Holy Rosary
Catholic Church
Served by the Scalabrinian
missionaries since 1890
911 E. Missouri Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
<< Holy Rosary School History || The Lodges || Church Organizations History >>
(This material originally appeared in 1991 in the 100th Anniversary of Holy Rosary Parish booklet. The article was researched and written by Angelo Bongino.)
The Lodges
The fraternal groups that marched in the parish for decades were in fact, "Societa di Mutuo Soccoroso", MUTUAL BENEFIT SOCIETIES, patterned after those in Sicily. Their dues not only benefited members, but the church, parish poor, and the community at large.
Parish societies fell under two umbrella groups. One of them, The Intersocial Committee of St. Francis of Assisi, was founded by Joseph LaBella I, in 1926. The other, the Italian Intersocial Supreme Council was started by Vicent Cipolla and Dr. Louis Laurenzana in 1917. The combined efforts of the early groups provided aid for the war devastated of Italy during World War. I. Money was sometimes given to the poor in the parish on a weekly basis. Several lodges even volunterered, annually, to raise funds Kansas City's Allied Charities and Community Chest Fund, forerunners of today's United Way.
Columbus Day celebrations gathered the lodges at Columbus Park. A grandstand held guest speakers and community leaders. Fr. Luigi Franchinotti was often an honored guest. Activities included band music, singing, patriotic speeches and culminated in a dinner dance at any one of several neighborhood halls: Gibellina, LaRocca's or Vaccaro's.
Lodges marched in funeral processions of those they held in high esteem, as they did in the early Twenties for the wife of Antonio Sebetto. They followed the hearse and a a band to Admiral and Paseo, then got into their cars, which were driven for them behind the march, and went on to St. Mary's Cemetery to complete the homage.
Parish fraternities began in 1896 with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Italian-Americana and the Galileo Galilei. Other known dates of incorporation are Holy Rosary Society, 1902; St. Michael, 1904; Madonna of Pierno, 1904; St. Joseph, 1906; Society Camporeale, 1917; Gibellina, 1921; Our Lady of the Audience, 1922; Sons of Calabria, 1930; and Society Ragusa-Americana, 1935.
The fraternal movement peaked in about 1929. At it height the St. Francis Intersocial Committee had these groups and their presidents under its wing: Madonna delle Grazie, Joseph LaBella I; St. Crocifesso, Basiglio Cerniglia; St. Michael, Allessandro Ingino; St. Rosalia, Phillip Scimeca; Madonna del Carmine, Giovanni Rago; St. Anthony and St. Vito, Allessandro Ingino; St. Joseph, Joseph Pusateri; St. Calgero Eremita, Charles Carrolla; Madonna del Rosario, Joseph LaBella I; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Allessandro Ingino; Madonna dell' Udienza, Joseph DiGiovanna; St. Faustion, martyr, Domenico Messina; St. Lucia, Giovanni Fiorella; St. Angelo di Licata, Frank Odoroso; and St. John the Baptist, Giovanni Fiorella.
These groups and and their leaders were with the Italian Intersocial Supreme Council: Garibaldi Club, Dr. Louis Laurenzana; Duca Degli Abruzzi, Jospeh LaBella I; Society Camporeale, Vincent Cipolla; Castalvetrano Club, Frank LaRocca; Gibellina Club, Nick Verdi; Club Salapurata, Pete Palermo; Santa Rosalia; Philip Scimeca; St. Angelo di Licata, Frank Odoroso; and the Society Evangelica, Michael Guarino.
Most lodges did not survive the Thirties. Those that did marched into the Fifties. The Comporealese Society still functions socially. Ragusa-Americana still meets regularly. Neither has special ties to Holy Rosary at this time.
<< Holy Rosary School History || The Lodges || Church Organizations History >>
(This material originally appeared in 1991 in the 100th Anniversary of Holy Rosary Parish booklet. The article was researched and written by Angelo Bongino.)
Index for the entire series
The Founding and Early Years of the Parish || The 1920's to the 1940's
Fr. Donanzan's Successors || The Fire of April 12, 1903
Holy Rosary School History || The Lodges
Church Organizations History || Spirit of the Parish