Giuseppe Marello (known as Joseph Marello in English; 26 December 1844 – 30 May 1895) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Acqui from 1889 until his death and was also the founder of the Oblates of Saint Joseph. Marello served as an aide to the Bishop of Asti prior to his episcopal appointment after Pope Leo XIII named him to head the Acqui diocese; the pope had known Marello while a cardinal when the pair participated in the First Vatican Council more than a decade before. He became a proponent for the poor and destitute and never stopped rendering his assistance to those who needed it the most; this was something he undertook even in his childhood. Bishop Marello issued several pastoral letters that dealt with a range of issues such as catechism and organized one big pastoral visitation to visit all parishes in his diocese.
Marello's cause for sainthood resulted in his beatification on 26 September 1993 in Asti and his canonization less than a decade later on 25 November 2001 in Saint Peter's Square.
Life
Childhood and priesthood
Giuseppe Marello was born on 26 December 1844 on Bakers' Street in Turin to Vincenzo Marello and Anna Maria Viale, and he was baptized just hours later in the Corpus Domini church. He had a younger brother named Vittorio. His godparents were Chiaffredo Viale and Teresa Secco. He received his Confirmation on 15 August 1855 from the Bishop of Asti Filippo Artico. He was an altar server in his childhood, and he often invited the homeless to his home for food. His father was a friend of Giuseppe Benedetto Cottolengo.
Marello's mother died on 5 April 1848, and in 1852 his father decided to relocate with his children to San Martino Alfieri, where his paternal grandparents resided.
Marello began his studies for the priesthood on 31 October 1856, but his father wished him to continue with his education and take up a career in business. But in December 1863 Giuseppe contracted typhus and promised the Virgin Mary that if he survived he would continue his studies to become a priest. He recovered, and attributed the cure to Our Lady of Consolation. He continued on with his ecclesial studies in February 1864. At one stage he considered becoming a Carthusian monk, but the new Bishop of Asti, Carlo Savio, dissuaded him, suggesting that God had other plans for him. Marello underwent the clerical investiture on 9 January 1864, and received both the tonsure and all minor orders from Bishop Savio on 21 December 1867. He was made a subdeacon on 28 March 1868, and was elevated to the diaconate on 6 June 1868. Marello was ordained to the priesthood on 19 September 1868 with Savio again officiating. The new priest celebrated his first Mass on 20 September 1868 in San Martino Alfieri.
After his ordination, he became the private assistant to Bishop Savio at Asti on 21 October 1868. He served in that capacity until 1881. On 2 March 1880 he was named a Canon of the Asti Cathedral. He was also friends with Giovanni Bosco and Leonardo Murialdo. He attended the First Vatican Council with Bishop Savio and it was there that he met Cardinal Gioacchino Pecci – the future Pope Leo XIII – who praised the priest for his virtues and talents. He and Savio went to Rome on 21 November 1869 and were there until late July 1870; he even had the chance to meet Pope Pius IX. His father died on 17 May 1873. Later he took over an Asti retirement home to save it from being bankrupt and he soon became the spiritual director and catechist in his local diocese. On 14 March 1878 he founded the Oblates of Saint Joseph which would be dedicated to caring for the poor and educating children and adolescents as well as rendering assisting bishops in whatever capacities were required.
Episcopate
Pope Leo XIII appointed him Bishop of Acqui on 11 February 1889. The formal appointment as a bishop came on 11 February 1889 during a consistory for the elevation of new cardinals after having received word of his appointment in November 1888 (in the late morning) since the pope wanted to invest new bishops with the rochet at the consistory. From 5:30 to 6:15pm on 10 February he met with the pope and that evening had dinner with Cardinal Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano. He received his episcopal consecration on 17 February, from Cardinal Raffaele Monaco La Valletta in the Capuchin Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini in Rome. The co-consecrators were the Archbishop of Chieti Rocco Cocchia and the Archbishop of Damiata Ignazio Persico.