Mario Buttarelli, dean of permanent deacons, dies at 92

Mario Buttarelli, the dean of permanent deacons in the Diocese of Cremona, has passed away at the age of 92 following a long illness.

Born in Gottolengo in 1934, Buttarelli moved to Cremona as a child. He was ordained as a permanent deacon on May 28, 1994, by Bishop Giulio Nicolini, becoming one of the first permanent deacons in the diocese. Throughout his life, he worked in the kitchens of the Cremona Hospital and served as a pastoral collaborator for the hospital's chaplaincy.

Buttarelli was also known for his devotion to the Madonna of Caravaggio and for promoting the installation of a small Lourdes Grotto in his neighborhood, which became a significant local site of devotion. His funeral will be presided over by Bishop Antonio Napolioni on Monday, September 21, at the upper church of the Seminary.