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Food donation to the needy

1/11/2015

Imperia, November 2015. The Delegation for Liguria – in close partnership with their affiliated branch Team Ponente Ligure – still pushing ahead with their humanitarian program for social cohesion, perfectly in line with ongoing project “The Hunger of our Neighbour”, have made a significant donation of packaged food items to the parish church “Santuario Nostra Signora Assunta dei Piani”. The parish priest, Don Antonello Dani, has been consistently at the forefront of delivering relief aid programs, bringing assistance to underprivileged and disadvantaged individuals experiencing financial hardships, with special attention being paid to people with disabilities, underage children, senior citizens vulnerable to loneliness, and refugees. Over the past few months, the province of Imperia has been heavily affected by the unfolding refugee crisis in particular, due to its closeness to French borders. Currently, however, there exist a number of different projects aimed at the redevelopment of public spaces and at the implementation of riverbed, road and beach maintenance plans while also providing a wide range of social and educational services.

SOLIDARITY WEEK – “THE HUNGER OF OUR NEIGHBOUR”

1/11/2015

Reggio Calabria, November 2015. Humanitarian aid project “Solidarity Week”, organised by the Delegation of Calabria, is scheduled to get underway in the second decade of November. The initiative is perfectly in line with one of the Order’s programmatic goals, namely, to provide assistance to disadvantaged low-income individuals through the provision and distribution of basic food necessities, which on this occasion resulted in a whole truckload of them being donated to the event by Esselunga Spa, one of the major Italian chains operating in the supply chain business. The Grand Prefect, HE The Ambassador Augusto Ruffo di Calabria, whose resourcefulness and keen sense of initiative proved determinant to the event, had no doubts whatever about choosing to allocate the bulk of such provisions to Calabria due to the region’s unenviable top spot in the economic report released by the ISTAT institute (Office for National Statistics): Calabria is currently the number one region for cases of extreme poverty. Standing in a line of continuity with charity project “The Hunger of Our Neighbour”, a programme first conceived by the Grand Master, such a humanitarian appeal had already met with approval at the highest levels of the Delegation’s management and was further announced through a series of events organised in close partnership with other charity agencies. While this is just the beginning, the project is to get off the ground by the end of November, when the whole of the food supplies, shipped at no cost by a well-known truck transport company based in Villaricca, is due to be delivered in Calabria where they will be distributed through a number of donation events taking place in each of the provinces right across the region. The operation will mostly involve parish churches, institutions for pastoral care (Caritas), community centres for both the elderly and the young and by providing for the most vulnerable members of our society, they will act in full accordance with those ‘Christian values’ which the Vice Delegate Mr Aurelio Badolati, Commander of Merit with Star, recently referred to in one of his speeches from not long ago.

HIGHEST-RANKING DIGNITARIES ATTEND CHARITY EVENT “NEW CRUMBS OF HEALTH”

28/10/2015

Monreale, 28 October 2015. Subsequent to the Order’s donation of an electric mobility aid to the local Caritas diocesan branch, HE The Grand Prefect, HRH The Grand Chancellor, the Secretary of the Royal Deputation along with the Archbishop of Monreale, accompanied by the Vice Delegate, took part in the fortnightly charity distribution of childcare products which was held in the annex of the Constantinian church of Maria SS. degli Agonizzanti as part of charitable project “New Crumbs of Health”. Products for 60 children were distributed during the event. The presence of the highest-ranking Dignitaries thus served as a strong reminder of the Order’s unfaltering commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to needy individuals and vulnerable members of our society.

ELECTRIC SCOOTER DONATION TO CARITAS IN MONREALE

28/10/2015

Monreale, 28 October 2015. To ensure maximum mobility and safety for disabled and elderly people or individuals with limited mobility, the Delegation of Sicily of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George has donated a four-wheel electric scooter to the Caritas branch in Monreale, headed by Don Ferdinando Toia. The event was held at the behest of the Vice Delegate Mr Antonio di Janni, Mr Vincenzo Nuccio, Commander of Merit and Mr Carmelo Sammarco, Commander of Merit, in coincidence with the visit to Palermo made by His Eminence Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino, Grand Prior of the Constantinian Order; the Grand Prefect, HE The Ambassador Don Augusto Ruffo di Calabria dei Principi di Scilla and HRH The Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Resulting from long-established collaborative relations with the Archdioceses of Monreale, currently under the spiritual leadership of His Most Reverend Eminence Mons. Michele Pennisi, Prior of the Constantinian Order, the initiative forms an integral part of the new charitable project ‘New Crumbs of Health’. The electric motor will ensure the highest degree of safety for users, allowing them to move around safely and carry their own daily shopping too thanks to its purpose-built design.

