Travel to Sorrento, Italy -- Advice From A Travel Expert.

Sorrento is a magical place no matter what time of year you visit but it’s especially wonderful in the spring. It’s when this small city along the Amalfi Coast literally springs to life with vibrant bursts of color from wisteria vines to walls of fresh jasmine. There is color everywhere you turn and the scent of jasmine mixes with orange and lemon blossoms…….you know you’re in paradise.

Getting to Sorrento from the U.S. is a bit of a trek. Most travelers choose to fly to Rome and then either drive or take a train down to Sorrento. A company called
Meridiana or Eurofly flies direct from New York to Naples between June and September but they have a limited schedule. The best bet is to fly into Rome and then rent a car for the drive down. Renting an automatic car can be expensive in Italy and hard to find but I have been using Auto Europe for years and they are reliable and affordable. Also, once you arrive in Sorrento, you can park the car and forget about it because everything is within walking distance or reachable by ferry or train.

The Sorrentine Peninsula offers so much to see and do that it would be impossible to list it all in such a brief space so I have highlighted some of the best I have come across in my frequent travels to this Eden on Earth:

Best 4-star hotel

: Hotel Antiche Mura - just feet from the main square (Piazza Tasso) and staffed by the wonderful Savarese family who cannot do enough for their guests. While they do not offer lunch or dinner in their restaurant, the breakfast buffet is one of the best.

Best spa

: Spa La Serra at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria. Spa treatments or a vacation must-do for me and the therapists at La Serra are some of the most gifted anywhere.

Best spot for people watching

: Fauno Bar sits smack dab in the middle of Piazza Tasso. You can sit here and watch the world go by with a morning cappuccino or an afternoon glass of wine.

Finally, for those who may be worried about getting around in this foreign city, fear not, almost everyone in Sorrento is fluent in English and those who aren’t fake it really well! Buon Viaggio!


Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and attorney and the creative force behind
Wanderlust Women Travel.

Photos/Copyright- Courtesy of Wanderlust Women Travel Tweet

BERTOLLI Presenting "Into the Heart of Italy" A Unique Webseries Featuring Italian American Celebrities, Rocco DiSpirito, Marisa Tomei, & Dan Cortese.

Bertolli Frozen Meals is getting ready to launch a new series of webisodes titled “Into the Heart of Italy: Six Adventures, Three Celebrities, One Mission… To Unlock the Secrets of Italian Passion for Food and Life.”

This one-of-a-kind online series will feature celebrity chef Rocco Dispirito and actors Marisa Tomei and Dan Cortese as they explore the food and culture of Italy.

A trailer for “Into the Heart of Italy” will premiere during Desperate Housewives at 9/8 CST.

I’ll be tweeting tonight for @Bertolli’s Taste & Tweet. I received a wine aerator & a gift card to cover the purchase of one of their meals. Join Me Tonight on TWITTER for the Taste & Tweet which includes a VIP giveaway to win one of three local cheese making classes up to a $150 value!

Every Tweet using #BertolliItaly between Sunday, March 14 from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM EST Monday, March 15, will be entered to win the prize, which will be selected by a random drawing Monday. A link to the rules and regulations will be tweeted from @Bertolli at the start of the Taste & Tweet or can be found on the Bertolli Facebook page.

Join me on Twitter: @italianamergirl

www.IntotheHeartofItaly.com Tweet

Tarantella Calabrese -- For My Calabrese You'll Love This

This music is something you heard in my house daily. My father loves it! Great job lip synching guys! Tweet

Giada De Laurentiis -- Italian American Celebrity Chef Cooks Healthy Penne.

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Italian American NYPD Officer In Need Of A Bone Marrow Donor-- SEEKING SICILIAN DESCENT.

Dear Readers:

Please read this important message I received from one of our great readers.

Attention all Italian American groups and citizens, we have an extremely important time sensitive MISSION!

Our dear friend, Sgt. Michael Costanza of the MTA police has been diagnosed with Leukemia; he is a young man, only 34 years of age with a wife and two young children.

Sgt. Costanza needs to find a compatible bone marrow donor. Both of his siblings have already been tested but unfortunately they are not a match. He and his family need our help. We need to get the word out to the Italian American community, especially the Sicilian community since he is of Sicilian descent; if you are from the same region, there is a slightly better chance of being a match. We need to get as many people tested as we can to find a donor; we have less than 6 months to find a match.

Sgt. Costanza at that time a member in the NYPD is one of the many selfless individuals that spent months at Ground Zero immediately after the September 11th terrorist attacks helping sort through the rubble for survivors and aide in the clean up process as well. Now it’s our turn to return the favor and be his family’s hero. Please come to Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal on:

Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 11Am to 6PM

Please partake in a simple, non painful check swab (saliva test).

The National Council of Columbia Associations of Civil Service, Brooklyn Staten Island 10 13, NYPD, MTAPD, and Columbus Citizens Foundation are reaching out to all of our friends and family in hope that we will be able to find a match for Sgt. Costanza.

Please pass this on to anyone that you know and let’s show what we already know, that the Italian American community can come together for a good cause and let’s make a miracle happen.

The PBA will be sponsoring the bone marrow recruitment drive for persons that can not afford the test, however it is only $26.00

Thank you.

