Francesco Gattola

At the beginning of his priestly ministry, Father Francesco Gattola actively dedicated himself to preaching popular missions, following in the footsteps of Saint Alphonsus Liguori. He exercised his ministry in various Neapolitan parishes, notably at the Gesù Vecchio church, where he spent long hours in the confessional, particularly to provide spiritual guidance to women's monasteries. Deeply marked by Marian spirituality, Father Gattola made eleven pilgrimages to Lourdes, France. It was during these journeys that he received the inspiration to found a religious work dedicated to the education and service of the most destitute under the patronage of the Immaculate. In 1869, he acquired land adjacent to a chapel in Massa Lubrense, on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Starting in 1872, he taught catechism there and began hearing confessions with the authorization of the Archbishop of Sorrento. In the hamlet of Arolella, he restored a ruined chapel housing a statue of the Virgin, drawing inspiration from the architecture of the basilica and the bell tower of Lourdes. In 1873, he founded the 'Pious Union of the Daughters of the Immaculate of Lourdes' (Pia Unione delle Figlie dell'Immacolata di Lourdes), which adopted Franciscan spirituality. This association quickly transformed into a religious congregation: the Sisters Daughters of the Most Holy Virgin Immaculate of Lourdes (commonly known as the Immacolatine). The institute dedicated its mission to the teaching of catechism, the education of poor young girls, and assistance to the sick and the elderly. Father Gattola devoted the rest of his life to consolidating this foundation, ensuring that the sisters lived in active charity and absolute trust in Providence.

Don Francesco Gattola passed away holily in Naples on January 20, 1899, at the age of 76. His reputation for holiness, already immense during his lifetime, continued to grow after his death. Faced with the influx of the faithful and popular fervor, his mortal remains were subsequently transferred from Naples to Massa Lubrense, where they now rest in the small church he had commissioned to be built.

At the request of the congregation he founded, the cause for beatification and canonization was officially introduced in the Archdiocese of Naples. The decree of nihil obstat was granted by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on June 20, 2001, conferring upon him the title of Servant of God.

The diocesan inquiry into the life, virtues, and reputation of holiness of Francesco Gattola took place from January 5, 2002, to January 18, 2003, in Naples. This inquiry was formally validated by a decree of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on January 23, 2004. The Positio, a summary document demonstrating the heroic nature of his virtues, was submitted to Rome in 2011. On March 18, 2015, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Francesco Gattola, thereby declaring him Venerable. In parallel, a diocesan inquiry into an unexplained healing attributed to his intercession was conducted and validated by a decree of the Congregation on November 19, 2010. This alleged miracle is currently under study in Rome with a view to a future beatification.

The spirituality of Francesco Gattola is based on a maxim that guided his entire existence: "To love God in the light of one's neighbor and to love one's neighbor in the light of God." His inner life was nourished by an intense devotion to the Sacred Heart, to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, and, above all, to the Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate of Lourdes.

Today, the legacy of the Venerable Francesco Gattola continues through the Sisters, Daughters of the Most Holy Virgin Immaculate of Lourdes. The religious sisters continue his work of education and charity among the most destitute, particularly in Massa Lubrense, where the Francesco Gattola Institute still manages a very active state-recognized school. In 1999, on the occasion of the centenary of his death, Pope John Paul II warmly praised the work of the sisters and students of this school during the recitation of the Regina Coeli.