(ANS – Cremisan) – The commitment of the Salesians and volunteers from VIS (International Volunteers for Development) to promoting economic growth and social development of the disadvantaged population of Bethlehem has recently achieved a new result: the construction of an oil-press in the Salesian cellar at Cremisan.

Thanks to the collaboration of VIS, Stefano Cimicchi, former Mayor of Orvieto, Umbria, Italy,  Paulo Morbidoni, Vice President of the “Oil City" Association, and the Farchioni family, owner of an important oil-mill in Umbria, the Salesian community in Bethlehem can now rely on a modern mill which can crush approximately five hundred quintals of olives produced each year at Cremisan.

Renato Rondina can also be added to the list of benefactors, owner of a company by the same name operating in various areas in north Umbria, and the Rapanelli Co., Foligno, famous for olive-oil extraction expertise. These have provided technical and organizational support for the delivery operation and even their technicians to help set up the oil-mill.

The construction of the oil-mill acquires an even more significant value in view of the difficulties faced, especially in freedom of movement, due to renewed tensions in the area.

This initiative is part of the project of revival of the Cremisan Winery, a project begun in 2008 thanks to the efforts of VIS, together with Dr. Cimicchi and winemaker Riccardo Cotarella, who is leading the way to a qualitative and commercial growth in wine production. The new mill gives reasonable hope that olive culture activities will arrive at excellent performance levels, corresponding to the excellent quality of the oil produced.

It should be noted that all the activities conducted by the Salesians in the Holy Land are supported mostly by revenue from the wine-cellar and the cultivation of olives. If these two get into production difficulties, social and educational works are bound to suffer.

In this sense, the construction of the oil-mill will directly benefit the workers in the Cremisan Winery and local farmers, given increased volume of production and sales. It will also favour students attending Salesian educational centres and poor families who receive free bread from the oven run by the Salesians in Bethlehem – because the revenue from the cellar will also cover the cost of training activities and the production of bread.

On YouTube a short video clip was recently uploaded showing the Cremisan oil-mill already in operation.
 
Published 10/12/2012