VOL. 123 - NO. 51 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, DECEMBER 20, 2019 $.35 A COPY A Very Merry Christmas Santa Arrives by Helicopter to our Readers and Advertisers from the staff of the Post-Gazette at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End Pam Donnaruma by Matt Conti, NorthEndWaterfront.com Joan Smith Santa Claus arrived Sunday Marie afternoon, December 8th, by Simboli Joanne Fraser Mrs. helicopter on the Christopher Chris Hanson Murphy Columbus Park in the North End, Boston to the cheers of hundreds who gathered. Frances Fitzgerald This is the first (and only?) Bobby Franklin year the Santa landing was at Christopher Columbus Park because Langone Park and Puopolo Fields are under renovation. The event is dedicated in memory of James “Jimmy” Pallotta and sponsored by Taste of the North End, North End Athletic Association, Nazzaro Center, North End Against CampochiaroLouie Drugs and Mayor’s Office of GraffeoDom Tourism and Special Events. Buon Natale! (Photo by Matt Conti, NorthEndWaterfront.com) David Rosario Trumbull (Additional photos next week) Scabin Ally Samantha Josephine John Christoforo Bennett Di Censo Molinari Symynkywicz Annual North End Christmas Fund Luncheon Sal Giarratani Marianna Bisignano by Matt Conti, NorthEndWaterfront.com Richard Girard Plante Molinari Daniel Richard Preiss Di Censo Bob Mary DiZazzo Morello News Briefs by Sal Giarratani Words of Wisdom “Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fi x it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fi xes anything.” — Mary Welsh Hemingway NSA Phone Spying Falls Out of Favor on Capitol Hill A couple of weeks back, both senior Republicans and Democrats have said they support ending the NSA’s surveillance tool that collects information about U.S. calls and text messages. Something the Trump Administration wants to keep. Four years ago, lawmakers voted by wide margins North End Christmas Fund Luncheon Committee: Steven Siciliano, Jim Luisi, Mary Wright, to renew this once secret program. Capitol Hill seems Zach Goodale, Barbara Maldaro, Ted Tomasone, Maria Bova, Paul Cuciantti, Patricia Romano, much wiser today and I’m thankful for that. John Romano, and Dino Manca (Photo by Matt Conti, NorthEndWaterfront.com) FAA Had its Own On Sunday, December 15, Sandra Pascucci: Christmas The committee includes mem- MAX Warning But ... 2019, it was a full house at Fund Luncheon Appreciation bers from local non-profit Families of victims killed in two Boeing 737 MAX the 2019 Annual North End Award agencies: North End Athletic jetliner crashes in the past 14 months found out a Christmas Fund Luncheon in The tradition raises thou- Association, North End Against House Transportation Committee hearing last week the North End as hundreds sands of dollars enabling the Drugs, Nazzaro Community that the FAA allowed planes to keep fl ying, despite came together for the annual group to send out over 200 Center, North End Waterfront a 2018 analysis that determined a high likelihood of charity event. checks to North End seniors, Health, North End Seniors, future crashes. Receiving honors this year: low-income residents, and ABCD Head Start Program, and Kudos to House Committee Chair U.S. Rep. Peter Toni Gilardi: Uncle Fred families in need during this North End/West End ABCD (Continued on Page 14) Carangelo Humanitarian Award Christmas season. State Rep. Service Center. John Fiumara: Private Ernest Aaron Michlewitz and City For the last several years J. Natale Community Service Councilor Lydia Edwards joined the luncheon has been held Award with the committee to celebrate at Filippo’s Ristorante and the The committee also honored and honor those who serve the committee would like to thank POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE two longtime supporters who community. the Frattaroli Family for all have been very generous in The Christmas Fund of their help and support in 343 CHELSEA ST., DAY SQ., EAST BOSTON supporting the Christmas Fund Committee is led by Robert making the luncheon a huge Tues. 10:00 AM-3:00 PM; Thurs. 