Opera Santa Maria della Luce

The Opera S. Maria della Luce,

is a Public Association of clerical faithful established by the Bishop's Decree of 8 December 2008 by the Bishop of the Diocese of Orvieto-Todi.

The Opera S. Maria della Luce (OSMdL) was erected to be a Society of Apostolic Life.

In the Work of St. Mary of the Light the evangelical counsels (poverty, obedience, chastity) are assumed with the bonds defined by the Constitutions, and the brothers live fraternal life in community.

It is made up of priests, deacons, aspirants to the diaconate and the priesthood. It also has consecrated brothers who live fraternal life in community and every year, on April 24 (Solemnity of Our Lady of Light), they renew the evangelical counsels.

The Work of Santa Maria della Luce, equipped with a canonical and civil juridical personality, has its own Constitutions and Formative Project and  was born from the experience of two diocesan priests Fr Giuseppe Petrangeli and Fr Ruggero Iorio who since 1978, in agreement with the Bishop of Orvieto-Todi, have chosen to live community life and therefore share the apostolic life.

In the following years, four other priests, Fr Mario Rellini, Fr Jeremiah Joseph Kelly, and Fathers Rogério Rubick and Luiz Carlos, decided to share the community and missionary experience. Previously, on September 15, 1993, again by Episcopal Decree, the Associazione Comunità Nazareth, a Public Ecclesial Association composed of lay people who support and perform voluntary service in charitable works, had been erected at the behest of the aforementioned priests, with its own Statute, and by brothers and sisters who, by consecrating themselves, choose fraternal life in common.

The name of Opera S. Maria della Luce has its own precise motivation: Mons.Decio Lucio Grandoni, in a homily held at the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Luce, on the occasion of the renewal of the service commitment of the Nazareth Community Association for the year 2001, he wanted to underline: - “… remember that from here (from the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Luce) every effort and every result obtained started…”. He deliberately referred to shelters for the elderly, the sick, children and to the associations, work and missionary realities undertaken.

That was an enlightened clarification. We can affirm, after some time, and in the light of experience, that the work, blessed by God, for all of us, began and continues under the protection of Our Lady of Light.

Currently the OSMdL, together with the Ass. Comunità Nazareth, carries out its mission in: Italy, Brazil, Zambia, Mexico and India.