The Most Reverend Bishop Charles Dufour (left) invests western Jamaica businessman Guiseppe Maffessanti as Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great, one of the highest accolades in the Catholic Church, during a special service at the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Montego Bay, St James, on Sunday. - Photo by Janet Silvera
WESTERN BUREAU:
Western Jamaica businessman Guiseppe Maffessanti is the latest Catholic to make the honour roll, having been appointed to the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great at a special Mass at the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Montego Bay, St James, yesterday.
The Order of St Gregory the Great is one of the five pontifical orders of knighthood in the Catholic Church and was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.
Conferred in front of a full house of well-wishers by Roman Catholic Bishop of Montego Bay, the Most Reverend Bishop Charles Dufour, Maffessanti has on many occasions gone beyond the call of duty, serving the church and his community with distinction.
"Pino (short for Guiseppino) is renowned throughout the length and breadth of Jamaica for being synonymous with Maffessanti Brothers Ltd, a household name, certainly in Montego Bay and western Jamaica, which has been responsible for changing the landscape of construction and design for some of the most elegant and upscale residences, ranging from private homes to resort-type villas," Dufour stated in a release last week.
Philanthropy
According to the bishop, Maffessanti, who sits on many local boards, is a philanthropist who has been particularly active and effective as chairman of the board of the Good Shepherd Foundation, which runs the Brenda Strafford Medical Centre and Hope Hospice near Albion, St James.
"Under his watch, the facility has grown in leaps and bounds and the spirit of volunteerism and zeal among its medical team has risen, as they serve the unemployed and low-income people of the area. The centre has seen the number of patients grow from 10,500 in 2006 to a phenomenal 19,618 in 2008," said Dufour.
The businessman shared the limelight with 24 other recipients who were recognised for their contribution to community development, seven of whom were honoured with the Cross for the Church and the Pontiff.
The seven are: Lilith Haughton, a 91-year-old retired seamstress who has been with the church for the last 70 years; Lance 'Sonny' Duhaney; hoteliers Lance Parrish and Vana Taylor; medical doctors Sonia Nixon-Brown and Michelle Robinson and educator Sonja Powell.
Marlene Beckford, Veda Chin, Verona Forbes, Enid Gonsalves, Carmen Hall, Jacob Hylton, Irene Lindsay, Yvonne McKenzie, Madge Morris, Nola Morris, Aston Mundle, Hyacinth Myrie, Shirley Perkins, Charlotte Samuels, Dannette Wainwright, Myrtle Wong and the late Carmen Wong were honoured with the Medal of Good Merit.
janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com