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  One of the most thrilling and glamorous events in the Chicago-area Italian-American community is the contest to determine who will reign as La Bella Regina of the Columbus Day Parade. “Few events in the community can match the pageantry of the annual Columbus Day Queen pageant,” says Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. “The queen will be the star of the Italian community for a year’s reign.” Sponsored by the JCCIA, this year’s pageant will be held at 6 p.m. on July 29 at the Des Plaines Theatre. The event will be chaired by …

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Melrose Park will celebrate the 133rd anniversary of its devotion to the Blessed Mother on July 19. Festivities will begin with a 7:30 a.m. Mass in English and a 9 a.m. solemn Mass in Italian, followed by a procession with the statue of the Blessed Mother to a noon field Mass. A procession through the streets of the parish afterward will culminate in a 4 p.m. benediction, followed by a 5 p.m. Mass in Spanish. The Sicilian Band of Chicago and Caliendo’s Banda Napoletana will perform during both processions, and food and …

Cabrini Shrine will celebrate the life of Mother Cabrini and the 80th anniversary of her sainthood July 11-12, featuring music, guest speakers, and ethnic cuisine. Saturday’s festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. with a performance by the Children’s Spanish Choir at St. Mary of the Lake – Our Lady of Lourdes. The Rev. Corey Brost of St. Viator House will speak at 12 p.m. on church teaching and migration. The Gospel Choir from St. Simon of Cyrene Parish will perform at 2:30 p.m., with the day’s events concluding with 4 p.m. Mass. Polish and Italian food will be served from 11 …

Each year, more than two dozen Italian patron saint celebrations grace the Chicago area. Kept alive by paesani from villages and cities across Italy, these events preserve some of the most cherished of our traditions. Festivities range from simple religious services to solemn masses and processions to family festivals that last several days. But they all have one thing in common: devotion to the spiritual protectors of la bell’Italia. At press time, information was available on the following events. JUNE 13-14 THE FEAST OF SS. CROCIFISSO & SAN GIOVANNI BOSCO DI CIMINNA at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines is sponsored …

Villa Cesare in Schererville, Indiana, will host its annual Festa Italiana from July 17-19. The event features food and beverages for sale, live entertainment, a beer and wine garden, contests and classes for adults, activities for kids, and bocce. Admission is free. A bocce tournament, and spaghetti-eating and grape-stomping contests, will take place on July 18. Registration for all three events is required. Entertainers includes Vince Amore, Frankie Seta, the Tradizione Vivente Italian dance troupe, Carmelo Zaccone, and the Tommy Panici Quartet. For more, click here.

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society has renamed its annual golf outing in honor of one of its most iconic members. The Sam Cascio Golf Classic will take place on July 17 at the Bartlett Hills Golf Club in Bartlett, Illinois. “Dr. Sam was an avid golfer and always enjoyed attending the event. He was 100 years old when he played it for the last time!” says event chairman Dr. Joe Favia. “He was the longest-tenured and most accomplished member in Arcolian history, so it’s only fitting that this event be named after him. We know he will be looking down …

Michael Bertucci ascended to the presidency of the Justinian Society of Lawyers at the society’s installation and awards dinner on May 14 at RPM Events Chicago. Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II was presented with the society’s Award of Excellence at the event. Joining Bertucci as officers are First Vice President Judge Jill Cerone-Marisie, Second Vice President Michael R. Grieco, Third Vice President Sarah M. LeRose, Treasurer Dominic C. LoVerde and Secretary William J. Davy Jr. The following profiles were provided by the organization. 2026 Award of Excellence Hon. Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II Charles S. Beach II serves …

On April 18, Casa Italia in Stone Park celebrated the life and legacy of Fr. August Feccia, CS, the founding member of the Italian Cultural Center. According to Dominic Candeloro, when Fr. Feccia arrived on the property in 1970, the ICC didn’t exist. The Scalabrini seminary that was founded in 1935 had closed, leaving an empty shell. Casa events coordinator Nancy Cometa spoke about her friend and mentor: “Fr. Feccia was ordained in1962 and he celebrated his first Mass in Italy for prison inmates. With this first act he demonstrated his lifelong care for the abandoned and marginalized. “Arriving in …

  Sommario with past Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association President Chicago attorney Frank A. Sommario has been inducted as a fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. Sommario is a senior partner at the Chicago-based personal injury law firm of Romanucci & Blandin. The induction ceremony for the college’s class of 2026 was held on April 18 in Tucson, Arizona. With the current installation, the college is represented by more than 500 members, including workers’ compensation plaintiff and defense attorneys, professors, and judges nationwide in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. The …

The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and Roselle Sister Cities Italian Committee will host the Italian American Liberty Gala on June 5 at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village. The event will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Festa della Repubblica and the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America. The signing of a Sister City relationship between Mola di Bari, Puglia, and Roselle, Illinois, will be a highlight of the event, which will spotlight Pugliese cuisine and culture. Belvedere Banquets will be adorned with the traditional Pugliese illuminations known as luminarie. On the menu …