Justin Russolillo

On the day of his ordination, Giustino Russolillo made a vow to found a religious congregation for the worship, service, and apostolate of divine vocations. The concrete realization of this project began on October 18, 1920, when, welcoming twelve young men into the parish house of Pianura, he gave birth to the Society of Divine Vocations, known as the Vocationist Fathers. Diocesan approval was granted on May 26, 1927, and the congregation obtained pontifical right on January 3, 1948. On October 2, 1921, he also founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Vocations, whose pontifical approval would come on May 24, 1947. For these two congregations, he created the "Vocazionario," a formation house accessible to young men from modest backgrounds who would not have the means to attend the diocesan major seminary. After the founder's death, the third branch of his spiritual family was born: the Secular Institute of the Vocationist Apostles of Universal Sanctification, approved by the Church of Naples in 1977. During his lifetime, the institutes founded by Russolillo were established in several countries, notably in America (Brazil, United States), Asia (India, Philippines), and Africa. His apostolate was also expressed through numerous writings on spiritual direction and formation.

The spirituality of Giustino Russolillo is founded on Trinitarian mysticism: the Holy Trinity constitutes the center and source of all his apostolate and his entire interior life. He conceives the spiritual life as an "ascent to the Trinity with the Holy Family in the Church," following a triple relationship to God as child, as parent, and as spouse, in the image of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Virgin Mary, whom he venerates under the titles of "Celestial Superior" and "Our Lady of Divine Vocations," occupies a central place in his devotion. His apostolic motto – "Become a saint, everything else is but zero" – translates his conviction that holiness is the only ambition truly worthy of the human being and that it is universally accessible. Convinced of the necessity of universal sanctification, he welcomed in 1947, upon reading the apostolic constitution Provida Mater on secular institutes, the confirmation of his own charismatic intuition. His personal life is characterized by prayer as the "soul of the apostolate," a profound humility, consented poverty, and a total availability to young people in vocational discernment. His reputation for holiness spread during his lifetime among his parishioners and his disciples.

The canonization process for Giustino Russolillo progressed in stages. On December 18, 1997, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing that he had lived the Christian virtues in a heroic manner, conferring upon him the title of Venerable. A first miracle was investigated: the healing of Ida Meloro, a fifty-nine-year-old woman from East Hanover (New Jersey, United States), who was suffering from carcinoma; the decree of validity was signed by Benedict XVI on July 1, 2010. The beatification took place on May 7, 2011, in Pianura, presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. For the canonization, a second miracle was submitted for examination: the healing of Brother Émile Rasolofo, a young Vocationist religious in Madagascar, who recovered from a cerebral hemorrhage and severe respiratory failure that occurred on April 21, 2016; this miracle was approved by pontifical decree on October 6, 2020. Pope Francis proceeded with the solemn canonization of Giustino Russolillo on May 15, 2022, in Saint Peter's Square in Rome, along with nine other blesseds, including Charles de Foucauld. His liturgical feast is set for August 2, the anniversary of his death.

The legacy of Saint Giustino Russolillo unfolds through the triple spiritual family he brought into being: the Vocationist Fathers, the Sisters of the Divine Vocations, and the Secular Institute of Vocationist Apostles. Present notably in Brazil, the United States, India, the Philippines, and Africa, these institutes continue his work of awakening and accompanying priestly and religious vocations. His body, which remained intact, is exposed for the veneration of the faithful in the crypt that bears his name, at number 14 Via Parroco Giustino Russolillo in Pianura, Naples. This crypt has become a place of pilgrimage for those who seek his intercession, particularly young people in vocational discernment. His message of universal sanctification—the conviction that every baptized person is called to holiness in their state of life—anticipates several intuitions of the Second Vatican Council regarding the universal call to holiness expressed in the constitution Lumen Gentium. His patronage is exercised informally among seminarians and those seeking to discern their vocation.