Giuseppe Quadrio

The life of Father Giuseppe Quadrio is intimately linked to his activity as a teacher and theologian within the Salesian Congregation. On December 12, 1946, while still only a cleric, he was chosen by his Jesuit professors to defend a solemn public theological dispute on the dogmatic definability of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in the presence of cardinals, renowned theologians, and Msgr. Giovanni Battista Montini (the future Paul VI). His brilliant presentation impressed the assembly, and Pope Pius XII requested a copy, thus contributing directly to the preparation for the proclamation of the dogma of the Assumption in 1950. In 1949, he defended his doctoral thesis and was appointed professor of dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Salesian Athenaeum of Turin-Crocetta, where he taught for fourteen years and served as dean of the faculty of theology from 1954 to 1959.

In June 1960, Father Giuseppe Quadrio was diagnosed with malignant lymphogranuloma (Hodgkin's disease). Faced with this incurable illness, he chose to offer his life and his sufferings for the Church, for his congregation, and for the Second Vatican Council. Forced to leave active teaching, he turned his hospital bed into a new pulpit from which he radiated through his heroic patience, his inner peace, and his constant smile. He passed away on October 23, 1963, in Turin-Crocetta, at the age of 41, leaving behind a reputation for holiness that spread rapidly. In 2012, his mortal remains were transferred to the Maria Ausiliatrice church in Crocetta, Turin.

The cause for the beatification and canonization of Giuseppe Quadrio was introduced by the Congregation of the Salesians of Don Bosco. After the diocesan inquiry into his life and virtues, the Positio was transmitted to Rome. On December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, officially proclaiming him Venerable. The process for his beatification continues under the direction of the General Postulation of the Salesian Family, awaiting the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession.

The spirituality of the Venerable Giuseppe Quadrio is characterized by a marked Christocentrism and a deep Marian devotion, lived in the spirit of the educational and spiritual method of Saint John Bosco. A central aspect of his interior life is his absolute docility to the Holy Spirit, taking the resolution during Pentecost 1944 to bear the secret name 'Docibilis a Spiritu Sancto'. He conceived the priesthood according to the formula 'sacerdos, altare et victima', uniting the offering of himself to the sacrifice of Christ. His legacy resides in his numerous spiritual writings, his letters of spiritual direction, and his homilies. Nicknamed the 'theologian of the smile', he was able to demonstrate that the science of faith and the science of love are inseparable.