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  • FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH OF ST BASILIO MAGNO IN PALERMO

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    Palermo, 6 November 2015. Holy Mass was celebrated in the parish church of St Basilio Magno to mark the fifth anniversary of the dedication of the church. The religious service was preceded by a conference, which aimed to explore the symbolic significance of architectural features within churches and was presided over by Mons. Salvatore Lo Monte, Archbishop Delegate for charitable institutions and Chancellor of the Curia of Palermo. The Delegation of Sicily of the Constantinian Order remained a keen participant in the proceedings for the entire duration of the event. In attendance were the Vice Delegate Antonio di Janni, along with the knights HE The Prefect Gianfranco Romagnoli, Carmelo Sammarco, Francesco Paolo Guarneri, Fabrizio Sailis, Salvatore Vassallo and the dame Ms Carla Almirante. Also present on the day were the following Constantinian Chaplains: the Right Reverend P. Giuseppe Di Giovanni, parish priest of the church, and Mons. Gino Lo Galbo. Based on the interesting analysis put forward by Mons. Lo Monte, the ‘church’ is to be regarded as a ‘temple’, whose interior is rich in crucially important features: in the first place, the altar and tabernacle which are the sites where communication between the human and the divine planes can be established; the confessional booth; the rectory of the parish priest; the Ambon, seen as a place from which the Word of God emanates, reaching out to both the clergy and the congregation; the statues no longer interpreted as mere objects of veneration but as effigies bearing witness to the transcendent sphere; the Stations of the Cross; the candles placed at the main corners of the temple marking the spots consecrated by the bishop on the day of the dedication and only ever lit up on the anniversary of the consecration ceremony. During his presentation, Mons. Lo Monte also delivered an impassioned speech peppered with many inspirational thoughts and teachings, calling on all Catholics to stand united around the spiritual legacy of the ‘temple’ and encouraging them to keep fighting for a fairer world. At the end of such an inspiring talk, Holy Mass was officiated by Mons. Lo Monte himself, together with Don Giuseppe di Giovanni and Mons. Gino Lo Galbo. This key event was for all Constantinian Knights participating yet another opportunity for personal growth, strengthening their grasp of Christian culture and values. Such values are unquestionable foundational principles for the Sacred Militia whose primary task is to defend the Christian faith in the shadow of the Cross.

     

     

     

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  • The Vice Delegate of Rome receives the Governor General of Grenada

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    Rome, 5 November.  The Vice Delegate of Rome, Fabrizio Ratto-Vaquer, Knight of Grace, was privileged to welcome to the capital His Most Reverend Eminence Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino, Grand Prior of the Constantinian Order and HRH The Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Grand Chancellor, on the occasion of the official visit to the Holy See by the Governor General of Grenada, HE Cécile La Grenade, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and a contingent of delegates from Grenada. During the meeting, which was held in the “Jade Room” of the ‘Bernini Bristol’ hotel, a ceremonial exchange of insignia between the Order and Grenada took place. At the end of the ceremony, Sir Anthony Bailey, Delegate for the United Kingdom and the Caribbean hosted an honorary luncheon at the ‘Hunting Club’, in the presence of HE Nigel M. Baker, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See.

     

     

  • MARQUIS DON PIERLUIGI SANFELICE, DELEGATE FOR CAMPANIA, VISITS BENEVENTO

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    Benevento, 3rd November 2015.  At 11.30 a.m., the Delegate for Campania, Marquis Don Pierluigi Sanfelice di Bagnoli, upon invitation from  Confrère Massimo Contini, paid a visit to the Olympic Fencing Academy of Benevento which has unfortunately been rendered unusable by the flood of 15th October that severely hit Benevento and some areas of the province.  During the visit, Marquis Sanfelice congratulated Olympic gold medallist Dino Meglio for his great athletic skills at international level and expressed the hope to see the establishment of a structure that would actively help the resumption of sports activities at the same Academy.  Pierluigi Sanfelice extended his stay in Benevento to visit Palazzo Mosti, the Town Hall of Benevento, where he met Honourable Giovanni Zarro representing the Mayor.
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  • DONATION CEREMONY IN MASSA CARRARA

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    Massa Carrara, 2 November 2015. Members of the Delegation of Tuscany of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George have presented Ms Andretta Rebecchi, Managing Director of the A.I.A.S. centre in Massa Carrara, a local branch of the “Italian Association for the Care of People with Spasticity”, with a cash donation to help with the cost of meeting the A.I.A.S. NGO’s needs.

     

     

     

     

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  • APPOINTMENT OF THE PRIOR OF THE VICAR DELEGATION FOR THE CITY OF ROME

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    Rome, 1 November 2015. The Vice Delegate for the city of Rome, Mr Fabrizio Ratto Vaquer, Knight of Grace, upon approval by HE The Grand Prior and HSH The Delegate for the City of Rome and Lazio, appointed Reverend Don Roberto Foini, Ecclesiastical Knight of Grace, Prior of the Vicar Delegation for the City of Rome of the Sacred Military Order of St George.

     

  • Food donation to the needy

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    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.

     

     

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  • SOLIDARITY WEEK – “THE HUNGER OF OUR NEIGHBOUR”

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

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    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.

     

     

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  • ELECTRIC SCOOTER DONATION TO CARITAS IN MONREALE

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    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.

     

     

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  • BOOK LAUNCH EVENT FOR “HISTORIES AND MEMOIRS OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF MONREALE”

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    Monreale, 27 October 2015. A launch party for the book “Histories and Memoirs of the Archbishops of Monreale” written by Antonio di Janni, Vincenzo Nuccio and Don Giovanni Vitale and edited by CE.ST.E.SS., was held in the stunning halls of the Palazzo Arcivescovile in Monreale on 27 October 2015. This publication is concerned to provide a historical and biographical account of the high prelates who have performed duties of pastoral care in the Episcopal See of the Norman dioceses over the years. The book was introduced by Professor Manlio Corselli in the presence of the highest-ranking Dignitaries of the Constantinian Order; His Eminence Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino; the Archbishop of Monreale, Michele Pennisi and the Eparch of Piana degli Albanesi, Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro. The event attracted great audience participation with several attendees showing a keen interest in the new publication. Also present on the day were numerous Constantinian Knights as well as many state and military officials.

     

     

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