He began his apostolate educating the poor and at the same time he served as a seminary professor, spiritual director, and counselor for several women's religious communities.
In 1882, Fr. Spinelli met Caterina Comensoli, with whom he would found the Institute of the Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament.
The sisters dedicated themselves to Eucharistic adoration day and night which inspired their service to the poor and suffering.
Due to several setbacks, Fr. Spinelli transferred from the Diocese of Bergamo to the Diocese of Cremona where he continued to lead the Adoration Institute in Rivolta d'Adda/
The priest died Feb. 6, 1913, and was buried in the church of the Adoration Sisters in Rivolta d'Adda. At that time, the institution had founded 68 communities in different countries.
Currently, the institute has around 250 communities in Italy, Congo, Senegal, Cameroon, Colombia, and Argentina. Their ministries include caring for people with HIV, orphans, drug addicts, and prisoners.
Fr. Spinelli was beatified by St. John Paul II June 21, 1992 at the Marian Shrine of Caravaggio.
He will be beatified Oct. 14 at the Vatican along with Paul VI, Bshop of Rome from 1963 to 1978; Oscar Romero, a martyr who was Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 to 1980; Vincenzo Romano, a diocesan priest from Torre de Greco in Italy; Maria Caterina Kasper, a German nun and founder of the Institute of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ; and Nazaria Ignazia of Saint Teresa of Jesus, founder of the Congregation of the Misioneras Cruzadas de la Iglesia Sisters.
This article was originally published by our sister agency, ACI Prensa. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.