Category: Delegation of Calabria

Reggio Calabria, 21 – 29 November 2015. As previously announced by the Vice Delegate Mr Aurelio Badolati, Commander of Merit with Star, charitable project “Solidarity Week” is scheduled to get underway in the third decade of November under the leadership of the Delegation of Calabria. “We have resolved to focus the bulk of our humanitarian efforts on bringing aid to our fellow citizens of Calabria, where the economic crisis is not simply a severe one but has actually taken on dramatic proportions.” This was the promise made on the occasion of a Convention which took place in October in the Council Chamber of Varapodio City Hall and which was titled “Dara Project – The Hunger of Our Neighbour”. The basic foods consignment, which – let us remind you – recently arrived in Calabria following a donation of supermarket chain ‘Esselunga S.p.A.” and which owes a great deal to the keen sense of initiative of our Grand Prefect HE The Ambassador Augusto Ruffo di Calabria dei Principi di Scilla, went through a sorting process, having been parcelled out and reassembled by the volunteer teams of the parish churches directly involved. All volunteers worked under the guidance of project coordinator the kinght Mr Pasqualino Guerrisi.  Today, the packaged food supplies are ready for distribution to all the provinces in the region thanks to the involvement of local parishes, pastoral associations (Caritas), and institutions for the young and the elderly.

What follows is a listing of the dates and locations set for the first segment of the food distribution:

21 November – Giffone (RC), Parish Church of Maria SS. del Soccorso

22 November – S. Ferdinando (RC), Parish Church of S. Ferdinando

23 November – Sant’Eufemia d’Aspromonte (RC), Parish Church of Sant’Eufemia Vergine e Maria

24 November – Palmi (RC) Parish Church of San Nicola

25 November – Lamezia Terme (CZ), Parish Church of Santa Maria Goretti

26 November – Taurianova  (RC), Parish Church of S. Giuseppe

27 November – Palmi (RC), Parish Church of Maria SS. del Soccorso

28 November – Polistena (RC), Parish Church of Santa Maria Vergine

29 November – Cosenza (CS), Parish Church of Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù

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Cosenza, 29 November 2015. “I would like to offer my warmest thanks to all the Knights, Benefactors and Volunteers of our Order who, for over a month, have been working flat out to help breathe life into this major project which showed our Delegation in the best possible light. Indeed, several charity organisations, which we have been assisting right across the region, have immediately joined in extending their sincerest thanks to us: parishes, Caritas agencies, communities for the elderly and young people. We are proud of our achievements as our donations have succeeded in bringing back a smile to some of the most vulnerable among us.” Such poignant words, spoken by the Delegate Gianpietro Sanseverino dei Baroni di Marcellinara, came as charitable project ‘Solidarity Week – The Hunger of our Neighbour’, promoted, as you will remember, by the Delegation of Calabria to bring humanitarian aid to people facing economic hardships in the region, finally drew to a close. The initiative was made possible by a donation of basic food items from Esselunga S.p.A. and owed much to the tireless support given by our Grand Prefect HE The Ambassador Augusto Ruffo di Calabria dei Principi di Scilla. Final food aid recipient for the third decade of November was the city of Cosenza. In particular, the consignment was despatched to the Caritas agency within the Parish of Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù (Saint Therese of the Child Jesus) where, following hot on the heels of the handover ceremony involving parish volunteers, Holy Mass was celebrated by the parish priest Don Dario De Paola. Among those in attendance were Dame Maria Cristina Parise Martirano and Dame Maria Nivea Marzo Spizzirri; the Knights of Merit Maurizio Greco, Ivan Pucci, Giuseppe Vena, Giuseppe Valente, Emanuele Nazario Scarlata, Antonino Sgrò; the Coordinator for the Benefactors, Roberto Bendini; the volunteers and collaborators Erminia Pucci, Ramona Rugna, Tina Spizzirri Marzo, Carlo Parisio, Domenico Bilotta, Gustavo Valente, Francesco Paolo Piro, along with our Member Delegates. During the celebratory banquet which took place straight afterwards, Giuseppe Spizzirri Marzo, Knight of Merit, was formally announced as the City of Cosenza Representative for the Constantinian Order. All attendees joined in congratulating the new appointee, a man of unquestionable character and integrity, extending warmest wishes for success in the position, which was greeted by a round of applause. Subsequently, the Delegation paid a visit to the ‘Museo Diocesano’ (Diocesan Museum), escorted by its current director Don Salvatore Fuscaldo who, together with antiquarian Francesco Paolo Piro, went on to provide an extensive and vivid commentary on the historic treasures on display, among which the famous ‘Stauroteca’, a golden cross containing an extant relic of Christ, which Frederick II of Swabia donated to the city of Cosenza on the occasion of the consecration of the ‘Duomo’ in 1222. A final address was delivered by the Vice Delegate Aurelio Badolati, Commander of Merit, in which he discussed plans for new charity events to be held in December.

