June 7 | Saint Anthony Mary Gianelli

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine being thrown into a massive leadership role during a time when the world feels completely upside down. Your country is facing massive upheaval, and social structures are totally breaking down. People are actively turning against your beliefs due to intense anti-clerical pressures, and everywhere you look, there is poverty, neglected youth, and sickness.

This is where we find St. Anthony Mary Janelli. Anthony was born on April 12, 1789, in Serretta, a town in the Liguria region of Italy. He didn't come from a wealthy, comfortable family. In fact, his early life was shaped by poverty and hard work. He studied diligently, showing a massive amount of dedication that set him apart from the crowd early on. He was ordained as a priest during a seriously chaotic period in Italy. The church was facing heavy anti-clerical pressures, meaning a lot of people were actively fighting against the church and its leaders, along with massive social dislocation.

It was an incredibly tough, intimidating time to be a priest, but Anthony didn't back down for a second. From the very beginning of his early priesthood, he became famous as an incredible preacher and confessor. Now, you might think speaking to huge crowds just requires natural talent, but Anthony knew it required something much deeper, absolute moral credibility. People listened to him because he actually lived out what he preached. He possessed immense patience and a very rare ability that we could all learn from today.

He knew how to speak the truth to people without ever being cruel. Anthony noticed that the people around him had been left religiously unformed, so he worked tirelessly to teach them through catechesis. Here is where his story gets really amazing. He looked at the massive material misery around him and refused to just offer spiritual care while ignoring the brutal realities of hunger, sickness, and a lack of education. He believed you couldn't just pray. for someone and then ignore their empty stomach.

He realized that the church couldn't just stand by and condemn societal decay. It's easy to complain about how bad the world is, right? But Anthony's message to the world was clear. You have to build alternatives. If there are no good schools, build them. If there is no care, provide it. He fiercely believed in education, formation, and discipline to create a better society. So, he took action. He established a religious community called the Sisters of Our Lady of the Garden. Their whole mission was aimed at education and doing concrete works of mercy, specifically focusing on poor girls and those who are totally neglected by society.

Because of his incredible work, Anthony was eventually made the Bishop of Bobbio, a diocese in northern Italy. Even as a high-ranking bishop, he stayed incredibly close to the people. He insisted that his clergy be serious about their calling, and he demanded that the church be a place that actually served the people.

Tragically, Anthony died relatively young on June 7, 1846, in Piacenza, Italy. If you ever see a painting or statue of him, you'll know it's him, because he is usually shown in bishop's vestments, holding a catechism book, surrounded by children, or holding bread for the poor. Because of his amazing life's work, he is the patron saint of the Diocese of Babio, his religious communities, and he is the patron saint of educators. He was officially canonized as a saint in 1951 by Pope Pius XII.

Saint Anthony Mary Gianelli didn't just complain about the problems in his world, he actively built solutions. He also knew how to speak the truth without being mean about it. Is there a problem everyone around you is constantly complaining about? Maybe someone is constantly being left out, or maybe there's a lot of toxic gossip.

Instead of just joining in on the complaints, build an alternative. Be the solution. Change the subject when the gossip starts. And if you have to speak a hard truth to a friend today, do it the Giannelli way, with total honesty, but without any cruelty. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.