On the occasion of the past feast of Saint Charles Borromeo, the Knights and Dames of the Guard of Honour at the Royal Tombs of the Bourbon Sovereigns of the Delegation of Naples and Campania commemorated the figure of the first great sovereign of the Bourbon dynasty, His Majesty King Charles. The Guard also honoured King Francis I, who, despite his short reign lasting only five years, continued to modernise the Kingdom by promoting scientific and technological development.
On Wednesday 13 October, the usual donation of goods for children was held in Monreale, related to the “Briciole di Salute” project. The distribution takes place fortnightly. The volunteers Lia Giangreco, Sonia Lo Monaco and Antonella Zito delivered nappies, biscuits, pasta, milk and baby food, as well as shoes and clothes.
On Tuesday 12 October, the Delegation of Sicily, as part of the solidarity project “Briciole di Salute”, donated basic foodstuffs to be given to the neediest families to the Chaplain of the Constantinian Order Father Rino Randazzo, parish priest of Maria SS Annunziata in Castelvetrano, at the Technical Primary Institute “G. Carducci” in Sciacca. Knight Giuseppe Lipari and the institute’s headmaster organised the donation. The school staff, the Constantinian Chaplain Father Rino Randazzo, Knights Giuseppe Lipari, Baldo Cacioppo, Salvatore Notarianni, Vito Lipari and Prof. Sergio Panunzio were present at the event.
On 9 October, an event related to the “Briciole di salute” project took place in Alcamo in the presence of the parish priest Monsignor Aldo Giordano at the Church Santa Maria Assunta. The event was organised in cooperation with the Rotary Club Palermo Montepellegrino, led by President Antonio Fundarò, to distribute food and medical supplies for babies and children. Knight Mario Vitiello, Commander of Grace Pietro Francesco Mistretta, Commander Antonio Fundarò, the President of the Rotary Club Palermo Montepellegrino and the secretary of the Club Rotary Ninni Genova participated. We also thank the pastry shop of Enza Pizzolato in Alcamo.
On Tuesday 12 October, the inauguration celebration of the school year of the Technical Primary Institute G. Carducci was held at the Mother Church in Sciacca. The religious service was celebrated by the Archpriest Giuseppe Marciante and the Constantinian Chaplain Father Rino Randazzo. In his homily, Father Rino Randazzo emphasised the importance of education in values, especially within the school, which is crucial for students’ education. At the end of the celebration, the Headmaster of the Institute, Prof. Sergio Panunzio, after thanking the Vice Delegate Antonio di Janni and the Delegation of Sicily for their presence and commitment to social work, stressed how school is important in the transmission of values. In addition to the school staff, the celebration was attended by all the civil, political and military authorities and a group of Knights of the Delegation of Sicily.
On Thursday 28 October, Knights Michele Salerno, Baldassare Cacioppo and Antonino Centonze went to the Church Maria Santissima della Salute in Castelvetrano to bring medical supplies and food, in accordance to the “Briciole di Salute” Project. The parish priest and Knight of Ecclesiastic Grace Father Rino Randazzo received the gifts offered by the Delegation of Sicily and he welcomed and thanked the delegation for helping the needy children and families of the parish community.
On Saturday 30 October, two donations of goods for children aged zero to three belonging to needy families in the city of Carini took place. The “Briciole di Salute” Project continued with a donation to the Mother Church delivered to the Archpriest Father Giacomo Sgroi, Knight of Ecclesiastic Grace, and to the Sacred Heart Church to the parish priest Father Jean Bosco. The Vice Delegate of the Delegation of Sicily and Knight Giulio Pillitteri delivered the goods.
The Delegation of Sicily remains committed to the Madonna della Tenda di Cristo Community, run by Sister Alfonsina. On 19 October, Commander Antonino Amato, the representative for Catania and its province, made a donation of goods for the children of the community.
At the abbey church San Martino delle Scale, the Delegation of Sicily, at the invitation of the Most Reverend Abbot of San Martino Father Vittorio Rizzone, participated in the solemn celebration on the occasion of the liturgical feast of St. Martin of Tours, Patron Saint of the Army Infantry. The celebration, presided over by His Most Reverend Eminence Monsignor Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro, Archbishop Secretary of the Congregation of Oriental Churches, and concelebrated by the Most Reverend Abbot Father Vittorio Rizzone, was attended by representatives of other Combatant and Armed Forces Associations, as well as a notable participation of the citizens living in the province of Monreale. Councillor Luigi D’Eliseo, representing the Mayor of Monreale, Alberto Arcidiacono, was accompanied by the municipal councillor Flavio Pillitteri and the Mayor Delegate for the hamlet of San Martino delle Scale, Stefano Mangano. The Most Rev. Father Abbot thanked the celebrating archbishop and the Vice Delegate, Commendators Fundarò, Mistretta and Nuccio, and Knights Impastato, Notarianni and Patti for their commitment to the parish Caritas.