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Polistena, 28 November 2015. It was left to the city of Polistena, a small village lying at the foot of the Aspromonte massif, to play host to the penultimate event of ‘Solidarity Week – The Hunger of our Neighbour’, a charitable project in aid of people in need in the region, promoted, as many of you will remember, by the Delegation of Calabria in response to our Grand Master’s charity appeal. The Delegation was keen to follow up on the Grand Master’s call for humanitarian help with a wide range of initiatives delivering relief services in close partnership with other aid agencies. More specifically, a consignment of basic commodities, donated by Esselunga S.p.A., was despatched to the Parish of ‘Santa Marina Vergine e Martire’ (‘St Marina Virgin and Martyr’) where voluntary association ‘Il Samaritano’ (‘The Samaritan’) is regularly engaged in providing humanitarian assistance as well as actively contributing to the dissemination of the Christian ‘doctrine of love’ through several different projects aimed at tackling and preventing the ills of social exclusion and malaise (as evidenced by their work in support of young people with disabilities, individuals facing distress, underage youth confronted by social issues). After the donation ceremony, which took place at the same venue run by the Association, Holy Mass was officiated by Mons. Giuseppe Demasi, generally referred to as ‘Don Pino’. Mons. Demasi is a ‘front-line’ prelate, Vicar General to the Diocese of ‘Oppido-Mamertina-Palmi’, Representative for the ‘Libera in Calabria’ Association as well as a recent winner of the prestigious ‘Paolo Borsellino National Award’, usually conferred in recognition of significant acts of bravery and committed actions guided by moral integrity with the aim of fighting back violence and injustice within the social domain. We would like to pay tribute to Don Pino’s tangible commitment to society and his successful efforts in the administration of property and assets seized from organised crime group ‘Ndrangheta’. His work offers high hopes for the many law-abiding and honest people in the South who, sharing a common desire to bring back law and order, move forward and live together peacefully, still place their trust in the State and its institutions. Don Pino extended warmest thanks to our Order for its charitable activities: “….for you fed the hungry, and gave a drink to the thirsty and clothes to the naked who came knocking at the door here at ‘The Samaritan’…”. Turning emotional, Vice Delegate Aurelio Badolati, Commander of Merit with Star, explained how “…it would be a great joy for us, as members of the Constantinian Order, if we had managed to make only one person smile when there was really a need for it”. Little did the Vice Delegate know that shortly before his speech, a boy from Mali, rushed to a hospital emergency unit, had previously been handed undergarments donated by the Order. Attending the ceremony were the following Knights of Merit: Rocco Gatto and Pasquale Zavaglia along with the Coordinator for the Benefactors Roberto Bendini.

Our charity tour is to move to Cosenza next for the last event of ‘Solidarity Week’.

