Pope Leo to ‘find a family’ at Don Orione center in Claypole

By Fr. Paul Samasumo - Claypole

Pope Leo XIV is due to visit the Don Orione Little Cottolengo in Argentina in Claypole, south of Buenos Aires, on Monday.

Founded in 1935 by St. Luigi Orione, the center cares for people with disabilities and is home to more than 400 residents in 14 houses across about 50 hectares.

“The Pope will find a family,” Maria Victoria Carbone told Vatican News ahead of the papal visit.

The center’s Communications and Human Resource Manager had worked for more than 27 years at a nonprofit before seeking a change and finding the mission and values she wanted at Don Orione.

Handmade artworks welcome Pope Leo to the center {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","contentUrl": "https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/vaticannews/multimedia/2026/novembre/06/959595.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.750.422.jpeg","creditText": "Vatican News","height": "750","width": "422"} Helping residents gain independence

Ms. Carbone said the center puts each resident first. Workshops help people learn how to get around outside the center and use public transportation.

The home also gives residents a safe place to grow spiritually, talk about how they feel, and share what they want to do.

She said they are eager to tell the Pope how they live and what they can do with the community’s support.

The center’s doctors, therapists, and technical staff are joined by volunteers, including some who come through their employers.

Volunteers mow the grass, accompany residents to medical appointments, and help with school activities. Many have also helped make a gift for the Pope.

Entrance to the Little Cottolengo in Claypole {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","contentUrl": "https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/vaticannews/multimedia/2026/novembre/06/83883.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.750.422.jpeg","creditText": "Vatican News","height": "750","width": "422"} Prayer before Don Orione’s heart

St. Luigi Orione described the center as “a most humble work of faith and charity” that offers shelter, bread, and comfort to people who could find no help or refuge from other charities.

In 1937, he said, “Alive or dead, I will return to Argentina.” His incorrupt heart was brought to Claypole on August 29, 2000, and now rests in a reliquary in the central chapel.

Thousands of pilgrims visit throughout the year to pray, give thanks, or seek the presence of the man known as the “father of the poor.”

Bishop Jorge Rubén Lugones, SJ, Bishop of Lomas de Zamora, and the center’s director, Brother Jorge David Silanes, will receive the Pope.

After praying before Don Orione’s heart in the chapel, he will join the community outside for songs and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.

After greeting the community, Pope Leo will give his blessing and then make a brief private visit to people with disabilities and people living with addictions who are staying at the center.

As Ms. Carbone said, “We think of this place as a small city but a big family with a big heart.”