Patriciello Maurizio

Don Maurizio Patriciello was born in Frattaminore, near Naples, in 1955. Until the age of 30, he worked as a paramedic. A chance encounter with a Franciscan friar brought him closer to faith, prompting him to leave his job, pursue theological studies, and enter the priesthood.

After his ordination, he was sent by the Archbishop of Naples to Parco Verde in Caivano, a notoriously difficult neighborhood where 13 drug-dealing hubs generate an estimated €100 million annually. Since then, Don Maurizio has been on the front lines in the fight against the Camorra and in the defense of the environment, particularly in the area polluted by illegal industrial and radioactive waste known as the “Land of Fires” (Terra dei fuochi). He has publicly denounced the foul odors that sometimes prevent him from celebrating Mass, and he witnessed the death of his brother Franco from cancer.

Due to death threats from local criminal clans, Don Maurizio has been under police protection since 2022. On the night of May 11–12, 2022, a makeshift bomb exploded in front of his home in an act of intimidation. He responded with a message of forgiveness and an invitation to change one’s life.

Don Maurizio also fights organized crime through social media, where he is highly active and has more than 100,000 followers on Facebook. In 2014, he published a denunciation book titled “Non aspettiamo l’apocalisse. La mia battaglia nella Terra dei fuochi” (Let’s Not Wait for the Apocalypse. My Battle in the Land of Fires).

His activism has drawn the attention of several political leaders, who have visited him in Caivano, including Giuseppe Conte, Matteo Renzi, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.