The Communities of Don Guanella and Divine Providence are a ministry of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will celebrate Mass for The Communities of Don Guanella and Divine Providence (DGDP), marking the feast of their patron saint, Saint Luigi Guanella (Don Guanella), a 19th-century Italian priest who ministered to children with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Monday, October 25, 2021
11:00 a.m. (Mass)
Our Lady of Fatima Parish
1 Fatima Drive
Secane, PA 19018

Men and women served by The Communities of DGDP as well as staff and administrators will join in the Liturgy.

The Mass will also conclude the end of a year-long celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the opening of Don Guanella School, what is now known as Don Guanella Village, which opened in Springfield, PA (Delaware County) on October 30, 1960.

Following Mass, the Archbishop will attend an outside luncheon with DGDP staff.

Background Information on Saint Luigi Guanella (Don Guanella)

Saint Luigi Guanella’s patronage stems from the historical context on which The Communities of DGDP were founded. A priest and founder of the Religious Orders of the Servants of Charity and the Daughters of Saint Mary of Providence, and the Pious Union of Saint Joseph Prayer Association, Don Guanella advocated for further acceptance of individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities as brothers and sisters and as blessings from God.

In the late 1940s and 1950s, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia invited Don Guanella’s religious orders — the sisters of the Daughters of Saint Mary of Providence and the priests and brothers of the Servants of Charity — to establish programs in the region.

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Editor’s Note: The Communities of Don Guanella and Divine Providence (DGDP) are dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. Dedicated staff and volunteers provide a continuum of care offering a wide range of programming options including: Community and Campus-Based Living Arrangements, Life Sharing Through Family Living, Respite Care, and Day Programs. For more information, please visit https://dgdpcommunities.org/

For more information on Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit https://cssphiladelphia.org/.