Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo

Giuseppe Agostino Benedetto Cottolengo (Joseph-Benoit Cottolengo), 1786 - 1842, was the founder of the Piccola Casa della Divina Provvidenza, (Small house of Divine Providence) of Turin. It was called the holy Vincent of Italian Paul.

Life

Resulting from a middle-class family of 12 children of which it was the elder one, Giuseppe was born on May 3rd, 1786 with Bra, in the Piedmont.

Very pious child, it entered to the seminar at the 18 years age, his natural eloquence surprised his school-fellows. Already very sensitive to the misery and the condition of the poor, he wrote on his books: I want to be holy .

Ordered priest on June 8th 1811, it continued theological studies while ensuring its ministry in rural area. It is in 1827 that it was called with the bedside of patients which had not been able to go to the hospital, and which died under its eyes, which it decided to devote to all the disabled person, and to the most disinherited patients.

January 17th 1828, it opened a small establishment with Turin called Dépôt of the crippled poor of the Body of Christ says also Dépôt of Volta Rossa which was closed in September 1831 but which could reopen, as of on April 27th 1832 under the term of Small house of Divine Providence . The inhabitants of Turin called very quickly it Cottolengo . This house was placed under the auspices of saint Vincent of Paul.

He died on April 30th 1842, after the small institution largely grew and that it essaimé in the whole world.

Work

The Small house of Divine Providence was an atypical institution, receiving all the patients, whatever their pathology, living only of the charity of some benefactors, without any other source of revenue. If it were asked him from which came the money necessary to its establishments, it was accustomed to answering Providence sends all to me .

One accommodated there and there looked after all the handicaps refused by the hospitals, epileptics, mentally ills, deaf-mute, and young people in auprès difficulties of which it took an important educational action.

To animate its institution, and those which followed, Giuseppe Cottolengo founded a congregation of sisters who today are divided between nuns contemplative and apostolic, as well as a grouping of brothers, the laic ones and priests.

The monks and religious cottolenguins are currently present in Italy, in Suisse with the Kenya in Tanzania, in India, with the the United States and in Ecuador. The sisters are with the number of approximately 2000, including 150 contemplative, brothers 60 and priests 45.

Its work inspired the happy Luigi Guanella and saint Luigi Orione.

“ Those which you must cherish more, it is given up, more rejecting, most importunate. All are invaluable pearls. If you include/understand well which character represent you the poor, you would be used them for knees ”

Beatification - canonization

Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo was declared Vénérable in 1877
It was béatifié in 1917 by the Pope Benoît XV
and was canonized in 1934 by the Pope Pie XI.
Its festival was fixed at the April 30th .

Quotation

of Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo:

“ Exert charity, but exert it with enthusiasm. You never made call twice, are ready. Stop any other activity, even very Sainte, and fly in assistance to the poor. ”

Sources

the true face of the Saints - W.Schamoni - P. 266
Encyclopædia Universalis - text of Andre Duval

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