Bishop Giaquinta’s Signs of Extraordinary Holiness
Prayer – Bishop Giaquinta’s definition of prayer was: “To pray is to walk in the presence of God, a presence leading us to conversion, calling us to compare our daily life with the Lord’s wishes and encouraging us to be fully receptive and docile to the action of the Holy Spirit.”
- He was a man with a rich prayer life who spent many hours before the Blessed Sacrament.
- For him, the foundation of any lasting spiritual framework was meditation, Mass and Communion and the Rosary.
- His deep devotion to the Blessed Mother under the Title of Our Lady of Trust caused him to put the structures he founded under her care and protection.
Spirituality – The roots of Bishop Giaquinta’s spirituality are found in Scripture and theology and over the course of his lifetime were additionally focused on the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, the Eucharist, Mary, the Church, redemptive love, contemplation, and apostolic activity.
Confessor and Spiritual Director – Bishop Giaquinta was known for the many hours he spent in the confessional and in giving spiritual direction. Always kind and gentle, he provided nourishment for the spiritual and the secular lives of those he guided.
Author – Bishop Giaquinta was a prolific writer of spiritual books, religious poetry and songs. Among his numerous publications are: Prayers, Brotherhood, The Cenacle, Love is Revolution, The Gospel Maximum of Love, and Essential Lines for a Program of Spiritual Life.
Work with Youth – At the end of World War II, Bishop Giaquinta saw discontent and disillusionment among young people in Italy and realized it was partly due to the spiritual vacuum in their lives.
- To fill this vacuum, he organized retreats and other spiritual functions for them and, in 1947 he founded the Pro Sanctity Movement, which offered means to spread the call to holiness to all.
Prophet of the Call to Holiness – This fundamental concept of the Pro Sanctity Movement – that the call to holiness was not only for priests and religious, but for all people in every walk of life – was not widely known until it was proclaimed by Vatican Council II sixteen years later.
- Yet, the need for personal holiness, as well as holiness in family, workplace, and social settings had long been witnessed and taught by Bishop Giaquinta.
Founder – In addition to founding the Pro Sanctity Movement, as noted above:
Bishop Giaquinta founded the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates, a Secular Institute for Women in 1950.
In 1962 he founded the Apostolic Sodales, a Secular Institute for Diocesan Priests.
In 1972 he founded the Social Animators, an ecclesial organization for laymen.
Worldwide Influence – Through the Institutes and the Movement he founded, Bishop Giaquinta’s teachings on the universal call to holiness have spread beyond Italy to Belgium, Malta, India and to the Eastern, Central and Western parts of the United States.
Priestly Spirituality – Always concerned with the spirituality of the clergy, his consecration as Bishop of Tivoli in 1968 gave him the opportunity to become more involved in this area.
- Attended the First International Congress on Distribution of Clergy in the World
- Served as Secretary for the Italian Episcopal Conference
- Elected President of the Commission for the Clergy
Visionary – Bishop Giaquinta had a vision of and worked tirelessly to bring about through prayer, sacrifice, love and apostolic activitywhat he called, “a world of all saints, all brothers and sisters.”
Shepherd of People – He was a vigilant pastor who served his parish, his diocese and his Church exceedingly well. He wanted to lead all to love and asked the Lord to make him a pastor able to give all and to love everyone.
Evangelization – As the Third Millennium approached, Bishop Giaquinta wrote about the meaning of the ‘new evangelization’ in these words: “We must go into the world and proclaim with loud voices that it is only by becoming saints – or at least by striving and making every effort toward holiness – that things will change.”
- He challenged the members of the Pro Sanctity Movement to promote the ‘one + one’ concept, i.e., to convert the world one person at a time.
- In the Maximum Approach to Christ, he wrote: “As Christ spent all his life for others, so Christians must assume self-giving and service for their brethren as their norm of life.”
- For his Coat of Arms, Bishop Giaquinta chose the motto, DUC IN ALTUM – PUT OUT INTO DEEP WATER. The motto refers to the life and teaching of Our Lord who invites us to be more and do more.
- One of many spiritual guidelines Bishop Giaquinta proposed was for his followers to move and agitate for spiritual reforms, and contribute positively by words, or better, by organized actions, to transform the daily environment in which they live into an environment of perfection.
Suffering: A Way to Holiness – Bishop Giaquinta believed that to become a saint, you don’t run away from the world, your state in life, or your suffering. Instead, we are to use your suffering to grow in holiness and gain eternal life.
For the last ten years of his life, he was in poor health, yet for as long as he was able, Bishop Giaquinta continued to serve his diocese and maintain contacts with all branches of his Pro Sanctity Family, leading and assisting them.
Bishop Giaquinta’s Signs of Extraordinary Holiness – page 2