The soul and heart of Blessed Luigi Guanella

Luigi Guanella, in the years 1905-1908, passing through the Triumphal Quarter, on his way to the shelter for the elderly opened by him in Monte Mario, thought of building a church that could become a center of religious and moral elevation in that popular district which was then so poor , where the religious sense was absent.
A church dedicated to St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary and patron of families and workers, as an example and protector of Christian families.
Saint Joseph, after a life of sacrifices dedicated entirely to his holy family, died comforted by Jesus and Mary: his truly blessed death, which consecrated him as the most powerful and merciful Patron of the dying.
In fact, there are countless churches that have an altar or a painting dedicated to the pious Transit of St. Joseph.
For this reason, Don Guanella, who was so concerned about the physical suffering of the handicapped, orphans and the elderly, also thought of the dying, and wanted to dedicate the new church precisely to the Transit of St. Joseph, to keep alive in the faithful the thought and prayer in favor of the dying every day.

A great gesture of love for the last frontier of life

The work that most manifests and distinguishes the concern of our Blessed for the salvation of souls is therefore the Pious Union of the Transit of St. Joseph for the salvation of the dying. The addition "... for the salvation of the dying" is significant: a clarification that says it all!
Save souls! So this was his ideal. Now, among all the moments of life, that of agony decides with certainty of eternal salvation: if man dies in the friendship of God, everything is gained forever, if instead, in that supreme moment, he is not at peace with God, everything is
lost forever. Of course: divine Mercy is infinite, but the salvation of souls is linked not only to the infinite merits of Christ the Savior, but also to prayers.
Don Guanella, knowing that hundreds of thousands of people die every day in the world, and knowing the power of prayer that obtains everything from the Heart of God, therefore thought of organizing a great holy Crusade of prayers by many faithful to implore God , through the intercession of St. Joseph, Patron Saint of the dying, the salvation of souls who were in greatest danger.
Thus it was that, under the auspices of St. Pius faculty to in turn erect branches of the Pious Union in other nations and churches in the world (Apostolic Brief of 17 February 1913).
Since that year 1914 we have witnessed a great diffusion of this particular Work of spiritual charity, also because the thought of helping the dying with prayer was then deeply felt among the Christian people (it was, in fact, in the years of the first bloody war world)