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Weekly Bulletin May 5, 2024
by Terrie Evans
On this Sunday, we send our condolences to the Panaro, Nugent, Werle, Carroll, and Marckesano Families on the passing of Mary Josephine (Panaro) Nugent on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the age of 98. She was the oldest of the Panaro siblings born to the late Rose Marckesano and John Panaro who were married at San Antonio Church in 1924. Mary Josephine’s father, John (1903-1986) was one of the first generation of Italian American siblings along with the late Dena (Panaro) Minella, Eugene, Frank, Anthony, Mary (Panaro) La Rosa Frank, Lawrence, and William born to Josephine Palmieri and Lawrence Panaro who resided at 1998 Queen City Avenue. Mary Josephine’s mother, Rose (Marckesano) Panaro was one of 10 siblings. They are the late Jimmy, Anna, Louise, Ralph, Philomena, Jeannie, Nellie, Mary, Susie, born to Maddalena Dalessandro and Pasquale Marckesano. The Panaro and Marckesano Families were founders and strong supporters of San Antonio Church established in 1922 and celebrated the marriage of their children, with the first wedding held in their first new church building in 1924 (current church was built in 1941). Josephine Panaro Nugent named for her grandmother Mary Josephine Panaro, grew up in the Little Italy area of the South Fairmount neighborhood near her Panaro, Palmieri, Marckesano, Minella, Dalessandro, Grieco, and Guerrera cousins at the John Panaro homestead on 1926 Horton Street. Her mother Rose died on April 3, 1947, at the young age of 39, leaving Mary Josephine and her siblings the late Shriley, Delores, Gilda, Joanie, Larry, John, and the youngest Toni (living) and her father to cope without a mother and wife.
Mary “Mae” Josephine enjoyed bowling with her aunt, Louise Marckesano Studt and was on various teams including her uncle Larry Panaro’s, who sponsored her team when his fruit market was located in Hartwell. She was a big part of all the Panaro reunions and attended all the monthly Daughters of Josephine (named after Grandma Josephine Panaro) Luncheons with her cousins. While raising her three children, Judy Werle, the late Raymond Nugent and Diane Carroll, Josephine supported her family working many jobs later retiring from Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company. She was the revered typical Italian Grandma to Jeff (Julie) Werle, Jenny Camardo (Nick), Jamie Hughes (Brad), the late Dena Nugent, Nicole Carroll, and Courtney Main (Will) and Great Grandma to 13. She was a member of San Antonio Church throughout her life and many of our current parishioners remember her from attending our events. Besides her brothers, Larry and Johnny and sister Toni, she also leaves many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who are present-day members of our church.
In January of this year, Mary Josephine (Mae) was interviewed by Bob Herzog from Channel 12 for the next instalment for the canonization of Sr. Blandina Segale, Servant of God where she recalled the memories of our beloved Sister of Charity working among the Italian immigrants in the early days of our church. Mary Josephine (Panaro) Nugent’s Funeral Mass was held at Our Lady of Victory Church on April 29, 2024. Please keep her family and many friends in your prayers.
We also send our sincere condolences to the Ellerhorst and Pugil Families on the passing of Julie Ann Ellerhorst, MD, PhD (1954-2024), one of 7 children born to the late Robert and Marian (Reck) Ellerhorst. She graduated from St. Ursula Academy in 1972 before moving to Houston, Texas where she attended St. Thomas University, graduating with a BS in Biology. Before her 30th birthday, Julie received her Medical Degree from Baylor College of Medicine while doing her residency at Baylor. Julie completed her Ph.D. studies at the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Houston in 1998, one of the 1st physicians to achieve this milestone working full-time in patient care and cancer research. Her research involved being a mentor to international colleagues and writing manuscripts for publication. After the diagnose of Parkinson’s Julie and her husband Gerry relocated back to Houston where she died on April 20, 2024, with her loving husband, Gerry, and beloved rescue dog Hannah at her side. Beside her loving husband Gerry Pugil, Julie’s siblings Jan (David)Stockton, Cindy (late Daryl) Reed, Gary (Robin) Ellerhorst, D. Peter (Jenny) Ellerhorst, Brian (Rosario) Ellerhorst, and our parishioners, Gregg, and Lisa Ellerhorst. All of our parishioners from San Antonio Church send their condolences and prayers to the many members of the Ellerhorst Family at this difficult time.
