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The founder:
Blessed Luigi Monza
Luigi Monza was born in Cislago (Varese) on 22nd June, 1898 into a rural family.
Their only wealth was their labour courage and faith.
He entered theological college at 18 years after experiencing the hard work of the fields, the sleepless nights spent studying and the struggle for the daily survival of poor people. He was ordained priest on 19th September, 1925.
His first pastoral appointment was among the young people of the parish of Vedano Olona (Varese)
The beginning of his priestly life was marked by trials of every kind, even the injustice of jail and the fascist regime.
In 1929 he was assigned to the Sanctuary of Saronno where he was the initiator of numerous projects for young people.
Here his look, sharpened by trials and touched by the one of God, had learned to look far, at the whole world, a world characterized by loneliness, by sadness and egoism that "it was urgent to bring back to the love of God". The intuition was great but it was necessary to wait until God showed the way to follow.
In 1936 he was appointed priest to St. Giovanni of Lecco, where he was "a priest according to the heart of God". In 1937 he found the way that God showed him.
From his father's heart was born the Secular Insitute of the little Apostoles of charity called, as a gift of the Spirit, to take to the world the fullness of a life consecrated to the total love of Christ "with the apostolic fervour of the first Christian community".
On 29th September 1954 don Luigi Monza stepped aside and silently disappeared like the grain of wheat that dies to give life to the ear, conscious of having played his part and of having given the community the guide lines and objective, a road reaching towards God. The rest would come later.
On 23rd February 1991, in Ponte Lambro (Como), where Father Luigi Monza is buried, in the presence of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the canonization investigation at diocesan level into the life and heroic virtues of Father Luigi Monza were concluded.
On April 30, 2006 in Milan Father Luigi Monza has been declared Blessed