The following is the press release on the celebrations held in Reggio Calabria by the parish community of San Bruno, for three particularly important events: the 67 years old from the foundation for the first time in the world of a Parish dedicated to Saint Bruno, the monk and founder of the Carthusians; ten-year anniversary of the appointment of Monsignor Angelo Casile as Parish Priest of San Bruno, after having held various positions in Rome for 15 years within the CEI Italian Episcopal Conference; 32 years old of ordination as a priest of Don Angelo Casile, on 28 June 1992.
Big party in the parish community of San Brunello in Reggio Calabria, between Thursday 27 e Friday, June 28 past during which a very large number of faithful gathered around their parish priest Monsignor Angelo Casile to celebrate three important anniversaries.
The first anniversary is the anniversary of the 67 years old of elevation of the little church of San Brunello to a parish, desired by the late metropolitan archbishop Blessed Giovanni Ferro and canonically founded on 27 June 1957, and on the same day entrusted to the new parish priest Don Mario Manca.
And immediately Don Manca, returning to the house of the Lord our Father on the evening of September 22, 2020, with the passionate and consistent help of many faithful in the neighborhood, built the current place of worship. Church which in 1957, for the first time in the world, was dedicated to San Bruno of Cologne, monk and founder of the Carthusians.
A significant coincidence is therefore that the church stands on the place where between 1089-1090, Saint Bruno stopped in prayer during the period in which he was following Pope Urban II and Count Roger of the Normans who were visiting Reggio as part of a plan of “translation” of the Greek rites into the Latin language. And it is the history of the Reggio parish, which Count Ruggero, for the occasion, had asked Urban II to appoint Bruno archbishop of Reggio, a metropolitan seat to which almost all the dioceses of Calabria were subject, without the owner. Faced, however, with the energetic refusal of San Bruno, the broadest support was given to the rise of the Certosa which would rise in the captivating silence of the vicinity of Arena and Stilo, resembling the great Chartreuse already erected to the north-east of Grenoble. The Certosa di Serra San Bruno is today a center of Western spirituality and Latinisation.
The others two anniversaries celebrated with particular warmth by the faithful of the Reggio parish are linked to the figure of Monsignor Angelo Casile which celebrated the tenth anniversary of his appointment as Parish Priest as successor to Monsignor Mario Manca who on 27 June 2014, after having founded the Church of San Bruno and served it for 57 years, ceased from his role as leader and extraordinary pastor of the parish community.
The last and third anniversary is the anniversary of the 32 years old of ordination as a priest of Don Angelo Casile, on 28 June 1992 ordained priest by the hands of the meritorious Archbishop Vittorio Mondello.
Don Angelo Casile
Born in Reggio on 10 maggio 1967Don Angelo Casile today is both parish priest of the church of San Bruno, and “Moderator of Curia” a new figure of vicar general of the diocese of Reggio-Bova, implemented by the metropolitan archbishop Monsignor Fortunato Morrone to give life to a sort of “Angel Custodian” of the Offices of the Curia: a presbyter committed to promoting “harmony in the relationships” of the employees of the various curial offices – Casile himself recalls -, and therefore, to developing and harmonizing a service dedicated to the many people who turn to the Curia for the carrying out of administrative and spiritual acts, but also to receive material and charitable aid.
The choice made by Monsignor Morrone will certainly have taken into account the character of “sweetness and humility manifested every day in being a priest and parish priest attentive to the care of souls”, the representatives of the parish of San Bruno recalled during the Mass in the Prayer of the Faithful. And it will also have taken into account the vast ecclesial experience acquired by Monsignor Casile from 1992 to today, which began with the role of parish priest of Podargoni, Schindilifà and then of Sant’Alessio in Aspromonte, and then in Gallico at the head of the parish of Santa Maria del Porto Salvo, until 1999.
That year was the important call to Roma with the role of member of the secretariat and then secretary of Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, appointed by Pope John Paul II as general secretary of the Italian Episcopal Conference and responsible for organizing the Jubilee of 2000. From 1999 to 2001, alongside Card. Antonelli, Don Angelo experienced many moments of meetings and liturgical rites of great impact, including his participation in the organization of the XV World Youth Day in Rome. When Card Antonelli was appointed metropolitan archbishop of Florence in March 2001, his successor as general secretary of the CEI, Monsignor Giovanni Betori, confirmed Don Angelo Casile as his private secretary. A task that Casile carried out with extreme competence until 2008, when Betori also left the CEI to take on the pastoral leadership of the metropolitan diocese of Florence.
The priest from Reggio thus remains in Rome where, due to the considerable ecclesial experience acquired and recognized among the members of the CEI, he is appointed by the leaders of the Vatican City to direct the prestigious National Office for social problems and the work directly emanating from the commission of the same name of the CEI, which will lead from 2008 to 2013. It will be a happy return for Don Casile who previously in January 1999, had been called to collaborate with the Director of the Office of Social Problems, Monsignor Mario Operti, then Director of the Office, to prepare the three Jubilee Days of the World of Work – led by HE Monsignor Fernando Charrier –, the Social Week of Naples, and to help him consolidate the many activities of the Office and the Policoro Project.
As Director of the National Office, Don Angelo Casile led the organization in 2010 in the diocese of Reggio Calabria of a highly attended Social Week of Italian Catholics, which saw the participation of over 1200 delegates from all Italian dioceses.
At the end of the assignment, on 27 June 2014, the return of Don Angelo in his Reggio Calabria with the mandate of parish priest of San Bruno where over the course of this decade, he has strengthened and deepened the spiritual and faith relationships with the inhabitants of the populous neighborhood located in the historic center. In 2023, in the sign of the relaunch of faith around the figure of the monk San Bruno, it is worth noting the signing of the twinning with the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Bosco in Serra San Bruno.
The two communities, closely united by their particular devotion to the Carthusian saint, sealed their spiritual friendship with the intention of growing into “a partnership of brotherhood in love for Christ and of prayer in devotion to Saint Bruno, the universal brother”.
“Thank you Lord for the gift of the priest Don Angelo Casile who in these ten years has always shown enormous care for all of us with great humility and availability – is the testimony given in the Prayer of the Faithful of the parish community -, and we ask Our Lord for the same support and strength to walk together with him, and consolidate the Faith and Love towards God and Neighbor”.
CONTINUE READING ON CITYNOW
