On Friday, September 3, 2021, a book presentation took place for a book entitled: I presbiteri francescani conventuali della famiglia Fiasconaro [The Conventual Franciscan Priests of the Fiasconaro Family] written by Friar Felice Santi FIASCONARO and published by Miscellanea Francescana, (750 pages). The event was held in Castelbuono (Palermo) Italy.
The book is about the priests in the FIASCONARO family, namely, Friars Giuseppe (Cristoforo) (1871-1953); Giuseppe (Antonio) (1915-1989); Antonio (1918-1990), Antonino TURRISI (1925-1995, a FIASCONARO on his mother’s side); Mariano (Pasquale) (1931-2012); Fedele (Antonio), Paolo, and Felice Santi—all natives of Castelbuono. The book traces their lives, works and various apostolic and cultural activities. For the five deceased friars mentioned, the book also outlines their human, spiritual, apostolic and missionary profiles.
The book presentation took place in the cloister of the San Francesco monumental complex, once a Conventual Franciscan friary before the Suppression of 1866.
Those attending the presentation included some civil and religious authorities of the town, the Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Agatha and St. Lucy in Italy (Sicily), Friar Gaspare LA BARBERA; numerous relatives and friends; and the three FIASCONARO brothers still alive (out of eight), namely, Friars Fedele (Antonio), Paolo and Felice Santi.
After a greeting from the Mayor of Castelbuono, Mario CICERO and Friar Gaspare, the book was presented in succession by Dr. Vincenzo MORGANTE, Director of TV2000; the Most Reverend Domenico MOGAVERO, Bishop of Mazara del Vallo, Italy; and Dr. Salvino LEONE, a professor of bioethics and moral theology at the Theological Faculty of Sicily.
The speakers all stressed that not only are the eight Franciscan priests in the book the product of the times and values of their families and the entire people of Castelbuono, but they also show that these values are still valid and can guarantee success on any path taken by the youth of today.
Before the book presentation, the Mayor, Mario CICERO, decreed that one of the rooms of the San Francesco complex was hereafter to be known as the Friar Giuseppe (Antonio) FIASCONARO room. Friar Felice Santi spoke about the multifaceted Friar Giuseppe. He noted Friar Giuseppe’s ministry during the 1960s as a pastor in the Noce district of Palermo, his having been a leader for twelve years as the Minister Provincial of Sicily and his role as the founder of the Conventual Franciscan Mission in Mexico in 1977.
Friar Paolo FIASCONARO,
Director of the FIMP Franciscan Missionary Center