Cottolengo Don Orione: ‘Pope Leo’s visit makes us more visible than ever’

The Cottolengo Don Orione, located in Claypole, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, is a place that has often been misunderstood due to misconceptions. The institution, which will be visited by Pope Leo XIV on November 9, has been providing quality of life and happiness to disabled individuals for the past 90 years. The Cottolengo houses 410 residents and employs 400 people.

Father Aníbal Quevedo, a priest of the Don Orione charity and provincial advisor for operations in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, explains that the workers at the Cottolengo are not just employees but friends and family to those who reside there. The unique feature of Don Orione is that the institution follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, as mentioned in the Gospels, where He states, "Whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did unto me."

This principle guides the Cottolengo in providing the best possible quality of life to its residents. The residents at the Cottolengo engage in various activities, including cooking, dancing, gardening, and discussions on current events. Quevedo leads the current events workshop, where residents discuss and debate issues such as inflation and other pressing topics.

The institution is funded primarily through healthcare programs provided by the disabled individuals and their families, as well as support from PAMI (healthcare of the elderly) and Incluir Salud. The Cottolengo also relies on non-contributory PAMI, which is considered inferior to the other schemes. Quevedo highlights that the organization receives occasional donations and runs fundraising campaigns to support specific projects, like acquiring a specialized trolley for food transfers.

In light of recent political controversy surrounding disabled individuals in Argentina, Father Aníbal emphasizes the importance of the nomenclature, a price list that determines the cost of services like speech therapy. He warns that the potential disappearance of the nomenclature could lead to unequal access to services based on the ability to pay.