Holy Rosary
Catholic Church
Served by the Scalabrinian
missionaries since 1890
911 E. Missouri Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
News from the Parish
A memorable anniversary, June 5, 1955 — June 5, 2009
Apologetics has been a characteristic of post Reformation Catholic Church. 
Apologetics is defined in the dictionary as “a branch of theology devoted to the defense of the divine origin of Christianity”. After my college in Italy in 1952, I was assigned to our seminary in Chicago to study theology. School started the week after my arrival, and only two textbooks were written in a familiar language, Latin, and the rest were in English, a language totally unknown to me.
From the beginning, I was surprised at the emphasis of the teachers in defending Catholic positions in dogmatic and ethical theology. In class, the positions of Catholic adversaries were explained, and then teachers and students engaged in an intellectual battle to prove them wrong. It seemed a fun game, but in the process I developed a fear that a hostile world was waiting for me. As a rookie priest with little knowledge of the English language and of the American culture, I was headed for a tough battle.
I was ordained a priest in Chicago May 15, 1955, one year before finishing theology. I had no family in this country and I was totally surprised to be invited by the pastor of Holy Rosary, Kansas City, Fr. Peter Rigo, cs, to come to Holy Rosary to celebrate my first solemn mass and then remain for the summer months as a helper. I came prepared to face a wicked world with plenty of ammunition, including text books, written notes, a mental bullet proof vest, and still I felt vulnerable.
Faith issues were not few but several hundreds. A famous author, Denzinger, collected 2200 “anathemas”. Anathema is defined in the dictionary “a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesial authority and accompanied by excommunication”. Anyone who did not accept the Catholic definition of a faith doctrine was “anathema”. When I arrived to Kansas City, priests and parishioners gave me a warm welcome. The parish prepared a magnificent solemn mass on June 5, 1955, and surprised me with the gift of a new chalice that I used for the celebration. A reception open to all parishioners was prepared after mass. I was unknown to all and yet people treated me royally as one of their own. I was overwhelmed and deeply touched.
Why was I so popular? Looking back I realize I was the first Scalabrinian priest who celebrated the first mass at Holy Rosary up to that time. After the celebration, parish life returned normal. People I met in the parish office or on the streets greeted me with a big smile and invited me over for coffee and for a visit. Some gave me a ride around the city or treated me for an ice cream in the evening. In meeting people, at first I was cautious and a little suspicious, but as the days passed I realized that all the people I met so far were kind and friendly and nobody questioned or attacked the catholic faith.
So I said to myself, “Where are the enemies? I dropped all my ammunitions and let all that love and kindness heal me. The three months that I spent at Holy Rosary was the best course of theology and ethics I received. When I returned to the seminary in the fall, I shared my experience with the younger students and spent my last year in school focusing on the positive issues of priestly ministry and how to help people grow in their faith and community life.
For me, Holy Rosary was an ideal community that I propose as a model in all my priestly assignments. The documents of Vatican II 1962-1965 offered a new understanding and appreciation of our non Catholic brothers and sisters and an ecumenical dialogue began with them. The Church recognized that God is working through all religious people and the same Holy Spirit is guiding all toward the fullness of truth. Returning to Holy Rosary as a pastor in 2000 was a special gift of God, and I consider it my opportunity to return the favor. Holy Rosary is a welcoming and loving community and that is the secret of what we accomplished in the parish in my last eight years with you.
Our Lady of the Audience, 2009
A New miracle!
At our celebration of Our Lady of the Audience. on Sunday May 17, 2009, 49 year-old Frank Mascaro was a first time visitor. He has been treated for serious heart disease for 7 years. Three different defibrillators and various procedures failed, and in December 2008, he was placed on the heart transplant list.
In mid April, he was moved on top of the list. Frank’s wife, his mother, and his sister had come to the feast in the past. On Sunday, May 1,7 they picked up Frank’s mother from the nursing home, and the whole family attended the feast at Holy Rosary. During the homily I said, “This celebration in honor of O.L. of the Audience is not a relic of the past, but it is our opportunity to express our gratitude to our blessed Mother for the blessings and even miracles that she continues to shower on her devotees. Today’s record attendance at mass is the proof.”
After mass, there is a shower of rose petals over the statue of Our Lady, and people catch those petals and take them home with devotion. They believe that the rose petals are the guarantee for another year of good health. Frank took a handful of rose petals and a medal of Our Lady and placed them in his walk-in closet to be a daily remembrance of the feast.
On Tuesday, May 19, Frank received a telephone call from his doctor in St. Louis to report immediately to the hospital as a new heart was available. Frank had a heart transplant late Tuesday night and is doing well. He believes this was a miracle and so do his mother, wife, family, his sister, the nurse, the social worker and many other people. I am sure that Frank and his family will attend the feast of Our Lady of the Audience every year as long as he lives with his family and lots of friends. Frank’s grandmother was a dear friend of Saveria and Tony Molle who brought this devotion from Sambuca, Sicily to Holy Rosary in the early 1900’s.
A history of Our Lady of the Audience at Holy Rosary.
Easter 2009 at Holy Rosary
St. Joseph's Table 2009
At right, the Holy Rosary parish baking team in full swing for St. Joseph’s Table celebration on Thursday, March 19, 2009.
St. Joseph's Table 2009
From left, Rose Guastello, Marie Brancato, Deva Flahive, and Gloria Pizzachino.
Cake decorated as Holy Rosary Church by Rama Sola
Scenes from the 2009 Shrimp Dinner
Kitchen crew at the 2009 Shrimp Dinner, from left, Tony Gumina, Richard Circo, Gina Giangalanti, Carol Giangalanti, Carl Privatera, Sam Marsalla.
Diners enjoying shrimp at the 2009 all-you-eat shrimp dinner