Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina will take him to some of the country’s best-known religious landmarks, including the Luján Basilica and the Buenos Aires Cathedral. But one lesser-known destination on his itinerary stands out: the Pequeño Cottolengo Argentino Don Orione.

The “little” Cottolengo is a residential home for people with disabilities, particularly intellectual disabilities. Located in the city of Claypole, in Buenos Aires province, it lies 26 kilometers south of Buenos Aires City, the country’s capital.

The Argentine Catholic Church included the institution on its list of suggested destinations for Leo’s visit to Argentina, which the Vatican approved. The pontiff will visit on Monday November 9, his second day in the country, before celebrating Mass in Palermo, Buenos Aires City.

The institution is run by the Little Work of Divine Providence, a Catholic organization with a worldwide presence, founded by Saint Luigi Orione in Italy in 1899. In Argentina, he is known as Luis Orione, or simply Don Orione — a name that has been used for decades to refer to his work and even to the neighborhood where the Cottolengo is located.

But what exactly is a Cottolengo, and why is Pope Leo visiting this one in Claypole?

Don Orione and the Cottolengos

The word “Cottolengo” actually derives from a name: Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo, an Italian priest who devoted his life to charitable work during the first half of the 19th century and was canonized in........

© Buenos Aires Herald