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Daughters of St. Mary of Providence (Guanellians)
Delegation of Mary Most Holy of the Assumption
Our Saints
ST. LOUIS GUANELLA
Louis Guanella was born in the little town of Fraciscio in Northern Italy. In 1881, Fr. Louis founded the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, with the collaboration of mind and heart of Mother Marcellina Bosatta, co-foundress, and her sister, Sister Clare Bosatta.
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The mission that began in the heart of Fr. Louis as a child slowly began to increase as he founded numerous houses for the poor, the abandoned and unwanted in Italy and Switzerland and throughout the World.
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St. Louis Guanella established two religious congregations, the Daughters of St.Mary of Providence for women and the Servants of Charity for men and to carry on his mission. He also found a movement for the laity known as “Guanellian Cooperators and the Guanellian Lay Movement. Together with the daughters of St Mary of Providence and Servants of Charity, they move with his charism and are a part of the Guanellian family.
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He died on October 24, 1915, was beatified on October 24, 1964 and canonized on October 23,2011.
BLESSED CLARE BOSATTA
Sr. Clare Bosatta was born at Pianello Lario on the shores of Lake Como on May 27, 1858 and died in Pianello on April 20, 1887 at the early age of 29. Sr. Clara Bosatta, the sister of our Co- foundress Mother Marcelina spent her
every extra moment in a long prayer giving company with Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist, though they had arduous work of the next day. Her ministry was much appreciated by those who despised Christian piety and neglected
religious duties. She was modest and haste in serving the poor.
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She performed her service with delicate, attention and perfection. In time of sufferings, she would declare candidly that the time of want and hunger had been a very happy time because united in one heart we can adore God and with Jesus lean on the Cross from where issued torrents of sweetness with which she was inebriated. Her sanctity is essentially "love". God makes this love burst forth from the heart of the saint and reveal itself in graces and miracles.
This miracle was performed by Sr. Clara Bosatta to one of our sisters, Sr. Leena Casartelli, a young Guanellian Sister lying at her death bed. Sr. Clara stood beside her bed smiling and said to her, "You are cured, you can get up. Thank Our Lady". She disappeared silently.
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With legal power the Church glorified her and Pope John Paul II proclaimed her "Blessed" on April 21, 1991. Her body rests beside that of St. Luigi Guanella, in the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart, Como, Italy.
Mother Marcellina Bosatta
Sr. Marcellina Bosatta was born on March 21, 1847, in Pianello Lario, Italy, and was baptized on the same day.
After the death of her father in 1861, she took care of her mother and developed a strong devotion to prayer and work.
In 1873, she became the Superior of a small religious institution in Camlago, Italy, dedicated to helping the poor, which later became the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence under Fr. Luigi Guanella's guidance.
Sr. Marcellina played a crucial role in shaping the congregation and was a close collaborator of Fr. Guanella, remaining faithful to her mission until her death on February 4, 1934, at the age of 87.
VENERABLE BISHOP AURELIO BACCIARINI
Aurelio Bacciarini was born on November 8, 1873, in Lavertezzo, Switzerland, to a deeply Catholic family. After being ordained as a priest on June 12, 1897, he served in various pastoral roles, including in the village of Arzo and as a spiritual director in Pollegio. His desire for a more intense spiritual life led him to the Congregation of Fr. Louis Guanella, where he joined the Servants of Charity in 1906, dedicating himself to a life of prayer, sacrifice, and service to the poor.
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Bacciarini became the first pastor of the Basilica of St. Joseph in Trionfale, Rome, where he worked for the betterment of the poor and fostered a deep devotion to the Eucharist, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. Following the death of St. Louis Guanella, he succeeded him as the leader of the Servants of Charity and was consecrated Bishop of Lugano on January 21, 1917. His leadership was marked by courage and a balance of mysticism and prayer amid the political and spiritual challenges of the time.
