The church
Both in Rome and in New York, Gio has prayed in many churches,
he attended various parish realities and met many priests, consecrated men and women and lay people.
He thus came into contact with several religious orders, vocations, charisms, communities and ecclesial movements.
These maps show the places and faces of many of these encounters.
ROME Italy
2006-2010
Gio was Baptised on May 24th, 2006
in the BASILICA of SANT'EUGENIO PAPA
in Rome, Prelature of Opus Dei,
for the deep friendship with
the parish priest Don Michele Diaz
who also prepared for Confirmation
the elder sister Elisa.
The celebrant, Don Antonio Pinzello,
was the spiritual director of his mother Cinzia for several years. The maternal grandmother Ines is his godmother.
Gio attended with his family,
recently moved to via Alessandria,
the PARISH of SAN GIUSEPPE a
via Nomentana, of the Lateran Regular Canons. He meets the parish priest,
don Carlo Lazzari, a real father for him and always close in suffering even when Gio will move to New York.
And Don Gianpaolo Sartoretto,
a close friend and Don Antonio D'Addiego.
A detail of the crucifix and
of the tabernacle, which Gio usually greeted
from an early age. He often plays hide and seek with Jesus in the tabernacle.
October 2006-October 2010
Gio often participated with his family in Sunday Masses in the BASILICA of SANTA CROCE di GERUSALEMME in Rome. The parish priest and friend, Don Luca Zecchetto, always welcome Gio and his sisters who were part of the Choir 'Le Matite Colorate'.
This Basilica was Gio's second home due to the presence of Nennolina, Nenne, as Gio called her.
During Mass, Gio movs freely among the tomb of Nennolina and the altar.
2008-2009
Gio prayed in the Chapel of the PETRANOVA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
in ROME in very short periods in which he attended the classroom of the "gialletti" (year 2009). His little sisters attended this school for years.
Here friends, parents and teachers
of the school gathered to pray for Gio with the rosary and several Masses were also celebrated here for his healing. The last one on the morning of the New York funeral.
2008-2013
On the way between school and home Gio often went with his mother to greet
the Blessed Sacrament in the PARISH CHURCH OF THE SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS
(Servants of Mary).
Gio follows on his mother's shoulders, along via Merulana, the Procession of Thursday
of Corpus Domini (June 3, 2010)
from the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
to that of San Giovanni in Laterano.
Eyes fixed on the Blessed Sacrament
held aloft by Pope Benedict xvi.
Three times Gio went to the
BASILICA of SANTA ANASTASIA
at the PALATINO in Rome
to meet Fr. Francesco Bamonte of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and President of the International Association of Exorcists (AIE)
and to visit the Blessed Sacrament always exhibited here.
2009-2010
On visits to the PAPAL BASILICA
of SAN GIOVANNI IN LATERANO, Gio went into the Chapel of Silence, headed directly to the altar where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed. He greeted Him standing up in front of the altar.
Lent 2009
In the CHAPEL of the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù of Rome,
during the admissions and the numerous day hospital, Gio often comes
to greet Jesus in the tabernacle and
to pray to the Heavenly Mother.
Here he meets the two chaplains
don Mario Puppo and don Luigi Zucaro.
August 2008 and September 2010
2009-2010
October 2010 - May 2013
In Church of SAN TO MASO MORO
(district of San Lorenzo in Rome)
Gio participates in the Christmas Mass celebrated by Don Andrea Celli.
25 December 2012
On several occasions Gio visits
the Franciscan brothers of
CONVENT of SAN BONAVENTURA
al PALATINO, where lives the close friend fra 'Sidival Fila, chaplain at Gemelli and later rector of the convent. 2008-2010
Here was celebrate a Mass in memory of Gio on May 30, 2015.
In August 2009 during his admission
to the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Gio urged his mother to go to the SANCTUARY of DIVINE MERCY
in the Church of SANTO SPIRITO IN SASSIA
to pray the chaplet every day at 3pm.
On the feast of Santa Faustina Kowalska on 5th of October 2010, a Mass was celebrated for his intentions, with the friends
of the Medjugorje group.
New York USA 2010-2013
After the final move to New York (October 2010), Gio attends the nearest church at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Hospital
SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA
of the order of preachers (Dominicans).
