Luigi Monza

In May 1933, his meeting with Clara Cucchi in Saronno proved decisive. Convinced that only the charity of the early Christians could transform the modern world, he founded the Secular Institute of the Little Apostles of Charity in 1937. In 1946, the work expanded with the creation of the 'La Nostra Famiglia' association, dedicated to the care and scientific rehabilitation of children suffering from physical and mental disabilities, thus revolutionizing the medical approach to disability in Italy.

Father Luigi Monza died suddenly of a heart attack on September 29, 1954, in Lecco. His reputation for holiness led to the official opening of his cause for canonization in the Archdiocese of Milan in 1987, under the direction of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. On December 20, 2003, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, declaring him Venerable.

The beatification of Father Luigi Monza was made possible by the recognition of a miracle: the scientifically inexplicable healing of a young man suffering from acute viral encephalitis and in a persistent vegetative state, after prayers were addressed to the Venerable and a relic was placed under his pillow. Pope Benedict XVI approved this miracle in 2005. The beatification ceremony was celebrated on April 30, 2006, in the Cathedral of Milan by Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi.

The spirituality of Father Luigi Monza is based on the charity of the early Christians and the holiness of daily life. Today, his legacy is perpetuated through the Secular Institute of the Little Apostles of Charity and the 'La Nostra Famiglia' association, which manages numerous rehabilitation centers in Italy and abroad, as well as the IRCCS Eugenio Medea research institute. His mortal remains are venerated in Ponte Lambro.