The recent visit to Melbourne by Father Leonir Mario Chiarello, Superior General of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles, was a significant and much-appreciated moment for the Scalabrinian community in Australia.

Accompanied by Father Syrilus Madin, Procurator General and Fourth Councillor of the Congregation’s General Administration in Rome, Father Chiarello also visited the two Scalabrinian parishes of St Brigid’s Parish in Fitzroy North and St Luke’s Parish in Lalor.

Their presence was welcomed with great interest, especially following their stop in Adelaide, where they had visited Mater Christi Church, also run by the Scalabrinians, and the House of Saint Hilarion Aged Care, which recently celebrated its 70th anniversary. After Melbourne, the visit continued to the Sydney mission.

On Thursday, November 6, at the entrance of the new and impressive San Carlo complex in South Morang, a large group of administrators, care staff and team members, along with several Sisters of the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo, Scalabrinians and a number of residents, gathered to welcome the visitors.

Their arrival prompted a detailed exchange about the experiences and challenges faced by Scalabrinian care facilities in Europe, North and South America, and across the extensive Saint Frances Cabrini Mission, which covers Australia and Asia.

The group then toured the complex for more than an hour and a half, greeting and meeting residents across all levels of care. Father Chiarello, re-elected on October 17 last year as Superior General of the Missionaries of Saint Charles, also serves on the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, an appointment given to him by the late Pope Francis.

Born in Brazil 58 years ago to families of Venetian and Austrian heritage, Father Chiarello speaks fluent English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

Ordained in 1995, he has held several key roles, including a special mandate as co-chair of the North and Central American Task Force on Migration, which focuses on the major issues driving Catholic communities to migrate.

This follows his long tenure as Executive Director and Permanent Representative of the Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN) from 2006 to 2018, the umbrella organisation that brings together more than 250 Scalabrinian institutions working to protect the dignity and rights of migrants, refugees, the homeless, the unemployed and seafarers.

In 2007, he received the Commendation Order of Merit for Distinguished Services from Peru’s President Alan García Pérez for his work supporting Peruvian migrants in difficulty in Chile.

He has also pursued extensive academic studies, earning degrees in South America and at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

The tour of the San Carlo facilities was led by Agnes Loffeleya, Executive Director of Care and Support, and Michelle Phang, Director of Human Resources. The visitors met the heads of various departments as well as community leaders involved in aged care.

Ron Hooton, the centre’s CEO, outlined the current period of transition at San Carlo—a change guided by strong Christian values. He explained that the centre now employs 240 staff members from a wide range of backgrounds, speaking 21 community languages, with 90 per cent born outside Australia.

He noted that San Carlo is increasingly welcoming residents from different cultural and linguistic groups, particularly from St Luke’s Parish in Lalor, and that its future focus will be on providing high-quality services to seniors of all backgrounds, along with new professional opportunities for staff.

The visit concluded with refreshments, where long-time friends such as Father Emilio Vaccaro, Vito Pegolo and architect Vito Cassisi, with his daughter Loretta, gathered to share memories and reconnect.