Blessed Timothy Giaccardo, born “Giuseppe Giaccardo” to a devout family in North Italy (Narzole) on 13 June 1896 was the first member of the Pauline Family to be raised to the altars. He returned to the Father’s house on January 24, 1948, at only 52 years old. He was proclaimed "blessed" by Pope John Paul II on October 22, 1990.Blessed James Alberione, while still a diocesan priest, picked him out and sent him to the seminary. After 10 years in the diocesan seminary, Giuseppe Giaccardo asked permission from his bishop to join the new foundation of Fr. Alberione, the Society of St. Paul which started in 1914. Giuseppe took his vows and chose the name "Timothy" after the best loved disciple of St. Paul. Father Timothy became the first priest in Father Alberione's new congregation. His work as a Pauline priest was to be a media apostle. He wrote, edited, printed and distributed the Word of God. Eventually Timothy Giaccardo became Alberione's right hand man and a primary figure in the interpretation of the Pauline charism. He was in fact, the Vicar General of the Society of St. Paul at the time of his death. He became Father Alberione's closest helper and friend. In fact, Father Alberione called Blessed Timothy "most faithful of the faithful."
For us, Disciples of the Divine Master (PDDM), he was some kind of “foundational figure” together with our Founder, Blessed James Alberione, and our first mother, the Servant of God, Sr. M. Scholastica Rivata. He was in a special way instrumental in the life of our congregation especially in the formation of the first groups of disciples and in the process of canonical constitution of our Institute. It was such a mystical mission that was entrusted to him by the Lord, through James Alberione, and which he took at heart.
I’d like to share here an excerpt from Blessed Timothy Giaccardo’s own writings regarding the Devotion to the Divine Master.
“What do we mean by devotion? It is not only a practice; it is offering, donation, entrusting; (…) we make our profession in order to dedicate, consecrate and give ourselves to the Divine Master. Hence, the devotion to the Divine Master is the reason, principle, beginning, method, process, support, crown, perfection, consummation of our spiritual Pauline life, and this because of our calling, vocation, mission and religious vows.
Hence, let our will be in his in order to follow him: sequere me; our minds be open to his words, to the contemplation of his mysteries: in me credite; our hearts happy to make him happy: Praebe cor tuum mihi; Let us spend ourselves for him; pray to him with much trust. (…)”
