Clemente Marchisio

In Rivalba, faced with poverty and the exodus of young girls, Father Marchisio founded an asylum and a weaving workshop between 1871 and 1876. In 1875, with the collaboration of Rosalia Sismonda, he founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Saint Joseph (Figlie di San Giuseppe di Rivalba), established in the former castle of Rivalba. Concerned with the dignity of the liturgy, he oriented the charism of the institute toward Eucharistic worship. The sisters dedicated themselves to the preparation of hosts and altar wine according to canonical norms, as well as the manufacture and maintenance of liturgical vestments and altar linens, which earned them the nickname of "sisters of the hosts."

The life of Clemente Marchisio was marked by rigorous piety: rising at 5 a.m., two hours of silent prayer, celebration of Mass, and prolonged Eucharistic adoration. He lived in great personal poverty, depriving himself of heating to help the poor. In 1894, to combat the loss of faith and liturgical abuses, he published 'La SS.ma Eucaristia combattuta dal satanismo', which he distributed at the National Eucharistic Congress in Turin. Despite his declining health, he carried out his ministry until the end. He celebrated his last Mass on December 15, 1903, and died on December 16, 1903, at 5 a.m. from a cerebral congestion, two hours after the death of the co-founder Rosalia Sismonda.

The informative process regarding the reputation of holiness of Clemente Marchisio took place in Turin from 1933 to 1935, and his cause was introduced in Rome on April 28, 1944. After the recognition of the heroic nature of his virtues and a miracle of healing that occurred in Novara, he was proclaimed blessed by Pope John Paul II on September 30, 1984, in Saint Peter's Square, alongside Father Federico Albert, Isidore De Loor, and Rafaela Ybarra. His liturgical feast is set for December 16 in the Roman Martyrology, and the Archdiocese of Turin celebrates his optional memorial on September 19.

The spirituality of Clemente Marchisio rests on his conviction that "the Mass is his life." He transmitted to his religious sisters a model of identification with the Eucharist through humility and hidden work. Today, the Daughters of Saint Joseph of Rivalba number approximately 200 religious sisters spread across 18 communities on three continents (Europe, Latin America, Africa), notably in Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Nigeria. In addition to the making of hosts and liturgical vestments, they manage centers of spirituality, participate in catechesis, and have provided continuous service at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican since 1925.