Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Roma Lodge has had to postpone their 90th Anniversary Celebration, April meeting and annual ravioli dinner scheduled for May 9th. However, they have been active conducting lodge business through emails and social media. Back in November Roma Lodge members were introduced to the Garden of Innocence program at the Visalia Cemetery. The program needed urns, blankets and small toys used in ceremonies for the burial of abandoned babies. Roma Lodge members Frank Marinelli and wife Renee took on the challenge. What started as a shop project for his students ended when the pandemic closed school.

STAY SAFE AND WASH YOU HANDS
Certainly something we hear often! Who would have thought? Being residents of this wonderful State of California we are adapting to this new norm. Tough for some...but with the advent of the apps...Zoom and Face time we can still be united with loved ones and friends with the means of virtual reality.

FELLOWSHIP...
After all this is over, we surely must meet together in one of our monthly dinners and truly celebrate our family and friends. ‘TILL THEN.....

A TIME TO REFLECT
Besides cleaning and re-arranging cupboards

Everyone’s life has taken drastic changes since the middle of March (or sooner perhaps) unfortunately. A strange virus swept the world, and disrupted everything, for everyone, and who isn’t fervently praying for it to go away, and let life resume as it was. We miss amongst everything our right to free passage, even perhaps our weekly Lodge gatherings. And if you didn’t come weekly, at the very least you had that option. But our Lodge is closed, and like everything else it’s not your choice of how things should be. And it’s indeed the unknown that is so disconcerting, but this too shall end and life will eventually return to normal.

Hello Members. As I write this, we are sheltering in place because of Covid 19 and unable to have our meetings. I want to reassure all of you that our Lodge is here for you if you are having a hardship. This is what we are about. Please contact me at 559-312-5151, if you need help. All of our meetings are cancelled until further notice. I will keep in contact with you for Lodge business via email, text, phone calls and if we can make it happen: meetings by internet. If you want to make sure you get informed, please send your updated email address to sonsofitalyfresno@gmail. com

Usually I would be starting out my article with I had the pleasure of attending this event, this anniversary, But no, this is a new dimension we are living in now following the rules set forth by our elected officials. I am hoping that all of our members are staying safe and well. This is has been a difficult time for all of us. By now you have heard that the Grand Council had a conference call last month, and with all of your lodges input, the decision to cancel the 2020 Convention in Concord was made. This was the right thing to do for the safety and wellbeing of our members. I would like to thank the C. Colombo lodge for the hard work in helping the Grand Lodge as host lodge for the Convention. Information will be going out to the delegates soon as to what will needs to be voted on.