Petals From Roseland

During this past holiday season I kept seeing ads and hearing stories about the holiday traditions that people maintain. Everything from when to put up the tree to how to decorate it were enthusiastically debated, along with what to serve on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. All this discussion got me to thinking about Roseland and the traditions its residents maintained. I’m sure one thing we can all agree on is that the good people of Roseland were all traditionalists. I easily recall the annual tradition of the Gately’s Peoples Store sponsoring the Michigan Avenue Christmas parade. I remember that …

“Valentine’s Day was met with the same excitement no matter which grade school you attended. St. Anthony’s, St. Louis, St. Salomea, Pullman, Poe, VV, Scanlon or Gompers — it didn’t matter — the exchanging of Valentine’s cards was always a big deal and for some, a terrifying ordeal. My guess is that it became less of an ordeal for those who rarely got a Valentine once the nuns/teachers made sure that the kids brought enough cards for each student. For me, there are only a couple of Valentine’s that I remember. I recall the time my sister Tootsie and I …

Looking back, it’s been a very busy, but pleasurable year. A number of people have stepped up throughout the year and given a boost to the nostalgic adventure that remembering all things Roseland has become. Dan Bovino continues to march forward with his ever improving photographic skills in piecing together the photographic puzzle of our varied Roseland experiences. It never ceases to amaze me that each of us has had such unique experiences in Roseland, but once shared, they conjure up related memories in our own lives. Dan’s many hours dedicated to the Roseland Roundtable represent a truly remarkable gift …

phe·nom·e·nal adjective: very remarkable; extraordinary This word comes to mind in describing the fantastic night enjoyed by all the attendees at the annual St. Anthony Alumni Dinner Dance. More than 200 people dined on sumptuous repast and were entertained by the musical stylings of the Dave Berger Quarter. Two St. Anthony classes used the occasion as a reunion: 1974 and 1969. Both were well attended and created a festive atmosphere. Almost everyone got up and walked around, talking to as many people as possible throughout the night. Best wishes for good health go out to Carmella Ryan and Ed. Also …

While attending the recent funeral of Erminia Frigo, I was viewing the photo boards on display when one of the pictures took me by surprise. The photo was of a few people standing across the street from the old St. Anthony’s church in front of Pat & Matt’s newsstand, soda shop and bar. There in the background stood Christi Silvestri. I had not seen or thought about Christi since the 1960s, when I graduated from St. Anthony’s. However, I do remember Christi from my many trips after 9:00 Mass to Pat & Matt’s, where Christi stood out at 6’3” and …

The end of summer is approaching but there’s still time to make up for the frigid winter we went through. That is, of course, if you weren’t able to make it to some of the summer festivals that took place in Chicago and suburbs. One of the summer events that was well attended is the St. Anthony Festa which took place on Sunday, June 8th. Fr. Mark Krilowicz, the pastor of St. Anthony’s for the past eight years, has kept the celebration alive with a strong parish St. Anthony’s Feast committee that meets year-round to come up with food, activities, …

Recently, I came across an article that began with “The Best Year for …” I don’t remember what the focus of the article was but the article did spark an idea: What was the best year of your life in Roseland? Throughout my tenure with Fra Noi, countless people have shared their fondest memories of growing up in Roseland. I’ve met couples at Spaghetti-Os dining at Carlos Lorenzetti’s, at St. Anthony’s on Sundays, and at special events like the St. Anthony Feast that took place on June 8th; at Roseland Roundtable’s Traverso Pizza Parties; and as they came to visit …

As Lent drew near this year, the Veneti nel Mondo held their annual Carnivale con Cudighi Dinner, which spotlighted that beloved spicy Northern Italian sausage, and that got me to thinking about carnivals in general. That brought me right to the St. Anthony carnivals that the St. Anthony’s Holy Name, with the help of the parishioners, used to put on every year. When I mentioned St. Anthony’s carnival in a conversation, someone brought up the fact that there were numerous carnivals held throughout Roseland and the surrounding communities. A number of the larger Roseland parishes put on carnivals as one …

My friend Eddie Wolak didn’t even grow up in Roseland but we eat at the Cal Harbor Restaurant at 115th and Forestville often. We were talking when the subject of “The Ave” came up, and Eddie wanted to know more. Eddie worked for the railroad in and around Roseland for more than 20 years so he is acquainted with the area and he wanted to know all about “The Ave” that all the guys from Roseland talked about. “The Ave” was our slang name for Michigan Avenue from 110th to 115th Street. It not only was the main shopping strip …

A number of months ago, I wrote about ways we can keep our Italian heritage alive. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind was Italian food. To that end, over the years I’ve written about the South Side food markets and delis available to all the former Roseland/Pullman/Kensington residents that are still living south of the city’s downtown. There’s Calabria Imports, which came out of Blue Island — the Italian pride of Beverly that serves the far southwest side including Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park. Directly south of the city out in Stege /Crete is Dal Santo’s Italian …