On the afternoon of Tuesday 17 December 2024, the parish priest, Father Giuseppe Sammartano, Constantinian Chaplain of Merit, distributed food parcels to needy families being assisted by his parish, the Parish of Saints Philip and James of Marsala, Sicily. In this he was supported by the members of the Delegation of Western Sicily of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George. Always involved in charitable works and support for communities in difficulty, on this occasion they contributed to the purchase of the food that was distributed. This initiative is part of the broader solidarity project aimed at supporting families in difficulty in the provinces falling within the territory of the Western Sicily Delegation, especially in a period in which food needs are increasing. The Delegate, Prof. Salvatore Bordonali, Knight Grand Cross of Justice, complimented the parish priest “for the ongoing work carried out to give great support to the fight against poverty that the parish led by him undertakes” and thanked the Knights, Ladies and Postulants who contributed with their offers to achieving the objective.
Taking inspiration from the motto “Help us to help,” the Delegate assured all present that the Constantinian Delegation of Western Sicily will not lack support for those in need: “We follow the traditional commitment of the Bourbons of the Two Sicilies towards what we today define as ‘social hardship.’ Commitment that is demonstrated by various initiatives, including the creation of structures such as the Real Albergo dei Poveri founded in Palermo in 1739 by Charles III to host and assist the poor; experience resumed in Naples by Ferdinand IV in 1751; or the Royal House of Industry, founded in Naples in 1759 to promote the professional training of disadvantaged young people; or even the Ospedale dei Pellegrini e Riuniti of Palermo founded in 1725 by Philip V of Spain and expanded during the Bourbon period. The founding and support of charitable institutions was part of a broader Bourbon strategy to improve the social and cultural situation in their kingdom. An attention towards the social that continues today on the part of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies, both directly and through the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and its branches throughout the world but, in particular, in those that were the territories of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.”
