Sosio Del Prete

In Afragola, moved by the misery of the elderly abandoned at the 'Lazzaretto', Father Sosio committed himself to helping them. In 1929, he met Antonietta Giugliano, of whom he became the spiritual director. Together, thanks to Antonietta's inheritance, they acquired a building and officially launched the institute of the Little Servants of Christ the King on June 6, 1932. The work quickly expanded to the assistance of the elderly, and then to the education of abandoned children after the war. The congregation was aggregated to the Friars Minor in 1947 and received diocesan approval in 1951.

After Father Sosio's death in 1952, his reputation for holiness grew. The diocesan inquiry into his life, virtues, and reputation for holiness was officially opened in Naples on December 1, 2006, and closed on December 13, 2008. During this procedure, thirty-eight witnesses were heard over the course of forty sessions. The documents were then transmitted to Rome to be examined by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Father Sosio Del Prete is not yet beatified or canonized, but he holds the status of Venerable. On April 26, 2016, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing his heroic virtues, following an audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato. The official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession remains required for his beatification.

Rooted in the Franciscan charism, Father Sosio's spirituality is centered on the kingship of Jesus Christ and the service of the poor, whom he called the 'pupils of God's eyes.' He passed away suddenly in Naples from an angina pectoris attack during the night of January 27 to 28, 1952, while holding his breviary. His body rests in Afragola. Today, the Little Servants of Christ the King continue his mission in Italy, as well as in Romania, the Philippines, Indonesia, and India.