Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas welcomed a delegation from Sicily to her office on Oct. 10. The entourage was in town to celebrate Italian American Heritage Month as representatives of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans’ Parade Region of Honor.
Pappas and other elected officials took part in the JCCIA’s Oct. 10 flag-raising ceremony in Daley Plaza. At a reception at her office afterward, she presented certificates of excellence to Palermo Vice Mayor Giampiero Cannella, the delegation, and civic and religious leaders from Italy and the Chicago area.
“More than 600,000 Italian Americans in Chicagoland have helped make Cook County and its surrounding areas one of the largest Italian population centers in the world,” said Pappas. “Chicago’s Italian population has left an indelible mark on our hometown. I’m honored to recognize that proud tradition and the people who continue to help shape it.”
Attendees were treated to musical performances by Lidia Schillaci and I Sing Sicily at the reception, and Cannella presented the “Palermo Blooms with Santa Rosalia” art exhibit. The JCCIA honored the 400th anniversary of the Feast of Santa Rosalia, the patron saint, during the delegation’s visit. The 12th-century saint is credited with ending a devastating plague in Palermo in 1624 through her miraculous intercession.
“Santa Rosalia’s legacy as a protector and unifier speaks to universal themes of resilience, sacrifice and faith,” Pappas said.
