APOSTLES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS 2005 JUBILARIANS By Marianne Peri Sack  This year the following sisters of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from the St. Louis area celebrated special anniversaries of their entry into the religious life:  SISTER TARCISIUS PEZZANI, who celebrates her 70th year, was born in St. Louis, entered the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1933 and made her religious profession in 1935.  She taught at the Sacred Heart Villa on the Hill from 1975 to 1979 and from 1985 to 1988. Sister Tarcisius taught and was the principal at various other locations through the United States for 51 years.  She moved to the Sacred Heart Manor in Hamden, Connecticut, and served as a receptionist until she retired in 1988.  She continues to serve her community at the Manor.  SISTER ROSE MARIE TRAFICANTI, formerly known as Sister Benigna, was born in Pittsburgh and celebrates her 70th year.  She entered the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1933 and made her religious profession in 1935.  Sister served as principal of St. Ambrose School on the Hill from 1956 to 1962 and later served as principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel from 1967 to 1968.  She taught and served as administrator in school throughout the country for 62 year and in 1997 moved to the Sacred Heart Manor in Hamden, Connecticut, where she continues to serve her community.  SISTER ANTOINETTE D’ANDREA celebrates her 60th year and was born in Arnold, Pennsylvania.  She entered the Apostles of Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1942 and made her religious profession in 1945.  Sister taught at St. Ambrose School on the Hill from 1944 to 1952 and from 1975 to 1978 and then at Our Lady of Good Counsel School from 1985 to 1989. She served at various other locations throughout the country and in 1988 moved to the Sacred Heart Manor in Hamden, Connecticut, where she continues to serve her community by assisting in the care of sick sisters and household duties.    SISTER MARCELLA POLIZZI who celebrates her 60th year was born in St. Louis and entered the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1943 and made her religious profession in 1945. Her 22 years in the St. Louis area included service as principal of St. Ambrose School on the Hill from 1972 to 1978 and of Christ Prince of Peace School in Manchester from 1979 to 1980.  Sister was a teacher and pastoral minister at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish from 1983 to 1998.  She also served at other locations throughout the country as teacher and administrator.  Sister Marcella moved to the Sacred Heart Manor in Hamden, Connecticut, in 1998 where she continues to serve her community by helping tend to the needs of the sisters and by praying for her community, her family and all the Church.  She loves to have visitors.  SISTER ELEANOR POZZO, who celebrates her 50th year, was born in St. Louis and entered the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1952 and made her religious profession in 1955.  She taught at the Sacred Heart Villa on the Hill from 1967 to 1973 and from 1990 to 1994.  Much of her religious life has been spent in Connecticut and she has served in various capacities including formation, education, and residential care for special needs children and property maintenance.  As a licensed practical nurse, her medical expertise has been most useful.  Currently Sister Eleanor is in charge of care of the property of Sacred Heart on the Lake in Higganum, Connecticut.    Congratulations to the sisters and mille grazie for their service to God and his people.   COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS    The University of Missouri Extension teams with St. Louis County Health Department to offer free classes in August for St. Louis Country residents with diabetes. Classes will be held August 2,9 and 16, Tuesdays, from 2-4 p.m. at North Central Community Health Clinic, 4000 Jennings Station Rd.  Call 314-615-2911. Deadline to register is Friday, July 29.  The University of Missouri Extension offers a Women’s Financial Education Series this fall designed to help individuals, especially women, increase their current level of financial knowledge, develop confidence and gain control of their lives through informed money management.  The five-session series will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 8 through October 6 at the Women’s Support and Community Services Building, 2165 Hampton.  Fee is $35.  Call Suzanne Gellman 636-970-3000 or Suzanne Lagomarcino at 314-725-5862 for more information.  The University of Missouri Extension offers class to help first-time homebuyers make wise decisions.  The Home Ownership Made Easier (HOME) course will be offered at 5: 45 to 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, August 10 & 17 at Bridgeton Trails Library 3455 McKelvey Rd. The fee is $50 and pre-Registration is required.  Send name, address, day and evening phone numbers and check payable to University of Missouri Extension to St. Charles Country Extension Office, HOME classes 260 Brown Rd. St. Peters, Mo 63376.   