The Madonnina del Grappa Charity
According to the spirit and ideals of its Founder, the Venerable Father Enrico Mauri (1883-1967), today the
House offers an annual programme of spiritual and training activities and is also available to host religious
and other groups, couples, courses, meetings, conferences, various activities.
In 1921, after the purchase od the Villa Gluer Massone in Sestri Levante, Father Enrico Mauri began the
activities in the Charity Madonnina del Grappa, hosting widows and war orphans with the purpose of
dignifying and educating them. The atmosphere was warm and familiar, following a wise education path
based on the cooperation between women and priests, between manual works and study.
So, Father Enrico Mauri organised the first spiritual courses for priests in Sestri Levante, followed by
courses for nonclerical people and spouses, which were oriented towards a Christian path of sanctification.
This way, the spiritual Family of the “Oblate di Cristo Re”, the widow spiritual movement “Speranza e Vita”,
the Association Spouses in Christ, the “Amici della Madonnina” were born.
The Spiritual Centre “Padre Enrico Mauri” is now the core of the spiritual and pastoral activities of the
Charity and welcomes people in any life stage: nonclerical people, spouses, widows, priests in the common
intend to diffuse the joy coming from the mystery of Christ and the Church’s Nuptial Love.
Today, Father Enrico Mauri is being admitted into the canon of saints.
Father Enrico Mauri
Enrico Mauri was born in Bosisio Parini (Como) 26 th October 1883.
He was ordered priest 13 th June 1908 and was sent to Bobbio as the secretary of the Bishop Marelli.
In 1916 he entered the Oblati di S. Carlo order in the parish of S. Gregorio in Milan.
Here, during the First World War, he founded the National Association “Madri e Vedove dei Caduti” for the
war widows and mothers, the “Gioventù Femminile di Azione Cattolica” section and he became the first
national director of the Italian mission “Clero Indigeno per le Missioni”. In June 1922 he started working for
the Charity Madonnina del Grappa in Sestri Levante to welcome war widows and orphans – some, became
then priests.
Since the beginning of his activities, Father Mauri wanted the Eucharistic Adoration to be the centre of each
day. From 1925 on, Father Carlo Vanoni from Azzate (Varese) helped Father Mauri.
In 1929, the Sanctuary of Christ the King and Madonnina del Grappa was built.
With the passing of time, the first vocations were born, and Father Mauri decided to found a spiritual
Family inside the mystery of Christ and the Church’s Nuptial Love, welcoming unmarried young women,
widows and spouses as members.
Towards 1950s the Centre of ascetic apostolate was born with various initiatives for priests, widows, and
couples. In 1966 the Institute “Oblate di Cristo Re” received the papal approval.
Father Mauri died on 10 th of May 1967.
On the 30 th November 1996 the Bishop of Chiavari Alberto M. Careggio started the process to admit Father
Mauri into the canon of saints, which was concluded on the 25 th November 2001, and was made public on
the 15 th July 2006. On the 19 th May 2018 Pope Francis gave Father Mauri the name of Venerable.
Today the ideals of the Venerable Father Mauri are spread and directed by his spiritual Family born in 2016
and composed by priests, the widow spiritual movement “Speranza e Vita”,