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Palmi, 27 November 2015. Charity tour “Solidarity Week – The Hunger of Our Neighbour”, promoted by the Delegation of Calabria in support of needy people in the Calabria region, still underway at several venues across Calabria including local parishes, pastoral institutions (Caritas), communities for the elderly and young people. As the tour arrived at the city of Palmi, a hugely warm welcome was reserved to members of the Constantinian Order who were on hand to deliver a consignment of basic food items to 60 families from the Parish of ‘Maria Santissima del Soccorso’, following a donation from ‘Esselunga S.p.A.’. All families were picked by the local Caritas management team from among the poorest households in the area. “What we’re doing”, said the Vice Delegate, Aurelio Badolati, Commander of Knight with Star, visibly touched at the thought of bringing humanitarian aid to his own hometown, “is just a small fraction of what could be done to ease the suffering of people, a drop in the ocean, but a great many drops can ultimately make a river”. Before the Vice-Delegate’s address in the splendid old ‘Church of the Most Holy Cross’, High Mass had been officiated by the parish ‘Don Emanuele Leuzzi’. The prelate took many opportunities to express his heartfelt thanks and deep gratitude for the event during his homily, lavishing praise on the Order and paying homage to those Constantinian Knights who had fallen in the service of Christianity in a bid to uphold its values. In attendance at the ceremony were Rocco Gatto, Knight of Merit, and Paqualino Guerrisi, along with the Coordinator for the Benefactors, Roberto Bendini.

Next destination on the charity tour is Polistena (RC).

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Lamezia Terme, 25 November 2015. As part of humanitarian project ‘Solidarity Week – The Hunger of our Neighbour’, promoted by the Delegation of Calabria in support of impoverished people in the region, the Constantinian Order’s charity tour has now landed in the city of Catanzaro too. The food supplies, originally donated by ‘Esselunga S.p.A.’, were made available at this November event at the parish church of ‘Santa Maria Goretti’ at Lamezia Terme. Local volunteers were handed the relief materials at a symbolic donation ceremony, presided by our Dame Maria Neve Marzo Spizzirri and held at a venue adjacent to the church. Subsequently, parish priest Don Giuseppe Angotti celebrated the Holy Mass, reciprocating, in a warm and heartfelt response, the cordial greetings conveyed by our Vice Delegate, Aurelo Badolati, Commander of Merit with Star. In a speech addressed to the congregation, Mr Badolati explained how ‘in this day and age, as we move further into the third millennium, attending to the duties of a knight entails launching crusades to assist the most vulnerable members of society, outcasts and individuals with little or no social visibility at all as humanitarian acts of selflessness can go a very long way towards putting a smile back on their faces.” Alongside our Dame Spizzirri, other attendees included the following Knights of Merit: Giuseppe Spizzirri Marzo, Pasqualino Guerrisi, Rocco Gatto, as well as Marcello Bagalà, one of the Order’s trusted volunteers currently helping with the project.

Next up on our charity tour is Palmi (RC).

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San Ferdinando, 22 November 2015. Second edition of ‘Solidarity Week – The Hunger of our Neighbour’, a charitable project promoted by the Delegation of Calabria to provide assistance to individuals facing hardships in the region and made possible, as was previously announced, by Esselunga S.p.A. following their donation of a substantial basic foods consignment. The whole operation was the result of an initiative spearheaded by our Grand Prefect, HE The Ambassador Augusto Ruffo di Calabria dei Principi di Scilla. This time round, the charity event reached out to the lovely little village of San Ferdinando (RC), a small municipality overlooking the Gulf area near Gioia Tauro, on the Calabrian side of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The food distribution ceremony was held in conjunction with a religious service celebrated by the local parish priest, Don Antonino Massara, at the ‘Chiesa Madre di San Ferdinando Re’, which turned out to be so packed with people for the occasion that many were not able to find a seat. The prelate felt it imperative to publicly express his thanks to the Order – here represented by the Vice Delegate, Aurelio Badolati, Commander of Merit with Star, the knights of Merit Rocco Gatt and Pasqualino Garrisi, the latter having been at the helm of the initiative – voicing deep gratitude on behalf of the local community too “for this remarkable donation by means of which the light of Christ is bound to shine even more brightly over Calabria.” As Holy Mass drew to a close, the Vice Delegate, returning appropriate thanks, gave a brief talk to provide an outline of the Order’s programmatic goals and, more importantly, to emphasise its historic ties with the Holy Roman Church. There was also time for more surprises towards the end when parish volunteers, headed by the now retired Benefactor Carabinieri Marshal Antonino Guerrisi, unexpectedly presented the Vice Delegate and the contingent of knights who had attended the event with a commemorative plaque in acknowledgment of their significant humanitarian help.