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Bishop Bacciarini devoted his life to both the Servants of Charity and the Diocese of Lugano, guiding them with a spirit of self-sacrifice and deep faith. He passed away on June 27, 1935, and was declared "Venerable" by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. His legacy continues as a model of devotion to the poor, prayer, and spiritual service.
Brother John Vaccari
BIOGRAPHY
Bro. John Vaccari was born at Sanguinetto, near Verona, on June 5, 1913. His family was a very large family. His father Pietro was married twice and had a total of 15 children (By the first wife 6 children and after the death of her, by the second wife 9 children). Growing up in this environment has been very meaningful to him. Every night, while his mother was making a good polenta, she used to teach him and his brother Marcello the prayers. Kneeling before the image of the Holy Family, the good mother taught them word by word to put the sign of the cross. Many told that he was very generous but not bright in studies, his teacher loved him but he also knew that John was very weak in mathematics.
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His first attempt to enter the Seminary
As he was growing, the parish priest saw in him the signs of the priestly vocation, and so he wanted to be a priest. And so his parish priest sent him to Verona where he entered the Seminary. Verona seemed as an immense city in the eyes of the young country boy and it was chaotic and noisy. But unfortunately, that was not his way because in Latin and mathematics, he was very weak, and so failing to pass the exams, he was forced to leave the seminary. As he returned from the seminary, without any sadness he started his normal life again, as before, through the fields, work and church. Afterwards he joined the Catholic Action Association, and became the president of the group.
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As a Servant of Charity
Many religious congregations invited him to join their congregations. But he did not wish to go anywhere. One day in 1933, he got the invitation from Opera Don Guanella by Fr. Michael Bacciarini. Somehow he had an attraction toward it and joined and took studies as a seminarian, but even there he did not have luck as he failed again in Latin and Mathematics. Only this time, there was an alternative: Become a lay brother. He was told by Fr. Michael Bacciarini. At that point, it really seemed as another defeat. He did not agree initially. But later his spiritual father convinced him, and so he moved toward the novitiate at Barza d' Ispra on Sep, 8, 1934. There he was entrusted with the job as a cook, and then the kitchen became the altar for him as he could not celebrate the Eucharist. But he was not only doing his ministry just as a cook alone but also he was sent to Monteggia, a small village in the woods, in order to carry out part of his apostolate. There he gathered the parishioners to pray and on those occasions he used to preach them, and so he earned the title of "Chaplain of Monteggia ". On Sep, 12, 1936, he made his first profession and on the same date in the year 1939 he made his final profession in the congregation the Servants of Charity.
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As an Assistant to Cardinal Micara
In 1950, he was given a new assignment as an assistant (a sort of handyman service to eminence) to Cardinal Clemente Micara. The relationship between the two of them did not go very well in the beginning and so after a year he had returned to Barza. Then 3 years later Cardinal Micara again requested his assistance and from this emerged a wonderful understanding. After the death of the cardinal, and he was sent to Spain.
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In Spain
The beginning work in Spain was not very easy, he had a lot to do, as a mason, shoemaker, gardener and as a driver. Even though he had plenty of works to do, he never neglected the daily prayers. He used to get up early in the morning just to find time to pray.
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His last breath
On October 9, 1971, he was crushed in a car accident, due to a dangerous overtaking on the opposite lane. When people arrived at the rescue, they were trying to save him but they had forgotten the nun who was traveling with him. She had been on the car. Even in that moment, he told them "Go to her,” The poor nun managed to survive but there was nothing to do with Bro. John.
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The Feast of Candies
In his will Bro. John puts this way: "When I die, if I were in possession of money, I want three Masses to be celebrated for me and the rest goes to relieve and to provide candies to our good children.” This wonderful initiative of our holy brother, already shared in the houses in Spain and in his parish of Sanguinetto(Verona), and even in our communities to this day.
While celebrating the 50th death anniversary of Giovanni Vaccari, the Superior general of Servants of Charity wrote an official letter that the process of beatification was about to be opened in the presence of the Bishop of Palencia. The confreres are collecting beautiful and valid testimonies and waiting for the Nulla Vosta of the Congregations.
