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 Giuseppe
Marello was born on December 26th, 1844, in the north of Italy,
at Turin. Joseph was the kind of person who responded quickly to
those in need. Even as a young boy, he would very often give away
his own possessions and invite the homeless and the hungry to the
family table. In those early years he was faithful to his religious
duties and eager to help his parish priest, especially by serving
as an altar boy. It was there he began to realize he, too, was
being called to the priesthood.
Joseph was ordained a priest on September 19th, 1868. During the
years of his seminary studies, he never forgot about the needs
of the poor around him, and he was just as eager, if not more so,
to come to their aid in as many ways as he could find. For a number
of years he had considered gathering around him a group of men
who would join him in his efforts to serve the poor and so, on
March 14th, 1878, he brought together his first community of men,
calling them the "Company of Saint Joseph." Their first
work included the care of the elderly, the handicapped, and the
establishment of an orphanage for boys.
Father Marello chose Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus,
as the Company's special Patron. He saw in this great Saint the
virtues and qualities he had always admired and he encouraged his "Company" to
imitate these virtues. In this way, he taught, they could become
saints themselves and would be better prepared to serve the Lord
and His Church. What Father Marello most admired about Saint Joseph
was his sole desire to serve Jesus and to do so in a way that attracted
no attention whatsoever to himself. In a very real way, Saint Joseph
kept himself hidden from honor and acclaim, even as he sheltered
the Savior of the world in his home.
Father Marello was the first to put into practice what he taught
in that, as the work of the Company of Saint Joseph became better
known, most people in those early years were completely unaware
that Father Marello was their Founder!
As time passed and the Company of Saint Joseph grew in number,
Father Marello changed their name to the "Oblates of Saint
Joseph" and he became the Bishop of the neighboring Diocese
of Acqui. The work of the Oblate Priests and Brothers now included
assisting the local bishops and parish priests in whatever ways
they might need help and they worked diligently to develop a vibrant
youth ministry which focused primarily on religious education.
Bishop Marello died on May 30, 1895, at 51 years of age.
In 1915 the first Oblate missionaries left Italy for the Philippine
Islands and over the years they have established communities in
the United States (Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and California),
Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Poland, India, Nigeria and Africa.
On June 12th, 1978, Pope Paul VI honored Joseph Marello with the
title of "Venerable". This was the first major step in
the process leading toward canonization and the recognition of
Joseph Marello as a saint of the Church. By calling Joseph Marello "Venerable",
the Church had confirmed in one word what was known by all who
new him - namely, that he was a very holy man and that his work,
his ministry, must continue for the good of the Church, for the
good of souls.
The next step in the process leading to canonization is crucial:
the Church must acknowledge that a miracle had taken place through
Joseph Marello's direct intercession. After years of careful study,
this acknowledgment came on April 2, 1993. The healing miracle
actually occurred in 1944 when a young Oblate seminarian, Aldo
Falconetti, was cured of tubercular meningitis. While he lay in
his bed literally dying from his illness, the attending physician
advised that the young man be given the Last Rites of the Church;
he was not expected to live through the night. Aldo's Brother-Oblates
had been asking Joseph Marello to intercede for their sick brother
and Aldo was given a holy card and relic of the Founder. The next
morning Aldo awoke and felt perfectly fine. After a thorough examination,
he was pronounced completely cured and the examining doctors admitted
they had no explanation as to how this might have occurred.
The Church has acknowledged Joseph Marello's role in this miracle
and as a result Pope John Paul II declared on September 26, 1993,
that the Founder of the Oblates of Saint Joseph would be called "Blessed
Joseph Marello".
Then the most wonderful news of all! On Sunday, November 25,
2001, the Solemnity of Christ the King, at 9:30 a.m., the
Pope celebrated Mass in the Vatican Basilica during which he
canonized Giuseppe Marello (1844-1895), bishop, founder
of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph, along
with: Paula Montal Fornes de San Jose de Calasanz (1799-1889),
virgin, foundress of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary,
religious of the Pious Schools; Leonie Francoise de Sales Aviat
(1844-1914), virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales; and Maria Crescentia Hoss (1682-1744),
virgin, nun of the Third Order of St. Francis. Saint Joseph
Marello is now presented to the entire Church as a model
of sanctity and an intercessor in Heaven.
We invite you to read the following for more information on St.
Joseph Marello:
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE LIFE OF SAINT JOSEPH MARELLO
December 26, 1844: Joseph Marello is born in Turin and baptized
the same day in the Church of Corpus Domini.
1852: Orphaned of his mother, he moves to San Martino Alfieri,
his father’s hometown.
August 15, 1855: He receives Holy Confirmation from Bishop Philip
Artico, Bishop of Asti.
January 9, 1864: His clerical investiture.
December 21, 1867: He receives tonsure and the four Minor Orders
from Bishop Carlo Savio, Bishop of Asti.
March 28, 1868: He receives the Order of Subdiaconate.
June 6, 1868: He receives the Diaconate.
September 19, 1868: He is ordained a priest.
September 20, 1868: His First Mass at San Martino Alfieri.
December 8, 1869: As secretary to Bishop Savio of Asti, he participates
in the opening of the First Vatican Council in Rome and remains
there for its entire duration.
March 14, 1878: In Asti he founds the Congregation of the Oblate
of St. Joseph.
February 11, 1889: In the Consistory of Cardinals he is named
Bishop of Acqui by His Holiness Leo XIII, who will later call him
a “Pearl of a Bishop.”
February 17, 1889: At the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception
in Rome, he is consecrated Bishop by Cardinal Raphael Monaco la
Valletta.
June 16, 1889: His installation into the Diocese of Acqui.
May 30, 1895: His holy death at Savona.
June 1, 1895: Solemn funeral services in Acqui and burial of his
venerable remains in the Acqui cemetery.
March 18, 1901: Establishment of the Institute of Oblates as a
Diocesan Congregation.
April 11, 1909: The Holy See formally approves the Congregation
of the Oblates of St. Joseph.
June 30, 1923: Transferral and entombment of the body of the Founder
in the Mother House of the Congregation in Asti.
1924: Introduction of the Cause for the Beatification to the Diocesan
Chancery Offices of Asti and Acqui.
1928: Conveyance to Rome of the ordinary proceedings held in the
two Dioceses of Asti and Acqui.
May 12, 1937: Decree on the writings of the Servant of God Joseph
Marello.
May 28, 1948: Decree of Introduction of the Cause before the Holy
See and consequent initiation of Apostolic Proceedings in the Diocese
of Acqui.
March 17, 1954: Decree on the validity of the Apostolic Proceedings.
November 25, 1977: Cardinal Luigi Ciappi is named the new proponent
of the Cause.
June 12, 1978: Decree of Heroic Virtue, granting Joseph Marello
the title of “Venerable.”
June 10,1991: Initiation of Asti Diocesan Proceedings Super Miro.
September 27, 1991: Decree on the Validity of the Diocesan Proceedings.
April 2, 1993: Decree on the miraculous nature of the healing
of seminarian Aldo Falconetti through the intercession of Venerable
Joseph Marello.
September 26, 1993: Beatification Ceremony in Asti by Pope John
Paul II, granting Marello the title of “Blessed.”
December 18, 2000: Certification of the miraculous nature of the
healing of Isila and Alfredo Chávez-León, in Ranquish
(Pombabamba, Ancash, Perú), through the intercession of
Blessed Joseph Marello.
November 25, 2001: Canonization at St. Peter’s, Vatican
City, by Pope John Paul II, granting Marello the title of “Saint.”
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