Pio Alberto del Corona

The life of Blessed Pio Alberto Del Corona is marked by a dual mission: the foundation of a religious institute and a long episcopal ministry. In 1872, while he was prior in Florence, Father Pio Alberto Del Corona founded the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit (Suore Domenicane dello Spirito Santo), initially known as the "Asilo" (Asylum of La Pietra). This foundation was encouraged and approved by Pope Pius IX on May 8, 1872, during an audience granted to the founder and the first superior, Elena Bruzzi Bonaguidi. The institute's primary goal was the in-depth study of the Holy Scriptures and the free education of children from the working classes. The founder placed the congregation under the patronage of the Holy Spirit, inviting his religious sisters to greet one another with the formula of Saint Gregory the Great: "The Holy Spirit is Love!". In November 1874, Pius IX appointed him titular bishop of Draso and coadjutor to the bishop of San Miniato, Msgr. Annibale Barabesi. He received episcopal consecration in Rome on January 3, 1875, at the hands of Cardinal Costantino Patrizi Naro, and made his solemn entry into San Miniato on the following January 18. Upon the death of Msgr. Barabesi in 1897, he became the residential bishop of the diocese. Nicknamed the "white bishop" because of his Dominican habit, Msgr. Del Corona distinguished himself by his tireless pastoral zeal during his 32 years of ministry in San Miniato. He reopened the diocesan seminary, teaching philosophy, Thomistic theology, and Hebrew there himself. Close to the humble, he regularly visited parishes, hospitals, and prisons. His charity was legendary: he was called the "bishop with pierced hands" because he gave so unstintingly. In 1906, severely afflicted by a liver disease and almost total blindness, he asked to be relieved of his pastoral government. Pope Saint Pius X accepted his resignation in August 1907 and appointed him titular archbishop of Sardica. Msgr. Del Corona then retired to Florence, to his Dominican sisters, where he spent his final years in prayer, study, and spiritual direction. He passed away on August 15, 1912, the day of the Solemnity of the Assumption.

The reputation for holiness of Bishop Del Corona, already immense during his lifetime, spread rapidly after his death. The diocesan process for his beatification was opened by the Diocese of San Miniato in 1941-1942. On October 9, 2013, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby declaring him Venerable. On September 17, 2014, the Sovereign Pontiff approved a miracle attributed to his intercession. This miracle concerns the instantaneous and complete healing of Sister Maria Serafina Moscatelli (born Laura Moscatelli), which occurred in October 1926 in Livorno. At 23 years old, the religious sister was suffering from severe calculous cholecystitis (cholestatic pathology of the bile ducts complicated by septicemia) which left her exhausted, subject to violent abdominal pain, vomiting, and pronounced jaundice. After invoking the intercession of the Venerable Pio Alberto Del Corona, she felt an immediate improvement: her strength returned, her skin regained its normal color, and the illness disappeared permanently, allowing her to resume her community life and her teaching.

The beatification ceremony of Bishop Pio Alberto Del Corona was celebrated on September 19, 2015, in the church of San Francesco in San Miniato. The solemn liturgy was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, representing Pope Francis. In his apostolic letter of beatification, Pope Francis defined the new blessed as a « pastore di anime secondo il cuore di Cristo, testimone sollecito e umile del Vangelo » (a shepherd of souls according to the heart of Christ, a diligent and humble witness of the Gospel). His liturgical feast is set for September 19, the anniversary of his beatification, and is celebrated as an optional memorial, particularly in the dioceses of San Miniato, Livorno, and within the Order of Preachers.

The spirituality of Pio Alberto Del Corona is deeply rooted in the Dominican tradition, harmoniously uniting theological contemplation and charitable action. A great theologian and prolific writer, he left behind a remarkable literary body of work, including notably a Piccola Somma Teologica (Little Theological Summa), La Catena d'Oro (The Golden Chain), as well as numerous meditations on the Eucharist and the Holy Scriptures. His most living legacy remains the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit, which continues its educational and spiritual work to this day in Florence and in other houses in Italy. Bishop Del Corona remains a model of a humble pastor, a rigorous intellectual, and a father to the poor, whose entire life was a testimony of fidelity to the Gospel.