Blessed Giovanni Maria Boccardo

Biography

Blessed Giovanni Maria Boccardo, also known as the "Father of the Poor," was born on 20 November 1848 in Ca’Bianca, Moncalieri, Turin, Italy. He was the eldest of ten children born to Gasparo Boccardo and Giuseppina Malerba. Coming from a devout family, he was baptized at just one day old, and three of his brothers would later become priests, including Blessed Luigi Boccardo.

Giovanni's early spiritual formation took place with the Barnabites, and he graduated from their high school in 1864. Subsequently, he entered the diocesan seminary and was ordained to the priesthood on 3 June 1871 in the archdiocese of Turin.

Although Giovanni had a strong desire for religious life, he was assigned to work in the seminary. He began his service there as a teacher and then became the spiritual director of young seminarians in Chieri, Italy, in 1873. Later, he held the same position in Turin. On 1 February 1877, he earned a doctorate in theology, further deepening his knowledge and understanding of the faith.

Giovanni's dedication to his faith and his vocation led him to establish meaningful relationships with influential figures such as Saint John Bosco, Saint Leonard Murialdo, and Blessed Joseph Allamano. His friendship with these saints and blessed individuals undoubtedly had a profound impact on his spiritual journey.

In 1882, Giovanni became the parish priest in Pancalieri, Italy. This appointment marked the beginning of his lifelong mission as a beloved pastor, particularly known for his care for the sick and the poor. He tirelessly served his parishioners, filling in at other parishes, ensuring the religious education of children, and even ministering to those in prison.

During the cholera epidemic of 1884, Giovanni's work with the sick highlighted the dire need for better medical care for the impoverished. In response to this pressing need, he founded a hospice to provide care for the impoverished sick on 6 November 1884.

However, Giovanni's passion for helping those in need did not stop at establishing the hospice. He went on to found the Poor Daughters of Saint Cajetan, a religious congregation with a specific mission to care for the poor sick, long-term sick, sick priests, the elderly, and the neglected. This congregation, inspired by his vision, continues its charitable work to this day in Italy, Brazil, Benin, and Argentina, carrying forward Giovanni's legacy of compassionate service.

In 1911, Father Giovanni was struck by a form of paralysis that progressively restricted his ability to minister. Despite this limitation, he reluctantly gave up all areas of his ministry during his final two years. Throughout his life, Giovanni wrote extensively on spiritual matters, leading to the compilation of a staggering 44 volumes of private writings.

Blessed Giovanni Maria Boccardo passed away on 30 December 1913 in Moncalieri, Turin, Italy, due to natural causes. He was re-interred at the mother house of the Poor Daughters of Saint Cajetan in Pancalieri in 1924.

Recognizing his exemplary life of virtue, Pope John Paul II declared Giovanni Boccardo venerable on 6 April 1998, acknowledging his heroic virtues. Just a few weeks later, on 24 May 1998, Pope John Paul II beatified him. The beatification miracle involved the complete healing from cancer of 80-year-old Lina Alvez De Oliveira in Sao Paolo, Brazil, on 12 February 1968.

Blessed Giovanni Maria Boccardo remains an inspiring figure, his life and works serving as a testimony to the transformative power of compassion and selfless dedication to the poor and marginalized.