 |
| Ballerina Kallista Durbin as Vincenza |
At long last...Vincenza's Miracle leads us through true
stories and adventures of the maternal and paternal
ancestors, of Bernadine de Mike, reaching back to 1850.
All lived in the ancient cities and villages of Sicily -Vincenza Bellance in Mussomeli, Salvatore Iacona in Agrigento and St. Elisabetta, and Josephine Alessi & Anthony Ciccia in Palermo & Valledormo
Sicily is a unique island whose language, food, culture, and history are different in every way
from any other country in the
world. She asks the question, “Will my children,
grandchildren and all generations
to come know the
personalities and
character traits of these courageous men
and women? Will they
realize their struggles,
sacrifices, and triumphs?” An even greater question
is, “Do third, fourth and fifth generation Americans
realize what a great privilege it is to live in this, country
a land that has been
blessed by Almighty God?
Precious photos taken from the archives of old
scrapbooks, negatives, news clippings, and slides
have now been
preserved and recorded.
Boldly presented, some stories may be shocking, yet most are inspiring. Nothing is more powerful
in the written word than truth. No one in their wildest imaginations could invent what the
reader will experience through Vincenza’s Miracle
The ebook will be sold on Amazon.com in October for $2.99. Here's the Forward and Introduction:
Forward
I was blessed with two saintly grandmothers and a
godly mother. The men in the family were
great protectors and providers, but the women were the true warriors and
guardians of the soul. The men also had great intelligence but the women I
knew, had the wisdom to discern and live the truth, no matter what the
consequences. Men, all too often carry
anger, resentment, and even the desire for revenge, but many women live with
constant forgiveness – a cross they carry from day to day.
As
providers, fathers and sons are bent on acquiring money for security,
investments, and the necessities of life both now and as a heritage to leave to
others. My two grandmothers were as poor
as church mice, yet as rich as kings for their constant cries to heaven for
family and friends were laid in the “bank of heaven,” never to be lost, stolen,
or rotted away. It is this “stash” of
goods I rely on every moment that I am alive.
The
faith of the women in my life, including many wonderful friends, are seeds that
have been planted in my heart and continue to grow. They blossom into the fruit
and flowers I can freely give to others.
Only when we know that a Mighty God lives inside of us are we able to
pour out our love for family, friends, and the unlovable.
Before
the creation of the world, each of us was born into the heart and mind of God
who knew the time, place and talents which would be bestowed upon us. The stories of Vincenza, Josephine and Jessie
will not lie in the grave, nor will they ever end. All three gave me life. All three gave me eyes to see beyond this
world and the courage to choose my eternity.
May their stories pierce every heart, unleashing the potential of
greatness of each of us to overflow to all of mankind.
INTRODUCTION
Sicily – where purple peaks pierce softened pastel
skies and angels dance on sunbeams leaving softened shadows of olive trees. Yet,
barren landscapes, formerly lush, reveal the Roman scavenger’s ravage of
domination and greed endured from earlier centuries. Ruins of Greek pillars,
orphaned by voluminous volcano eruptions and earthquakes astound the visitor as
well as the stunning beauty of breathtaking seacoasts surrounded by sensuous
sunsets.
It was there
that stories of oppression amidst golden churches, thronged by poverty-stricken
peasants, were revealed to future generations.
These fleeing immigrants were forced to forsake the land of their birth
and join the multitudes with carpet bags filled with hope, to another land
promising “milk and honey” and “golden streets”.
THE DANCE-DRAMA
 |
| A scene from the production of Vincenza's Miracl |
The production is a 45 minute presentation encompassing 100 years of life in Sicily and America, featuring the the Bellance, Iacono, Alessi & Ciccia families
Professional actors, singers and dancers will star in performances in local theaters this fall and spring, through the Royale Dance Theatre,
Multi-media effects will be produced by professional videographer JL De Mike
Dancers, actors and singers are invited to audition by calling 716 930 7100.
No comments:
Post a Comment