Pietro Bonilli

In Cannaiola, Father Pietro Bonilli was confronted with deep social and moral misery, marked by alcoholism, blasphemy, and the abandonment of children. Driven by an ardent charity, he opened the doors of his house to the poorest and multiplied initiatives for assistance. In 1887, he founded the Nazarene Institute for orphans (Istituto Nazzareno). In order to perpetuate and structure his charitable works, he founded on May 13, 1888, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Spoleto (Suore della Sacra Famiglia di Spoleto). This religious institute had the specific mission of welcoming, educating, and assisting orphans, abandoned young girls, and deaf-mute, blind, or disabled persons. Pietro Bonilli also proved to be a precursor in the use of communication media for evangelization. Convinced that "the press is the weapon of our time," he opened a parish printing house and in 1892 founded the monthly magazine L'Apostolo della Sacra Famiglia (The Apostle of the Holy Family), intended to spread Christian values within homes. He also created and relaunched other publications such as Il Tabernacolo and Il Consolatore delle Anime del Purgatorio. In 1898, at the request of his bishop, Msgr. Elvezio Pagliari, he moved to Spoleto. There he became a canon of the cathedral, rector of the diocesan seminary, and bursar, while continuing to watch over the development of his congregation. He passed away on January 5, 1935, at the Palazzo Buoncristiani in Spoleto, at the age of 93.

The cause for the beatification of Pietro Bonilli was officially introduced on July 1, 1964. After a meticulous examination of his writings and his life, Pope John Paul II authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree on the heroism of his virtues on June 30, 1986, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable. Subsequently, the study of a scientifically inexplicable healing, attributed to his intercession, was conducted by the medical and theological consultants of the Congregation. The official approval of this miracle by the Holy See paved the way for his beatification.

Pietro Bonilli was solemnly proclaimed blessed by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1988, in Saint Peter's Square in Rome. During his homily, the Holy Father highlighted his exceptional pastoral zeal in an impoverished parish and his ability to restore family dignity to the excluded. His liturgical memorial is set for January 5, the day of his birth into heaven, in accordance with the Roman Martyrology. His mortal remains, initially buried in Spoleto, were transferred on April 24, 1998, to the parish church of San Michele Arcangelo in Cannaiola di Trevi (erected as the Sanctuary of Blessed Pietro Bonilli), following the damage caused to his sanctuary in Spoleto by the earthquake of September 1997. In February 2022, a canonical recognition of his body was carried out under the direction of the Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia, Msgr. Renato Boccardo, leading to a temporary transfer of his remains to the motherhouse for conservation reasons.

The spirituality of Pietro Bonilli is entirely centered on the mystery of the Holy Family of Nazareth, which he considered the perfect model of love, work, and unity for all of society. His life's program and his legacy are summarized in his famous motto: "Essere famiglia, dare famiglia, costruire famiglia" ("To be family, to give family, to build the family"). He strove to make every home a "little Church" where one learns to love, pray, and work. His zeal for the Holy Family led him to actively encourage Pope Leo XIII to approve and extend the universal devotion to the Holy Family in 1893. Today, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Spoleto perpetuate his charism throughout the world. In addition to Italy, the congregation is active in several countries in Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast), Latin America (Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador), and Asia (India), where they work in the fields of education, health, and assistance to families and marginalized individuals.