The spiritual legacy and heritage of Saint Luigi Guanella remains an integral part of the mission of the Intellectual Disabilities Division of Catholic Social Services.
The Communities of Don Guanella and Divine Providence (DGDP), part of the Intellectual Disabilities Division of Catholic Social Services (CSS), will celebrate the Feast day of their patron, Saint Luigi Guanella (Don Guanella), a 19th-century Italian priest who ministered to children with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia and Rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, will be the principal celebrant and homilist.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
10:30 a.m.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish
10 Fatima Drive
Secane, PA 19018
Approximately 400 men and women served by The Communities of DGDP as well as their families and caregivers will be in attendance.
Don Guanella’s patronage stems from the historical context on which The Communities of DGDP were founded. A priest and founder of the Religious Orders of the Servants of Charity and the Daughters of Saint Mary of Providence, and the Pious Union of Saint Joseph Prayer Association, Don Guanella advocated for further acceptance of individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities as brothers and sisters and as blessings from God.
In the late 1940s and 1950s, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia invited Don Guanella’s religious orders — the sisters of the Daughters of Saint Mary of Providence and the priests and brothers of the Servants of Charity — to establish facilities in the region.
The Communities of DGDP are dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. Dedicated staff and volunteers provide a continuum of care offering a wide range of programming options including: Community and Campus-Based Living Arrangements, Life Sharing Through Family Living, In-Home Supports, Respite Care, and Day Programs. For more information, please visit https://dgdpcommunities.org/
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Editor’s Note: Catholic Social Services, a ministry of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, provides help and creates hope for thousands of individuals and families in need throughout the five-county metropolitan area. For more information, please visit https://cssphiladelphia.org/
