La Misericordia che si fa prassi educativa. San Filippo Smaldone

The theme of mercy is correlated, in Christianity, with the theme of salvation. This has made decisive the contribution of proper education. Under such a profile, the story of the Church is also a multi-century educational activity, whose indications norms date back at least to St. Basil and Sant'Agostino. Especially in the Counter-Reformation times come up with welfare schools aimed at the poor and the needy person. The activity of San Filippo Smaldone, who has been working in Lecce since 1885, is directed at the education of the deaf-mute (1848-1923), enjoying the aid of Congregation of the Salesian Sisters of Sacred Hearts that he founded. Fundamental to understand the spirit of mercy is the Statuto per il Pio Istituto dei sordo-muti (Statute for the Pious Institute for the deaf-mutes) made by San Filippo and illustrated in this paper.