Francesco Spinelli

Francesco Spinelli (1853–1913) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and a significant figure in the establishment of religious congregations dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration. His life's journey was marked by spiritual inspiration, challenges in founding religious communities, and eventual recognition as a saint.

Early Life and Priesthood

Born in Milan on April 14, 1853, Francesco Spinelli moved to Cremona in his childhood. His summers were spent in Vergo, where he experienced a significant healing from a spinal problem in 1871. From a young age, he showed a charitable inclination, participating in puppet shows for children and accompanying his mother on visits to the poor and ill. Encouraged by his mother and his uncle, a priest, Spinelli pursued his studies for the priesthood in Bergamo. He was ordained a priest on August 14, 1875, by Bishop Pietro Luigi Speranza.

Following his ordination, Spinelli traveled to Rome for the Jubilee convoked by Pope Pius IX. A profound experience at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, particularly at the crib of the Infant Jesus, provided him with the inspiration for his own religious congregation after a vision of women engaged in Eucharistic Adoration. Upon his return to Bergamo, he engaged in educational activities and assisted his uncle with parish duties.

Founding Religious Congregations

Spinelli's first significant endeavor in religious foundation was the co-founding of the Sacramentine Sisters in Bergamo on December 15, 1882, with Geltrude Comensoli. This institute was dedicated to the Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration. However, the community faced numerous challenges, including financial difficulties, which led to Spinelli's forced departure on March 4, 1889, after the bishop severed his connection to the order.

Arriving in Rivolta d'Adda in Cremona, Spinelli was offered pastoral duties by the diocesan bishop. In 1892, he founded the Sisters Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament. This congregation later received diocesan approval in 1897 from Bishop Geremia Bonomelli of Cremona. The papal decree of praise for this order was issued in 1926, followed by full pontifical approval in 1932 from Pope Pius XI. The congregation he founded continues to operate in countries such as Argentina and Senegal.

Canonization

The process for Spinelli's beatification began with an informative process in the Cremona diocese in the late 1920s and early 1930s. His writings were approved as being in line with Catholic faith in 1939. The cause was formally opened in 1952 under Pope Pius XII, granting him the title Servant of God. Pope John Paul II declared him Venerable on March 3, 1990, recognizing his heroic virtue. His beatification was celebrated on June 21, 1992, at a shrine in Caravaggio, following the papal confirmation of a healing deemed miraculous and attributed to his intercession.

The final step towards sainthood required another confirmed miracle. A case from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo was investigated in the 2010s. Medical and theological experts confirmed the healing as miraculous, and Pope Francis approved it in 2018. Francesco Spinelli was canonized as a saint on October 14, 2018, by Pope Francis. The current postulator for his cause is Giovangiuseppe Califano.