Blessed Giuseppe Giaccardo

Biography

Blessed Giuseppe Giaccardo, also known as Father Timoteo, was born on 13 June 1896 in Narzole, Cuneo, Italy, as Giuseppe Domenico Vincenzo Giaccardo. He was the oldest of five children born to farm workers Stefano and Maria Cagna. From a young age, Giuseppe felt a call to the priesthood, and his mother's devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary greatly influenced his spiritual journey.

Due to financial difficulties, Giuseppe's father worked as a butcher and sacristan, and the family lived in a house adjacent to the parish church. It was during this time that Giuseppe served as an altar boy for Blessed Giacomo Alberione, who would later become his superior.

In October 1908, Giuseppe began his studies in the seminary, where he excelled as an exceptional student. However, he remained humble and did not boast about his academic achievements. On 22 January 1915, he was drafted into the army and served in a medical unit. His military assignments tested his vows of chastity, as his locations often put him in morally challenging situations. He was released from service on 7 January 1916 due to chronic anemia and returned to the seminary, where he dedicated his spare time to tutoring other students.

Father Alberione, impressed by Giuseppe's dedication and talents, wanted him to work in his new Society of Saint Paul. However, Giuseppe was informed that he could only continue as a cleric if he remained in the seminary. He joined the Society on 7 April 1917 and became the first professed priest in the society after his ordination on 19 October 1919. Taking the name Timoteo in honor of the disciple of Saint Paul the Apostle, he preached retreats, heard confessions, and celebrated Mass.

Father Timoteo's devotion and dedication earned him a reputation within the Society for spreading the word of the faith and advocating against the rising Fascism in Italy. However, he struggled with administrative and financial skills, often clashing with Father Alberione and dealing with overdue bills. Nevertheless, Father Alberione assigned him to found the Society's first house in Rome, Italy, which brought great joy to Pope Pius XI.

On 15 January 1926, Father Timoteo and 14 students opened a small print shop in Rome, working on twelve diocesan weekly publications. Despite living in a modest renovated warehouse with limited facilities, Father Timoteo served as the house superior, spiritual director, treasurer, and supervisor of the printing work. His dedication and the serenity that pervaded the living and working areas left a profound impression on visitors.

In July 1927, Father Timoteo acquired an old vineyard from the Benedictines, transforming it into a chapel, print shop, and improved quarters for the Society. This became a central point for training, study, and spiritual formation for new members. In 1932, he was appointed as the superior in Rome, and on 10 June 1936, the vineyard was designated the mother-house of the Society, with Father Timoteo entrusted as its superior.

During the period when Father Giuseppe led the mother-house, it flourished with piety, observance, and community. He worked with approximately 500 students and seminarians in Alba, Italy, and kept the community together during the hardships of World War II. Every Friday, he celebrated Mass at the mother-house of the Pauline Sisters.

Devoted to Saint Paul, Father Timoteo carried a small edition of the epistles of Saint Paul, often consulting them for wisdom in his dealings with the Society. He was deeply saddened by falsehoods, losing sleep to pray for members who experienced conflicts. He viewed all of history as being centered on Christ and encouraged the use of all forms of media to spread the faith.

Blessed Giuseppe Giaccardo passed away on 24 January 1948 in Rome, Italy, due to leukemia. His funeral was held in the apse of the Basilica of Saint Paul in Rome. Relics of Blessed Giuseppe were enshrined in the crypt of the sanctuary of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in 1966.

Recognizing the holiness of Father Giuseppe's life, Pope John Paul II declared his heroic virtues on 9 May 1985. On 22 October 1989, Pope John Paul II beatified him, acknowledging his sanctity and his significant contributions to the Society of Saint Paul and the Catholic faith.