A Need for Holiness
What is the Pro Sanctity Movement?
Our Mission
As the Lord Jesus said: “You, therefore, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48), the Pro Sanctity Movement desires to respond to this invitation and make it resonate in every corner of the earth.
The Purpose of Our Movement
- Spread the universal call to holiness everywhere and to all people
- Love and live the message of God’s infinite love for all people and witness the joy of becoming a saint by maximally responding to such love
- Collaborate, with fidelity to the Magisterium, in a spirit of service, to the mission of the universal and local Church
- Deepen and teach the spirituality of the universal vocation to holiness, forming the conscience, cultivating the spiritual life, and forming lives according to the Gospel
- Help everyone to live holiness in their state of life and to become apostles of the universal call to holiness
- Elicit a family spirit between the members of the Movement to carry out the apostolate of holiness
The Founder of Pro Sanctity
The Pro Sanctity Movement was founded in 1947 in Rome by Bishop Guglielmo (William) Giaquinta. In the early years of his priesthood, Bishop Giaquinta began to teach that all people are called to become saints, anticipating the Church’s teaching, the Universal Call to Holiness, later proclaimed in Lumen Gentium.
Private Association
The Pro Sanctity Movement is a Private Association of the faithful formed for the purpose of spiritual life and works of evangelization in the world, legally recognized by the Catholic Church whose life and activities are regulated by Code of Canon Law #299. The Headquarters for the Pro Sanctity Movement are in Rome, Italy.
All Saints, All Brothers & Sisters
In God’s plan, the Vocation to Holiness is universal and involves all mankind. Reaching the goal of a holy humanity characterized by fraternal relationships, all saints, all brothers and sisters, should be the goal of the apostolic and missionary commitment of every member of the Movement.
A Need for Holiness
What is the
Pro Sanctity Movement?
Our Mission
As the Lord Jesus said: “You, therefore, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48), the Pro Sanctity Movement desires to respond to this invitation and make it resonate in every corner of the earth.
Private Association
The Pro Sanctity Movement is a Private Association of the faithful formed for the purpose of spiritual life and works of evangelization in the world, legally recognized by the Catholic Church whose life and activities are regulated by Code of Canon Law #299. The Headquarters for the Pro Sanctity Movement are in Rome, Italy.
The Founder of Pro Sanctity
The Pro Sanctity Movement was founded in 1947 in Rome by Bishop Guglielmo (William) Giaquinta. In the early years of his priesthood, Bishop Giaquinta began to teach that all people are called to become saints, anticipating the Church’s teaching, the Universal Call to Holiness, later proclaimed in Lumen Gentium.
All Saints, All Brothers & Sisters
In God’s plan, the Vocation to Holiness is universal and involves all mankind. Reaching the goal of a holy humanity characterized by fraternal relationships, all saints, all brothers and sisters, should be the goal of the apostolic and missionary commitment of every member of the Movement.
The Purpose of Our Movement
- Spread the universal call to holiness everywhere and to all people
- Love and live the message of God’s infinite love for all people and witness the joy of becoming a saint by maximally responding to such love
- Collaborate, with fidelity to the Magisterium, in a spirit of service, to the mission of the universal and local Church
- Deepen and teach the spirituality of the universal vocation to holiness, forming the conscience, cultivating the spiritual life, and forming lives according to the Gospel
- Help everyone to live holiness in their state of life and to become apostles of the universal call to holiness
- Elicit a family spirit between the members of the Movement to carry out the apostolate of holiness
Our Founder
Servant of God,
Bishop Guglielmo Giaquinta
Bishop Giaquinta was a tireless apostle of the universal call to holiness. Through his own deep encounters with the Lord, he understood that the foundation of holiness is rooted in the interior life. In his writings, preaching, and meetings, he directed all to develop their relationship with God by contemplating His redemptive love and responding in turn, “to the maximum”.
- Faithful son
- Spiritual Father
- Apostle of Holiness – Servant of God
- Founder
- Bishop & Brother
Bishop Giaquinta’s heart was one with the Holy Father and the Church.
In his coat of arms he chose the boat to represent the Church as the sure refuge from all storms for all who remain faithful in Her. The star represents Our Lady, the guide and Mother of the Church. “Duc in Altum” reminds us to seek the spiritual maximum in all things as Our Lord invited Peter and to trust in God’s Providence.
Our Founder
Servant of God,
Bishop Guglielmo Giaquinta
Bishop Giaquinta was a tireless apostle of the universal call to holiness. Through his own deep encounters with the Lord, he understood that the foundation of holiness is rooted in the interior life. In his writings, preaching, and meetings, he directed all to develop their relationship with God by contemplating His redemptive love and responding in turn, “to the maximum”.
- Faithful son
- Spiritual Father
- Apostle of Holiness – Servant of God
- Founder
- Bishop & Brother
Bishop Giaquinta’s heart was one with the Holy Father and the Church.
In his coat of arms he chose the boat to represent the Church as the sure refuge from all storms for all who remain faithful in Her. The star represents Our Lady, the guide and Mother of the Church. “Duc in Altum” reminds us to seek the spiritual maximum in all things as Our Lord invited Peter and to trust in God’s Providence.
(1914 – 1994)
A Life of Service
Guglielmo Giaquinta was born in Noto, Italy on June 25,1914 to Gaetano Giaquinta and Maria Avolio. In 1927 Guglielmo entered St. Apollinare,the Minor Seminary in Rome and in 1933 he entered the Major Seminary in Rome. He was ordained as a priest on 18th March, 1939. He took his doctoral degree in Canon Law in 1947 from the Pontifical Juridical Institute. He did his services in the church as pastor, Judge, Promoter of Justice and Defender of the Bond in the Vicariate of Rome and Diocesan Spiritual Director of the Women’s Catholic Action. On August 11, 1961 he was appointed as Secretary of the Vicariate of Rome.
