Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
In a bittersweet turn of events, a monument to St. Frances Cabrini will occupy the pedestal in Arrigo Park where Christopher Columbus once stood.
I say “bittersweet” because the goal all along for the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans was to restore Columbus to his original place of honor in the park. But after a grueling 4-and-a-half-year legal battle, it became abundantly clear that it wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.
Despite the herculean efforts of lead counsel Enrico Mirabelli and his legal team of Frank Sommario and Anthony Onesto, the city of Chicago under two mayoral administrations has steadfastly refused to budge from its position.
At the end of the day, the Chicago Park District owns the statue and really could have done with it what they saw fit, including melting it down or “loaning” it to another city hundreds of miles away. In the face of that harsh reality, my objective was to get the statue into our possession and return it to the park when a new administration comes into power.
Luckly, we were blessed with a sympathetic judge who insisted on a settlement that both parties found acceptable. Because the city was resolute in its stance that the statue would be a safety hazard if placed outdoors (a stance that we as resolutely refute), we convinced them to give it to us on loan so that we could place it indoors in the soon-to-be-opened Chicago Museum of Italian Migration located on Taylor Street.
Our community has long needed a shrine in which we could honor the accomplishments of the countless Italian immigrants who became American citizens in this thriving enclave. By placing the statue there, we were able to address the city’s safety concerns and give our community a way to preserve that legacy for future generations.
When I asked what the plans were for the pedestal in Arrigo Park, I was informed that one of the options could be a statue of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. As proud as we all are of the late mayor’s contributions to this great city, our community’s deep ties to the park called out for a different direction.
That’s when we went back to the negotiating table and demanded that the figure who stepped in to fill the void would have to be a person of Italian heritage with a strong connection to Chicago. The city conceded, and those became the parameters for the new statue.
The Chicago Park District sought community input at an “Arrigo Park History Slam” on Jan. 14 and then put the matter to a vote, offering several suggestions, including Mother Cabrini, Florence Scala and Enrico Fermi. With her deep ties to Chicago and her profound impact on the city and beyond, she was the perfect candidate, and she prevailed in the balloting.
As Fra Noi goes to press, the next phase of the process is about to ensue. A sculptor and design will be selected by a committee of various stakeholders, including the JCCIA. The statue will be paid for by the city of Chicago.
And so, our beloved statue of Christopher Columbus will be repaired and placed in a hall of honor where it can be viewed, enjoyed and discussed by all, free of charge. AND we will have a museum on Taylor Street, Chicago’s original “Little Italy,” that celebrates our history there.
AND another iconic Italian will be memorialized in Arrigo Park, preserving the ethnic character of a space that is profoundly meaningful to our community. AND we will have the opportunity to return Columbus to the park as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
Given Chicago’s volatile political climate, and the relatively small numbers of Italian Americans living within the city limits, we’re truly in an admirable position.
The above article appears in the March 2026 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture.
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