Don Maurizio Patriciello (Photo Manuel Doorati)
«I lost my mother at the age of 17, it was not easy to grow without her. Then I became a specialized nurse, Head of Department Expert in drug addiction. For years I was looking for something that approached me to Godand one day, While I went to work, I saw a barefoot friar who made hitchhiking and gave him a ride ».
Thus begins, in a delicate tone, the story of Don Maurizio Patriciello, Since 1990 parish priest of the church of San Paolo Apostolo of Caivano. The Church is located At the center of the Green Park, the complex neighborhood of the town, known for being the largest drug dealing square in Europe.
Don Patriciello is today 70 years old, has been under escort since 2022, After years of struggle against environmental pollution and the Camorra. A battle that has engaged it since it was ordained priest in the nineties.
The early days from priest to Caivano were also The years in which Sandokan, nickname of the boss Carmine Schiavone, begins to collaborate with justice and sheds light on traffic and disposal ofToxic radioactive waste who came from Northern Italy to be buried in the countryside between Caserta and Naples.
Don Maurizio says: «It was the period of the summer camps and I remember that one night it was unable to sleep because the fumes of the toxic fires arrived in the parish. It was half past three, there was a terrible fier and I got up to close the windows. Taken from anger, because it had now become normal, I looked at the crucifix and said: “Where should I start?”. SoI wrote a post on Facebook asking others to comment if they felt the same bad smell. I replied in many and that point I understood that Christ wanted this from me. Desperate, I wrote to the bishop of Aversa, Angelo Spinillo, and then to oncologists, lawyers, magistrates and politicians of good will, with whom we gave birth to the firefield committee and we also arrived in Brussels ». Just last week, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Italy, recognizing what supports the Don Patriciello Committee: the problem was not adequately addressed by the authorities despite the risks were known.
Read the complete interview on the number of believing in distribution in newsstands and religious bookstores from Thursday 6 February and in the parishes from Saturday 8 February. Or buy a digital copy www.edicolasanpaolo.it/scada/credere.aspx
