National Italian American Foundation President and Fra Noi contributor Robert Allegrini was accorded an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Oct. 8. During the encounter, Allegrini conveyed to the Holy Father the best wishes of the Italian-American community for a happy Columbus Day. He also spoke to Pope Francis of their common Piemontese origins and the strength of the global Piemontese diaspora. The papal audience was arranged by the Vatican pediatric hospital Bambino Gesù. Allegrini serves as a member of the hospital’s U.S. foundation board.