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WINTER 2020 Italian American Digest
Cefalutana Society Looking Forward to 2021
By Rose Brocato
The Cefalutana Society of New
Orleans is looking forward to 2021 for many reasons . The society has developed a new website and is continuing to add and make changes to the site daily . Many thanks to Natalie Thompson for her help in developing the Cefalutana ’ s new website . As soon as you open the home page , there are many beautiful photos which catch your eye . Then there are seven more pages to open from the homepage which includes “ Who We Are ”; “ Get Involved ”; “ Historical Information ”; “ Officers ”, “ Members ”; “ Mausoleum Records ” and “ Contact ”. At the bottom of each page , there is a link to the Photo Gallery and the Video Gallery . The site is very easy to maneuver through and there is an abundance of information about our wonderful society and the city of Cefalu .
The page “ Who We Are ” gives you a great deal of information . First , it talks about the city of Cefalu . It also tells you about the beginning of the Società Italiana di Mutua Beneficenza Cefalutana here in New Orleans . It tells us when it started and the very first officers . A very important fact is the purpose of our society which is to be a benevolent organization helping those in need . Membership is very important because the society is only open to those who have blood ties to Cefalu . The page also gives you information on what we do throughout the year . As we look forward to 2021 when we can celebrate the Festa in August again , we also look forward to a good time with old and new friends . There is also some information about the beginning of the mausoleum in St . Louis Cemetery # 3 . The next page is “ Get Involved ”, which is important to continue to preserve the
culture and traditions of our society . As we look forward to 2021 , you might consider donating to this organization which represents our ancestors and allows us to share this with our families right here in New Orleans .
The “ Historical Information ” continues to be updated with photos and information . We are trying to use photos with clearer information about our history . Yes , this is a work in progress . Next is a page showing the current officers for 2020 . New Officers will be elected in early 2021 , so if you would like to get involved now is the time !
Now you can also see the members who are a part of this important organization and when they joined . Please check to make sure your membership is current . All 2020 dues will roll over to 2021 . You might consider donating your 2021 dues to help keep our society in the present and up-to-date , check out this new website at cefalusociety . com . The next page of the new website is information on the mausoleum records from 1927 to the present . This page gives you the names of the members who were buried in the mausoleum .
La Rocca in Cefalu
There is also information about the very first mausoleum in the society which dates back to 1889 to 1926 . It is amazing that the society even has those records and now you can access them yourself . And the last page of the new website is if you need to contact the organization .
Lastly , El Presidente David Matassa , recently spoke with his relatives in Cefalu to get an update on the pandemic there in Sicily . Cefalu has had a total of 41 cases of covid-19 . At this time there are 0 cases . If you want to get tested in Cefalu , it costs $ 18 euros . The mandates that are practiced there in Cefalu are wearing a mask and socially distancing . The shops all close by 6 P . M . People are only allowed to travel in Sicily , there is no crossing of borders unless you have special permission . As we look forward to 2021 , we hope that we will soon be able to travel to the beautiful city of our ancestors , Cefalu . But for now , stay safe and well ! Take some time to visit the Cefalutana Society ’ s new website , cefalusociety . com and enjoy the pictures and videos about our organization and the city of Cefalu .