100 Uzzis Celebrate           100 Years in America

 

Last month, four generations of the Uzzi family held their first family reunion to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their ancestors’ arrival in America from Italy. Uzzis from Brooklyn and across the country met at Transfiguration Church, Lower Manhattan, the family’s first parish, for a blessing from family friend, Father Raymond Nobiletti, M.M. Following the church service, the family took a walking tour of “the old neighborhood” and strolled along Mulberry St. from Mosco to Grand St. Family elders led the way, telling stories of the significance of this place and that. The family then spent hours sharing food, photos and memories, and even chatting with family back in Naples via Skype in St. Finbar’s Msgr. Scanlon Hall, Bath Beach, where several Uzzis are active parishioners. Uzzis from Regina Pacis, Bensonhurst; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dyker Heights; and SS. Simon and Jude, Gravesend, were also present for the reunion. 

 

Ladies, are you ready to know yourself better? Are you ready to encounter Christ in a more personal way? Are you ready to live your Cursillo? If so, plan to attend the next Women’s Cursillo Retreat, Oct. 11-14 at the Nazareth Retreat Center, Flatbush. For more details or to register, contact Dorothy Baudry at dbaudry@aol.com or 917-929-2442.

Don’t miss your chance to get on the greens with the good people of St. Ephrem Church, Dyker Heights. The parish is hosting its 16th annual Msgr. Brown Golf Outing on Oct. 12 at Dyker Beach Golf Course. You must register by Aug. 31, so don’t delay in contacting Joe Cavalcante at 917-453-3167 or Charles LaRocca at 938-7961.

Mark your calendar! Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens will hold its second annual Diocesan Bereavement Conference on Nov. 10, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at St. John’s University, Jamaica, for individuals who have suffered a loss and those who support them in their journey toward healing. The day includes Mass with Bishop Frank Caggiano, guest speakers and workshops on spousal loss, male grief, caregiving and healing through art. Registration fee: $45, includes breakfast, lunch and materials. Group discounts available. Space is limited. Contact Ingrid Seunarine, 718-722-6214 or iseunarine@ccbq.org.

Tablet TALK Quote of the Week: “We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. … If we love nothing, we become nothing. Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved … This means we are to become vessels of God’s compassionate love for others.” — St. Clare of Assisi, whose feast is Aug. 11

This year, the stork delivered pink bundles of joy to three members of DeSales Media Group, parent company of The Tablet and NET TV. Amelia Catherine, the second child of Blaine Hicklin, NET TV producer, and his wife, Laurel, arrived on Feb. 7. Big brother James loves his baby sis. Proud parents Ely Soriano, Hispanic Media Dept. producer, and Lucia Rojas, thanked God for the birth of their little girl, Amanda Cristina, on June 9. Mike Geoghan, NET production coordinator/producer, and wife, Susan, welcomed their second daughter, Grace Marie, on June 16. Big sister Sarah is very happy.

This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to Anthony Cipriano, parishioner at Our Lady of the Snows, N. Floral Park, on receiving a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for his volunteer work assisting disabled and hospitalized veterans at St. Albans Veterans Hospital. Master Sargeant Cipriano has also served 30 years in the Army Reserves and is a member of the Honor Guard Service Unit that provides final military honors for departed veterans. We salute you Master Sargeant Cipriano! 

 

Fifty Fruitful Years

 

Hearty congratulations to Brooklyn native, Sister Joan Franks, O.P., left, who is celebrating her golden jubilee as a Dominican Sister of Peace this year. She continues to enjoy a long and fruitful ministry in education. Her early years of teaching were spent at St. Mark School, Sheepshead Bay. Later, she served on the faculty of Fordham University, 1987-1993. In 2005, she returned to her alma mater, Dominican Academy, Manhattan, where she served for four years as principal. Currently, she teaches philosophy to seminarians at the Consolata Institute of Philosophy, Nairobi, Kenya. “It was rare for me to have a class that enjoyed philosophy, especially since it was mandatory at other schools where I had worked,” comments Sr. Joan. “My students in Africa truly enjoy the topic and see the correlation between philosophy and theology. Learning for them is a way out of poverty, and access to a career.” She also travels weekly to a monastery of Dominican nuns to teach the Dominican Order’s history and charism. “By serving these various students, I believe I am fulfilling the mission of the Dominican Sisters of Peace,” she said. Indeed! Keep up the great work Sister Joan! You make us proud!