11:00 AM-2:00 PM luncheon over the years. “Ted” Tomasone, John Romano success. Filippo Frattaroli: Christmas of the North End Athletic Call 617-227-8929 for more information Fund Luncheon Appreciation Association, and James Luisi Award of North End Waterfront Health. (Additional photos on Page 9) PAGE 2 POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 20, 2019 Res Publica by David Trumbull As you passed through the towns and cities of the Commonwealth this December, I’m sure you noticed how many, in this secular land, found some place to display a crèche, a SATURNUS public display acknowledging the majority Christian faith of our people. Usually, nearby, stood the menorah, a civic statement of 284 A.D., and is one of the old- the importance of Jews and of the Jewish faith in our common est sanctuaries surrounding life. This is as it should be. that Forum. Here, under the It was not always so. In Puritan Boston, Christmas was not protection of Saturn, they kept generally celebrated at all until the middle of the 19th century. the standards, or fl ags of their In the mid-17th century, when Puritans held political power, the legions, and a very formal celebration of Christmas was banned. The Puritans, you see, did ceremony was required when- not subscribe to our secular doctrine of separation of church and ever those standards were state. They did not consider Christmas permissible in their sect removed or returned to their and had no qualms about using the power of the state to deny vault. A secret chamber below the joys of Christmas to anyone else, be it Anglican, Catholic, the temple held the public Lutheran or even the non-believers who simply enjoyed a bit of treasury, a store of gold and merriment during the shortest days of the year. Imagine what silver to be used only in case Puritan preacher Cotton Mather would have said from his pulpit of extreme need. This temple in North Square if he knew that a menorah would be part of public was also used as the archives displays 200 years later! He would have probably condemned as for the bronze tablets contain- witches any Jews he could fi nd in the Bay Colony. A state-run ing the engraved decrees of the church, especially one organized around very narrow beliefs, is Roman Senate. not likely to deal gently with other faiths or persons of no faith. The statue of Saturn which Now we have freedom! Under our 1787 Federal Constitution the stood in his temple was hol- Temple of Saturn, in the Forum Romanum, Rome United States may not establish a state church. The Fourteenth low and fi lled with oil. Some Amendment, in 1868, extended that prohibition to the States. historians say that this rep- Recognition of the universal right of freedom to practice religion Saturnus is the proper Latin the Saturnian Hill. He taught resented the abundance of is part of the fundamental charter of our nation. Sadly, some name for the Roman god, his people agriculture, sup- olives in Latium. Also, the today are attempting to change that fundamental understanding Saturn, who was the subject pressed their savage mode of feet of Saturn’s statue were of the place of religion in our secular republic. From some liberal of this column last week. life, and introduced civiliza- wrapped in a ribbon made of politicians we are increasingly hearing the phrase “freedom of He was considered to be a tion and morality. He and wool. This reference to oil and worship” in place of the traditional American doctrine of “freedom mythical king of Italy, who his reign became so popular wool recalls to my mind the of religion.” “Freedom of worship” merely guarantees the right to introduced agriculture and that the whole country was last part of the proper ancient gather in church, synagogue, or other place of worship for the civilization into that country. called Saturnia, or “The Land Roman wedding ceremony. liturgies or services of our denominations. Freedom to practice The Romans identifi ed Saturn of Plenty.” Before entering her new home, one’s religion goes beyond that, and recognizes the civic aspects with the Greek god Cronus. Saturn was suddenly taken the Roman bride tied some of faith. That includes the public display of nativity scenes and They also made Saturn the from this mortal world and wool around the doorposts menoroth (yes, that is the correct plural of menorah; my two years father of Jupiter (thunder ascended to the abode of the and then anointed it with oil of Hebrew in college fi nally comes in handy). Those public displays and lightning), Neptune (sea), gods. Because of this incident, to signify health and plenty. of faith are important reminders that not only do we have no state Pluto (lower world), and Juno we are told that the part of Italy NEXT WEEK: religion but that the state itself is not our religion. It is also not (wife of Jupiter). The reign of which is now called Latium Uranus, god of the heavens our metaphysic nor our science. We pledge allegiance to the fl ag this mythical king is said to (Tivoli, Frascati, Subiaco, of our Republic, but we also, each of us, has other allegiances — have been a golden age for Anagni, Viterbo, Caprarola, to God, to humanistic philosophy, to the rules of physics and so Italy, and especially for the Toscanella, Fossanova, and forth. On Christmas we celebrate the birth of the King of Kings. aborigines (earliest known Ostia), received its name from We do so in a secular state that, so far, has recognized the right inhabitants of that country).