This One’s For You, Mom

Since I started yesterday’s post with what might be considered (by my mom, at least) a vulgar excerpt, I’m providing balance with today’s intro.

My mom, although she would never admit to being any religion other than straight-up conventional Catholic, is probably a Marionist.

The Marionists are a worldwide order of Catholic priests, nuns, and lay people, who look to Mary as a model of spirituality and faith. My mom has always held Mary at the forefront.

Their idea of living a spiritual life encompasses sharing their faith, helping the poor, and nourishing the mind, body, and soul.

Catechism lesson over.

Today we learned that Ettore and Mariella also have Covid; no one else so far. This explains what I may have sensed was a little off with Mariella last night.

To get away from the house, Alessandro took me, Joe, and the girls to Calanche di Biancavilla. If you saw the film The Bible, a good portion was shot here. They had to obscure Etna, of course, but the scenery is reportedly a copy of Palestine.

We stopped in Piano di Biancavilla, where the family has an export business of ficodindia. We just learned about this other chunk of family territory. We stopped at THE bar (caffe) of this tiny tiny town; I had a demitasse of iced espresso with almond granita. Refreshing. There is one caffe bar, a teeny tiny church, and a mechanical shop. There are around 60 inhabitants. Alessandro explained, “This is the real Sicily,” since the interior is made up of many of these miniature towns. They cropped up when harvesters were needed; they stayed, and these towns are dotted throughout inland Sicily.

Now on to Mary.

In Mompileri, which is a blurred border past one of our favorite spots, Belpasso, there was a lava flow that covered the entire town. Later, a young boy had a vision, and said to dig at a spot where he believed Mary appeared in his apparition. This place had been the where the main church stood. When they dug, it was discovered that the lava formed a huge ball of air over the statue of Mary. Everything else in the 19th-century church was destroyed. We had to go down several levels to see it. Alessandro suggested we sleep there—the subterranean air was nice and cool on this sweltering day.

It is a site to which many pelligrini (pilgrims) make the journey to visit.

Enormous rosary

Unscathed statue

Exterior of new church

Painting of the vision

Rachele entering the grotto

Statue was placed in new church, where a crucifix might normally be

Depiction of excavating the spot

Outside of the grotto

Going down to the grotto

Outside the new church

Remnants of the old church—

I crouched to get the photo

Painting of vision dictated to artist by the young boy

Subterranean offerings

Exterior of “new” church

Brief synopsis 

Outdoor seating for mass

Pope’s blessing of this place

Down the road, there is another place where a young boy had a vision of Mary. It happened only 30 years ago, and this uomo bravo —good man— works at the tabaccheria (newsstand) in town. As a kid, he saw a vision of Mary, who told him to have people do good. Pray, count blessings, do good. Another pilgrimage site was born. I asked Alessandro why every kid wouldn’t say they had a vision, and be able to point to “their” statue. I guess I’m personifying Mencken’s quote about cynics, who, when they smell flowers, ask where is the funeral. Alessandro said, the town believed him, it cost little to construct, and only offered goodness to people, so they built the shrine. There were a fair number of pilgrims praying there today.

Rachi at the Mary statue, Etna in background.

We got back to a great pasta lunch, followed by chicken and pesto cutlets, all cooked by Maria Teresa. Vincenzo brought in a 20kg watermelon, which was dessert.

A run to Biancavilla this evening for Covid home tests (negative!), and to get some prettier clothes from the apartment, to wear in Taormina. We’re going there for a few days, to the family’s Taormina house, with Vincenzo and perhaps Lilliana.

Nonno is in Biancavilla, which breaks my heart. He’s alone there (many people check in), and the vigne is where he really flourishes. But Covid would be lethal to him.

We had cannoli for dinner, from Roberto’s, and a nightcap at the restaurant/bar we tried to attend with Nikos.

And now it’s 1 am. 

Zzzzz