A Tribute to my Aunt Barbara

Barbara Viviano was born to Italian-American parents, James and Filomena Crafa in Queens, NY during the Great Depression. Her father had come to America as a child, from Pietrelcina, Italy, the same town as Padre Pio, in front of whose statue you see us. (We like to think that since Padre Pio is a paesano, that he watches over our family.)

My father, her brother, said the following in his eloquent eulogy,

"By the standards of today's culture, which exalts politicians who favor murdering the unborn, and practice sexual immorality, Barbara was nobody, she owned no furs or jewels, had no fame, held no prestigious career. She was a simple wife to a loving husband for 55 years, and warm-hearted mother of a single daughter, whose very presence exuded love. She attended Mass, and sang, yet she was too timid to lend her beautiful voice to the choir. She never traveled far from home, because she was afraid to learn to drive. Her last year of life was marked by excruciating suffering, yet she never complained, and smiled at those of us who came to visit her.
She reminds us of another simple Mother, who only raised one Child, who held no career, or degrees, yet her only Son changed the world. Barbara reflects Mary's gentleness and love to us, and she is deeply missed, but we have faith that she is now in her Mother's arms, and we will wait for our reunion in Heaven."
Well spoken, Dad, and something it would we would do well to remember each time we think that motherhood, or faith isn't important and material things are.