Mario Pantaleo
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| Jose Mario Pantaleo | |
|---|---|
| Alternate name(s): | Padre Mario |
| Date of birth: | August 1, 1915 |
| Place of birth: | Pistoia, Florence, Italy |
| Place of death: | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Movement: | Padre Mario Foundation |
Jose Mario Pantaleo (August 1, 1915 – August 19, 1992) was an Italian (born in the city of Pistoia, Florence) priest who lived most of his life in Argentina. He is known as Padre Mario. He was well known for the healings of thousands as well as for the construction of a Foundation in a poor neighbor in Buenos Aires called Gonzalez Catan which includes among other things provides free health care and education up to college level.
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[edit] Childhood and studies
Jose Mario Pantaleo was born on August 1, 1915 in the city of Pistoia, in the province of Firenze in the Toscana region. He was the son of successful businessman Enrico Pantaleo and Ida Melani. Much of the Pantaleo family's wealth was lost as a result of World War I. In February 1927, Mario, who already had endured a terrible bout of pneumonia that almost cost his life, and his family emigrated to Cordoba, Argentina, where Enrico's brother had business interests. Enrico's entrepreneurships didn't work out in Argentina, so in 1931 the family returned to Italy. At that time, Mario already knew his own destiny: to be a priest. On December 3, 1944, Jose Mario Pantaleo completed his studies in the seminary of Mattera.
Without a fixed destiny in his homeland, bearing in mind that bishop Antonio Caggiano, leader of the Argentinian Church, had asked the Pope for priests for Argentina, he went to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina for counsel. He encouraged Mario, saying, "Go my son, you're following your destiny. You have also been chosen for a singular mission."
Pantaleo returned to Argentina in 1948 and lived there the rest of his life.
[edit] Early life in Argentina
His first destination in Argentina was the province of Santa Fe, he would be the vicar of the church San Pedro in Casilda, a year later he would be reallocated to the church of la Guardia in Rosario and then to the small town of Aceval.
At the end of 1951 he was named chaplain of the Hospital Provincial De Rosario. There he would meet three people that would have strong bonds with him for the rest of his life. Juan Lo Celso director of the hospital, a young physician called Escalante de Larrechea and Perla Garaveli. Perla met Padre Mario when she went to see him because of a cancer in her uterus. That day without even she asking Padre Mario nothing, he noticed her and cured her.
She recalls saying :
"The bleeding stopped"
To which Padre Mario replied :
"Yes, that's why you came here for, isn't it?"
[edit] Miracles and Life in Gonzales Catan
In 1958 Padre Mario decided to travel to Buenos Aires to study philosphy, an old passion of his. He wrote a letter to Antonio Caggiano asking him for the transfer. He was put in charge of the Hospital Ferrioviario. It was at this time that the legend began as he would cure people at a small apartment in the neighbor of Floresta. People would line up long hours to be seen by the priest from Pistoia.
With his small savings (but huge dreams), he bought a piece of land in the Gonzales Catan area to build a house and a church. Gonzales Catan was then a forgotten place with small houses but that would change as the years passed by.
Rich and poor would travel to Gonzalez Catan looking for Padre Mario to help them cure. There has been hundreds of testimonies during the years including high profile people as historian Felix Luna, businesswoman Amalia Fortabat, and former Argentian presidents Carlos Saul Menem and Arturo Frondizi.
Always having a strong faith, he would say of himself (when healing others) to be a "guitar" to be played by the "guitarrist" referring to his relationship with God in which he was only an instrument of God's will.
[edit] Foundation
The foundation Obra del Padre Mario it is known for its vast community services and social actions developed because of the extraordinary capacity to love of whom was it founder, Padre Jose Mario Pantaleo. Its main areas of action are health, education, the handicapped, the community, culture and sports.
[edit] Health
Sevety-two percent of Gonzales Catan population lives in poverty and Public Health can't cope with the estimated 550.000 requests for medical attention every year. In this context the Policlinic Cristo Caminante of the foundation has become an invaluable resource for the general population and especially poor people and young children.
[edit] Education
As Padre Mario said, what children receive in a classroom is something that will last a lifetime. The Pantaleo school provides education from Kindergarten level to College level. The 2006 the College celebrated its first graduate in BS. The Pantaleo school has the objective of giving Ganzales Catan youth the possibility to work at a higher level and thus helping the whole community to develop.
[edit] Movie
Alejandro Doria a notorious Argentinian filmmaker decided in 2006 to make a movie about the life of Padre Mario called "Las Manos" . Although it was not a biographical movie it strived to show the spirit of Padre Mario. It starred famous Argentinian actors Jorge Marrale as Padre Mario and Graciela Borges as Perla. The movie was very well received by the critics and spectators alike. It was the best Argentinean movie that year and people who knew Padre Mario (including Perla) stated the fidelity of the movie in portraying the life and spirit of Padre Mario.
[edit] Legacy
Padre Mario's legacy lives on in his Foundation and the thousands he cured. His foundation helps to improve the quality of life of the region. Devotion for Padre Mario has not faded, there are hundreds who prayed to Padre Mario for help in an illness and have been cured, there are several books with testimonies. Perla Garavelli is currently seeking for the beatification of Padre Mario.
