Italian American Herald - February 2022

ACHIEVER
Dr. Pasquale Nestico channels energy, passion into leading Filitalia
PAGE 4
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FEBRUARY 2022
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In addition to heading Wilmington’s Ministry of Caring, Brother Ronald Giannone oversees several housing operations in Wilmington and one near his childhood home in the Bronx.
‘I did the maximum good I could do on earth’
Brother Ronald Giannone reflects on his legacy helping the less fortunate
By Ken Mammarella
In 1976, Brother Ronald Giannone, OFM
Cap., was sent by his Capuchin Franciscan Order to Delaware. After ascertaining community needs, he obtained funds for the Delmarva Peninsula’s first emergency shelter for homeless women. Mary Mother of Hope House opened Oct. 7, 1977.
His mission since: Assure that “the poor should never be treated poorly.”
The Ministry of Caring budget now tops $10 million, with 19 programs, including childcare, dining rooms, shelters, and housing options. Brother Ronald also oversees several housing operations in Wilmington, with a $7 million budget, and one near his childhood home in the Bronx.
This conversation was edited for clarity and brevity.
What is your Italian heritage?
I was born and raised in the Bronx
by first-generation Italian Americans. My mother came from Sicily in the womb of my grandmother. My father’s parents were from near Naples.
Your father died when you were young. Your mother worked two jobs but still helped others.
Helping was instilled in me. She had such a gracious heart. If anybody was sick in the neighborhood, they called Connie. She did
it like it was nothing. Even while she was living in New York, she would come down and cook for the bishop, the mayor, any dignitaries.
She moved to Wilmington in 1982, and the conditions in her senior housing inspired me. If you depend on what the federal Department of Housing and Urban
Development gives you, you get what my mother had. Flush the toilet twice, use an icepick in the freezer. That’s crazy with arthritis. I raise additional money, so we have a keyless entrance and a doorman 24 hours a day, like Park Avenue. I wish that she would have had all these things.
How often do you go back to your old neighborhood?
Often, because my best friend was the pastor, and after he passed away, the parish asked me to run its senior housing project.
How did being Italian matter when you were young?
I lived with a strong group of Italian Americans, in a neighborhood with all kinds of people. We always went to church faithfully and had a Sunday dinner, lasting 31⁄2 hours.
What does being Italian mean today?
The seed of Christianity was brought by Peter and Paul to Rome and has been passed on for 2,000 years. To me, being Italian and being Catholic are inseparable.
My very nature is what I’ve learned from my family about taking care of others, making sure there is always room for one more at the table. The Emmanuel Dining Room is a place where the poor get a great meal, and we serve it with great love and restaurant fashion.
How do you express your faith today? Mass? Prayers?
All the above. But to me, pure religion is in your heart, not on your sleeve. Religion has to emulate Christ. Deeds, not words.
What do you do in your spare time? I like to read. I love history, and I read about
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Vol. 9 / No. 2