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| Fliers from previous events |
Bearing in mind that I had no prior web experience or background in journalism, I never envisioned this enterprise would have lasted this long, and (for now) I can’t imagine not doing it. All things considered, I believe our first eight years have been productive and positive. For the most part we’ve been well received and the work has been quite enjoyable. I learned a lot, met many nice people and made new friends along the way. We appreciate your support and will continue our efforts to the best of our abilities.
A Year in Review
We had a very productive year, to say the least. In addition to sponsoring Traditional Latin Masses for the Feasts of San Michele Arcangelo, Santa Lucia, Santi Simone and Giuda Taddeo, San Giovanni Apostolo and the Repose of the Soul of HM King Francesco II di Borbone, we organized a handful of small-scale celebrations for the Feasts of San Giacomo della Marca, San Martino di Tours, San Pio da Pietrelcina, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and the Madonna di Ripalta.
On top of all that, in May we held our Eighth Annual Battle of Bitonto Commemoration as part of our yearlong tricentennial celebration of the birth of HM King Carlo di Borbone. The intimate gathering continues to be a convivial fête of our rich Duosiciliani faith, culture and history.
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| Print version of Il Regno |
Il Regno also went "old school" with the publication of a print version of our web journal. Although not very cost effective, the feedback was overwhelmingly favorable, so for at least one more year, we will continue circulating the pamphlets at select venues.
On a Personal Note
Personally, I had a very rewarding and gratifying year. First and foremost, I was invested into the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George as a Cavaliere di Merito (Knight of Merit). The investiture was held on April 30th at Holy Innocents Church in New York City. Blown away by the whole experience, no words can describe how proud I feel about receiving this noble distinction.
In July I was also invested with the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel during the 5th Annual Traditional Pilgrimage at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in East Harlem, New York. In what was an extraordinary day of fellowship and prayer, the spiritual retreat concluded with the solemn investiture, where I received my wool devotional and gained Our Lady’s promise of the Brown Scapular.
Most unexpectedly, I’ve been tasked with guardianship of the first-class relic of San Rocco, generously gifted to the St. Rocco Society of Potenza by the Very Rev. Msgr. Joseph Ambrosio. Until a permanent home in a church has been secured, I’ve been carrying out this enviable responsibility most dutifully with daily prayer and plenty of votive candles.
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| Private shrine with first-class relic of St. Rocco |
Furthermore, I had the great honor of carrying the statues of the Madonna Addolorata, Angelo Custode, Santa Rita, San Gennaro, San Giuseppe and San Rocco during their respective feasts and processions. I was especially touched to have been chosen to carry the Order’s labarum during the Mass for HM King Francesco II di Borbone.
Some of the other more memorable moments include venerating the relics of the True Cross, Sant’Elena di Laurino, San Vincenzo Pallotti, San Francesco d’Assisi, Sant’Antonio di Padova, San Gennaro, San Giuda Taddeo, San Vincenzo Martire and Santa Trofimena.
Still Under Renovation
In an effort to clean up and streamline Il Regno, we’ve been working hard fixing or removing broken links, deleting redundant and extraneous material and re-editing certain entries. Due to the volume of material (well over 3,000 posts), this mammoth undertaking has been taking a lot longer than we anticipated. We are aiming to have everything updated and in order before the year’s end. We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience.
Upcoming Events
Clearly more than just an information and opinion blog, Il Regno has a lot of exciting things planned for the upcoming year. In conjunction with the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George we are sponsoring Traditional Latin Masses for the Madonna Addolorata (April 7th), San Francesco di Paola (April 29th) and San Michele Arcangelo (Sept. 29th). Plans for the 9th Annual Battle of Bitonto Commemoration, as well as a Classical Neapolitan guitar recital featuring the works of the great Mauro Giuliani, are in the works, so keep a lookout for these and other exciting events. Needless to say, we intend to continue our usual participation and support in as many southern Italian religious and cultural events as is humanly possible.
Pray Pal
Just a reminder, we are still accepting donations in the form of prayers. So if you like what we do and want us to continue doing it, please say a prayer for us. Your generosity and thoughtfulness are greatly appreciated.
Forza e Onore! — Cav. J. Napoli