Christian Real Estate Professionals

Happy Saint Patrick's Day...2009...!!!

When I was a young boy attending Holy Saviour School in Norristown, Pennsylvania, a 'NATIONAL' Roman Catholic school intended for children of Italian American descent only...every Saint Patrick's day hardly anyone would wear 'green'...in fact, most would wear black as a show of solidarity for our ITALIAN heritage, and a show of rebellion against our IRISH cross town rivals...  

Things are refreshingly different today...especially after discovering that my grandfather, whom I never knew...landed upon the shores of America at Ellis Island on March 17, 1906...  

Now, I have occasion to celebrate greatly on Saint Patrick's day...!!!  

Arriving here alone, with less than $50.00 in his pocket (probably a lot of money in those days), and his wife and the rest of his family left behind in their impoverished village in Italy, waiting and praying for Giovanni to establish himself with a place to live and a job so they could follow him to this great land of opportunity, he must have been full of negative emotions...fear, doubt, anxiety, loneliness, yearning to be reunited soon with his family...  

This headline appeared on that day...March 17, 1906:  

March 17, 1906

Earthquakes kill more than 1,200 in Taiwan read story here

I often wonder what great hope and courage he must have had to sacrifice all to leave the land of his forefathers and come to this New Country, New World and establish a new residence and new life...  

Whatever motivation there was, I thank God for His Divine Providence over the last 103 years, that has sustained us and allowed us to grow and live and flourish in this humbled but still great nation we call AMERICA...!!!

 

 

13 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • March 17 2009 09:24AM