Servant of God Canon Chiesa

Venerable Father Francis Chiesa

The Servant of God Father Francis Chiesa was born at Montà d'Alba in the Cuneo province of Italy on April 2, 1874. Baptized on Holy Saturday, he was given the name "Francis Pasquale" (Francis Easter).

Chiesa completed seminary studies in the diocesan seminary of Alba. After completing the usual program, he was sent for graduate degrees in philosophy and theology. For the next fifty years, he was entrusted with the direction and formation of young clerics and priests. They found in him a wise guide in the spiritual life, and an example of priestly virtue. Other priests of the diocese sought him out as a spiritual director among them was Father James Alberione, founder of the Pauline Family.

Father Chiesa's discreet assistance supported Father Alberione in discerning God's plan for the Pauline Family in its very first years. It was he to whom Father Alberione confided a "dream" in which the Divine Master, from the tabernacle, assured: "Do not be afraid I am with you. From here I want to enlighten." Alberione was not sure what to make of the experience or of the message. Chiesa replied plainly, "Dream or otherwise, what was said was holy. Make of it a program of life for yourself and your followers." To Father Chiesa, then, all Paulines owe a debt of gratitude. The words of the Divine Master now appear in every chapel in the Pauline Family.

Chiesa instinctively used the pen as a principle form of priestly ministry. At the time of the Modernist crisis in Italy, Chiesa collaborated with his bishop, Francis Re, in defending the integrity of the Catholic faith. His books, translated into several languages, did enormous good. As parish priest, he was deeply committed to his parishioners. The people of St. Damian's lived a vibrant parish life, active in catechetics, pastoral service, and liturgy. They knew their pastor's "secrets": assiduous mediation and deepening of the Word of God and faithfulness to two hours' daily adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

When Father Chiesa died (June 14, 1946), Bishop Luigi Grassi spoke of him as "the best son of the diocese." The diocesan bulletin noted that he was "a priest of our time, for our time, who lived to the full his consecrated and apostolic being."

Prayer for the Intercession of Father Francis Chiesa

Jesus Master, Eternal High Priest, we thank you for the gifts of doctrine, holiness,and grace generously granted your faithful servant, Father Francis Chiesa. Through his wonderful examples of Eucharistic and Marian piety, of enlightened pastoral zeal, of uprightness, of faithfulness to all the duties of his priesthood, we pray you, O Lord, to glorify him even here on earth, if it please your Divine Majesty, granting us through his intercession the grace we ask with faith.