The new parish priest Fr Jordan Kelly OP,
becomes a great friend and father for Gio. Here he receives his
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION.
Here he meet the Sisters of Life SV,
a religious community for the protection
of human life from its conception, and various prayer groups.
Here it is born the first
Cenacle of the Holy Family.
Gio receives the first and last school certificate of the Saint Ignatius Nursery in SAINT IGNATIUS DE LOYOLA church,
on PARK AVENUE. Here he sometimes went on Sundays at the Mass for the family celebrated by the parish priest George Witt SJ.
Sister Olivia also made her First Holy Communion in this church.
Gio often met his dear friend the extraordinary minister of Communion: Joe Cannon.
At Sunday Masses,
from November 2010 until the summer of 2011, Gio often went with his family to the church of
SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST
two streets from the townhouse,
rented by a benefactress. Here he meets Douglas Cisneros
which becomes soon friend of the heart and of prayers. He is Gio's Godfather of Confirmation.
Gio participates in various weekday Masses in the church of OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL
and to two Eucharistic adorations by CATHOLIC UNDERGROUND,
organized by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. The parish priest Fr Kazimierz Kowalski is a dear friend of the family.
The SAINT FRANCES OF SALES Church, close to the 'Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo Marconi', attended by Gio's sisters and by Gio for a few months (October 2010-2012);
on the death of Gio it becomes the place of the Cenacle of the Holy Family on the initiative of
Delphine Quieti with Father Bill
July 2013-2015
Gio visits the church of
SAINT ELISABETH OF HUNGARY on the feast of our Lady of Fatima. He is asked by his priest friend to crown the Virgin Mary during the Mass. He participates at various healing Masses celebrated by Fr. Enrique Salvo, in his first post as a pastor.
Gio visited in 2012
the Church of NOTRE DAME
where Fr Enrique Salvo was resident
when appointed director of the NYC Vocations Office.
In 2012 Gio visited Father Walter Tonelotto, parish priest of OUR LADY OF POMPEI to Downtown, church of Italians in New York and where Masses are celebrated in the Italian language.
Here Lerick And Kathleen, friends of the Cenacle of the Holy Family, collaborate with the Scalabrini center in NYC in the service of migrants.
Gio, between 2011 and 2013 often visits the contemplative Dominican sisters of the
CORPUS CHRISTI MONASTERY in the Bronx.
Here, Father Enrique Salvo celebrated a Mass for his healing on March 8, 2011.
He returns there for every feast of Corpus Domini and many other times
for prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He also participates in the celebration of Corpus Domini presided
by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and is invited by the religious to meet him personally
(June 26, 2011).
The last visit was on April 5, 2013,
on the eve of his last journey
of suffering in sickness.
On the feast of our Lady of Lourdes
(11 February 2012), Gio participates
at the Mass celebrated
by Don Giovanni Biallo in the CHAPEL of the RADIO MARIA headquarters in NEW YORK, then directed by Father Walter Tonelotto, Scalabrinian.
February 16 2012 Gio prays
the VIA CRUCIS on BROOKLYN BRIDGE, organized by Communion and Liberation, departing from the Cathedral of
San Giacomo in Brooklyn and arriving in the heart of Downtown Manhattan.
Along the way he meets some Missionaries of Charity of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who give him the booklet
"Jesus is my All in All".
Gio, at the invitation of some friends of Communion and Liberation, of New York, participates on January 14-17, 2011, in the first edition of New York Encounter Cultural Festival, and in the second edition of 2012 (January 13-15) during which he participates
at the Mass celebrated by the Archbishop
of Dublin Diarmuid Martin.
Among the friends met on those occasions, there were Bill Orchard, Elvira Parravicini dr at Columbia University, Eveline Barbieri pediatrician at Texas Children Hospital of Houston, Ilenia Pitti teacher in the Scuola d'Italia and many other friends from various parts of Nord America.
Gio participates in the Cathedral of SAINT PATRICK to various celebrations, including:
-
the feast of San Pio da Pietralcina. Here he meets Mario Bruschi, Padre Pio's spiritual son and head of the Saint Pio prayer group in New York
-
the memory of Fr Giussani in 2012 with the friends of the CL movement from New York
-
the recitation of the Rosary in various languages in the Lady Chapel. (2012-2013)
