News & Press Notes

Palermo-20th February 2015- St. Francesco di Paola’s parish church, day lit and very crowded, hosted the constantinian knights from Palermo Antonio di Janni, Gianfranco Romagnoli, Vincenzo Nuccio, Rosario Palermo, Gasperino Como, Rosario Tantillo, Umberto Mendola, Carmelo Sanmarco, Alessandro Palazzolo, Ettore Orfanello who joined the rite of the Holy Ashes conducted by the parson don Saverio Cento together with don Giorgio Terrasi and don Antonio Porretta, all constantinian chaplains.

During the homily father Saverio emphasized the importance of the Lent period and how the 40 days before Easter stand for a stage from an old man to a new one, the most suitable period to abandon vanity and superficial matters to choose essentiality and essentials. Money, sex and power seem to be the password to the contemporary world, however, what we think we own is not essential at all.

Only the purity of the heart and mind, the will to obey and commit to the listening and to the everyday respect of the Lord’s word give a meaning to the attendance of the rite.

Father Saverio took the chance to inform all the presents that they are going to activate all the procedures in order to examine the remains that can be related to S. Oliva found in the forties and kept in the convent chapel  and mentioned the chance to name the church and the convent of S. Francesco di Paola lying in the square of the same name as Shrine as soon as possible.

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Monreale: March 8, 2015- On the occasion of the international day dedicated to all women, at the Church of Santa Maria degli Agonizzanti, entrusted by the Sicilian delegation of the Constantinian Order, there has been a meeting-debate entitled: “Stories of Women who make the difference. ”

The initiative, organized by the Association Mons Realis, with the sponsorship of the City of Monreale and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, saw the participation of professionals from the world of politics, business and culture who have told their experiences providing viruous insights to all those who are looking for their own cultural or working path.

The meeting was opened by the Councillor for Education of the City of Monreale, Nadia Olga Granà, who focused the attention on the role of women in politics and on the – unfortunately- “recent” achievements of Italian women who have had to wait until  1946 to obtain the right to vote or even worse until 1981 to cancel the crime allowing to kill for honor.

Professor Maria Antonietta Spadaro, Vice President ANISA (National Association of Teachers of History of Art) showed that even today there are many forms of discrimination against women in the context of the Italian language, which, very often, uses male terms  to indicate  both sexes;  in advertising that uses women’s bodies to sell goods giving to young people a male-dominated and distorted  vision of reality.

She especially highlighted as in the art world, over the centuries, women, even though they were excellent painters or sculptors, they have never been considered not even  mentioned in art history books and their works often  remained in the shadows or were attributed to “famous men” whose power allowed them to usurp the recognition.

Even today most of the names of the streets of our cities belong to men, women who have had “the honor “to have named a street is only 5%, including the holy women  and those of mythological origin.

Rosy De Gregorio, Vice Director of the State Police and Director of the Section of the Traffic Police of Palermo, told her experience of conscious woman who has played for many years an important role in a world traditionally dominated by men highlighting how it is still an urgent need that young women become  aware of their potential  and try to realize themselves in areas such as the State Police pursuing their own sense of duty and using their deep culture, drawing on the experiences of all those women who fought for this.

The role of women  within the school was highlighted by Professor Maria Rosaria Bonanno who, belonging to the world concerning education and growth of young people has always been attributable to the female world.

Her report emphasizes the fact that today girls today are too often interested only in mobile phones and social networks and take for granted the achievements of our mothers that had to fight to get  them.

She also noted that the real teacher’s role is to be able to recognize in each student, man or woman, the ability to assert his/her  role in a society where gender difference is only an added value and not a discrimination.

The meeting was attended, among the many guests , by the Marshal Gianluca De Venuto, Commander of the Carabinieri of Monreale, the Senator Bartolo Fazio and H.E. Monsignor  Michele Pennisi, Archbishop of Monreale,  Prior of  Sicily of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, who reported the message given by Pope Francis during his Angelus; he spoked of the important role of women within the family and in  society and  he recounted when he met  Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a woman of great courage who has been able to convey to all of us  a deep sense of faith and the value related to human suffering. He also highlighted how the church of Santa Maria degli Agonizzanti has become a center of worship as well as  of culture.

The Association Mons Realis has, then, wanted to decorate Professor Maria La Rosa and   Professor  Maria Antonietta Spadaro with the title of honorary members for thir  profound closeness and their sharing with the statutory purposes and cultural initiatives implemented in the territory of Monreale during last year.

After the meeting Isabella Dalia Lo Coco  performed a piano concert delighting  the audience with music by Chopin and Beethoven;  Antonio Di Janni, Delegate for Sicily of the  Constantinian Order of St. George and the Knight  Fabrizio Ippoliti, have given her acertificate of recognition for her skill and grace demonstrated in the execution of the musics.

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