By Janine Young

Of the many Jesuit priests who served in the Diocese of El Paso, one of the most significant was Father Petronius Zagni. During the depths of the Great Depression in the 1930s, Father Zagni established a famous charity kitchen, called the Cocina Caridad at Sacred Heart Church in Downtown El Paso that fed hundreds of poor families daily.

At the time, many in the community credited Father Zagni and his kitchen with saving thousands of people from starvation. A native of Bologna, Italy, Father Zagni became the rector of Sacred Heart Parish in December 1929 just a few months after the stock market crash.

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Source: http://www.elpasotimes.com/