Federico Ozanam Soup Kitchen 

(1932)

via Cosenz, 14

The soup kitchen was founded thanks to the activities of the “Società Civile Piccola Casa Federico Ozanam” (Civil Society Federico Ozanam’s Small House), instituted in 1932 in order to give continuity to the charity deeds of some laymen inspired to St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Federico Ozanam’s principles of solidarity and charity. The aim of the association, whose head was Dr. Mario Falciola, was the management of a night shelter in via Napoleona 164 and the distribution of meals, clothes and restrooms, as well as the assignment of a night accomodation to needy people; the Society also took care of both corporal and spiritual needs of its guests thanks to the catechesis and the spiritual services fulfilled by the priests of St. Vincent mission in the city. In 2003 the night shelter in via Napoleona was renovated, dedicated to Luigi Palma, a benefactor, and entrusted to the management of the diocesan Caritas; the charity activities of night accomodation, soup kitchen, infirmary, assistance in retirement procedures and in job or home seeking have been moved to the new “Casa Federico Ozanam” (Federico Ozanam House), which also hosts a structure for abused women and the seat of “Siticibo”.

What documents tell us…

Extract from F. Ozanam, About humiliating and honorific assistance, 1848

Assistance is humiliating if you do distribute nothing but a slice of bread, a cloth and a pallet which you probably will not have to ask them back (….) and if you seem, while feeding those who suffer, to be only worried about silencing complaints that spoil your stay in a big city or warding off dangers that threaten peace.

Assistance is honorific when nourishing bread is combined with a consoling visit, an illuminating advise and a handshake that raises despondent courage again; when the poor is respected and treated as a superior and not just as an equal, as he suffers from what we shall never suffer from, since he is among us as God’s delegate to test our justice and charity and to save us with our deeds.

Today …

38 beds (with dinner); meals are served also to poor who are not going to overnight.

Open from 4.00 pm to 9.30 pm, Monday to Sunday; supper is served at 5.30 pm.

http://www.ozanamcomo.org/

Download

Main photo. Blessed Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam (1813-1853)

Below. The ancient night shelter in via Napoleona, nowadays “Luigi Palma House”

Como, Federico Ozanam House, via Cosenz