History

FOUNDER: Monsignor Giovanni Maria Sortino, a priest of the Archdiocese of  Syracuse Italy. Today, Parish Priest Emeritus of Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Anne's Parish Carlentini. Rector of Centro Anziani “Ain Karim”  of the Holy Family of  Nazareth, Carlentini Syiracuse (Centro Anziani Ain Karin dell'Ente Chiesa Santa Famiglia di Nazareth).

Date of birth: 16th August 1930.
Diaconate Ordination: 27 March 1955.
Priestly Ordination: 3rd July 1955.

 

The origin of the Centre and its first steps

The Centre was founded and built by Mons. Giovanni Maria Sortino.

Whenever the Founder narrates the story of how the Centre began, he always remembers Miss Giuseppina Giuliano, a woman who lived and dedicated her life for Christianity, as the inspirator and promoter of this Institute. He says:

“She almost obliged me (as the parish priest of St. Anne's Parish) to accept all her inheritance to realize, after her death, a home for the elderly people, dedicated to the memory of his brother Professor Salvatore Giuliano.

On July 14th, 1978, Miss Giuseppina Giuliano's soul returned to the Creator, and after the fulfillment of the funeral rites, the Parish began the long journey for the realisation and the construction of the Center:

  • The Parish delegated Eng. Franco Marventano and Arch. Marino to design the plan for the building of the edifice and to obtain a building permit from the government;
  • On April 20th, 1985, a delegation headed by the Parish Priest went to Rome in the Vatican for a meeting, and on that occasion, at St. Peter's Basilica Rome, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II blessed the first foundation stone that Mons. Giovanni M. Sortino brought with him from Carlentini;

  • On the 11th day of October, 1987, His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Calogero Lauricella, the then Archbishop of Syracuse, blessed the parchment and placed it on the stone blessed by the Holy Father the Pope: This stone was placed in the angle of the foundation of the building in construction;
  • The work continued to progress, thanks to a loan of 800 million lire disbursed by the Regional and Local Authorities which, combined with the 400 million lire, inherited by the Parish from Miss Giuseppina Giuliano, helped to complete the first wing of the structure of the Center;

  • On the 5th of October 1991, one third of the structure of the Center, was inaugurated by His Excellency Most Rev Dr. Giuseppe Costanzo, the Archbishop of the Diocese of Syracuse. The Center had already given hospitality to the large number of earthquake victims of December 13th, 1990 at Carlentini;
  • In August 25th, 1994, work began for the construction of the second wing of the Center, which today includes: the rooms for the inmates, the auditorium and the second entrance of the Centre. The money used for the construction of this wing was purely private donations and only friuts of personal sacrifices, since the were no public subsidies provided;
  • On April 21st, 2001 Most Rev. Dr. Giuseppe Costanzo, blessed the Foundation Stone of the Church annessed to the Center, dedicated to the Holy Family of Nazareth. Here marks the begining of the construction of the Church: the foundation and the Church structure was subsidized by the the parishioners of St. Anne. People were asked to buy a brick at the cost of 10,000 Lire; and about € 210,000.00 were collected.
  • For the completion of the work, the Regional Department of Public Works, granted the sum of € 196,000.00;

  • On 8 May 2004, the Church was consecrated by Most Rev. Dr Giuseppe Costanzo, the Archbishop of Syracuse, who on that occassion, elevated the Church to a Rectory, nominating Msgr. G. M. Sortino as her pioneer Rector;
  • On July 6th, 2007 the City of Carlentini finally released the planning permission for the two wings of the building, after three years of hard labour and bureaucracy.

 

 

  • On September 19th 2007, work began for the constuction of the fourth wing, destined for the use of the Nuns operating serving as Missionaries in the Center the “Daughters of Mary, Mother of Mercy”. The foundation was layed on the 7th of February 2008 and entire edifice was completed in June 2009 and was inaugurated on 3rd July 2009 by His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Salvatore Papalardo, the Archbishop of Syracuse in the presence the then Superior General of the Congregation of the “Daughters of Mary, Mother of Mercy”, Rev. Mother Marie Pauline Eboh and many other Sisters from the Italian Zone of the D.M.M.M. Sisters . We are hoping that sooner or later the fifth wing of the vision of "Ain Karim" namely, a befitting home for elderly priests and religious shall come to reality