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We also note the Opera Serafica, an orphanage created by the Capuchin Friars in Trento, a northastern Italian city. The orphanage was located in the suburb of Cognola.
The Italian term for 'orphanage' is 'orfanotrofio'. In this case, it appears that the term 'Opera' was used to indicate that it was an institution primarily dedicated to integrating children into society. Perhaps it was thought that the term orphanage would evoke images of the old 19th century institutions, which were more about reform than social integration. The official full name was Opera Serafica per la Protezione della Fanciullezza (Seraphic Charity for the Protection of Children). It cared for orphaned or abandoned children. The photo shows a teacher with an elementary school class in the early-1940s. Like Franciscans, Capuchin friars wear brown habits and sandals. The clothes the children are wearing do not appear to be imitations of the friars' attire. This was during the War years in a low-income mountainous area near the Austrian border. This is probably what the friars were able to provide for so many orphans. What is a little surprising is that the children look quite dirty, with feet that haven't been washed in many days. Usually, these institutions tried to ensure at least basic hygiene which was possible even when little money was available. The children look very happy which was noy always the case in these institutions. Also note that the teacher is a lay person, not a nun. Today nuns have generally disappeared from schools, but at the time, many were teaching. We think sisters mostly worked in institutions their order managed, not in institution run by friars and monks.
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