Farewell to Don Pierino Gelmini, 89, founder of the Community Meeting Amelia for the rehabilitation of drug addicts. Don Gelmini, long ill, died on Tuesday evening in his rooms Molino Silla of Amelia, near Terni, died of a heart attack. Beside him, his closest collaborators.
“Don Pierino Gelmini has been assisted by the boys until finally he attended for a living,” he told news agency Ansa Gianpaolo Nicolasi, one of his closest collaborators.
Always committed in the rehabilitation of drug addicts and testimonial of the fight against drugs, but also Don Gelmini remained entangled in various legal proceedings, including the most serious case of alleged sexual abuse of some children of his community for which in 2010 was indicted in Terni ( The trial was then postponed because of his health). In consequence of this event in 2008 Don Gelmini has asked the Pope to be dismissed from the clerical state to better defend themselves against accusations.
A friend of Silvio Berlusconi, who has sempe flaunted his links with the priest anti-drug politically close to the center in March 2000 Don Gelmini also participated in the presentation of the “manifesto” of the National Alliance.
Ordained priest in 1949, Don Gelmini in 1956 he became pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Bath gavorrano (Grosseto). Its activities in favor of the recovery of the poor children began in 1963 then in 1979 opened the center of Mulino Silla, the first nucleus of the Community meeting, which today has over 200 locations spread throughout Italy and abroad.
It all began with a chance encounter with Alfredo, a drug addict in Rome. “Zi priest, give me a hand, I do not want money but I’m sick,” she said Alfredo in Piazza Navona. Don Gelmini then took him to his house beginning his assistance and recovery to addicts then finalized by the Community Meeting. Then in September 1979 he moved to Molino Silla of Amelia. An old dilapidated structure at the time called the Valley of the witches. Over the years Don Gelmini has transformed it into what is now known as the Valley of hope.
“I have a dream – he loved to repeat Don Gelmini – to make this friendly place and not a ghetto. A place to feel good about the guys. ” The parent of the Community Meeting has therefore become a modern reception center, also equipped with state of the art health care facilities.
In 2008, Don Gelmini has been involved in an investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for alleged Terni sexual harassment of a dozen then guests. Allegations that Don Gelmini has always rejected decisively claiming the correctness of his actions.
The ongoing process before the court in Terni has long been suspended because of the poor health of Don Gelmini. “It is not able to participate consciously ‘at his trial established the expertise ordered by the court in Terni.
The Community Meeting currently has one hundred and ten centers in Italy and abroad. A thousand people every year come from the structure of recovery, it is estimated that at least 300,000 to those of the past hundred founded by Don Gelmini.
No comments:
Post a Comment