Following his belief in Divine Providence and the desire to help distressed and indigent brothers and sisters, he founded two Congregations: the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence and the Servants of Charity. He always believed that to fully serve the needs of the special people who resided in his houses, help was needed from outside the congregations. From early on, he enjoined the priests, brothers, and sisters to enlist the help of those volunteers who understood his charism and felt the call to serve. Any person who discerns the call can be involved in the Guallenian Lay Movement. The ultimate lay commitment is to become a Guanellian Cooperator.
Just as the sisters, priests, and brothers take vows as they enter their vocations, those who wish to become Cooperators make a formal promise. This follows a period of discernment and working with the various organizations and programs within the Guanellian Family. St. Guanella referred to this as the “three-legged stool” upon which he formed his legacy. These three “legs” work closely, yet separately, in order to carry on his mission.
On the banks of the river of sanctity brought about by God by means of the Guanellian charism throngs a crowd of holy and generous souls that have spent their life with the desire to love God and neighbor. In this gallery of faces, there are sisters, brothers, priests, fathers and mothers, cooperators, young and old, friends of the apostolate that in every continent have fraternally shared “bread and the Lord.” In this crowd, one cannot forget an army of residents of the Guanellian houses, in particular the “beloved” that have contributed with their humble, silent, anonymous and apparently insignificant existence to regenerate that underlying current of spiritual energy that sustains humanity.
To commemorate does not mean only to recall the past, but to refine the spirit, making it capable of gathering the fruit of history and planting hope in the open furrows of the future.
The Religious Congregation of the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, sometimes referred to as Guanellians, was founded in 1881 by St. Louis Guanella. The Daughters of St. Mary of Providence live their special vocation, binding themselves to God with the three vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience. Faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, the Sisters spread the “culture of charity” ministering to physically and mentally handicapped children and adults, senior citizens in health care facilities/ assisted living arrangements and assisting the poor. At present, over 1,200 members are represented in fourteen countries around the world: Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Romania, India, Philippine Islands, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Mexico, Canada and the United States. As a sign of their total consecration to Christ, the Sisters wear a simple, uniform habit with veil and a Crucifix. Learn more about the sisters here
On March 24, 1908, on the eve of the celebration of the Annunciation of the Lord, he committed himself perpetually to God, with the first Servants of Charity, giving birth to the embryo of God’s grace implanted years earlier in the fertile soil of his spirit. Over 30 years, Fr. Guanella, with patient and faithful commitment, cultivated the gift of the Holy Spirit so that God’s miracle of love could be manifested according to his plan. There are now over 500 priests and brothers serving in 23 countries worldwide. Learn more about the priests here
According to, Making Charity the Heart of the World, published by the Servants of Charity, “The Guanellian Lay Movement is the common dwelling of all men and women of good will. Attracted by the spirituality of Fr. Guanella, they show concern and care for the poor and have the desire to increase the culture of solidarity and love in the world.” When seeking to define an identity for our Lay Guanellians, we find that a great deal of love and compassion exists within the people who support our Guanellian religious orders. “All those who actively care for the poor inside and outside of the Guanellian charitable structures, public institutions or the Church, and which consciously express some traits of the Guanellian spirit and charism can be members of the Movement. These manifold and diverse contributions find their unity and energy for development in the charitable example of Father Guanella and in sharing his spirituality, according to each person’s life experience and potential,” (pp. 20-21).
We joyfully notice that the number of lay people, to whom the Lord shares the Guanellian charism, is growing together with the propagation of many lay groups who take their inspiration from the charism of our Founder.
To the Guanellian laity as well as to the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, the Servants of Charity, and the Guanellian Cooperators, the Holy Spirit communicates the grace and the inspiration of the Founder so that they may carry on within the Church His ministry of charity. They gratefully welcome the precious gift of a “heart of charity” which motivates them in their commitment and responsibility.
The Guanellian laity should acquire the spirituality of St. Guanella, whose heart is to be found in the Divine paternity and in the far-sighted tenderness of Mary. They should commit themselves to knowing the life and mission of St. Guanella, Blessed Clare Bosatta, and to studying how to interpret and live, as laity, the Guanellian charism, spirituality, and mission.
Guanellian Cooperators
Guanellian Cooperators are defined as, “Those who choose to live the spirit, charism and mission of the Founder in an official and public form by making a promise to live their Catholic faith in the footsteps of St. Louis Guanella.”
St. Louis Guanella had the foresight to understand many years ago, that his mission would not succeed without the help of the laity. The publication Making Charity the Heart of the World, states that “The Guanellian Lay Movement is essentially a choice of mind and heart; only a vital commitment. All men and women who appreciate the charism of charity can be members of the Movement:
The spiritual benefits of supporting the Servants of Charity are found through Christ’s call for us to serve others through Him. Fr. Guanella’s charism is “to create a social climate of respect and acceptance toward people in a situation of moral and material poverty.” (Basic Document) Our participation is a way of carrying out Jesus’ mission in today’s society. In Matthew (25, 34), Jesus warned his disciples, “When the Son of man comes in his glory…he will separate people from one another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Those who cared for the poor would be rewarded, while those who refused to help “will go away to eternal punishment.” (Mt 25, 46)
Carlo Lapucci writes, “It is indeed the heart and the activity of the Congregation that opens itself to the outside world and calls all men of good will to participate and to cooperate. In this way, the Guanellian family expands without boundaries. The work of one man becomes the work of all through direct participation.”
