Category: Delegation of Sicily

Milazzo, 10 October 2015. On Saturday 10 October, Bastione, a small village under the jurisdiction of Milazzo in the province of Messina, was hit by severe weather conditions. Heavy rains flooded the streets with muddy waters causing widespread damage. The Delegation of Sicily of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George was quick to spring into action by sending out a volunteer team, headed by the Knight Giuseppe Matranga. After dropping off 200 Kg of food supplies at the local Parish of Santa Marina, the volunteers carried out relief operations, helping with the city’s clean-up efforts alongside distressed and fearful villagers, working hard to remove mud from the streets and trying to recover personal belongings and furniture along with other relief squads from the Italian Civil Defence.

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Palermo, 27 October 2015. The Delegation for Sicily is to donate an electric motorised wheelchair, a mobility aid for both the aged and individuals with disabilities, to the ‘Balsamo’ old people’s home at Monreale. A book launch event for Mr Antonio di Janni, Mr Vincenzo Nuccio and Mr Giovanni Vitale, “Histories and Memoirs of the Archbishops of Monreale” is to follow shortly thereafter. At 5pm a celebration of the Holy Eucharist is to take place officiated by the Cardinal Grand Prior of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George, His Eminence The Most Reverend Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino, along with co-celebrant His Excellency The Most Reverend Monsignor Michele Pennisi, Prior of the Delegation. Senior and high-ranking officials of the Order are also scheduled to take part.

Palermo, 30 September 2015. The Delegation of Sicily, with the backing of the Grand Mastership, has supported the Badagliacca family for the treatment of their nine-year-old son, who suffers from a rare of Arnold-Chiari malformation, structural defect of the posterior cranial fossa. The child needs medical treatment at the department of pediatric neurosurgery of the University Hospital Meyer in Florence. The Constantinian Order has purchased travel tickets and provided for the necessary costs. Dr. Lia Giangreco, voluntary of the Delegation of Sicily who takes part in the project “New Crumbs of Health” was also present.

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Messina, 26 September 2015. In the halls of the Parish of Santa Caterina di Messina the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George  – Coordination of Messina and its province, in collaboration with the charity organisation Caritas, has relaunched the project “New Crumbs of Health” to help children who belong to families living in economic and social hardship. Essential goods were allotted to those families and the Sacred Order, along with the local Caritas, made it a real point to share moments of prayer at this time establishing bonds of brotherly kinship with such families while in the presence of Prof. Giovanni Bonanno, Knight Commander and Sacred Order Lead Representative for the Messina region, Alessandro Gambadoro and Dr. Renato Milazzo, and the benefactors Messrs. Antonino Smiroldo and Nicholas Trio. As always, the charity event was hosted by the parish priest monsignor Mario di Pietro Vicario, constantinian chaplain.

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Palermo, 20 September 2015. Monsignor Salvatore Grimaldi, parish priest of the Church of San Nicolò da Tolentino and Constantinian chaplain, celebrated the Holy Mass for the celebration of Santissima Maria della Consolazione.

The event has been postponed to the third Sunday of September due to the coincidence of the celebration of the patron saint of Palermo, Santa Rosalia.

After the solemn Mass the Constantinian Order Delegation of Sicily has donated to the parish community many clothes for families in need.

