In 1973 the Comune (local Government) had decided to renovate Piazza Magione and one of the plans was to demolish this house according to the Piano Regolatore which was in effect in the late 70s. Therefore the Collegine were transferred to Borgo Nuovo. The Comune took over the House until the plan would come into effect. But as things were in Palermo, this plan was abondoned and so was the house.
The Palazzo della Magione, as it was known, became an easy target to persons who were in desperate needs and soon many started to occupy the building illegally. Other had less well-intentioned targets using the place for their illicit activities.
The Comune, seeing that the place could still be used, in the meantime, considered to launch an activity. In fact there was a small nursery school in the lower part of the house and the rest was unused leading to lack of maintenance and much of it became derelict. This activity proved to be unsuccessful and eventually it was abondoned. In fact, it was still on when the Sisters took over and it was stopped in the late 1978.
In 1974, Blessed Mother Teresa decided to open a house there at a personal request of the cardinal Salvatore Pappalardo, then the archbishop of Palermo. She had come to Palermo to visit her only surviving brother (and family!), Lazer, who had come to Palermo in 1939 from Albania and married there. The Cardinal had asked Mother if she wanted to send some of her Sisters to Palermo. Seeing the need, Mother decided to open a house. The Palazzo della Magione was chosen to be their new home. At that time, the Comune officals did not object and neither did they obejct later on, although they did not issue any document regarding the occupation by the Sisters, not even a temporary one. About five years ago, the House was recognised as a Casa Comunale with the exclusive use of the Sisters and their missionary activity. Thus, the Comune bound itself to maintain the house.
The first four Sisters arrived in Palermo on June 9 1974 with two more sisters joining them the next day. It so happens that the present day mother of the house, Sister Punya, was one of the original community of thirty years ago. In the city of Palermo on that day the procession of Corpus Christi was taking place - a most opportune day for the Sisters to start their mission there! The sister see the body of Chirst in the poor they serve.
At the beginning it was very difficult for the sisters, since they were not accepted by the people of the area. Sister Punya, one of the first sisters to arrive there on 9th June 1974, says that the first thing they did was to go around the quartiere and they could see the precarious hygenic situation the people were living in. Going everyday for Mass was not difficult for the sisters to realise the great misery people were living in. Since part of their mission is to visit the families, they started from a family composed of three children and a sick mother. It was difficult for the sisters to be admitted in the house and in fact the first thing people asked the sisters was 'What do you want?' 'What are you looking for?' It was useless for the sisters to say that their service (to clean the house) was 'free of any charge'; they would not listen. All doors were shut in their faces. However, with time, the sisters obtianed the trust, respect and love of the people and so when the sisters were admitted inside, they started by cleaning the houses of those people who were really poor. When the people realised what good the sisters intended to do, especially when whoever knocked on their door got the help and support needed, they were finally accepted in the quartiere.
But by going to Mass in the morning, the sisters not only met families but a number of children running about, playing in the areas littered with rubbish bags. They observed also that many of the children were in the streets when they were supposed to be at school. So, going around, the sisters instilled a sense of friendship with these children and a reciprocal respect was planted.
It was for them, sister Punya says, that the house initially was opened. Initially they invited the kids to come int the afternoon doing some studies and homeworks, doing craft work and giving sewing lessons to the girls. Since some of them were not attending school, the sisters decided also to open their house during morning hours. It was difficult at first, since the house is big and children ran everywhere! But the sense of mistrust was turned into a climate of serenity and mutual frienship which will last for many years to come. It was in this way that the sisters managed to break the phenomeon of paedophelia. They came to know that some big boys (known as i boss among their peers) were 'selling' children to gays. With the money these big boys made big profits, which in turn they used to seek prostitutes and to drink. This is the situation the sisters found. They found difficulty in breaking this phenomenon but with the help of the Lord, they managed to diminish it substantially. Many children and young people remained indifferent to what the sisters were doing, but many MORE came into the house and even started to attend a scuola serale (evening school) which the sisters opened with the help of a teacher to help the kids recuperate their lost studies and teach them to learn a trade and how to form a good family. Mother used to say that 'the young are always hungry for God. This is the greatness of the young.'
The House has a beautiful church annexed to it with a beautiful huge cross and Jesus waiting to be satiated with our love and our compassion for the poor.
The house has also a courtyard, the famous cortile right in the middle, and it seems perfect for a summer school.
