Benvenuti!  Welcome,  Thank you for joining us for this important anniversary of our beloved church.   A little history for you. With the approval of Bishop O’Dea, St. Rita of Cascia Parish was established as an Italian National Church in 1922 by Father Achilles Bruno, SJ.  By the end of March, Fr. Bruno purchased a house at S.14th and Ainsworth and on April 9,1922, Palm Sunday Mass was celebrated with full capacity in the temporary chapel in the old house. The Italian community was jubilant to celebrate Mass in their native language once again. With the generous support of many Pierce County Italians and the Jesuits, money was collected to pay for the property and to build this current church.

Construction began in the fall of 1923 and founding members of our church not only built the church but also furnished it.  Mr.Ralph Turco,Sr, plumbed the church, Mr. Frank Bertucci led the construction of the altars and pews and Mr. Vito Bertucci even sold a cow to buy the church bell that still rings from the church tower!  On April 27, 1924, Bishop O’Dea dedicated our existing building as Saint Rita of Cascia Catholic Church.

Another interesting bit of history is that although Mary Teodoro Ramp was the first baby Baptized in the new parish, Barbara Lucy Lavorato Bufalini was the first baby Baptized in the new church.  Her son Sam wrote, “She was the daughter of Louis Lavorato and Marfisi Orlando.  I’m sure echoes of her voice remain at St. Rita’s.  My father Sam was responsible for a lot of the woodwork in the church and a lifelong member of the Holy Names Society.”  They were typical of the generosity of generations of our faithful parishioners, aka family.

Please join us after Mass for a light luncheon in the church hall.

See more picture at: https://www.psj23.org/photos#&gid=1241488930&pid=28