New Royal Investitures in Monreale

27/10/2015

Monreale, 27 October 2015. Having elicited the choral response “In nomine Christi, amen” from the clergy and the illustrious Knights and Dames, Don Antonio Cipriano’s pronouncement “Procedamus in pace” marked the beginning of the procession which took place in the Duomo of Monreale on Tuesday 27 October and which was followed by a Eucharistic celebration heralding new knightly investitures into the Order. The religious ceremony was officiated by His Most Reverend Eminence Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino, Grand Prior, and concelebrated by the Archbishop of Monreale HE Mons. Michele Pennisi, Prior of Sicily and by HE Mons. Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro, Bishop for the Italo-Albanian communities across Sicily and the Isles of Italy, together with Don Calogero D’Ugo, parish priest of the Chiesa Madre “SS. Crocifisso” at Belmonte Mezzagno, Don Giuseppe Scrivano, parish priest of the church of San Francesco di Paola alla Civita at Catania, and Don Porfilio Traficanti, parish priest of the Latin church of “Santa Cristina Gela”. While delivering his sermon, the Grand Prior – clearly inspired by the Crucifix donated by the “Accademia Internazionale Giuseppe Pitrè” of Palermo, which was here represented by the President of the association, Professor Giovanni Gianpino – thought it worthwhile to remind all new appointees, most notably Mr Salvatore Vassallo, Mr Antonino Smiroldo, Mr Felice Alessandro Gambad’Oro and Mr Renato Milazzo, along with the Ecclesiastical Knights, Don Porfilio Traficanti and Don Calogero Falcone, of how the Order is historically committed to the delivery of the following principal duties: the Glorification of the Cross, the dissemination of the Faith, and the defence of the Holy Roman Church. For this reason, Knights and Dames are not only required to lead perfectly Christian lives but it also expected that they will affiliate themselves with all initiatives directly contributing to the furtherance of religious principles among people, and that they will establish – by all available means – close cooperative ties with the purpose of reviving Christian religious practice. At the close of the ceremony too, as HE Mons. Pennisi, HE Don Augusto Ruffo di Calabria dei Principi di Scilla and the Vice Delegate proceeded to express their heartfelt thanks and gratitude, there were further opportunities for the Order’s charitable activities currently ongoing across Sicily and in the Norman city to be brought into sharp focus, over and above what remains a part the Order’s foundational guidelines. Deserving of a special mention was the commendable work performed in connection with humanitarian project “Nuove Briciole di Salute”. Quite aside from the Grand Prefect, also attending the event were HE Don Augusto Ruffo di Calabria dei Principi di Scilla, who gave a reading of the Prayer of the Constantinian Knight, the Grand Chancellor HRH The Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the Grand Master of Ceremonies Mr Piero Cutellè, the Vice Delegate for Tuscany Mr Edoardo Puccetti (Commander), the Vice Delegate for Calabria Mr Aurelio Badolati, the representative for the city of Brescia Don Arnaldo Morandi along with the Tuscan clergy, numerous knights and dames, coming from Lombardy, Tuscany, Campania, Calabria and from all over Sicily. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta was represented by the Delegate for Western Sicily Baron Vincenzo Calefati di Canalotti who received the parchment certificate of investiture into the Constantinian Order in the capacity of ‘Knight Grand Cross of Justice’ whilst acting on behalf of HE Fra’ Luigi Naselli of Gela, Grand Prior of Naples and Sicily of the S.M.O.M.. Other parchment certificates of investiture were handed over to HE Mons. Pennisi on the occasion of his appointment to the rank of Ecclesiastical Knight Grand Cross of Grace and to Mr Giuseppe Grandinetti, Mr Vincenzo Nuccio and Mr Carmelo Sammarco who were created Commanders of Merit. The solemn ceremony was further enlivened by the Choir of the Cathedral of Monreale which featured the addition of Mother Eleusa, Sister Tenerezza and Sister Dolce Nombre, Sister Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matarà. At the end of a very hectic day, a celebratory luncheon was held at a panoramic restaurant on the 14^th floor of the Hotel San Paolo in Palermo.