Molfetta, 10/09/2018
A big "thank you" to the Committee of Our Lady of Martyrs for another successful weekend. Also I would like to thank the assistance given to us by the Port Pirie Regional Council and SA Police. The Governor of South Australia His Excellency Hieu Van Le AC was in awe of the Blessing of the Fleet Debutante Ball and Sunday's Festivities
Dino Gadaleta ha una forte devozione verso la Madonna dei Martiri, ha raggiunto ben 50 anni di costante impegno per "mantenere vive le radici", facendo un ottimo lavoro. Sono sue le parole: " sono stato protetto dall'icona della Madonna dei Martiri nel mio percorso di vita."
The relationship between the Madonna, who features in the yearly Blessing of the Fleet ceremony, and Cr Gadaleta is at the forefront because he soon will receive an honour for his involvement in the Italian event.
Governor Hieu Van Le will acknowledge a 50-year continuous service plaque for Cr Gadaleta at the Blessing of the Fleet Debutante Ball in the Northern Festival Centre on Saturday, September 8.
It will also be in recognition of his 25 years’ service on the Port Pirie Regional Council.
Cr Gadaleta is now president of the Our Lady of Martyrs committee which organises the blessing of the fleet.
His wife Liz said her husband’s theory was “don’t worry, if La Madonna wants it to happen, it will happen”.
That has been his belief in his service to the fleet festival.
“We have a strong belief in our Madonna,” he said.
“We tend to call it ‘good luck or karma’ – things just happen. Everyone sees their faith in a different way, if they have a faith.
“I believe a lot of my good fortune in this city stems from being with Our Lady of Martyrs.”
Cr Gadaleta is a Justice of the Peace and served on the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission and Country Arts Trust SA as well as spent 32 years with Rotary and in 2007 achieved a Bachelor of Arts.
He said the Governor would spend two days in Port Pirie while attending the fleet festival. Mr Le will be guest-of-honour at the debutante ball and receive the debutantes with Catholic Bishop Greg O’Kelly.
The Governor and his wife will attend High Mass on the Sunday in St Mark’s Cathedral before walking in the Madonna procession and laying a wreath at the Italian memorial in Solomontown.
He will sign the visitors’ book at the Italian Fishing Boat Museum and take part in the festival celebrations at the boat ramp. Cr Gadaleta said some of his best memories were of previous governors Dame Roma Mitchell and Sir Eric Neal’s attending the ball.
Another highlight was a trip in 2006 to Molfetta, Italy, where he attended the blessing of the fleet.
“We met the Mayor of Molfetta, Antonio Azzolini, who is also a senator of the Republic of Italy and chairman of the budget committee,” he said.
“He gave us an Ave Maria banner. These signs were hanging on most of the Molfettese houses.” He also paid tribute to the team which built the fishing boat museum despite starting well short of the required funds needed for the project.
Good luck, indeed.
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