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RESTAURANTEUR'S DEVOTION

Mary watches over diners in Cairo

Statues and pictures of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Padre Pio are not the usual décor of restaurants. But at Russo's Ristorante in Cairo, they represent the apostolate of owner Eddie Russo in sharing his Catholic faith and devotion to the Blessed Mother. 

"The Holy Mother wants me to tell everyone to pray the Rosary," he asserted, "because the Almighty wants to fill heaven with saints."

A parishioner and Eucharistic minister at Sacred Heart Church in Cairo, Mr. Russo has been serving Italian food for 33 years - and evangelizing in the process. 
"By saving souls, we assure our own souls," he explained. "If everybody was praying the Rosary, then we would have a better wisdom, a better faith." 

Mr. Russo described his belief that the Blessed Mother saved his life from a child predator as a young teen and from car accidents as an adult. He said she also helped him recover from a devastating fire at his restaurant. 

When a car he was repairing fell on him, he recalled, "I prayed the Rosary like never before." He came back from a near-death experience with a profound conviction to teach others the Rosary. 

Soul food
"This is what the Holy Mother makes me understand," he said. "The center of your heart is your soul. Once you understand that, you will keep out everything bad from your heart."

As an example, he said: "The world has got to change from not just thinking about 'me, me, me,' and not changing wives and girlfriends like it's another dish of spaghetti." 

His Italian accent stems from his upbringing in a village near Salerno. The 16th of 21 children, he was taken with the Blessed Mother at age eight when a Fatima statue visited his village. 

When he was 14, he emigrated to South America to help support the family. Later, he came to United States and served in the Army. He married his wife, Susan, 44 years ago, and they make an annual pilgrimage to Italy to honor his devotion to St. Padre Pio. 

Sacred aroma
Like icon painters and prayer-shawl knitters who pour prayer into their creations, Mr. Russo prays while preparing meals for his customers. 

"You walk around and know it's a holy place," said Bob McLoughlin, also a parishioner of Sacred Heart in Cairo. "Eddie is very friendly. He meets the people and speaks to anyone about his faith. And they all are not necessarily Catholic." 
Marilyn Kalthoff, an Episcopalian from Ilion, makes the two-hour drive to the eatery a couple of times a year. 

"I like to listen to him," she said. "I wasn't familiar with the Rosary before. But he impressed on me that it helps us in our prayer." 

Now, she agrees: "I feel more guidance and protection. I think it is because of the mother aspect." 

"God put me here for a reason," Mr. Russo commented. "Learn to be humble and understand people. Some who come in here have made mistakes or something. They say, 'I feel so relaxed and free when I am here.'"

Maternal model
A father of five and grandfather many times over, he sees the mother and child bond as rooted in Mary and Jesus. Because of this, he prays the Rosary at abortion clinics. 

"Who knows the baby better than the mother?" he asked. "Nobody. The Holy Mother knows Jesus better than anybody else. That's why we go to her and she will introduce to Jesus. She's the mother!"

By talking with abortion-bound women and praying for the Blessed Mother's intercession, he said, many women decide to keep their babies. One was born on his birthday. 

"The Holy Mother is there to help you," he said. 

Restaurant patrons seem happy with both the environment of faith Mr. Russo has created and the food he serves.

"Don't be in a rush as far as eating there," recommended Mr. McLoughlin. "Stay for two hours."

(05/07/09) [[In-content Ad]]

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