Call 636-970-3000 for more information.   MISERICORDIA PICNIC: BABY, IT’S HOT OUTSIDE By Marianne Peri Sack  Everyone year on the day that the Misericordia Society chooses for it annual picnic, the temperature soars into the 90s, the humidity skyrockets and the members swelter in the heat.  Last year it was so hot that one of the ladies’ hair color rolled down her face and onto her clothes.  Now more than her hairdresser knows her secret.  As they say, “What do you expect from a St. Louis summer?”  This year the society realized while you can’t control the weather outdoors, you could control the climate indoors.  The members decided to have the picnic indoors where they hold their meetings at St. Ambrose. With decorations such as balloons, beach balls, checkered table clothes and picnic baskets the room took on a picnic atmosphere.  The society always supplies the meat, bread and paper products and the members bring a side dish.  Long tables, laden with such items as artichoke frittata, eggs stuffed with breadcrumbs and spinach, eggplant dishes, risotto, zucchini, Italian bean salad, various other salads, slaw, fresh fruit, and other mouth-watering dishes tempted everyone.  In spite of full stomachs, the members and guests rose to dance to the music of Joe Tucci.  Attendance prizes and prizes for the children were given away.  The members had brought canned food and dry goods to be donated to the Hi-Pointe Food Pantry and proceeds from a pot of gold were given to the poor.       NIAF SPONSORS RECEPTION AT PERFORMANCE OF ITALIAN PLAY By Marianne Peri Sack    Filumena, a play by one of Italy’s most famous playwrights Eduardo de Filippo, was presented at the Artloft Theatre by Hot City Theatre group from July 8 to July 30.  The popular play was made into a movie twice.  The author de Filippo appeared in the original and Sofia Loren starred in the 1950s version.  After the matinee performance on Sunday, July 17, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) sponsored a reception catered by Joe Boccardi.    Filumena is about a one-time prostitute who tricks her lover (Don Domenico) of 25 years into marriage on her deathbed in order to secure a name and respectability for her three grown sons.  After the marriage by a priest, Filumena miraculously recovers to the chagrin of her tricked lover.  She tells her sons that she is their mother and tells Don Domenico that he is the father of only one of the sons.  From that moment on, he is tortured by the fact that Filumena will not reveal which one is his son.  She reasons that if he knows he will treat his own flesh and blood better than the other two.  She implores Don Domenico to love all three boys the same and yearns to have them all brought together as a family. The couple part, have their marriage annulled and then reunite to be married again.  Don Domenico continues to question Filumena on which of the three is his son.  He has had manly talks with the boys quietly taking note of each one’s physical appearance, likes and characteristics in order to determine his paternity.  On his wedding day all three boys toast him and call him “father”.   He is overwhelmed with fatherly pride and apparently will accept all three as his sons.  Only the audience is left to wonder, which one.  The actors did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life.  Filumena’s flairs of temper, her speech charged with emotion but always fighting to hold back tears until the very end was very convincing.  Don Domenico transition from a pompous man of wealth to a mature man ready for love and family gives his character genuine warmth.  The three sons fit their roles perfectly as the timid account, the dapper tailor and the husky tradesman.  The supporting cast did equally as well but my personal favorite was the elderly maid and Filumena’s confidant, Rosalia.  Her gray-streaked hair was braided and coiled on top of her head.  She wore a black dress that always had a rosary hanging out of her pocket and a ready, white handkerchief to dab her eyes when she became emotional which was quite often.  She gestured at the right times and brought back wonderful memories of a beloved great aunt of mine. The audience roared with laughter when the bickering couple threw insults at each other and were moved to tears when they finally reconciled.  The cast and audience met at the reception sponsored by NIAF and enjoyed delightful   conversation and delicious food.  The Hot City Theatre’s next production will be History of Bowling from August 4 to August 14.  Call 314-482-9125 for more information.   UNICO HOLDS CAR WASH By Marianne Peri Sack  The St. Louis Chapter of UNICO held a car wash on Sunday, July 10, at Hampton Car Wash on Hampton near Highway 44.  UNICO is the largest Italian service organization in the country.  Joe Vaccaro, the proprietor of the car wash, is noted for his generosity and support by making his place of business available to charitable organizations for fundraisers.   Recently, a car wash fundraiser was held for Matt Browning, the police officer who lost his legs when he was pinned between cars when a criminal rammed him. Vaccaro is a member of the St. Louis Chapter of UNICO.