[2] He was responsible for the expansion of the Salesians and the order had grown to a significant degree around the world at the time he died.

Rua served as a noted spiritual director and leader for the Salesians known for his austerities and rigid adherence to the rule.

It was not long following this that he met Giovanni Bosco who was working to improve the lives of the children of the neighborhood and who had just built his "oratorio" (oratory) of Francis de Sales in Valdocco.

Rua was among the first with whom Bosco had shared his idea of founding a religious congregation and he joined the "oratorio" on 22 September 1852 to finish his education.

He served as the first spiritual director for the congregation from 1859 even before his ordination to the priesthood which was celebrated on 29 July 1860; Monsignor Giovanni Balma ordained him.

He returned to Turin in 1865 to serve as the Valdocco vice-rector and later as the manager for the "Letture Cattoliche" (Catholic Readings).

[1] He was designated as Rector Major in 1888 after Bosco's death and met with Leo XIII after in a private audience.

Leo XIII advised Rua to hold off on the order's expansion until he could consolidate the foundation that Bosco had worked to build.

[4] Pope Pius X asked him in 1908 to oversee the construction of a church dedicated to Santa Maria Liberatore.

Rua died at the age of 73 on 6 April 1910 at 9:30am after having been ill since the fall in 1909; his remains are housed in Turin in the Basilica di Nostra Signora Aiuto dei Cristiani.

[8] The formal introduction to the cause came under Pope Pius XI on 15 January 1936 and Rua became titled as a Servant of God.

[8] Rua became Venerable on 26 June 1953 after Pope Pius XII confirmed his life of heroic virtue.