⛪ Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph: The Consoler of Naples

Early Life and Family Background

Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph was born Francesco Domenico Antonio Pasquale Postillo on November 16, 1729, in the coastal town of Taranto, in Apulia, southern Italy. He was born into extreme poverty to Cataldo Postillo and Grazia Procaccio, pious parents who, despite their material destitution, were highly esteemed in their community for their God-fearing conduct and deep faith. From his earliest years, young Francesco displayed a piety and maturity of mind that surpassed his tender age, and his parents noted with great joy these spiritual gifts from God.

Francesco learned the rope-making trade while still quite young and reportedly became very skilled at this craft. When he reached the proper age, he was sent to a craftsman in town to learn this trade. There, he distinguished himself not only by his diligence and the progress he made, but also by his modest and sociable demeanor toward his fellow apprentices, who were so impressed by his example that they adopted several of his pious practices.

Family Tragedy and Responsibility

In 1747, tragedy struck the Postillo family when Francesco's father died, leaving the eighteen-year-old Francesco as the sole support of his widowed mother and three younger siblings. This forced young Francesco to work as a rope maker to provide for his family. His skill in this trade served his family well during this difficult period, and he faithfully fulfilled his duties as the head of the household.

Every morning on his way to work, Francesco would stop at the church to attend Holy Mass, and on returning home in the evening, he would again stop there to perform some special devotion. This deep love of piety awakened in his heart a burning desire to withdraw from the world in order to live only for God.

The Call to Religious Life

Although Francesco deeply desired to become a priest and serve God in this capacity, his lack of formal education made this impossible, as he was essentially illiterate and unable to pursue the studies required for ordination to the priesthood. However, this obstacle did not diminish his religious vocation.

He prayed long and fervently for enlightenment about God's will for his life, and then, feeling himself divinely called, he took steps to secure the future of his family. Having secured their future and ensuring they would be provided for, Francesco entered the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans) at Galatone in 1754, at the age of twenty-five.

On February 27, 1754, he applied to enter the Discalced Friars Minor of Saint Peter of Alcantara, and he made his solemn profession of vows on February 28, 1755, at the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Galatone. At his investiture, he received the religious name "Giles of the Mother of God," which he later changed to "Giles Mary of Saint Joseph," receiving as his special protectors, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, her chaste spouse Saint Joseph.

Life as a Franciscan Brother

Even during the days of his novitiate, Giles Mary's future sanctity was discernible to his brothers. After he made his vows, all noticed with what holy zeal he strove for the highest perfection. The ordinances of the religious order were like signs on a highway, according to which he regulated his conduct most scrupulously. God was always his only objective.

In 1759, Brother Giles Mary moved to the friary of Chiaia in Naples, where he would remain for the rest of his life—a period of fifty-three years. At this friary and at St. Paschal's Hospice in Naples, he served in various humble roles: as cook, porter, gatekeeper, and most often as the official beggar (quaestor) for the community.

The Porter of Naples: Ministry to the Poor and Suffering

As the brother who opened the door to everyone who rang the monastery bell, Giles Mary came into constant contact with some of the poorest and most wretched citizens of Naples—people whom he had a special gift to help. It was in this position as porter and gatekeeper that he discovered his true vocation and calling.

On his difficult daily rounds of begging alms for the friars, Giles would talk to everyone he came into contact with, taking a sincere interest in their problems. He would encourage and guide them, spreading his own love for Christ and Christian values into their hearts. Nobles and peasants alike began coming to him for advice.

His characteristic phrase, repeated constantly to all he met, was "Love God, love God!" as he gathered food for the friars and shared some of his bounty with the poor—all the while consoling the troubled and urging everyone to repent.

The poor flocked to his convent, knowing that the holy porter, Giles, would offer assistance. Often his meager supplies were miraculously augmented through the intercession of Saint Joseph, so that no poor person who came to him had to go away empty-handed.

Special Ministry to Lepers and the Sick

Giles Mary had a particular ministry to the sick, and he worked with lepers, traveling outside the city gates to help those who had become shunned and isolated by society. He often carried with him an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a depiction known as "Our Lady of the Well" when he made these sick calls. This image would later become closely associated with his cult and veneration.

Giles himself suffered from various physical ailments throughout his life, including sciatica, which caused severe leg pain and difficulty walking, leading to his use of a cane which is often seen in artistic depictions of him. He also suffered from asthma and, late in life, from dropsy (fluid retention leading to high blood pressure). Yet these sufferings never prevented him from serving others with joy and charity.

