Italian Catholic Media Group has been organized to promote the contributions to the Roman Catholic Church by Italians, Italian-Americans, and any persons of Italian descent throughout the world.  We are loyal servants of Jesus Christ and His Church, faithful to the Holy Father in Rome, and strive to ensure that all content on our website is in line with the Gospel and the teachings of the Church.  The Church, being "Catholic", is universal and reaches out to people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.  Our Apostolate is to reach out to men and women of Italian descent to remind them of their rich heritage within the Church that stretches back nearly 2,000 years. 

The main product of Italian Catholic Media Group is a monthly online magazine that will contain the following regular features:

FAITH IN THE OLD COUNTRY: Articles about the faith in Italy, which may include stories about shrines, people of interest, and devotions that began in the old country.

FAITH IN THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD: Articles about the faith in the United States, with a concentration on stories about the practice of Catholicism in Italian neigborhoods throughout the country over the past 150 years. 

SAINTS & HEROES OF THE CHURCH: Articles about men, women and children from Italy and those of Italian descent who are dispersed throughout the world who have displayed heroic virtue in following Our Lord.

PADRE PIO'S CORNER: Italian Catholic Media Group has chosen the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother Cabrini and Padre Pio as its patrons.  We will feature a monthly story about Padre Pio and the amazing works that Our Lord accomplished through his servant during his earthly life and the miracles that He continues to grant through Padre Pio's intercession to those who call upon him.  This priest, who received the wounds of Christ, has touched many lives and we feel that our readers will be inspired by these stories.

BACK TO THE BASICS: Articles on the basic teachings of the Catholic Church.  For a couple of generations, many men and women have received a watered-down version of the faith as a number of teachers attempted to "throw the baby out with the bath water" after the Second Vatican Council.  Italian Catholic Media Group strives to work in union with Pope Benedict XVI (who carries on the work of his predecessors Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II) as he implements the teachings of Vatican II as the Holy Spirit, through the Church, wills it.  

PAPAL PERSPECTIVES: Reflections on papal writings and stories about the lives of the popes throughout the history of the Church.  Since the Holy Father is also the Bishop of Rome, he plays a vital role on the Church in Italy in addition to his office as shepherd of the universal Church.  We especially hope to shine a light on the life of Pope John Paul II, who became the first non-Italian pope in 455 years in October 1978.  John Paul II immediately won the hearts of his Roman flock during his first papal address in St. Peter's Square when he spoke Italian and referred to himself as one of them.  

Italian Catholic Media Group is the result of the efforts of Al Barcas and Donald D'Elia.  We are also very grateful to Mike Aquilina for his support.  He is an author and expert on the Early Church Fathers, whose website and blog can be found at http://www.mikeaquilina.com/. 

Also very supportive of our efforts have been: Monsignor Stephen DiGiovanni (pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Stamford, CT, Father Francis Tiso (Associate Director of the Secretariat for Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), and Father Sam Esposito (pastor of St. Benedict the Abbot Church in McMurray, PA), all of whom have submitted Scripture reflections that can be found on this website.  Finally, a special thanks goes out to Deacon Bill Crane of Sacred Heart Church in Lombard, IL, who has been very helpful and has made himself available whenever needed for advice or to answer questions.

For more information on these men, please see below: 


Al Barcas: Biography coming soon

Donald J. D'Elia Ph.D., S.F.O., KHS, Professor of History Emeritus at the State University of New York, New Paltz, and Co-Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists, was born in Jersey City,  New Jersey in 1933 of Anthony B. D'Elia and Frances M. Santello, and was baptized in New Jersey's first Italian-American Catholic Church, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in that City.

Dr. D'Elia attended parochial and pubic schools in Jersey City, Munich, Germany, and graduated from Anne Arundel Regional High School in Annapolis, Maryland.  He received his undergraduate education at The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina, and Rutgers University (B.A., History and Philosophy).  His graduate
degrees:

(M.A., Ph.D.) in the same subjects were awarded by Rutgers (1957) and Penn State Universities (1965).  Dr. D'Elia was awarded National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships at Vanderbilt
University and UCLA.  In 1985-86 he was a post-doctoral student at the Angelicum in Rome.

Among his many books and articles, in the area of Italian-American studies Dr. D'Elia is the author of "People of the Festa; the Incarnational Realism of the Italian-Americans,"  in Joseph A.
Varacalli, Salvatore Primeggia, Salvatore J. LaGumina, and Donald J. D'Elia, eds.,  THE SAINTS IN THE LIVES OF ITALIAN-AMERICANS: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATION (Stony Brook, N. Y. :
Forum Italicum, 1999); and "Mother Cabrini: Woman, Citizen, Saint, and Missionary to the Post-Modern World" in MODELS AND IMAGES OF CATHOLICISM IN ITALIAN AMERICANA: ACADEMY AND SOCIETY
(Stony Brook, N. Y.: Forum Italicum, 2004).  He is also a contributor to THE ITALIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE; AN ENCYCLOPEDIA (2000).

In 1982 he chaired and organized a Conference on "Francis of Assisi" at the State University of New York, New Paltz; and in 1999 he held a Conference on "Mother Cabrini, Bishop Giovanni Scalabrini, and Italian Immigration" at the same Unversity.

His latest book, co-edited with Patrick Foley and co-authored with others, is THE CATHOLIC AS HISTORIAN  (Naples, Florida:Sapientia and Ignatius Presses, 2006).

Dr. D'Elia is married to Margaret Cingel and the father of four children, and grandfather of five.  He and Mrs. D'Elia make their home in New Paltz, New York.