The American Delegation of the Constantinian Order recently made a donation to the ‘Keep the Refuge’ Campaign of Children of the Immaculate Heart (CIH). Founded in 2013, the objective of Children of the Immaculate Heart is to help commercially exploited (sexually trafficked) children and women and open homes for them. There are an estimated 200,000 – 300,000 such youth in the United States. At the first home Children of the Immaculate Heart has opened, called ‘the Refuge’ in San Diego, California, survivors find love, freedom, and safety, as well as around-the-clock care, education, and job training.
While Children of the Immaculate Heart has raised the necessary funds to secure the home title loan and close escrow, the “Keep the Refuge” Capital Campaign will pay off the balloon loan for the shelter.
The knights and dames of the American Delegation are happy to help Children of the Immaculate Heart fulfill its vital and timely mission, and make a real difference in the lives of these children and women.
On Saturday 16 October, the annual Commemoration of the Soldiers of the Army of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies who fell in the Battle of Volturno on 1-2 October 1860 was held. The initiative started 24 years ago by Capuan Commander Giovanni Salemi and has continued to grow despite his death also thanks to the Delegation of Naples and Campania. This year it was organised in cooperation with the Neapolitan Academy of Historical Studies. In the morning, a laurel wreath was laid at the Capua Cemetery at the final resting place of Artillery Major Filippo Ginolfi, who ideally represented all his comrades, and a second wreath was laid at the resting place of ‘Commander’ Salemi. In front of both graves, Mgr Luigi Castiello, Delegation Councillor and Vice President of the Neapolitan Academy of Historical Studies, invited the participants to pray. In the afternoon, the Royal Parish of King St. Ferdinand in San Leucio hosted the Holy Mass of Suffrage for the Fallen, presided over by Bishop Castiello, and animated by the ‘Resonare Fibris’ Choir. The participants of the 1st line regiment preceded the Constantinian Knights with their colourful period uniforms. The Knights reached their places in the church. Together with them, members of the Guard of Honour at the Royal Tombs were present. Afterwards, the traditional historical conference was held in San Leucio, which this year was dedicated to the Count of Caserta and Queen Maria Sofia on the 180th anniversary of her birth. Among those present were Dr. Domenico Villano, President of the Pro Loco Real Sito in San Leucio, Dr. Donato Scialla, President of the Association “Corteo Storico” in San Leucio, the Secretary General of the Foundation “Francesco II delle Due Sicilie”, Knight of Merit Umberto Sofia Crescenzi and the President of the Association “Identitaria Alta Terra di Lavoro”, Claudio Saltarelli. At the beginning of the conference, after the national anthems of Bavaria and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Knight Grand Officer of Grace Eugenio Donadoni, speaking on behalf of the National Italian Association of the Constantinian Knights explained the activities and aims of the association to the guests, after welcoming and thanking the authorities. A warmly welcomed guest was Knight Grand Officer of Merit Aurelio Badolati, Vice Delegate of Calabria. On this occasion, the Neapolitan Academy of Historical Studies awarded the Delegate and Vice Delegates of the Delegation of Campania the title of Honorary Academician and Commander Dr. Giuseppe Catenacci, Honorary President of the Nunziatella Alumni Association, received similar recognition. The speakers, coordinated by Dr. Carmen Nugnes, were highly appreciated: Fernando di Mieri, lecturer at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University, who spoke about the situation after the fall of the Kingdom; Adolfo Morganti, President of the Association “Identitá Europea”, spoke about the Count of Caserta’s Europeanist vision and Gigi di Fiore concluded by talking about Queen Maria Sofia. Musicians Donato Scialla, Ubaldo Tartaglione and Roberto Celentano performed different pieces of music. Finally, certificates of merit were delivered by the Academy to all those who collaborated. At the end of the conference, the President of the Academy, Knight of Merit Giancarlo Rinaldi, once again recalled the founder of this ceremony, thanking Marquise Federica de Gregorio Cattaneo di Sant’Elia, Delegate for Campania, and Marquis Giuliano Buccino Grimaldi, President of the National Italian Association of the Constantinian Knights.
A much-appreciated donation was made by the American Delegation on the occasion of the feast of All Saints, November 1, 2021 in New York. Numerous American knights and dames donated toward the acquisition of four Neapolitan reliquaries for the historic Italian church, the Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in East Harlem, New York.
The Shrine is an important landmark and gathering place not only for the Italian and Italian-American communities, but also a center of Marian devotion, and entrusted to the pastoral ministry of the Pallottine Fathers since 1884.
The church, located in a challenged section of New York, has welcomed the American Delegation of the Constantinian Order several times over the past few years. The Delegation started a collection for the beautiful reliquaries in September, in honor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, to Whom countless immigrants from southern Italy entrusted themselves, forced to leave their homeland for economic reasons after the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, immigrants who founded many churches named for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in their adopted country.
The blessing of the reliquaries and their placement on the gradines of the high altar of Our Lady for the veneration of the faithful took place on the feast of All Saints, the day in which the Church especially commemorates all Saints, often exposing their sacred relics for public veneration.
