Luigi Boccardo

After his ordination, Don Luigi was first appointed parish vicar to his brother Giovanni Maria in Pancalieri. However, as early as April 12, 1886, Canon Giuseppe Allamano called him to his side as vice-rector and spiritual director of the young priests at the Convitto Ecclesiastico (ecclesiastical boarding school) of the Consolata in Turin. He held this position for thirty years, training generations of diocesan priests, while teaching theology at the seminary, visiting prisoners, and spending long hours in the confessional at the Consolata sanctuary.

The death of his brother Giovanni Maria on December 30, 1913, marked a major turning point in his life. Designated to succeed him, Luigi became the Superior General of the congregation of the Poor Daughters of Saint Cajetan (Povere Figlie di San Gaetano), founded by his brother, on January 9, 1914. He then left the Convitto of the Consolata to devote himself fully to the development and organization of the institute, having their new motherhouse built.

In 1919, the Archbishop of Turin entrusted him with the direction of the city's Institute for the Blind, which was then facing serious financial difficulties. Luigi restored the establishment's economic situation and moved there permanently in 1928. Sensitive to the suffering of the visually impaired and noting that some young blind women wished to dedicate their lives to God but were refused by existing orders, he decided to found a new branch. On January 18, 1932, he founded the Sisters of Jesus the King (Sorelle di Gesù Re), a contemplative branch of the Poor Daughters of Saint Cajetan, specifically intended for blind women.

At the same time, he actively promoted the construction of the sanctuary of Jesus Christ King and Priest in Turin, which was consecrated on October 24, 1931. Luigi Boccardo passed away peacefully on June 9, 1936, in Turin, at the age of 74.

The reputation for holiness of Luigi Boccardo, already solid during his lifetime due to his pastoral dedication and spiritual direction, spread rapidly after his death. The process for his canonization officially began on August 8, 1961, at the diocesan level.

On April 12, 2003, Pope John Paul II promulgated the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

To pave the way for his beatification, a miracle attributed to his intercession was examined by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. It concerned the scientifically inexplicable healing, which occurred in 1962, of an 8-year-old Italian boy suffering from an intestinal tumor. After validation by the medical board and the theologians, the decree recognizing this miracle was signed by Pope Benedict XVI on December 15, 2005. The beatification ceremony was celebrated on April 14, 2007, at the Church of the Holy Face (Santo Volto) in Turin. It was presided over by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, representing Pope Benedict XVI, in the presence of the Archbishop of Turin, Cardinal Severino Poletto.

Nicknamed the "Apostle of Merciful Love," Luigi Boccardo centered his priestly life on the revelation of divine mercy. His preferred ministry was confession and spiritual direction, where he knew how to restore hope to the most troubled souls. It was said of him that he was "the priest who makes one see the sun" of God's mercy.

His spiritual legacy is perpetuated through the Poor Daughters of Saint Cajetan and, in a unique way, through the Sisters of Jesus the King, who allow blind women to live a contemplative life of prayer for the Church, the Pope, and priests. He also left behind a rich spiritual correspondence, comprising 1,027 letters collected in seven volumes, which testify to his theological depth and pastoral delicacy. His mortal remains rest today in the Sanctuary of Christ the King in Turin, which he himself had erected.