Dear Members and friends:
I, Paul Anthony Crimi, was elected the new President of the Madonna Del Paradiso Society on January 23rd 2009. It is both an honor and a privilege to take upon this new task. My wife Giustina and I have considered running for this office for some time, but the struggles of life and raising our children have always been and still remain our first priority. With my daughter away at college and my son in high school, we are now able to devote more time to our Patron Saints Society. When my parents Cosmo and Mary Crimi moved to San Diego in 1970, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish became our focal point every Sunday, a day of Devotion and an introduction to the Italian community. Back then it seemed a simpler time, where my sister Rose and I made new friends and my parents caught up with old ones. However life changes and over the years I have seen the Churches Parishioners grow, while the generation I grew up with here distanced themselves for various reasons. I encourage all of you to take a journey back in time, when society allowed us as children to play outside freely, unlike today where parents are compelled to involve there children in supervised after school activities. Please take a moment to tell your family and friends of the changes that have been made with the Society and make this an opportunity to reacquaint yourselves as Parishioners.
On Monday January 12th 2009, all of the Presidents of the Marian Societies in collaboration with the Pastor of OLR Church decided to unite and show one sign of Solidarity. Therefore, this unification will be celebrated on the first Sunday of every October during the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish. Mass will be held at Amici Park and we will walk in one single Procession with all the Madonna Vara’s and their members to the Embarcadero. It is the goal of my officers and I, to try and reenergize interest and membership back to our Patron Saint and her Society. The focus in the future will be our children, as we will involve them in all aspects of the Mass and Feast. Our annual Madonna Del Paradiso Mass will still be held, usually on the second Sunday of every November. The other Marian Society Presidents and we are looking into organizing annual fundraiser dinner dances, which will help with expenses for the October Festa. My long time friend, Domenic D’Alessio and I will create the first ever information only web site of our Madonna Society, including her history from the early 18th century to the present day and the Society here in San Diego founded in 1960 by a group of Mazaresi. We welcome all Catholics to join us annually for a few days of Prayer and Devotion. We will conduct two Society meeting per year and they will be held in the Parish Hall downstairs and all are welcome. I encourage everyone to join and participate in truly making this, a year of change and hope. Let’s keep the tradition alive and hand it down to our children and generations to come. I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. Take care and God Bless all of you.
Sincerely,
Paul A. Crimi
President, Madonna Del Paradiso Society S. D.
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