Saint John Baptist Scalabrini (1839–1905) was born in Fino Mornasco, near Como, Italy. Ordained a priest in 1863, he was consecrated Bishop of Piacenza in 1876 at only 36 years old. Known for his pastoral energy and his commitment to catechesis, he became deeply troubled by the sight of impoverished Italians crowding the Milan railway station, waiting to emigrate to the Americas.

Moved by their vulnerability and the risk that they would lose both material support and their faith once far from home, he founded the Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo in Piacenza on 28 November 1887, so that migrants would not have to face that journey alone.

He died in Piacenza on 1 June 1905. Pope John Paul II beatified him on 9 November 1997, and Pope Francis canonized him on 9 October 2022 in Saint Peter’s Square, proclaiming him a model of holiness and a patron for migrants, refugees, and seafarers everywhere.

The Scalabrinian charism grows out of the Gospel call of Christ: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35).

Scalabrinians are consecrated to become “migrants among migrants” — walking with those who leave their homeland, sharing their journey, their struggles, and their hopes, always in communion with the local Church, ready to be sent wherever human displacement calls for pastoral care and the protection of human dignity.

The Latin motto “Humilitas” — received from Saint Charles Borromeo, patron of the Congregation — remains the spiritual foundation of the missionaries’ humble service to migrants and refugees.

Scalabrinians are religious priests and brothers living community life under the evangelical counsels:

• ✓ Poverty: living simply, in solidarity with the poor and the displaced.
• ✓ Chastity: loving without limits, open in heart to strangers of every origin.
• ✓ Obedience: remaining available to be sent to border regions, ports, and wherever the mission calls.

The wider Scalabrinian family also includes the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo (founded 1895), the Scalabrinian Secular Missionaries (founded 1961), and the Scalabrinian Lay Missionary Movement — all sharing the same charism of walking with migrants.

🌎 The Americas (16)

• 🇦🇷 Argentina
• 🇧🇴 Bolivia
• 🇧🇷 Brazil
• 🇨🇦 Canada
• 🇨🇱 Chile
• 🇨🇴 Colombia
• 🇩🇴 Dominican Rep.
• 🇪🇨 Ecuador
• 🇸🇻 El Salvador
• 🇬🇹 Guatemala
• 🇭🇹 Haiti
• 🇲🇽 Mexico
• 🇵🇾 Paraguay
• 🇵🇪 Peru
• 🇺🇾 Uruguay
• 🇺🇸 United States

🌍 Europe (7)

• 🇫🇷 France
• 🇩🇪 Germany
• 🇮🇹 Italy
• 🇵🇹 Portugal
• 🇪🇸 Spain
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland
• 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🌏 Asia & Oceania (6)

• 🇦🇺 Australia
• 🇮🇩 Indonesia
• 🇯🇵 Japan
• 🇵🇭 Philippines
• 🇹🇼 Taiwan
• 🇻🇳 Vietnam

🌍 Africa (2)

• 🇲🇿 Mozambique
• 🇿🇦 South Africa

Fr. Leonir Chiarello, C.S. was first elected Superior General of the Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo (Scalabrinians) at the XV General Chapter in Rome in October 2018, and was re-elected for a second six-year term at the XVI General Chapter in October 2024.

Born in Brazil, Fr. Chiarello entered the Scalabrinian Congregation and was ordained a priest after completing his philosophical and theological studies. Prior to his election as Superior General, he served as the Executive Director of the Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN) in New York, coordinating global research, direct assistance, and policy advocacy for migrants and refugees at the United Nations.