Everything I Did I Did for Happiness

About this book

In May 1999, seven thousand people crowded the basilica in Bologna, Italy to offer a farewell to Enzo Piccinini, a surgeon who died tragically at the age of forty-eight. Who was this doctor who had left an indelible mark on so many lives? Formed in an era of political activism and violence, the young Enzo made a surprising decision-to pursue a life of faith and healing-thanks in part to his encounter with Father Luigi Giussani and his commitment to the movement of Communion and Liberation (CL). At the center of his vocation as a doctor was the belief that patients needed to be cared for in all their humanity, including their relationships, and to be helped to face pain and the fear of death-an approach still known as the "Enzo Method." While maintaining a hectic schedule as a surgeon and teacher, Enzo found time to travel all over Italy, visiting CL communities and moving people with the eloquence of his Christian witness. Designated "Servant of God" by the Church, the diocesan phase of the cause for his canonization has been opened. Everything I Did I Did for Happiness is an engrossing story that teaches us, as Enzo said, "to put your heart into what you do."