During the official visit to Italy by the national leadership of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA), the ceremony for the presentation of the charter of the new "Pantheon" chapter was held in Rome. The president of the new chapter, Arch. Patrizia Bernardette Berardi, received the certificate together with the other promoters, Carmelo Cutuli and Prof. Enzo Siviero, and the 25 founding members (charter members).
The "Pantheon" chapter is one of the three territorial units active in Italy of this historic Italian-American organization. Founded in New York in 1905 by Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro, originally under the name "Sons of Italy in America," the organization is today known as the "Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America" and is widely represented throughout the United States and Canada.
A delegation led by the President of OSDIA, Michael G. Polo, composed of the President of the Sons of Italy Foundation, Joseph Sciame, the National 1st Vice President, Thomas A. Lupo, the National 3rd Vice President, Dr. Mark DeNunzio, the National Executive Director, Shayla Kaestle, and the co-chair of the National Membership Committee, Dan Kaestle, presented the Charter during a reception at a Roman location near the Trevi Fountain. Also present at the ceremony was Mons. Renzo Giuliano, who bestowed a blessing on those present, wishing the Chapter a future rich in initiatives in the name of relations between the two countries.
"It is with great passion," declared Arch. Patrizia Bernardette Berardi, President of the OSDIA Pantheon Chapter, "that our group is dedicated to promoting Italian culture and traditions overseas, through the dissemination of studies on art and beauty that our country has given us. We have an inexhaustible heritage that we want to make known and enhance through cooperation between Italian and American universities. Ours is an ambitious project but of great value to consolidate the prestige of Italy, with particular reference to North America."
The OSDIA delegation expressed great satisfaction with this new operational unit in the Capital, which already has a rich calendar of cultural and artistic activities planned to strengthen the ties between Italy and the United States.
"It is with great pride and satisfaction," underlines past president Cutuli, founder of the first Italian chapter and author of the book "Vincenzo Sellaro and the Sons of Italy in America," "that we welcome the 'Pantheon' Chapter of OSDIA, the 3014th since the founding of the Figli d'Italia in America in 1905 and the third since the establishment of the first chapter in Italy in 2019. This milestone represents an important step forward in our mission to promote and preserve the Italian heritage in the world. With a membership of 25 and under the leadership of Arch. Berardi, known for her commitment to promoting cultural and artistic initiatives, we are certain that the 'Pantheon' Chapter will make a significant contribution to strengthening the ties between Italy and the United States and celebrating the richness of our common heritage."
The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, with over a century of history behind it, is committed to promoting and preserving the Italian heritage in the United States, fostering cultural exchanges and support for Italian-American communities. The opening of the new chapter in Rome represents a further step forward in the organization's mission, bridging the two sides of the Atlantic.