Don Luigi Di Liegro was an Italian priest and activist who was born on October 16, 1928. Don Luigi Di Liegro is known to be the founder of the diocesan Caritas of Rome.
He was also the director from 1980, as well as Regional Caritas Delegate for Lazio. He is credited for being the brain behind the first meetings between associations with similar aims and this included the Community of Capodarco, the Salvation Army, the Community of Sant’Egidio , the Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the idea of creating a network to fight the social emergency together.
The focus of Don Luigi Di Liegro was for the reconstruction of the social fabric and understand its failure. He was noted for being against the opening of canteens. This was because he felt for every social canteen opened, it reflected in a defeat for the wealthy and capitalist society.
However, he involved the municipality of Rome to control and manage the phenomenon of homeless people. His focus was also to create social services such as the nocturnal SPIS or the daytime listening centers with the involvement of the municipality of Rome.
It must be noted that under the guidance and direction of Don Luigi Di Liegro, the diocesan Caritas of Rome was born and various structures were created to deal with social hardship.
Some of the structures that were created to deal with social hardship include the following; a hostel at Termini Station for the homeless, Fidene, a family home for the homeless, a Listening Center, Casa Ponte Casilino and a Canteen in Colle Oppio (named after John Paul II).
Others are canteen in Via Marsala ( Termini Station Rome), the “Don Luigi Di Liegro Hostel”, canteen in Ostia (Rome), the canteen in Primavalle (Rome), legal service, Italian schools for foreigners, Villa Glori (Rome) reception center for HIV-positive people and the Salus Populi Romani Foundation
Don Luigi Di Liegro Cause of Death
Don Luigi Di Liegro was known to have died of a heart attack on October 12, 1997. This was just four days 4 days before his 69th birthday.
He died at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan where he had been hospitalized for checks following some heart problems suffered in the previous months.
Don Luigi Di Liegro was awarded the National Culture of Peace Prize in memory in 1998.
