History of the Congregation
THE BEGINNINGS
During his retreat on April 18, 1905 , Eustachio Montemurro, reflecting on the good he has done to Angela Cavalluzzi, a young orphan girl of 22, whom he has helped in her studies while he was the president of the Association of Charity, inspired him to found an Institute for women for the education of young boys and girls. |
FIRST COMMUNITY

On 1 May 1908, Chiara Terrible, one of his penitents and Maria Lucia Visci began community life in Palazzo Guida in Porta Reale in Gravina. With these two women willing to start a rudimentary form of religious life, Montemurro gave beginning to the Institute of the Daughters of the Sacred Side for the devotion to the Sacred Heart and for the education and instruction of the young girls through trade schools and the teaching of catechism to people of every class.
TIMELINE
01-01-1857 He is born to Giuseppe Montemurro and Giulia Barbarossa in Gravina (province of Bari)
1875-1881 He studies at the University of Naples where he majors in Mathematics and Natural Sciences and
receives a Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery
1882-1902 He exercises the medical profession and is active in social-political and assistance-charitable activities
01-01-1903 He enters the seminary to begin his formation to the priesthood
09-24-1904 He is ordained a priest in the Cathedral of Gravina
11-21-1907 He establishes the Congregation of the Little Brothers of the Blessed Sacrament for Eucharistic
worship and to help pastors with their ministry
05-01-1908 He begins the Congregation of the Daughters of the "Sacro Costato" to atone for the sins against the Sacred Heart of Jesus and for the education of young children and teens.
04-29-1910 Four Daughters of the "Sacro Costato" take the religious habit for the first time in Minervino
12-11-1910 Four Little Brothers of the Most Blessed Sacrament don the religious vestments for the first time in
Bisciglie
02-21-1911 The Sacred Congregation of Religious decrees the dissolution of the institutes where the infiltration of
a so-called pseudo-mysticism was suspected and sends the Most Reverend Giovanni Del Papa as
apostolic visitor
03-30-1911 The Most Reverend Del Papa reports to the Congregation for Religious that the institutes should be
preserved
06-23-1911 Bishop Zimarino promulgates the Decree of Suppression of the Congregation of Religious and orders Father Eustachio to close the houses existing in his diocese
08-1911 Canon Di Francia accepts the responsibility of guiding the Daughters of the "Sacro Costato" in the Diocese of Andria, Potenza, and Venosa and welcomes the Little Brothers of the Most Blessed Sacrament into his house of studies in Oria
01-1914 Father Eustachio moves to the Valley of Pompei where he carries out a fruitful and intense ministry for nine years
01-02-1923 He dies in Pompeii and is buried in the cemetery of Scafati
12-20-1936 His mortal remains are transferred from Scafati to the chapel of the Missionary Sisters of the "Sacro Costato" and the Sorrowful Mother in Gravina
04-14-1981 The General Council of the Missionary Sisters of the "Sacro Costato" resolves to initiate the preliminary
work to petition the introduction of the cause for the canonization of Fr. Eustachio Montemurro
11-09-1987 The General Council of the Missionary Sisters of the "Sacro Costato" invites Father Alfredo Marranzini, S.J., to be the procurator of the cause for the canonization
08-10-1992 The Holy See grants permission to introduce the cause
11-21-1992 His Eminence Cardinal Michele Giordano opens the first public session for the cause of canonization
06-23-1995 His Eminence Cardinal Michele Giordano concludes the session of the diocesan Inquiry for the Canonization
03-09-1996 The Congregation for the Cause of the Saints declared the validity of the Diocesan Inquiry
10-31-2002 The Positio Super Virtutibus is handed over to the Congregation for the Cause of the Saints
1875-1881 He studies at the University of Naples where he majors in Mathematics and Natural Sciences and
receives a Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery
1882-1902 He exercises the medical profession and is active in social-political and assistance-charitable activities
01-01-1903 He enters the seminary to begin his formation to the priesthood
09-24-1904 He is ordained a priest in the Cathedral of Gravina
11-21-1907 He establishes the Congregation of the Little Brothers of the Blessed Sacrament for Eucharistic
worship and to help pastors with their ministry
05-01-1908 He begins the Congregation of the Daughters of the "Sacro Costato" to atone for the sins against the Sacred Heart of Jesus and for the education of young children and teens.
04-29-1910 Four Daughters of the "Sacro Costato" take the religious habit for the first time in Minervino
12-11-1910 Four Little Brothers of the Most Blessed Sacrament don the religious vestments for the first time in
Bisciglie
02-21-1911 The Sacred Congregation of Religious decrees the dissolution of the institutes where the infiltration of
a so-called pseudo-mysticism was suspected and sends the Most Reverend Giovanni Del Papa as
apostolic visitor
03-30-1911 The Most Reverend Del Papa reports to the Congregation for Religious that the institutes should be
preserved
06-23-1911 Bishop Zimarino promulgates the Decree of Suppression of the Congregation of Religious and orders Father Eustachio to close the houses existing in his diocese
08-1911 Canon Di Francia accepts the responsibility of guiding the Daughters of the "Sacro Costato" in the Diocese of Andria, Potenza, and Venosa and welcomes the Little Brothers of the Most Blessed Sacrament into his house of studies in Oria
01-1914 Father Eustachio moves to the Valley of Pompei where he carries out a fruitful and intense ministry for nine years
01-02-1923 He dies in Pompeii and is buried in the cemetery of Scafati
12-20-1936 His mortal remains are transferred from Scafati to the chapel of the Missionary Sisters of the "Sacro Costato" and the Sorrowful Mother in Gravina
04-14-1981 The General Council of the Missionary Sisters of the "Sacro Costato" resolves to initiate the preliminary
work to petition the introduction of the cause for the canonization of Fr. Eustachio Montemurro
11-09-1987 The General Council of the Missionary Sisters of the "Sacro Costato" invites Father Alfredo Marranzini, S.J., to be the procurator of the cause for the canonization
08-10-1992 The Holy See grants permission to introduce the cause
11-21-1992 His Eminence Cardinal Michele Giordano opens the first public session for the cause of canonization
06-23-1995 His Eminence Cardinal Michele Giordano concludes the session of the diocesan Inquiry for the Canonization
03-09-1996 The Congregation for the Cause of the Saints declared the validity of the Diocesan Inquiry
10-31-2002 The Positio Super Virtutibus is handed over to the Congregation for the Cause of the Saints