Saints
Saint John Bosco has inspired thousands of people, young and old, priests, brothers, sisters and lay people, to strive for holiness in their lives. The Church has recognised many of them as outstanding in holiness and deserving the titles of Saint, Blessed, Venerable or Servant of God.
Saint Louis Orione 1872-1940
12th March
Luigi Orione was born in Pontecurone, Italy on 23rd June 1872. Luigi was keen on joining the priesthood from a very young age. At 13 he joined the Franciscan Friary of Voghera, but left not soon after, as he contracted Pneumonia.
Between 1886 and 1889, he was a pupil of St. John Bosco in the oratory in Valdocco. Don Bosco saw the qualities of Luigi and was one of his favourite pupils. Luigi was one of the people present at the death of St. John Bosco.
After leaving the oratory in 1889, Luigi joined the seminary of Tortona. When entering the seminary, he devoted his life to the care of others and became a member of the San Marziano Society for Mutual Help and the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
In 1892, he opened the first Oratory in Tortona for the Christian training of young people, before starting a boarding school for poor boys the following year, in the Saint Bernadine estate. On 13th April 1895, Luigi Orione was ordained a priest. At the same time, 6 pupils of the boarding school were given the clerical habit by the bishop.
Around this time, the first works of the Little Work of Divine Providence were realised and would later receive authorisation of the bishop as a religious congregation and called the Sons of Divine Providence.
There was an earthquake in Messina (southern Italy) in 1908. The earthquake ended up killing more than 80,000 people. Fr. Luigi went to the area to help where he could, especially helping orphaned children and promoting the religious work in the reconstruction of the buildings. He was made the Vicar General of Messina for the three years he was there. He also went to Marsica, in 1915, when the area was also hit by a similar earthquake. In the same year, 20 years after founding the Sons of Divine Providence, he founded the Little Missionary Sisters of Charity. He would continue to start other foundations through his life.
At the end of the First World War, Fr Luigi, continued to found schools, boarding houses, agricultural schools, and increase the work of charity and welfare. His work expanded across Italy and into the Americas.
He continued his work into 1940, where illness started to take over. He died on 12th March 1940 in Sanremo, Italy.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 26th October 1980 and Canonised on 16th May 2004.