On Thursday, 16 December 2025, the Western Sicily Delegation of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, led by the Delegate, Prof. Salvatore Bordonali, Knight Grand Cross of Justice, offered a charitable dinner for needy families assisted by the Boccone del Povero Institute on Via Pindemonte in Palermo.
This initiative forms part of the customary humanitarian and socio-charitable activities promoted by the Order, which has always been committed to offering support to brothers and sisters in difficulty. The activity, regularly carried out by the Delegation, made it possible to provide a complete and wholesome meal, carefully prepared in a fraternal spirit and with an authentic touch of Sicilian tradition.
On this occasion as well, Knights, Dames, and Postulants were personally involved in the preparation and service of the meals. The table featured a menu with a distinctly Sicilian flavor: rigatoni with ragù and pesto, chicken and potato fusilli, beverages, and a final dessert. It was an evening of sharing that brought together solidarity, fraternity, and Christian spirit, accompanied by smiles and warm, fragrant dishes.
As is traditional, the effort of preparation was enlivened by the spectacular panelle and crocchè prepared by Maestro Totò—who deserves special mention—made for the participants, who, before serving the meal, prayed together with the guests. The guests thanked the Constantinian Order for its ongoing service to the institute
The Delegate for Western Sicily, in thanking the Constantinian participants in the dinner, commented as follows:
“Today we gather to pay tribute to each one of you, on behalf of the Order that we serve and support. Your dedication and commitment to the ‘Boccone del Povero’ are examples of generosity and nobility that inspire us all. Your work in this service is far more than a simple gesture; it is an act of love and humanity. Every meal you serve, every hand you extend to those in difficulty, represents a light of hope in a world that often forgets the most vulnerable. At a time when challenges are many, you are the true custodians of the values of solidarity and community. Your work does not go unnoticed: you are a source of comfort for those in need and a shining example for all of us. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued dedication and altruistic spirit. May your example inspire others to embark on the path of service and generosity.”
The Congregation of the Missionaries Servants of the Poor, also known as the Opera del Boccone del Povero, is a male religious institute of pontifical right with its general headquarters in Rome. Its members are popularly known as Bocconisti or Cusmaniani. The congregation was founded in Palermo in 1887 by a priest. Giacomo Cusmano, born in Palermo on 15 March 1834. Having graduated in Medicine and Surgery, he became known as the “Doctor of the Poor” for his practice of charitable works toward the poor and the suffering, as well as for his missionary apostolate. The Missionaries Servants of the Poor devote themselves to charitable works for the poor and to popular missions, operating in shelters for beggars, orphanages, and hospitals. In addition to Italy, they are present in Africa, the Americas, and Asia, with about 25 houses and 140 religious, half of whom are priests.
The Congregation was canonically erected as an institute of diocesan right by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Palermo on 10 July 1888, and its Constitutions were approved on 4 September 1907. Aggregated to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin on 11 May 1956, the Congregation received the pontifical decree of praise on 10 July 1960. Its founder was beatified by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on 30 October 1983. Another notable member of the Congregation was the martyr Father Francesco Spoto, beatified in 2007. On 10 March 2007, for the first time, a member of the Congregation was elected bishop: Father Vincenzo Bertolone, S.d.P., who served as Bishop of Cassano all’Jonio until 2011 and then as Metropolitan Archbishop of Catanzaro-Squillace until 2021, as well as President of the Calabrian Bishops’ Conference from 2015 to 2021.
Visit of HRH the Grand Master and his wife, HRH the Duchess of Calabria, with four of his sons, to the Boccone del Povero in 2o21
The Boccone del Povero is a place very dear to the Grand Master of the Constantinian Order, HRH Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, Count of Caserta, Head of the Royal House of the Two Sicilies. On the afternoon of Friday, 24 September 2021, on the occasion of the wedding of their firstborn son, HRH Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Noto, the Grand Master, accompanied by his consort Doña Sofía, paid a visit to the Institute. Setting aside formal attire, he himself cooked and distributed the food together with his four sons (photos below). Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Calabria, close to the needs of the less fortunate in the ancient capitals of Naples and Palermo of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, subsequently offered a special lunch for an entire month to needy guests of the charitable soup kitchens at the Centro La Tenda Onlus Association in the Rione Sanità of Naples and at the Boccone del Povero Institute in Palermo.
