Holy Rosary
Catholic Church
Served by the Scalabrinian
missionaries since 1890
911 E. Missouri Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
St. Anthony
Last weekend, Regina Bergantine and her three daughters from Minnesota made their annual pilgrimage to Holy Rosary, and told me how the statue of St. Anthony arrived at Holy Rosary.
Nick Bergantino, Regina’s grandfather, his wife Annie, and their very young children lived on Campbell Street and were members of Holy Rosary in the early 1900s. They landed in New York from Gaeta, near Naples, Italy, at the beginning of 1900. Around 1915, Nick, Annie, and his four children went to visit Nick’s 
mother in Minturno, Italy.
When Nick and his family were ready to return to the United States, the Italian government refused to let Nick leave the country, even though he was an American citizen, and forced him to join the Italian army, then fighting in World War 1 (1914-1918). While Nick was with the Italian army, his wife and children stayed with Nick’s mother.
Back in Kansas City, Frank Vignola, the husband of Annie’s aunt, bought and donated the statue of St. Anthony to Holy Rosary Church. He asked parishioners and friends to pray for the safe return of Nick and his family.
During the war Nick saw many killed in action.
When the war was over, Nick and his family were able to return to their home on Campbell Street.
St. Anthony became the special Patron saint of the Bergantine family and of many
parishioners and friends at Holy Rosary.
Regina Bergantine and her three daughters return to Holy Rosary every year to thank St. Anthony in grateful remembrance of her grandfather and his family and all parishioners and friends who prayed for their safe return. The feast of St. Anthony is June 13.
Regina’s uncle, Barney Bergantine, was the editor of the American Tribune newspaper in Kansas City for many years and people still remember him.
Note: Stories about the statues started coming in. I received a call from Washington, D.C., asking if we have a statue of St. Faustinus. The caller, Steve Binns, provided the first information about the saint which will be posted shortly. If you have a story about your family and their relationship to the statues of the saints or favors received through the intercession of our saints at Holy Rosary, please send it to the parish office. These stories will enrich our parish history.
-- Fr. Joe, June 10, 2007