Chiesa di San Gabriele dell'Addolorata

On 27 March 1970, Fr Guido Cattivera invited the then viceregent, Monsignor Ugo Poletti, to bless a room on the ground floor of an apartment building in the Quadraro district, located at 79 Via Livia Drusilla, where a chapel, or rather a place of worship dedicated to Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows stood. This was supposed to be a temporary solution, but instead lasted for 40 years (1970-2010). Pastoral care was entrusted to Fr Guido until 19 September 1981, when he was succeeded by a young priest Fr Fabio Paglioni, who was then appointed parish priest of the church on 1 January 1982, remaining in that service until 31 August 2013.By Decree of 1 November 1981, Cardinal Poletti elevated the above-mentioned place of worship to Parish with the title of Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, entrusting it at the same time to the diocesan clergy.In June 1987 a parish committee was set up with a popular subion of 5,104 signatures to ask the competent authorities for the allocation of the 5200 square metre area between Via Claudio Asello and Via Ponzio Cominio destined for services in an area classified M/3 on the P.R.G. (Rural Development Plan). The committee presented the request to the mayor, the councillors and the president of the X district with a collection of 5109 signatures asking for M/3 to be replaced with a determination of the use of the area for worship services as required by law. This request was also supported by Cardinal Ugo Poletti.On 10 May 1992, the small condominium church welcomed Pope John Paul II on a pastoral visit.Over the years, various premises were acquired for the conduct of pastoral activities. In the summer of 1994, however, the dream of a new parish complex seemed to fade away. It was then decided to undertake improvements to the church in order to make it more welcoming, given the large number of worshippers in a rapidly expanding neighbourhood.On 23 March 1994, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the City Council, the Vicariate and the minister responsible for urban problems, for the construction of 50 new parish complexes in anticipation of the Great Jubilee of 2000, in which the parish of San Gabriele was also included. Subsequently, three programme agreements took place with a number of parishes in each, and San Gabriele was included in the third programme agreement of 1998. With the Jubilee of 2000, the parish took on the task of accommodating the three families on Montarozzo (this is the name of the area allocated for the construction of the new church). In spite of everything, many problems remained to be solved: small cadastral plots were still not clearly defined, so the parish priest, Father Fabio decided to invoke not only the help of the patron saint, but more consistently entrusted himself to the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows, deciding to recite a Hail Mary at the end of each celebration, so that the request for the building could be realised as soon as possible. A prayer still recited today as thanksgiving to the Virgin for her intercession.This was followed by years of slow bureaucracy, letters and communications, and assessments. It was then greeted by the new head of the office for the construction of new churches, Bishop E. Mandara.Architect Gianni Testa was commissioned to draw up the new project, replacing engineer Ignazio Breccia in 2004. Despite this, there were delays also due to the approval of the new master plan, and it was not until 2007 that work on the parish complex finally began. In fact, on 6 May 2007, the laying of the First Stone took place.
The church has a bell tower consisting of five bells, a brief deion of which follows with some information:

• The first bell is called La Risorta weighs 200 kg and bears the inion Resurrexit, Alleluia bearing the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI and an image of the risen Christ.
• The second bell is called La Crocifissa weighs 150 kg with the inion Consumatum Est and bears the coat of arms of Cardinal C. Ruini and a crucifix. Ruini and a crucifix.
• The third bell is called The Holy Family weighs 110 kg with the inion Sancta Familia, ora pronobis and bears the image of the family of Nazareth.
• The fourth bell is called L'Addolorata weighs 85 kg with the inion Mater Addolorata, ora pro nobis and bears the coat of arms of Bishop Mandara and the symbol of Our Lady of Sorrows.
• The fifth bell is called La Gabriellina weighs 50 kg with the inion Sancto Gabriel, ora pro nobis and bears the coat of arms of the parish priest Monsignor Fabio Paglioni and an image of Saint Gabriel.

Six first-class relics of the following saints are kept under the high altar:
1- St Gabriel to whom this church is dedicated;
2- St Paul of the Cross, founder of the Passionist Fathers;
3- St John Bosco;
4- St John Mary Vianney;
5- St Frances Romana;
6- St Camilla Battista Varano.