St. Joseph Marello
Feast Day, May 30

Joseph Marello was a man of prayer, deep thinking, and fast action. His prayer was affective, his thoughts were logical, organized, born of a deep faith, and tempered by knowledge of his time. His action was intrepid, far-reaching, fearless, tenacious, without giving in to tiredness or discouragement.

He served as the Bishop of Acqui, Italy from 1889 until his death in 1895. In his work as shepherd of his diocese, he promoted studying the Catechism, the Christian training of the young, the parish missions, and Christian living.

As a priest and bishop, he was a zealous and dynamic preacher. He nurtured and enlivened the faith of multitudes, giving sermons, directing retreats, and guiding the desires and concerns of people of all ages.

And he also dreamed. He dreamed of regenerating the world through the influence of a new religious community. Founded in 1878, he called this community "Company of St. Joseph," and later "Oblates of St. Joseph." He gave his Oblates, St. Joseph as a model and placed them under his protection. He wanted his spiritual sons to have and to spread devotion to the Foster Father of Jesus.

From Blessed Jospeh Marello: Quotations from his Writings by Andrew Porro OSJ

Oblates in California

Two priests of the Oblates of St. Joseph came to the West Coast in 1931 to minister to a large number of Italian immigrants in the Diocese and throughout California. In 1933 a house was purchased in Santa Cruz to be used as a seminary. In March 1949 the Oblates prayed a novena to their patron, St. Joseph. A benefactor appeared on December 8, 1949, and deeded a parcel of bayside property to them to be used for religious purposes. Ground-breaking for the construction of a seminary and chapel took place on September 30, 1951. By July 29, 1952, the first Mass was celebrated in the chapel. In March 1952 Bishop Willinger had granted permission for pilgrimages to this “shrine.” He blessed the chapel on August 31, 1952, as a “semi-public oratory dedicated to St. Joseph.”

From 1952 until 1992, the construction remained with the incomplete appearance of a crypt. The dream of the early Oblates one day to construct on top a large National Shrine of St. Joseph went unrealized for some forty years. Finally in late 1992 extensive remodeling was begun on the chapel and completed in 1993.

On November 3, 1993 the chapel was dedicated by Bishop Sylvester Ryan of the Diocese of Monterey and declared to be a diocesan shrine according to the norms of canon law, with the title “Shrine of St. Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer.” The title is chosen after the name of the apostolic exhortation on St. Joseph, Redemptoris Custos, “Guardian of the Redeemer,” written by Pope John Paul II. Bishop Ryan also encased under the altar a relic of Saint Joseph Marello, Bishop of Acqui and founder of the Oblates of St. Joseph, who recently had been beatified on September 26, 1993, and Canonized on November 25th, 2001.