The fundraiser was expected to run through April 15, but the response was so overwhelming that Didone said Tuesday he has stopped accepting donations. They received over 20,000 donations.

Father Didone said, “This good country is a good place with such good people”. He said he is grateful that God sent him to Taiwan and this is why he wants to stay here for the rest of his life.

Father Didone had issued a public letter on April 1 asking for donations for the purchase of emergency provisions such as surgical face masks and protective gowns for medical personnel in Italy. Italy is one of the hardest hit countries in the world by the new coronavirus.

Didone came to Taiwan in 1965 and established special care centers for intellectually disabled people in Penghu and Yilan counties. He now serves at Camillian Saint Mary's Hospital in Yilan's Luodong Township.

In 2017, Didone and his late brother Antonio received Taiwanese citizenship in recognition of their contributions to Taiwan.