Francesco Pianzola

The ministry of Francesco Pianzola is marked by intense missionary activity and the foundation of two institutes. On December 8, 1908, he founded the Diocesan Oblate Fathers of the Immaculate with Father Michele Gerosa and Father Giovanni Balduzzi to evangelize the countryside of Lomellina. On May 8, 1919, in Mortara, he founded the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Queen of Peace (the Pianzolines) with Anna Bandi as the first superior, to support and evangelize women working in the fields and factories. The institute was erected as a diocesan right in 1920 and its constitutions were approved in 1923. After tensions within the Oblate Fathers, he humbly retired to Sant'Angelo in Lomellina with Father Francesco Corsico, then moved in 1932 to the Mother House in Mortara, where he died on June 4, 1943.

Affectionately nicknamed "don Niente" (Father Nothing) for his humility, or also "the apostle of Lomellina" and "the holy priest of the mondine" (rice weeders), Francesco Pianzola left behind a profound reputation for holiness. His cause for beatification opened in the Diocese of Vigevano following the nihil obstat of March 22, 1983. The diocesan inquiry took place from 1983 to 1990. On June 26, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI recognized the heroic nature of his virtues and declared him Venerable.

The beatification of Francesco Pianzola stems from the recognition of a miracle: the unexplained healing of a 15-year-old adolescent, Gian Pietro Rigolone, who was seriously injured in the brain by an accidental gunshot on February 28, 1984. After prayers asking for the intercession of Francesco Pianzola, the young man emerged from a coma and recovered completely. The decree recognizing the miracle was promulgated on March 15, 2008, by Pope Benedict XVI. The beatification ceremony was celebrated on October 4, 2008, in the Cathedral of Vigevano by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins. His liturgical feast is set for June 4.

The spirituality of Francesco Pianzola is based on union with Christ, devotion to the Immaculate, and a radical humility, often signing as "don Niente" (Father Nothing). He promoted a pastoral care of proximity, inviting his sisters to be "nomads" of the Gospel. Today, the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Queen of Peace (the Pianzolines) continue his work in Italy, as well as in France, Brazil, Mali, and Burkina Faso, working with the most destitute young people and women.