Early life Orione was born into a poor family at
Pontecurone, in the
Province of Alessandria, in the
Piedmont region of Italy, on the
vigil of the
feast day of the
Nativity of St. John the Baptist. He was named after
Aloysius Gonzaga and
John the Baptist. He was
baptized the next day by Michele Cattaneo, the
parish priest of the town. His father, Vittorio, was a street paver of few words and his mother, Carolina, was an energetic, pious, thrifty homemaker. At thirteen years of age he entered the Franciscan Friary of Voghera (Pavia), but he left after one year owing to poor health. From 1886 to 1889 Orione was a student at the Valdocco
Oratory in
Turin operated by the
Salesians of Don Bosco. There he gained the attention of
John Bosco, the founder, who numbered him among his favorite pupils. From the age of 13, Luigi began to suffer health problems. However, three years later, in 1888, he was present at Bosco's death in Turin. At that moment his ailments were miraculously cured. Four days later, surrounded by fellow priests of his Orionine order, Luigi Orione died. His last words were, "Jesus, Jesus! Jesus! I am going..." Now he is the patron saint of the abandoned. of Nostra Signora della Guardia, in
Tortona, Italy Don Orione was buried in the Santuario di Nostra Signora della Guardia in Tortona, the church that he himself built in 1931, with the help of priests and
acolytes. It was built in gratitude to the
Madonna for ending the hostilities of
World War I. It is the most important pilgrimage site in the world for Orione's followers. ==Veneration==