Delegazione Molise

The customary investiture ceremony of new Knights and Dames took place on Sunday, August 25, on the occasion of the festivities of the Holy Martyr Alexander (whose relics are preserved by the d’Alessandro family) at the ducal chapel of the d’Alessandro castle in Pescolanciano. The entrance of the approximately 14 honourees was organized in all the details of chivalric tradition, thanks also to the support of the celebrating chaplain Father Luigi Castiello, Commander of Ecclesiastical Grace, assisted by the delegate chaplain Father Giuseppe Graziano, Vice Prior, who took over from H.E. Most Rev. Mons. Giancarlo Bregantini due to unforeseen personal commitments.

The overwhelming ceremony, celebrated in the religious area where the sacred relics of the Holy Martyr Alexander, brought to the castle in 1656 by the first Duke Fabio d’Alessandro by Apostolic indult of Pope Innocent X, are kept, was attended by a significant number of faithful and family members. On the occasion the new collection of donations for the purchase of wheelchairs, which the Molise Delegation will donate to health care facilities for the elderly or directly to the local needy, was announced and implemented. Delegate Duke Ettore d’Alessandro of Pescolanciano then welcomed the Knights with their families and friends to the various apartments opened for the occasion, including the museums apartments managed in collaboration with volunteers (Foundation Intramontes) and the municipality, focusing on details of local and family history. In the continuation a delicious breakfast was prepared with typical local products,  carefully followed in details by the Secretary Knight Comander Giuseppe D’Amico (who also took a commendable interest  in the organization of logistic in the castle), at a restaurant near the village of Macchia d’Isernia, where the fortress of the Vice Delegate Knight Giulio De Jorio Frisare was located.

Finally, in the afternoon, the event concluded with a round table discussion, held in a Buonicontri-d’Alessandro room of the Pescolanciano castle, to commemorate the cultural figure, with his scholarly works, of Professor Antonino Di Iorio from Molise, official hagiographer of the Ducal d’Alessandro family and “legitimist” historian of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. To him, in his memory, the Molise Delegation sponsored the issuance of a Medal of Merit, collected by his son Pasqualino Di Iorio, who thanked the Delegate, on behalf of all, and his cousin Ivano.

The Delegation for Molise, represented by Secretary and Commander Giuseppe D’Amico and Knights Rodolfo Rossi, Giuseppe Di Nonno, Michele Di Maio and postulants, together with sympathisers Rossella Neosi, Giuseppe Alabastro and Tiziano Ascione, delivered a significant donation of medical aids to the ”Fisiomedica Loretana” rehabilitation facility in Toro. The institute has been operating in Molise since 1988 and since its inception has been working for the welfare of patients, especially the older ones.

The donation received heartfelt thanks from the legal representative of the facility, Stefania Giacci, together with her staff, who received fraternal greetings from the Delegate, Duke Don Ettore d’Alessandro di Pescolanciano. The group of Constantinian brothers was happily greeted by the clinic guests, who expressed gratitude and recognition with smiles and repeated heartfelt thanks. The delegation motto “a gift for a smile” was also made tangible for this occasion.
Heartfelt thanks go to the Knights awarded during the investiture ceremony on 25 August in Pescolanciano. Their offer enabled the purchase of wheelchairs, which were donated to the facility.

Sunday 2nd June 2024, on the day of Corpus Christi, the “Procession of the Mysteries”, which is the most awaited and important event for the city of Campobasso, took place. During the procession, 13 big “living pictures”, the Mysteries, paraded through the streets of the city. According to tradition, the “paintings” stopped in front of the city hall, from whose main balcony the blessing of Archbishop H.E. Biagio Colaianni reached the huge crowd. Several Constantian Knights were invited to attend the solemen event by the city’s Mayor Paola Felice. The Delegation of the Order, with the Secretary Commander Giuseppe D’Amico and the Master of Ceremonies Knight Michele di Maioha, brought greeting to H.E. Monsignor Colaianni and to the Mayor Paola Felice, along with the heartfelt congratulations of the Order’s Delegate of Molise, Don Ettore d’Alessandro, Duke of Pescolanciano.

CAMPOBASSO, 31st MAY, 2024 – Invited by the fraternity of the Frati Minori Cappuccini of Campobasso, a large group of the Molise Delegation, led by its Secretary, Commander Giuseppe D’Amico, attended in Campobasso the solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by H.E. Monsignor Biagio Colaianni, in honour of Maria Santissima Incoronata del Monte, together with Knight Roberto D’Aloisio, Cristian De Paola, Giuseppe Di Nonno, and the postulants Dafne D’Amico and Michele Tartaglia.
After the ceremony, the procession of “Madonna dei Monti” followed, one of those traditions rooted in the culture of the people of Campobasso.
The now famous carpets of flowers, also known as “Infiorata”, are prepared before the procession; another well-established tradition, born in 1800, which has continued every year since then.

