Jacques Gianiel

Noticing his religious fervor, Prince Corsini suggested he enter the Franciscan Friars Minor. Jacques followed this advice, but a painful knee condition prevented him from taking his vows, forcing him to leave the order. He then returned temporarily to Switzerland to work the land and tend the herds, before returning to Italy, to Città della Pieve, in the service of a duke.

It was through a priest that he met Saint Paul of the Cross, founder of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ (the Passionists). The latter welcomed him to the novitiate of Monte Argentario (Grosseto). Jacques took the habit there on December 18, 1742. Thanks to a papal dispensation, he was authorized to make his solemn profession early on January 12, 1743, under the name Brother Jacques of Saint-Louis, as a coadjutor brother (lay brother).

For five years, he remained at the convent of the Presentation on Monte Argentario, where he distinguished himself by his obedience and humility, performing with devotion the tasks of carpenter, cook, porter, and infirmarian. In 1744, he participated in the founding of the new convent of Vetralla, near Viterbo. In 1748, he was transferred to the new foundation of the Madonna del Cerro, near Tuscania, where he served as cook and porter. Despite the precarious living conditions and the unhealthy climate, he carried out his duties with great modesty, supported by the help of the local benefactress Lucia Burlini (who was later declared venerable herself).

Due to the unhealthy air and malarial fevers that plague the Tuscania region, the religious are forced to move periodically to Vetralla during the summer and autumn months. Gravely afflicted by these pernicious fevers (a "malignant fever"), Brother Jacques is taken in by the Falandi family, benefactors residing in Cellere, a small hillside village in the province of Viterbo. Despite the attentive care provided to him, he passed away holily on August 14, 1750, at the age of 36. From the moment of his death, and even before his burial, several wonders and unexplained healings were reported by the local population, quickly establishing his reputation for holiness.

Due to the modest beginnings of the Congregation of the Passionists, the instruction of his cause for beatification suffered significant delays. The ordinary informative process was finally opened in 1880 in Acquapendente. After a period of suspension, the cause was officially resumed on February 6, 1930, and authorization to continue the instruction was granted by the Holy See on December 6, 1942.

The Positio super virtutibus (the file on the heroicity of his virtues) was completed and presented in 1982. On December 21, 1989, Pope John Paul II promulgated the decree recognizing the heroicity of his virtues, thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

Brother Jacques of Saint Louis is considered one of the very first companions of Saint Paul of the Cross and the first Passionist of foreign origin (Swiss). His spirituality is characterized by a deep contemplation of the Passion of Christ, lived in the secret of a humble and laborious life. Brother Jacques was not a priest, yet he embodied holiness in daily life through the simplest services of community life (cooking, hospitality, manual labor). His love for the poor and his heroic charity toward the sick remain a model of consecrated life for the Passionist family. His tomb is today venerated in the church of Cellere, in Italy.