Fondazione “Casa Lavoro e Preghiera” di Padre Messina
via Messina Marine, 1
The Fondazione “Casa Lavoro e Preghiera” di Padre Messina is located in the seaside district of Sant’Erasmo and constitutes the extremity of the Kalsa district. Under the name Casa Lavoro e Preghiera, in 1900 Padre Messina created a centre for orphans and the poor inside a small storeroom in the summer residence of Prince Alessandro Tasca di Cutò, which was in a state of abandon. The space had previously hosted the historic church of Sant’Erasmo, used as burial place for victims of shipwrecks, after which it had also been used as a puppet theatre and a timber warehouse.
As the number of guests of the facility increased, Padre Messina was granted ownership of the building, and together with volunteers he personally conducted projects of expansion on publicly owned land.
Padre Messina’s charity project spread widely across the territory, following the earthquakes of Calabria-Messina and Avezzano, the great flood of Palermo in 1932, and the two World Wars, especially that of 1940-45.
Today the Fondazione “Casa Lavoro e Preghiera” di Padre Messina is the headquarters of the foundation, and provides a series of religious services and assistance activities, coordinated by the Piccole Suore Missionarie della Carità and volunteers.
The Fondazione “Casa Lavoro e Preghiera” di Padre Messina is part of the section City on Stage of The Planetary Garden. Cultivating Coexistence, and hosts New Palermo Felicissima, a film by Jordi Colomer.