The Cathedral of SS. Trinità was reopened for the faithful of Molise on the afternoon of Sunday 26th May 2024, on the feast of the Trinity Sunday, the main church of Campobasso is dedicated to. With the opening of the doors of the basilica to the faithful, it was possible to show the splendid and precious artistic heritage contained in it, which has recently been recovered and restored.
H.E. Monisgnor Biagio Colaianni, Archbishop of Campobasso-Mojano, together with H.E. Monsignor Giancarlo Maria Bregatini, Archbishop emeritus, presided over the moving and powerful religious ceremony, surrounded by a significant presence of the faithful and civil and military authorities.
A representation of the Molise Delegation was invited to join this solemn event. The Knights attending the ceremony were: Secretary Commander Giuseppe D’Amico and Knight Michele Di Maio, with whom Archbishop Giancarlo M. Bregantini, Knight Grand Cross of Ecclesiastical Grace, shared a jovial and fraternal moment of greeting at the end of the ceremony. On this occasion, the Archbishop himself confirmed his availability for spiritual collaboration with the Order, as Prior of the Delegation.

The Delegation of Molise, represented by its secretary Knight Commander Giuseppe D’Amico, and Knights Giulio de Jorio Frisari, Cristian di Paola, Michele Di Maio, Alessio Varisco, Tonino Tarantino and other honorees, donated a large amount of clothing and shoes to the Franciscan convent of S.S. Annunziata di San Giorgio in Sannio. The donation to the Franciscan priests was led by Father Domenico Tirone, with whom the transport of goods to Gambia (West Africa) was organised. The charitable operation received the sincere thanks of Father Domenico, who got the fraternal greetings of the Delegate, Duke Don Ettore d’Alessandro di Pescolanciano, advocate of these charitables activities towards the needy. The delivery of the donations in Africa, through our brother Mike, was greeted with joyful spirits by the villagers. They expressed obvious gratitude and recognition with smiles and repeated warmly thanks, making the delegation motto “a gift for a smile” tangible even in territories far away, but still close in the hearts of Molise Knights.

The Molise Delegation, represented by about twelve new Knights and Dames and coordinanted by the Secretary Commander Giuseppe D’Amico and by the Vice-Delgate Knight Giulio de Jorio Frisari with the Master of ceremonies Knight Francesco Lupo, partecipated in the solemn Holy Friday procession in Campobasso. Before leaving the church of Santa Maria della Croce, planned for 6pm on Friday 29 March, the Commander D’Amico, under the instructions of the Delgate, met Knight Laureti of the Ordine del Santo Sepolcro in a friendly greeting, renovating the feelings of christian esteeme that bind the two Orders of chivalry.
The solemn procession, presided over by Monsignor Biagio Colaianni, the new Bishop of the Campobasso-Boiano diocese, took place through the streets of the city center at the sound of the traditional choir “Teco Vorrei”.

On the occasion of the Ester Precept and the anniversary of the apparitions at the shrine of Addolorata in Castelpetroso, on Saturday, 23 March the solemn ceremony for the investiture of the new Knights took place in the evocative location of the church of San Nicola di Bari in Macchia d’Isernia, at the presence of the Delegate Don Ettore d’Alessandro, Duke of Pescolanciano and his wife, Dame of Justice Donna Brunella Murolo. The religious ceremony was officiated by the parish priest Father Enzo Falasca, who brought to the attendees the fraternal greetings of Father Giuseppe Graziano, chaplain of the Delegation, who was not able to attend, and of H.E.R. Monsignor Giancarlo Maria Bregantini, Archbishop emeritus of Campobasso-Boiano. With the rite of the blessing of the mantle and the oath on the ancient formula of nomination, the Knights invested were:  Bitonti Cesare; D’Aloisio Roberto; D’Andrea Eraldo; Dellegrazie Luigi; De Jorio Frisari Giulio; Di Giuseppe Gabriele; Di Maio Michele; Di Nonno Giuseppe; Di Nunno Dario; Di Paola Cristian; Laureti Marco; Lepore Luca; Palladino Mario; Pica Angelo; Pica Antonio; Sparacino Renato; Tarantino Tonino; as well as: D’Andrea Eraldo; Girella Andrea; Sgamma Matteo; Friolo Pierangelo; De Blasio Giovanni; Diana Alfonso; Cocorocchio Gianluigi. During the ceremony the “Croce pro Ecclesia et Pontefice“, given by the Vatican through Archbishop Bregantini, was delivered to the Delegate d’Alessandro by the Secretary Commander D’Amico. At the end of the ceremony, the Delegation was welcomed at the nearby castle by the Vice-Delegate Giulio De Jorio Frisari for a toast at the presence of some regional television channels, which recorded the news. A breakfast at the local restaurant “Elicriso” followed. Finally, the day ended with a short presentation of the last book by the duosiciliano scholar, Giovanni Pede, called “Dal Macerone a Gaeta” on the Bourbonic military history of the last phase of the Kingdom, with some details on the Molise territory.