The Riace bronzes, here.

Video by Michael Frierson, UNC-Greensboro, in Chorio, March 2008

“A sense of optimism about the coming year is starting to settle in among advocates for immigrants who had begun to weary after years of unsuccessfully seeking reform of immigration laws and policies.” Story and survey results here.

I just came across news about this new book by immigration expert and Italian-American scholar Vincenza Scarpaci. She traveled the country gathering stories about the Italian-American experience. Her book is called The Journey of Italians in America. Some news about it and the author, who teaches at the University of Oregon.

Months before I had this web site and blog, John Thavis, the Vatican bureau chief for the Catholic News Service, got to read an advance copy of My Cousin the Saint. Back in February, three months before it was released, here is what John had to say on his blog.

Excerpt: “Being handed an uncorrected proof of a book with the words, “A relative of mine wrote this,” does not always augur well. But I began paging through it after the dinner and today found myself reading big chunks of it at the office.”

In June 2006, I interviewed a most extraordinary doctor, Giuseppe Bolignano (above), a virologist at the metro hospital in Reggio Calabria. A few years earlier, he had given up on a patient who seemed to have been defeated by an awful case of meningitis. He advised the family to pull the plug. Instead, they prayed overtime to Padre Gaetano Catanoso. When this patient arose from her coma, her inexplicable recovery was later deemed by the Vatican, and Pope John Paul II, as a miracle — the miracle which led to Padre Gaetano’s canonization on October 23, 2005.

During my interview with Dr. Bolignano, I asked him about the line between science and religion, between the cold facts of biology and the mystical nature of the supernatural. His response: “There is a line that is incredible and unexplainable, and when you cross it, there is nothing else left but faith.” Bolignano’s faith is strong, even for an accomplished scientist. While his colleagues at the hospital are skeptical, he is not. He believed he witnessed a miracle.

This story came to mind when I heard about this survey, which reports that fewer doctors believe in the importance of every day prayer.

The New York Times today reports: VATICAN CITY — The Vatican issued the most authoritative and sweeping document on bioethical issues in 20 years on Friday, taking into account recent developments in biomedical technology and reinforcing the church’s opposition to in vitro fertilization, human cloning, genetic testing on embryos before implantation and embryonic stem cell research.

Michelle Fabio, who runs the wonderful site bleeding espresso from her adopted home in Calabria, offers some sound holiday gift-giving advice here , including a much-appreciated book recommendation. Grazie, Michelle.

As noted on the blog Book & Reading Forums, a reader makes this recommendation.

 
The Vatican reports that nine Catholic heroes are closer to sainthood as the result of recent declarations by Pope Benedict XVI. The story is here. This is interesting insofar as Benedict was seen by many upon becoming pope in 2005 as dramatically slowing down the number of saints and blesseds named. This does not appear to be the case; at the very least, he seems to be looking favorably among those in the long pipeline filled by his predecessor (and prodigious saint maker) Pope John Paul II.

Now the big question is: when will JPII make the list? A miracle has been credited to him, which would clear the way for beatification, but it has not yet been approved. What’s the status?

Photo by Len Catanoso Jr. during the canonization of Padre Gaetano Catanoso