The Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole cares for about 400 people with disabilities and will receive Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 9, a day after his meeting with President Javier Milei. Staff say government deliveries of medicines and supplies stopped in November 2025, forcing the home to rely on donations and internal funds. The institution offers workshops and therapies and has historically trained seminarians; administrators hope the papal visit will raise visibility and spur support.
Pope Leo XIV To Visit Argentine Care Home Facing Severe Supply Shortages
Residents participate in a pastry workshop at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Residents and staff at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a Catholic care home in Claypole south of Buenos Aires, are preparing to welcome Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 9 even as the institution scrambles to secure medicines, diapers and other essentials.
The pope’s visit follows a scheduled meeting with President Javier Milei the day before, taking him from the presidential palace to a facility whose workers say recent government spending cuts and the halt of state deliveries have jeopardized the round-the-clock assistance many residents require to walk, speak, eat and bathe.
About the home
Home to roughly 400 people with a range of disabilities, the Pequeño Cottolengo functions like a small town: roads connect dozens of residential units, classrooms and therapy rooms around a central square and church. Beyond basic care, the institution runs cooking workshops, gardening projects and dance classes so residents can build skills and pursue personal goals. Staff say many families turn to the Cottolengo when they cannot afford private care or are unable to provide support; most residents receive few or no family visits.
Funding and supply shortfalls
Officials say government deliveries of medicines, diapers, dressings and food stopped in November 2025. Since then, the home has relied on its own reserves and public donations to cover essential medical and daily-care needs. Administrators warn that ongoing public spending cuts under President Milei risk undermining the continuous, hands-on care many residents depend on.
Historical and spiritual ties
For decades the Cottolengo also served as a practical training site for seminarians. When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis encouraged seminarians to spend time at the home to put their faith into practice by serving people on society’s margins. Francis did not return to Argentina during his papacy, a decision that disappointed many compatriots; organizers say Leo’s visit could refocus international attention on the institution.
“Pope Leo's visit gives us great hope that this problem — and people with disabilities themselves — will gain visibility,” said Fernando Montero, who directs the home's disability services.
The scheduled visit to Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole on Nov. 9 comes a day after Pope Leo XIV’s meeting with President Javier Milei, and officials say it may help draw attention and support at a critical moment.
An aerial view of the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Residents participate in a dance workshop at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Employee Giselle Correa kisses resident Flavio Mendez in the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Volunteers go for a walk with residents at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A resident practices tossing a ball during a physical therapy workshop in the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A resident cheers while attending a woodworking class at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Employees attend a meeting at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Residents gather in a communal space at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Raul colors an illustration of Spiderman in a painting workshop at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Residents attend an art workshop at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Stella Maris Fernandez kisses instructor Lucia Carrera while taking part in an art workshop at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Residents gather in a communal area as they wait to fed at the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Employee Nancy Bravo feeds resident Miguel Rojas in the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A portrait of Luis Orione, an Italian priest and founder of the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that Pope Leo XIV will visit in November, sits in a storage room at the home’s church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Faithful pose for a group photo in the church inside Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Robes worn by the priests hang from a rack inside the church of Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a home for people with disabilities that will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
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