The good Samaritan of Romagna

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back’”.
Luke 10:30-35.

Don Angelo Lolli was like that. He worked personally to comfort the sad, to be a companion for the lonely; in a word, he took care of everyone, he was the “Good Samaritan of Romagna”: whoever he might meet on the road figuratively or literally “stripped, beaten, left half dead”, that person was “his”, because in such figures he saw Jesus himself. It never even crossed his mind to “pass by on the other side – someone else would attend to it”. No, he himself had to attend to it!
Don Matteo Solaroli
(director of the St Therese Charity, 1989-2011)

“Charity is the divine flame that makes saints; it is the surest way to attain great holiness. Whatever work I do, I must always be concerned to accord with this great dream of mine, a dream of vocation and love.”
Don Angelo Lolli