During the 1800s, St. Luigi Orione played a prominent role in meeting the needs of the impoverished people during upheaval in his country. He was born in 1872 in Pontecurone, Italy, and died in 1940 in Sanremo, Italy. He was born into a poor family. From a young age, Orione decided that it was his calling to become a priest.
St. Luigi Orione entered the seminary of the Archdiocese of Turin to pursue his religious studies. In 1893, he opened a school to provide a Christian education for poor young men. He was ordained on April 13, 1895. In 1899, he created the Hermits of Divine Providence. Throughout his lifetime, he was devoted to works of charity and faithfulness to the Pope. When his country experienced earthquakes in 1908 and 1915, he was instrumental in helping victims.
St. Luigi Orione is the Patron Saint of the Poor, Homeless and Abandoned. He was canonized as a saint in 2004.
