In a bittersweet turn of events, a monument to St. Frances Cabrini will occupy the pedestal in Arrigo Park where Christopher Columbus once stood. I say “bittersweet” because the goal all along for the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans was to restore Columbus to his original place of honor in the park.
But after a grueling 4-and-a-half-year legal battle, it became abundantly clear that it wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. Despite the herculean efforts of lead counsel Enrico Mirabelli and his legal team of Frank Sommario and Anthony Onesto, the city of Chicago under two mayoral administrations has steadfastly refused to budge from its position.
