Antonio Maria Gianelli

Saint Antonio Maria Gianelli (12 April 1789 – 7 June 1846) was an Italian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Bobbio. He was also the founder of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Garden and the Missionaries of Saint Alphonsus.
He was beatified in 1925 and was then canonized in 1951.

Antonio Maria Gianelli was born in 1789 to Giacomo and Maria Gianelli. He had five brothers. He grew up in a small village of farmers and he was an exceptional student - so much so the owner of the farm he lived on paid for his studies for the priesthood.

He commenced those studies in November 1807 at the age of 18. He began his studies of dogmatic theology and sacred liturgy and earned his doctorate. Cardinal Archbishop of Genoa Giuseppe Maria Spina ordained him to the diaconate in March 1812. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1812 and had to receive special dispensation since he was not at the canonical age. He served as a parish priest in Mantua after he was ordained.

Gianelli was made the archpriest of Chiavari in 1826 after Luigi Lambruschini appointed him and he held that position until 1837. He was the founder of the Missionaries of Saint Alphonsus in 1827 for men and that order lasted from that point to 1848. He founded the Sisters of Our Lady of the Garden on 12 January 1829. It was a teaching order for females that worked with the sick. Its work continues today in Europe, Asia and the United States of America. The order was formally approved by Pope Leo XIII on 7 June 1882, years after his death.

Pope Gregory XVI appointed him as the Bishop of Bobbio in 1837 and he received episcopal consecration after his appointment. He restored devotion to Saint Columbanus in his diocese and conducted two synods. He continually visited each parish in his diocese.

In April 1845 he started to show signs of illness that had not been immediately diagnosed. He seemed to recover but his illness returned a year later, and his condition rapidly deteriorated. He died on 7 June 1846.

The cause for sainthood commenced under Pope Leo XIII on 2 June 1896 which gave him the title of Servant of God. Pope Benedict XV recognized his life of heroic virtue and declared him to be Venerable on 11 April 1920. Pope Pius XI beatified him on 19 April 1920 and Pope Pius XII canonized him on 21 October 1951.