He also founded the Poor Clerics to encourage vocations to the priesthood while forming the Confraternita del Santo Volto (1920) to spread devotion to the Face of Jesus.

[3] The cause for his canonization was introduced on 15 October 1981 and he became titled as a Servant of God while he was later named as Venerable on 3 March 1990 upon the confirmation of his model life of heroic virtue.

[3] In October 1889 he began his studies for the priesthood and he arrived with his father in the evening for him to be admitted into it though he had to return home several times due to bouts of ill health.

He was passionate about emulating the life of Jesus Christ in his service to the poor and would hike or ride on a mule to the distant and surrounding mountain villages to bring the message of the Gospel and hope to isolated people in desperate circumstances.

The order established schools and also homes for the old in small places like San Lorenzo and Roccaforte as well as Chorio to educate children and care for the old and sick.

[2] Catanoso died on 4 April 1963 and his final words were recorded as: "In te, Domine, speravi, Gesù, Maria, Giuseppe"; he had become ill and blind before his death though he still welcomed those who came to visit him and seek his counsel.

His order in 2008 had 95 nuns in a total of seventeen houses and it would later receive full pontifical approval from Pope John Paul II on 8 December 1980.

[3] The beatification process opened on 15 October 1981 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued the official "nihil obstat" (nothing against) and titled Catanoso as a Servant of God.

On 3 March 1990 he was proclaimed to be Venerable after Pope John Paul II confirmed that Catanoso lived a model life of heroic virtue.

John Paul II died two months later but his successor Pope Benedict XVI canonized Catanoso on 23 October 2005 in Saint Peter's Square.

But the priest died on 4 April she – who suffered from severe asthma – knelt beside his remains and felt healed a few hours later with no breathing difficulties whatsoever.