Spiritual Life and Devotions

Brother Giles Mary nourished his remarkable faith and charity through prolonged prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, his tender love for the Infant Jesus, his profound devotion to the Mother of God, and his special honoring of Saint Joseph and Saint Paschal Baylón.

He venerated his two patron saints, Mary and Joseph, with the greatest confidence, praying that through their intercession he might, like them, become pleasing to God. He observed religious poverty most carefully. When he gathered alms to alleviate the needs of his brethren, he never wanted to accept anything for himself.

The charity which Giles Mary reflected on the streets of Naples was born in prayer and nurtured in the common life of the friars. His deep interior life of contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament was the wellspring from which flowed his extraordinary works of mercy.

The Consoler of Naples

The people whom Giles Mary met on his begging rounds gave him the affectionate nickname "the Consoler of Naples." He also became known as the "Saint of the Little Way"—no small title for an illiterate peasant boy who had risen to such heights of sanctity through humble service.

Even during his lifetime, he was considered by the locals as a saint and patron of the sick and outcast. Miracles were attributed to him during his life, and he earned the admiration of his fellow friars and the entire local community.

Throughout his life, Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph exemplified the virtues of humility, charity, and obedience. He embraced the menial tasks assigned to him—porter, gatekeeper, cook, and beggar—with joy and devotion, seeing them as opportunities to serve God and others.

Holy Death

On February 7, 1812, as the Angelus bell of the church rang out, Brother Giles Mary of Saint Joseph died of natural causes while at prayer, clasping a crucifix in his hand and directing his gaze to images of the Blessed Virgin and of Saint Joseph. Having spent all his energy in the service of God and the poor members of Christ up to a ripe old age, he died a blessed death at the age of eighty-two.

Huge crowds turned out for his funeral, lamenting the loss of their beloved Consoler. The outpouring of grief and devotion from the people of Naples testified to the profound impact this humble Franciscan brother had made on countless lives.

Veneration and Canonization

So many miracles were performed through his prayers during his lifetime and through his intercession after death that as soon as the prescribed fifty years had elapsed, the process of beatification was begun.

Pope Leo XIII solemnly enrolled him among the Blessed on February 5, 1888. His canonization miracle involved the cure of Mrs. Angela Mignogna in 1937. Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph was canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II on June 2, 1996, during the Holy Father's tireless work of presenting models of holiness to the modern Church.

His relics are enshrined in an urn next to the icon of Our Lady of the Well in the church of San Pasquale Baylón in Taranto. Taranto, Italy, has chosen Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph as its patron, a title officially bestowed by Archbishop Orazio Mazzella on June 29, 1919.

His liturgical feast day is celebrated on February 7, the anniversary of his holy death.

Spiritual Legacy and Lessons

Saint Giles Mary had a healthy sense of his own sinfulness—not paralyzing but not superficial either. He invited men and women to recognize their own gifts and to live out their dignity as people made in God's divine image. He demonstrated that holiness is not reserved for the educated elite or those in positions of ecclesiastical power, but is accessible to all who love God with their whole hearts.

People often become arrogant and power-hungry when they forget their own sinfulness and ignore the gifts God has given to other people. Saint Giles Mary stands as a powerful witness against such pride, showing us that true greatness lies in humble service.

The life of Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph teaches us several profound spiritual truths:

The Value of Hidden Holiness: His life was spent in the most ordinary and humble tasks—opening doors, begging for food, cooking meals—yet through these simple actions performed with great love, he achieved extraordinary sanctity.

The Power of Simple Prayer: His constant phrase "Love God, love God!" was not sophisticated theology, but it contained the essence of the Gospel message and had the power to transform hearts.

Charity Born of Contemplation: His remarkable works of mercy flowed from his deep prayer life before the Blessed Sacrament. He shows us that authentic action for others must be rooted in contemplative union with God.

The Dignity of the Poor: By his special ministry to lepers and the outcasts of society, he demonstrated Christ's preferential love for those whom the world rejects.

Trust in Divine Providence: The miraculous multiplication of alms through Saint Joseph's intercession reveals God's faithfulness to those who trust in Him completely.

Prayer to Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph

O Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph, you who lived a life of humble service and unwavering faith, intercede for us before the throne of God. Teach us the beauty of simplicity and help us to embrace each task with joy and devotion, seeing in them opportunities to glorify God.

You who faced trials with unwavering trust in God's providence, pray for us in our times of need, and help us to remain steadfast in our faith. May your example of humility and dedication inspire us, and lead us closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through your intercession, may we learn to repeat with you, "Love God, Love God!" and may this simple prayer transform our hearts and lives.

Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph, Consoler of Naples and friend of the poor, pray for us. Amen.

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