Giuseppe Picco

After his novitiate, Giuseppe Picco continued his Jesuit formation with humanistic and philosophical studies (from 1891 to 1894). He also completed apostolic internships with young people in various colleges of the Society, notably at the Istituto Sociale in Turin and the San Tommaso college in Cuneo. In 1896, he began his theology studies at the Jesuit faculty in Chieri. During this period of intense study, he already distinguished himself by his charity, devoting himself to the bedside of a sick person covered in sores. He was ordained a priest on April 8, 1901. He celebrated his first mass at the Consolata sanctuary in Turin. He pronounced his final solemn vows on February 2, 1904. After a few years of priestly ministry in Turin, Genoa, and Cuneo, his life took a decisive turn on October 15, 1912, when he was assigned to the house of spiritual exercises for workers in Gozzano, in the province of Novara. With the exception of an interruption during the First World War (from 1915 to 1919), where he served as a military chaplain in a hospital in Cuneo, Gozzano remained the center of his apostolic activity until his death. Father Picco devoted himself body and soul to leading spiritual retreats and accompanying retreatants. He actively collaborated with the Work of Perseverance Retreats (Opera Ritiri di Perseveranza) and the Leagues of Perseverance, aiming to extend the spiritual fruits of the exercises in the parishes.

Although he once dreamed of going on a mission to Alaska, his fragile health (marked by the aftereffects of pleurisy) led his superiors to keep him in Italy. Father Picco then made his assigned region his "inner Alaska." He became a tireless itinerant missionary, traveling on foot through the countryside and mountains of the province of Novara and the upper Novarese. To reach the most isolated faithful, the peasants, shepherds, and workers, he did not hesitate to climb mountain paths in all weather, wearing simple wooden clogs (zoccoli) and carrying an umbrella. He also spent his summers at the sanctuary of San Chiaffredo in Crissolo, at the foot of Mount Viso, where he heard confessions for long hours and visited alpine huts. Father Picco was deeply loved by the humble, who saw him as a saint during his lifetime. He led a life of extreme poverty and mortification, contenting himself with little for food and clothing.

Father Giuseppe Picco died suddenly on August 31, 1946, in Gozzano. He was found lifeless, lying on the floor of his room, his gaze turned toward an image of Saint Joseph. In his diary, he had noted in advance: "On August 31, I will be in paradise." In accordance with his last wishes, he was dressed in his old, worn, and patched cassock, and his funeral was celebrated with the greatest simplicity, without speeches or honors, at seven o'clock in the morning. Despite this early hour, a huge crowd of workers and peasants came to pay him a final tribute. On October 29, 1950, his remains were transferred to a monumental tomb in the Gozzano cemetery. The cause for beatification was officially opened a few years later. The diocesan informative process began in Novara on March 30, 1955, and closed on June 11, 1957. The apostolic process was opened on December 17, 1974, and ended on February 24, 1976. After the examination of the Positio, Pope John Paul II authorized, on December 18, 1997, the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

The spirituality of Father Giuseppe Picco is centered on the love of the Eucharist, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and a filial trust in the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. Sometimes nicknamed the "little Curé d'Ars" of the 20th century, he left a mark on people's minds through his assiduous ministry of confession and mercy. His confessions, often brief but impactful, brought back to God many souls who had been distant from the faith for decades. His legacy remains alive, particularly through the association of the "Amici di Padre Picco" (Friends of Father Picco), founded shortly after his death to spread his message and support his cause for beatification. A journal of the same name is published regularly. Furthermore, a training agency ("Agenzia Formativa Padre Giuseppe Picco") perpetuates his memory by promoting Ignatian spiritual exercises and pastoral accompaniment.