Next destination on the charity mission is Lamezia Terme (CZ).

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Giffone, 21 November 2015. Charitable program “Solidarity Week – The Hunger of our Neighbour”, launched by the Delegation of Calabria in aid of low-income individuals facing economic distress in the region, saw its debut in the pleasant village of Giffone, a small community in the province of Reggio Calabria, nestled between the Massif of the Aspromonte and the Calabrian Serre. The project was made possible by a significant donation of basic food staples from Esselunga S.p.A., one the major Italian retailers in the supply chain business and was the brainchild of our Grand Prefect, HE The Ambassador Augusto Ruffo di Calabria dei Principi di Scilla whose great sensitivity towards what happens to be the poorest region in Italy gave the project huge momentum. Shortly after the food consignment had been delivered by parish volunteers, the highly symbolic act of donation was further highlighted by celebrating Holy Mass in the ‘Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso’, which turned out to be full to capacity for the occasion. Attending the ceremony were the Vice Delegate, Aurelio Badolati, Commander of Merit with Star, the Knights of Merit Rocco Gatto, Pasqualino Garrisi and the leader of the Benefactors of the Delegation, Roberto Bendini, along with top state and military officials. The religious service, which was concelebrated by Don Elia Longo and the rector of the church, Don Salvatore Tucci, saw the parish priest acknowledge his debt of gratitude to the Order for their help. At one point during his speech, the prelate turned to the 18^th century wooden effigy of the ‘Madonna del Soccorso’ to address the following words: “the Virgin Mary has come to the rescue of the many parishioners currently experiencing great trials by having us blessed with this remarkably generous donation.”

Next up on our charity tour is San Ferdinando (RC).

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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.

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Reggio Calabria, 25 October 2015. Organised by the Delegation of Calabria of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George and the “Ministry for Culture, Heritage and Tourism”, a convention/exhibition titled “Bourbon Reggio 1734-1861” was held at the “State Archive” in Reggio Calabria.

This key event, by presenting previously unknown historical material and by featuring a series of talks given by illustrious guests, has helped to retrace the history of the relations established between the city of Reggio and the Kingdom of Two-Sicilies in the past, which is a little-known topic in the field of historiography.

The meeting, which drew large numbers of people and was attended by representatives of various associations as well as by Knights and Benemerenti of the same Order, was opened by the Vice Delegate for Calabria of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George, Mr Aurelio Badolati, Commander. Also speaking at the event were Mr Emanuele Nazario Scarlata, Knight of Merit; Councillor Eduardo Lamberti Castronuovo,  Head of the Department for Culture for the Province of Reggio; Professor Maria Carmelo Spadaro from the University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Ms Maria Giuseppina Marra, Director of the State Archive in Reggio Calabria. At the end of the conference, following the customary ceremonial cutting of the ribbon, an inauguration event marked the beginning of the exhibition which displayed previously unknown texts.

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Reggio Calabria, 25 October 2015. A conference titled “Bourbon Reggio: 1734 – 1861”, co-hosted by the Delegation of Calabria of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George and the Ministry for Culture and National Heritage, is to take place at the National Archive in Reggio Calabria on 25 October 2015 at 9.30am.

Through the displaying of historic memorabilia and artefacts, the cultural initiative is aimed at raising public awareness of the close historical ties between the City of Reggio and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

During the event, the Director of the National Archive, the President of the Two Sicilies’ Association, the County Councillor for Culture of Reggio Calabria, together with members of the Sacred Order from the Delegation of Calabria are also expected to cast much needed light on little-known historiographic details thought to be crucial for a deeper understanding of the strong relations forged between the City and the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Visualizza articolo: locandina convegno Reggio Calabria 25 ottobre

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