Olinto Fedi

The major work of Father Olinto Fedi's life is the foundation of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate (known as Suore Francescane dell'Immacolata or Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Florence).

In 1876, several young women from his parish of San Mauro confided in him their desire to dedicate their lives to God. With the authorization of the Archbishop of Florence, Mgr. Eugenio Cecconi, Father Olinto gathered them and enrolled them in the Third Order of St. Francis, thus laying the foundations for a new religious community. Assisted by Sister Francesca Tarducci, he took on the spiritual direction of this group. The community was first established in a modest parish retreat house (Pia Casa di Ritiro) intended for young women seeking their vocation.

The primary goal of this institute is the education and Christian formation of youth, the care of orphans, parish apostolate, and assistance to the poor. In May 1884, the community received a visit from the Minister General of the Franciscans, Father Bernardino da Portogruaro. In January 1885, the first postulants officially took the religious habit. In 1890, the community transferred its motherhouse to San Piero a Ponti, which became the nerve center of the congregation. The institute was officially aggregated to the Order of Friars Minor on October 5, 1922. Later, it would receive the decree of praise from Pope Pius XI on March 8, 1938, and then definitive approval by Pope Pius XII on July 8, 1946.

Parallel to the development of his congregation, Father Olinto Fedi distinguished himself through a remarkable social and pastoral commitment to his parishioners. In Signa, where peasants and female straw-braiders (impagliatrici) suffered harsh working conditions, he actively took up their defense. He encouraged the formation of consciences and founded solidarity structures such as the Associazione delle Famiglie Cristiane (Association of Christian Families) and the Società dell'Unione Eucaristica.

In 1888, upon the death of the parish priest of San Mauro, Father Olinto succeeded him. Out of concern for his parish's economy and so as not to burden its budget, he chose to retain only the title and salary of "vicar." In 1905, the Archbishop of Florence appointed him auditor of the Cassa Cooperativa del Clero. He assumed this duty with rigor until 1910, when he resigned after courageously denouncing management irregularities. In recognition of his dedication and integrity, Pope Pius X named him "Honorary Chamberlain of His Holiness" in 1913, conferring upon him the title of Monsignor.

During the First World War, Father Olinto spared no effort to support the soldiers sent to the front, comfort their families, and accompany the wounded and war widows. During the terrible Spanish flu epidemic, he visited the sick at their bedsides daily, bringing them material and spiritual relief without ever worrying about the risk of contagion. In 1919, moved by his sensitivity to social justice, he began a correspondence with Don Luigi Sturzo, founder of the Italian People's Party, to exchange views on the engagement of Catholics in society and the defense of workers' rights.

Father Olinto Fedi passed away holily on January 23, 1923, in Signa, after having dedicated nearly sixty years of his life to his parish and his institute. His death stirred deep emotion among the local population, who already considered him during his lifetime as a holy priest, humble, close to the poor, and entirely given to God.

As Father Olinto Fedi's reputation for holiness persisted over the decades, the Archdiocese of Florence officially opened his cause for beatification and canonization. After the diocesan inquiry into his life and virtues, the file was transmitted to Rome, to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

On November 28, 2019, Pope Francis received in audience Cardinal Angelo Becciu, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. During this audience, the Sovereign Pontiff authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Olinto Fedi, thus officially declaring him Venerable.

For Father Olinto Fedi to be proclaimed Blessed, the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession by the Holy See is required.

The spirituality of Father Olinto Fedi is deeply rooted in the Franciscan charism, characterized by humility, evangelical poverty, fraternal charity, and a filial trust in the Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. He conceived of religious life as "personified charity," a total gift of self in the service of the most fragile.

Today, the legacy of Father Olinto Fedi continues through the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate. In addition to their historical establishments in Tuscany (notably in Florence and San Piero a Ponti) and in other regions of Italy (such as Rome and Catanzaro), the sisters have extended their mission internationally. They opened missions in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, in 1972, and then in the Philippines in 1990 (notably in Manila and Orion Bataan), where they dedicate themselves to the education of children, the care of orphans, and assistance to single mothers.

Furthermore, in San Mauro a Signa, the memory of the Venerable is kept alive thanks to the RSA Olinto Fedi (Residenza Sanitaria Assistenziale), a nursing and care home for the elderly founded by the parish and the local community, which still continues its mission of assistance and charity toward the elderly and vulnerable today.