L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURS DAY, ��� DECEMBER��� 6, ��� 2012 PAGE��� 17 Nel Vecchio Vicinato NICKOLAS MARINELLI Northern California Editor When gold was discovered in California in 1849, a fortune-hungry horde poured into Yerba Buena, which recently had been renamed San Francisco. Practically overnight, the bayside settlement with a scant 450 inhabitants burgeoned to thousands. Many of the newcomers were Catholics, yet there was no church for them other than the Franciscan mission, three and a half miles from the docks. Saint Francis Church, 1851. The original wood building. Saint Francis Church in 1860. Although Father Jun��pero Serra and his Franciscan brothers established the mission church of San Francisco de As��s, commonly known as Mission Dolores, in order to evangelize the Native Californian population, by the time of the California Gold Rush, it primarily served the local residents of Mexican and Iberian origin. Though mass was celebrated in Latin, pastoral ministry and preaching were only in Spanish. Services were not held on any regular schedule. U.S. Military spokesmen from the Army and the Navy appealed to the bishops in Hawaii and Oregon, and to the Archbishop of Baltimore. The bishop of Portland in Oregon sent two priests from the Pacific Northwest, and U.S. troops stationed at the Presidio built a small shanty to serve as a church. The ruins of Saint Francis Church after the Fire of 1906. Photo Credit J.B. Monaco The re-built Saint Francis Church in 1910. Photo Credit J.B. Monaco While the City of San Francisco did not formally incorporate until April 18, 1850���and California did not become the thirty-first state of the Union until September 9, 1850���the twelfth day of June, 1849 witnessed the formal establishment of Saint Francis Parish. Five days later, on June 17th, the first parochial mass in California was celebrated. Saint Francis of Assisi Church, therefore, antedates both the City of San Francisco and the State of California. Within a short time, an adobe church replaced the wooden shack that U.S. Army personnel had built. The newly appointed Bishop of Monterey, a Dominican friar by the name of Joseph Alemany, consecrated the new structure for Saint Francis Parish in 1851. Bishop Alemany used the church as his cathedral for three years. In 1852, Bishop Alemany ordained Father John Quinn to the priesthood in the church of Saint Francis; it was the first ordination of a Catholic priest to be held in California. Frank Marini Gymnasium. The National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi today. With pastoral ministry and preaching being conducted in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, it soon became clear that the small church could not accommodate its rapidly growing congregation. Parish leaders laid the cornerstone of a new church on October 2, 1859. In order to avoid interrupting the continuity of liturgical services, workers built the new church right over the old structure. The present Norman Gothic church, with its elegant twin campanile, was dedicated on 17 March 1860. On 18 April 1906 at 5:13 a.m., the earth trembled violently, and the water mains of San Francisco crumbled. Shortly after the earthquake, devastating fires broke out all over the city consuming even the interior of Saint Francis Church. The mighty brick walls of the church, however, together with its badly scorched towers, remained entirely intact. After much consideration and careful study, it was decided to rebuild a new church within the original walls. Engineers drew up the plans to support the floor and roof with steel girders. On March 2, 1919 the newly-restored church was rededicated. Located in the heart of San Francisco's historic North Beach district, Saint Francis of Assisi Church today continues to build upon its historical mission. Though it is no longer a parish, the church has become the National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi. Next door to the church, the former Marini Gymnasium���donated to the children of North Beach by one of the Italian Community���s greatest benefactors, ���Mayor of North Beach��� Frank Marini���was in 2008 converted into La Porziuncola Nuova, a scaled replica of Saint Francis��� Porziuncola in Assisi, Italy. Porziuncola is a small portion of land, and refers to the abandoned chapel that Saint Francis of Assisi restored when he was a young man. CONSOLATO GENERALE D���ITALIA SAN FRANCISCO Console Generale: Mauro Battocchi Segreteria: Anna Clara Maselli (segr.sanfrancisco@esteri.it) 2590 Webster StreetSan Francisco, CA 94115 Telefono: (415) 292-9200 Fax: (415) 931-7205 E-mail: it.sanfrancisco@esteri.it ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI CULTURA Direttore: Paolo Barlera 814 Montgomery Street San Francisco, California 94133 Tel.: 415 788 7142 Fax: 1 415 788 6389 Email: contact.sanfrancisco@ esteri.it COM.IT.ES. - COMITATO DEGLI ITALIANI ALL���ESTERO President: Romana Bracco 870 Market Street, Suite 815San Francisco, CA 94102 Telephone: (415) 398-5312 Fax: (415) 398-3345 Email: SanFranComites@aol.com MUSEO ITALO AMERICANO Managing Director: Paula Bagnatori 204 Bay St # C, San Francisco, CA(415) 673-2200 Phone: (415) 673-2200 Fax: (415) 673-2292 E-mail: sfmuseo@sbcglobal.net ITALIAN AMERICAN SOCIAL CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO Manager: Julie Clima 25 Russia Ave.San Francisco, CA 94112 Phone: 415.585.8059 Fax: 415.585.8060 Email: info@iascsf.com SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN ATHLETIC CLUB President: Al Cipollina Administrator: Rich Baldoni-Denney 1630 Stockton St., San Francisco, CA 94133 General Information: (415) 781-0165 Fax: (415) 781-0167 Office: (415) 781-0166 (Office hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. M-F, Pacific Time), email: administration@sfiac.org ORDER SONS OF ITALY IN AMERICA State President: Maria Fassio Pignati State Recording Secretary: Arlene Nunziati (Rlene49@pacbell.net) 5051 Mission Street San Francisco, California 94112-3473 Phone: (415) 586-1316 Fax:(415) 586-4786 Email: sonsofitalyca@aol.com IL CENACOLO - ITALIAN CULTURAL CLUB President: Jim Boitano Membership Chair: Ronald Derenzi (membri@ilcenacolosf.org) Post Office Box 475119 San Francisco, CA 94147-5119 Email ilpresidente@ilcenacolosf.org ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION President: Ken Borelli 425 No. Fourth StreetSan Jose, CA 95112www.iahfsj.org Phone: 408-293-7122. Fax: 408-293-7154. Facebook: Italian American Heritage Foundation ITALIAN COMMUNITY SERVICES President: Luigi E. Pinotti Executive Director: Anna Maria Pierini (ampierini @italiancs.com) 678 Green Street, San Francisco, Ca 94133 Tel. (415)362-6423 Fax (415) 362-6423 E-mail info@italiancs.com - www.italiancommunityservices.org

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