Contact: www.mtapba.com Tweet

Italian American Girl Featured On About.com 's Italy Travel Guide

Check out our latest featured entry in today's About.com for Italy's Travel Guide written by Martha Bakerjian. The entry features different questions about why I created and wrote my blog --ItalianAmericangirl.com and what its all about. I give advice on traveling to Italy and specifially to the region of Reggio Calabria. Take a look.

http://bit.ly/cDQcPl

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ITALIAN MUSICAL ENCHANTER VINICIO CAPOSSELA RETURNS TO NORTH AMERICA

Italy’s award-winning avant singer-songwriter Vinicio Capossela brings his renown musical side show to North America for a coast to coast string of concert offerings in March 2010. First pitching their tent at New York City’s (Le) Poisson Rouge on March 6, the Capossela musical circus then heads north to Canada to Montreal and Toronto on March 8 and 9, before going west for three back-to-back debuts in Chicago (March 10), San Francisco (March 12), and finally wrapping at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theater on March 13. No stranger to North American audiences, “theatrical underground visionary” Capossela’s 2007 debut concert dates in the US and Canada were completely sold-out and his showcase performances at the 2008 editions of GlobalFEST in New York City and SXSW in Austin, Texas were met with critical acclaim.





VINICIO CAPOSSELA MARCH 2010 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR:

Friday, March 5, 2010
(Le) Poisson Rouge, New York, NY
158 Bleeker St (@ Thompson St)
Time: 7:30pm (Doors open @ 7:00PM)
Tickets: $25.00
Box Office: http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/1045
or 866 55 TICKETS or (212) 505-3474

Saturday, March 6, 2010
(Le) Poisson Rouge, New York, NY
158 Bleeker St (@ Thompson St)
Time: 7:30pm (Doors open @ 7:00PM)
Tickets: $25.00
Box Office: http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/786
or 866 55 TICKETS or (212) 505-3474

Monday, March 8, 2010
L'Astral (Maison du Festival Rio Tinto Alcan), Montreal (Quebec) CANADA
305 Ste. Catherine Street W.
Time: 8:00pm
Tickets: $14.50
Box Office: http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/program/concert.aspx?id=9529 or
(514) 288-8882

Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Mod Club, Toronto (Ontario) CANADA
722 College Street
Time: 8:00pm
Tickets: $25 in advance / $30 at the doorBox Office: http://www.bandsintown.com/event/3331675-vinicio-capossela-toronto-canada-live-at-mod-club-theatre-on-march-09-2010 or (416) 588-4663

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Lakeshore Theater, Chicago, IL
3175 N. Broadway (south east corner of Belmont/Broadway in East Lakeview)
Time: 8:00pm
Tickets: $25
Box Office:
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=605905 or (773) 472-3492

Friday, March 12, 2010
Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco, CA
1025 Columbus Avenue (at Chestnut Street)
Time: 9:00pm (Doors open @ 8:00pm)
Tickets: $25
Box Office: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/2747 or
http://www.bimbos365club.com/bands.html or (415) 474-0365

Saturday, March 13, 2010
El Rey Theater, Los Angeles, CA
5515 Wilshire Blvd
Time: 8:00pm
Tickets: $25
Box Office: http://www.theelrey.com/view-details.php?id=473 or (323)
936-6400 Tweet

Italian American Rocker & Frontman, Rocco Fury Resurrects The Meaning of 'Real Rock Band.'

If you love rock, especially 80's vintage rock, then this is a must read review by one of my very good friends; who happens to be one of the best writers, reviewers and overall rock music aficionados I know.

Read his latest review of front man Rocco Fury's resurrected metal band, "American Angel." Last, but not least, what makes it especially fantastic is the Italian American factor.

Move over Rolling Stone, here's :

Metal-Mixtape
No Grunge, No Alternative, No Rap-Rock . . . Just Vintage '80s Metal!

Click Here for the Review


Thanks TT!

BTW- I am currently listening to their music as we speak, I'm digging it. Tweet

Tiziano Ferro- Imbranato

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Miss Italia Nel Mondo- Italian American Women Are Being Casted.

Miss Italia nel Mondo will celebrate the beauty of women of Italian heritage from around the world with its 20 annual Pageant program this year.

Italian American women who reside in the United States are invited to vie for the crown beginning in individual state competitions. Winner of the State Competitions will travel to the Final Event on April 22/26, 2010 in the City of Stamford (CT) where they will compete for the title of Miss Italia USA 2010.

The winner of the Miss Italia USA competion will travel to Italy in June to compete against 49 young ladies from other nations for the title of Miss Italia nel Mondo.

The final pageant will be held in Jesolo, outside Venice. The competition will be broadcasted internationally by RAI Italia and in Italy by RAI 1.

In order to participate in the Miss Italia USA competion, a woman must be a resident of United States for at least six months before June 30, 2010 and be of Italian origin, having one Italian parent or at least one Italian grandparent.

Candidate must have a basic knowledge of the Italian language and be between the ages of 17 and 26 by December 31, 2010.

For more information and for tickets to the Final Event please call 646.498.1292 or write to:
info@missitaliausa.com

http://missitaliausa.com/
http://www.missitalianelmondo.it/

FaceBook: Miss Italia USA 2010 Tweet

Rick Steves: Naples Archaeological Museum

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I-ITALY VIDEO. GUIDO. AN ITALIAN AMERICAN YOUTH STYLE

Interesting video produced by iItaly.org; I have a lot of opinion behind this topic and because I am a first generation Italian American. I don't necessarily agree with all these opinions. Watch this video; share what you think.


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