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Sciacca, 13 September 2015. A delegation of the Constantinian Knights joined the celebration for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross held in the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Sciacca. The Holy Mass was celebrated by the parish priest Father Pasqualino Barone, who during his homily has reminded the significant relationship between the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Emperor Constantine, founder of the  Knightly Order. The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, whose solemnity in the Near East is on a par with that of the Easter celebrations is linked to the dedication of Constantinian basilicas built on Golgotha and on the tomb of Christ. Father Pasqualino Barone also took time to express his grateful thanks to the Constantinian Knights for their willingness to cooperate in the restoration of the Holy Thorn reliquary which was specially displayed to the congregation for the occasion. The representation of Order, led by the Knight Commander Elio Zuccarello, was composed of the Knights: Erasmo Miceli, Giuseppe Lipari, Salvatore Notarianni, Baldo Gagliano and Baldassarre Cacioppo. At the end of the religious service, upon the invitation of father Pasqualino Barone, the Knights were taken in a on a tour of the primeval Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, lying on lower ground than its modern counterpart and of the nearby medieval Church of San Nicolò la Latina, first church in Sciacca founded in 1136, in Arabian-Norman style, partially restored, wherein one of the oldest Crucifixes in Sicily is still preserved. Well-known artist Ms Lucia Stefanetti was on hand to escort the party through the historical site, offering plenty of insightful guidance.

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Palermo, September 2015. The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is always on the frontline for humanitarian action, and this time it has supported the Badagliacca family on their “journey of hope” from Palermo to Florence for the treatment of their little boy who suffers from a serious illness.

The Order’s intervention is part of the united, humanitarian objective which is primarily pursued by coordinating our forces, as well as through the work of all the Delegations, and directing them towards the project “The Hunger of our Neighbour”. Our “neighbour” is intended in an evangelical sense, as in the people around us.

The Constantinian Knights are required to look out for the primary needs of those who live around them and who, too often because of their vicinity, are not given particular attention.

This was the case for this family in need who felt abandoned by their local area, the Municipality of Palermo, which was lacking the funds to be able to support them, causing some debate over “the costs of healthcare in the south and the lack of funds for families in need”.

For this reason, the Order intervened, as it is very sensitive to the topic of childhood and as an enterprise it has strong roots in the area, successfully managing to help and provide for the Badagliacca family’s request.

Santa Caterina Villarmosa, 20 August 2015. Holy Mass was celebrated in honour of Saint Mary Our Lady of Graces, co-patron saint of Santa Caterina Villarmosa. The Mass was officiated by monsignor Antonino La Paglia, Constantinian Chaplain, and by the Vice-parish priest Marco Cosentino. The ceremony was attended by many believers, expatriates as well as people from nearby areas. After the Holy Mass a procession took place. The simulacrum of Saint Mary Our Lady of Graces was carried on the shoulders of the confraternity of Saint Joseph. The Confraternities and the Knightly Orders who are recognised by the Italian government took part in the event. Attending the event were the Knights Michele Antonio Tramontana, Giovanni D’Agostino and Salvatore Favata of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and Pietro Milano, Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.

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Monreale, July 29, 2015. It was held at the headquarters of the Sacred Military  Constantinian Order of St George in Monreale, the second distribution of products for the  early childhood. 60 families have received diapers, 132 liters of milk, biscuits, 60 kg of sugar, tomato sauce, homogenized, 60 kg of pasta for children. The products distributed were provided by  constantinian volunteers and by the knights under the leadership of the Prior of  Sicily H.E. the very reverend Monsignor  Michele Pennisi, Archbishop of Monreale. At the distribution  many volunteers of the delegation have given their help according to the project “New crumbs of  health” led by Dr. Lia Giangreco.

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Messina, 26 July 2015. It was concluded at the parish of Santa Caterina Vergine  e Martire in Messina the summer program according to the project “New crumbs Health”, launched in favor of families who live in conditions of economic and social hardship. The initiative was carried out in collaboration with  Caritas. The distribution of basic necessities, in fact, was carried out on behalf of several families with whom the Order and the  Caritas wanted to share moments of prayer and human solidarity, in the presence of the Comm. Prof. Giovanni  Bonanno, Commander of Merit and Coordinator for Messina and its Province of the Order. The parish priest Monsignor . Mario Di Pietro, Vicar Forane for center Messina  and Chaplain of the Order along with Vice President of Caritas and our Brother Dr. Renato Milazzo  hosted the charity event with renewed enthusiasm,. The project will be resumed in September.

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