S. Antonio da Padova: The nursing village with a special heritage

The event was chaired by the nursing village’s CEO, Matt Day, who welcomed residents and their relatives.

The president of the S. Antonio da Padova Protettore di Poggioereale Associazione, Filippo Pace, the secretary of the association, Maria Franco, and Board members, Lina Maiorana and Filippa Indovino, also oversaw the event.

The Christmas party ended with a guided tour around the retirement village, during which Pace, Maiorana and Indovino highlighted the modern facilities of the property.

“I proudly assumed the role of president of the Board of Directors and I look forward to leading the S. Antonio da Padova Nursing Village into the future,” Pace said.

“I succeed Peter Maniscalco, who worked here for 36 years and was president for 28.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work closely with Peter for the past two years as his assistant.”

We spoke with Pace about his role as president.

What qualifies you for the role of president?

I was born here in Sydney in 1979 and I’m the son of the late Francesco and Maria Pace.

Both of my parents were Sicilian, and my father was born in Poggioreale.

He was one of the founding partners of the association and was awarded the title of honorary life partner by Maniscalco.

I’m married to Neely and we’re fortunate to have two beautiful children, Marcus and Valentina.

I understand Italian and try my best to speak it, though it’s mostly dialect!

I’ve been to Italy several times, to Poggioreale where I have many relatives.

I was an executive director with Westpac Bank, where I worked for 20 years.

I have experience in finance, human resources, marketing and organisational strategy.

I’m currently a reservist for the Australian Defence Force and am committed to protecting and serving our community.

I have extensive experience in governance, risk management, national information security and communications.

Like many of us, I grew up participating in and enjoying the fantastic events of the S. Antonio Associazione, with their festivals, religious events and gala evenings.

I’m committed to keeping our traditions alive, contributing to our community, caring for the elderly and those in need.

I’m committed to representing our members and advancing the S. Antonio Associazione and the nursing village, and continuing our 50-year history.

The S. Antonio da Padova di Poggioreale Associazione is one of the largest Italo-Australian associations, with around 300 members. What unites its members?

Our love for Poggioreale and its history.

We’ve thrived in the face of adversity thanks to the protection of St Anthony, which is why we have such strong confidence in him as our protector.

It’s this love and conviction that unites us today.

St Anthony attracts not only the people of Poggioreale, but also many family members and friends all over the world.

We’re a strong and proud community that has the desire to help the elderly and those in need.

Does the association still have a religious aspect to it?

We’ve always had, and continue to have, very strong faith.

Many turn to St Anthony in times of need, looking for guidance, answers, support and miracles.

It’s this faith that has assisted us in achieving great things.

Many of our events are centred on the church, St Anthony and religious traditions.

This unites all of us and is an important aspect, especially for the younger generations.

Around 500 guests attended the village’s 50^th anniversary celebrations, many of them second- and third-generation Italians. How do you explain this success?

It’s necessary to find the balance between tradition and modernity.

It’s about reminding the younger generations of our ancestors’ hard work and the need to continue this legacy for many more years to come.

It’s important to ignite community spirit and people’s selflessness because our cause is so worthy.

Events like these make us proud, unite us and allow the younger generations to get involved.

In which fields have second- and third-generation poggiorealesi in Sydney achieved great success?

Many poggiorealesi have worked hard to establish their families in Australia.

We have doctors, lawyers, developers, professional executives, owners of large and small businesses, and the list goes on.

Maniscalco was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the community.

I believe that our success as poggiorealesi isn’t measured by social status, but rather by our community spirit and by our ability to remain faithful to our heritage and keep many traditions alive.

Surely the association’s greatest success would have to be the establishment of the S. Antonio da Padova Nursing Village in Ryde, which cares for 112 residents and provides assistance to vulnerable and elderly people in an environment that respects our traditions, values and culture.

Yes, we’re very proud of these results.

Maniscalco’s vision and dedication was truly realised along with the help and hard work of all the members.

In 2017, we completed the $22 million expansion and renovation that allows us to run a state-of-the-art nursing home in the heart of Ryde.

Who manages the village?

The Board manages the village on behalf of our members.

We’re a non-profit organisation and our work is 100 per cent voluntary.

We have a passion for providing care for the elderly and our members are engaged in volunteer programs to raise the necessary funds to support the village.

The village has an excellent reputation, both in the Italian and the wider community. Why is that?

We recently received a 100 per cent approval rating from the Aged Care Quality Commission.

We provide a range of services in the village: we have a hairdresser, a cinema, various activities, and support in the form of speech therapy, nutrition and physiotherapy.

We provide assistance to those who need it most, such as people with senile dementia or with highly-addictive medication.

We have registered professional nurses on call 24/7 and all our food is cooked fresh by our on-site chef.

We also have a small chapel so that our residents can pray or take the opportunity to walk in our beautiful gardens.

What are the association’s goals for the future?

Our goal is to become the number one provider of aged care in the community.

We’re also planning significant improvements to our dementia and high dependency areas in the village.

There is a growing need for such resources in our ageing population, and many people are suffering alone, without support.

We believe we can make a difference but we need help to make that happen.