Giovanni Bacile

Appointed rector of the Carmine church in Bisacquino (1905-1915), he developed the catechism there, founded the Company of the Pages of the Most Holy Sacrament, and encouraged vocations. In 1916, he became archpriest-pastor of the mother church of Bisacquino. During the First World War, he welcomed refugees from the Veneto region. He founded the local Catholic Action, the Maria SS. del Balzo circle, and provided basic education to young people to protect them from organized crime.

The ministry of Giovanni Bacile was characterized by heroic charity toward the poor and the sick, as well as by his role as a peacemaker. Very firm on morality, he publicly combated blasphemy. Starting in 1926, his health declined severely (kidney stones, diabetes, cardiac and respiratory complications). He bore his illness with patience and passed away on August 20, 1941, in Bisacquino.

Initially buried in the cemetery, his body was transferred in 1956 to the mother church of Bisacquino. His cause for beatification opened at the diocesan level on October 15, 1989. After the validation of the inquiry in 1995 and the submission of the Positio in 2003, Pope Francis authorized the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues on February 3, 2015, proclaiming him venerable.

His spirituality is centered on the Eucharist, adoration, and Marian devotion, drawing inspiration from Christ the Good Shepherd. His legacy is perpetuated through the 'Monsignor Giovanni Bacile' charitable association founded in 1985, as well as by the public school institute and a street in Bisacquino that bear his name.