In 1947 Fr. Giaquinta started the Pro Sanctity Movement, an international movement which promotes “Universal Call to Holiness”. On May 1st 1950 he started the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates, a secular institute of consecrated women who promote the universal call to holiness mainly through the Pro Sanctity Movement. In 1962 he started the Apostolic Sodales, an institute of diocesan priests based on the spirituality of Cenacle, priestly brotherhood and holiness. In 1968 he founded the Social Animators, an association of lay men who commit themselves to the apostolate of social spirituality, social holiness and universal brotherhood. He was a prophet of holiness because even 20 years before the church recognized “universal call to holiness “as a doctrine in the 2nd Vatican Council he became the promoter of it. On November 1st 1968, the Solemnity of All Saints he was consecrated as bishop of the diocese of Tivoli, Rome. His motto was “Duc in Altum”. Apart from his ministries as founder and bishop he was a good preacher and wrote innumerable spiritual books.
He dedicated his whole life for the apostolate of Holiness. Because of ill health he had been permitted to resign from his duties as the bishop of Tivoli in 1986. On June 15, 1994 Bishop Guglielmo Giaquinta died in Rome and in 2004 the church conferred on him the title, “servant of God”. His cause for beatification and canonization has been formally introduced.
(1914 – 1994)
A Life of Service
Guglielmo Giaquinta was born in Noto, Italy on June 25,1914 to Gaetano Giaquinta and Maria Avolio. In 1927 Guglielmo entered St. Apollinare,the Minor Seminary in Rome and in 1933 he entered the Major Seminary in Rome. He was ordained as a priest on 18th March, 1939. He took his doctoral degree in Canon Law in 1947 from the Pontifical Juridical Institute. He did his services in the church as pastor, Judge, Promoter of Justice and Defender of the Bond in the Vicariate of Rome and Diocesan Spiritual Director of the Women’s Catholic Action. On August 11, 1961 he was appointed as Secretary of the Vicariate of Rome.
In 1947 Fr. Giaquinta started the Pro Sanctity Movement, an international movement which promotes “Universal Call to Holiness”. On May 1st 1950 he started the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates, a secular institute of consecrated women who promote the universal call to holiness mainly through the Pro Sanctity Movement. In 1962 he started the Apostolic Sodales, an institute of diocesan priests based on the spirituality of Cenacle, priestly brotherhood and holiness. In 1968 he founded the Social Animators, an association of lay men who commit themselves to the apostolate of social spirituality, social holiness and universal brotherhood. He was a prophet of holiness because even 20 years before the church recognized “universal call to holiness “as a doctrine in the 2nd Vatican Council he became the promoter of it. On November 1st 1968, the Solemnity of All Saints he was consecrated as bishop of the diocese of Tivoli, Rome. His motto was “Duc in Altum”. Apart from his ministries as founder and bishop he was a good preacher and wrote innumerable spiritual books.
He dedicated his whole life for the apostolate of Holiness. Because of ill health he had been permitted to resign from his duties as the bishop of Tivoli in 1986. On June 15, 1994 Bishop Guglielmo Giaquinta died in Rome and in 2004 the church conferred on him the title, “servant of God”. His cause for beatification and canonization has been formally introduced.
“Everyone, everything, everywhere”
His Charism – Our Charism
“I am thirsty!”. From this cry of love and pain of Jesus on the Cross, Our Founder understands that God awaits every man to join him in a deep friendship with himself, but also that every man has an immense need for God.
As we encounter this invitation to receive the unmerited gift of God’s infinite love, our desire is to make a maximal response of ourselves to quench the thirst of God and the thirst of man. As we understand that God loves us infinitely and that Jesus offered his life so that all men may be saints, we rediscover ourselves as beloved children, and choose to live as brothers and sisters with all humanity.
This holy restlessness animates our whole lives as it animated our Founder. It was the fuel of his pastoral concern, of his paternal accompaniment, but also of his multiple services within the local and universal Church.
Bishop Giaquinta’s whole life was animated by a revolutionary dream as is ours: that all men are saints and live as brothers and sisters; Giaquinta entrusted this dream to those who, after him, would commit themselves to the realities born from the heart of his father.
The invitation to holiness and brotherhood must involve all men, affect every area, reach every corner of the earth. “Everyone, everything, everywhere” this was, for Guglielmo Giaquinta and all his followers, the scope of the Revolution of Love. This is our charism.
“Everyone, everything, everywhere”
His Charism – Our Charism
“I am thirsty!”. From this cry of love and pain of Jesus on the Cross, Our Founder understands that God awaits every man to join him in a deep friendship with himself, but also that every man has an immense need for God.
As we encounter this invitation to receive the unmerited gift of God’s infinite love, our desire is to make a maximal response of ourselves to quench the thirst of God and the thirst of man. As we understand that God loves us infinitely and that Jesus offered his life so that all men may be saints, we rediscover ourselves as beloved children, and choose to live as brothers and sisters with all humanity.
This holy restlessness animates our whole lives as it animated our Founder. It was the fuel of his pastoral concern, of his paternal accompaniment, but also of his multiple services within the local and universal Church.
Bishop Giaquinta’s whole life was animated by a revolutionary dream as is ours: that all men are saints and live as brothers and sisters; Giaquinta entrusted this dream to those who, after him, would commit themselves to the realities born from the heart of his father.
The invitation to holiness and brotherhood must involve all men, affect every area, reach every corner of the earth. “Everyone, everything, everywhere” this was, for Guglielmo Giaquinta and all his followers, the scope of the Revolution of Love. This is our charism.