When we celebrate the Month of May, we will be honoring Mary as May is dedicated to her. Many families will honor her with a special altar set up in their homes, or by saying Rosary or attending May Crownings or Marian Consecrations to honor her. Pope John Paul II called Mary the “Woman of the Eucharist” because of her important role from the Annunciation to the Cross and to the Resurrection. When Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that “Mary, living Tabernacle of God made flesh, is the Ark of the Covenant, in whom the Lord visited and redeemed his people. She was filled with the Holy Spirit when the presence of Jesus was within her, a joy which only he can give. When we welcome Jesus and bring Him to others, this is also the joy of the of Christians and the Church.” We all hope and pray that Mary, the Woman of the Eucharist, intercedes for us, welcoming her Son into our lives; that we may follow Him and conform ourselves ever more to His holy will. As we celebrate the month of Mary at San Antonio Church, please remember the May Crowning to be held next Sunday May 12th just before our 9:00 AM Mass. We are asking for children to participate in the procession and crowning on that morning. All school-age children, boys and girls are welcome to take part in this yearly tradition that started in the 1930’s. Please introduce your children or grandchildren to this lovely ceremony at our church; a sign- up sheet will be in the Hall after Mass today. We will also celebrate Mother’s Day next Sunday with our annual breakfast in the Hall that is open to everyone.
On Thursday, May 9th we honor the Ascension, one of the great solemnities on the Christian liturgical calendar. It commemorates the bodily ascension of Christ’s risen and glorified body 40 days after His Resurrection. This tells us that He exists in corporal form with the father outside time and space, thus the concluding work of redemption and the pledge to all of us our own eventual ascension into heaven. This is one of the Ecumenical Feasts that is celebrated universally and ranks with the feasts of Passion, of Easter, and Pentecost.
On Friday, May 10th we have the feast of John of Avila, Priest, Doctor of the Church, and Apostle of Andalusia. The Spanish priest was also a scholastic author, religious mystic, and renowned preacher for his extensive ministry throughout the region of Andalusia. At a crossroads in his life, John was inspired by a Franciscan Friar taking his advice to resume his studies in philosophy and theology. While at the University, John met the noted Dominican Friar Domingo de Soto who also helped him find his life work. John was ordained in 1526 and celebrated his 1st Mass in the Church where both his parents were buried from. In 1527, John desired to do foreign missionary work and prepared to travel into Mexico, accompanied by the 1st Bishop of Tlaxcala, the Dominican Friar, Julian Garcia. While in Seville on his way to his destination, John showed such devotion with his preaching skills while celebrating Mass, he attracted the attention of a local priest who told the Archbishop of Seville of this exceptional young priest. The Archbishop saw the talents of this young priest and felt John could use his preaching as a powerful tool bringing the faith into Andalusia, persuaded by the Archbishop he decided to stay and preached his first sermon on July 22, 1529. From that day on crowds filled the churches for all his sermons and for nine years John dedicated himself to missionary work in Andalusia reforming the clergy, establishing schools and colleges in cities, Granada, Baeza, Montilla and Zafra. John of Avila also served as the first rector at the University of Baeza that was founded in 1538. John lived with about 20 disciples hoping to establish an order or a formal foundation of apostolic priests.
When John’s health started to decline, his dream never became a reality and he encouraged his disciples to join the Jesuits with the group of men now totaling 30 joining the Jesuits, the Society of Jesus. John of Avila spent the last years of his life in the Province of Cordoba where he died on May 10,1569, and was laid to rest there. The Jesuit Church of the Incarnation is his Major Shrine with the sanctuary dedicated in his honor. He has been revered by the Jesuits for the work he started and his support for the Society of Jesus. He was Beatified on November 12, 1893, by Pope Leo XIII and Canonized by Pope Paul VI on May 31, 1970. On October 7, 2012, on the Feast of the Holy Rosary, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church before many thousands of the faithful at St. Peters Square. During his homily, Pope Benedict said John of Avila was a “Profound expert on the sacred Scriptures, he was gifted with an ardent missionary spirit. He knew how to penetrate in a uniquely profound way the mysteries of the redemption worked by Christ for humanity. A man of God, he united constant prayer to apostolic action. He dedicated himself to preaching and to the more frequent practice of the sacraments, concentrating his commitment on improving the formation of candidates for the priesthood, of religious and of lay people, with a view to a fruitful reform of the Church.”