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Friday night at CincItalia, the Cincinnati Italian Festival, was hopping! People loved the cooking demonstration and wine talk on the demo stage and The Remains on the main stage. The Plant Booth, Big Six, and Bars and Bells were busy all evening. Food-and-drink-wise, people enjoyed the lasagna, bruschetta, Italian sausage, gelato, beer, wine, and the […]

What is a feast day? In the Catholic Church, the Church assigns one date out of the year for every canonized saint, which is known as the saint’s feast day. The saints are remembered on their individual feast days with special mention, prayers, and possibly a scripture reading in that day’s Mass. April 29 is […]

The Palio di Siena is a horse race held twice a year in Siena, Italy, in a tradition dating back to at least 1656. Ten horses and their bareback riders, representing ten of the 17 contrade (wards) of the city, race around the dirt-covered Piazza del Campo, among wildly cheering fans. The race is preceded […]

St. Catharine was a Doctor of the Church. From the Latin for teacher, “Doctor” is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, especially for their contributions to theology or doctrine. Throughout history, only about 35 poeple have been named a Doctor of the […]

Even though she’s an Italian saint, the founders of St. Catharine of Siena church in Westwood were German, and they used the German spelling of her name. That’s why it’s “Catharine” and not “Catherine.”

CincItalia used to be a typical church festival in the school parking lot. In 2010, we decided to make it stand out from the pack by reinventing it as an Italian festival. The real St. Catharine lived in Siena, Italy, so it seemed a natural fit. Our own Joe Mastruserio is a member of the […]