Giovanni Cagliero

Cagliero was born in Castelnuovo d'Asti, and studied at its seminary and later the University of Turin. He entered the Pious Society of St. Francis de Sales, more commonly known as the Salesians, in 1851. He received the clerical habit from St. John Bosco himself and was reputed to be his favorite pupil. Cagliero was also a classmate of St Dominic Savio and Bl. Michael Rua.

He was ordained to the priesthood on 14 June 1862, and then taught at the Salesian House of Studies in Turin until 1875. Cagliero led the first ten Salesians to America and established five houses in Uruguay and Argentina between 1875 and 1877, after which he became spiritual director of his society and the first General Director of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Turin. He was made Pro-Apostolic Vicar of new vicariate in Northern Patagonia, in Argentina, on 20 November 1883.

On 30 October 1884, Cagliero was appointed Titular Bishop of Magydus by Pope Leo XIII, receiving his episcopal consecration on the following December 7 from Cardinal Gaetano Alimonda. After being promoted to Titular Archbishop of Sebastea on 24 March 1904, he later served as Apostolic Visitor to the dioceses of Bobbio, Piacenza, Savona, and Tortona in 1904. Cagliero was named Apostolic delegate to Costa Rica on 10 June 1908, and to Nicaragua on 26 October of that same year.

Pope Benedict XV made him Cardinal-Priest of San Bernardo alle Terme in the consistory of 6 December 1915; he was the first Salesian cardinal. Cagliero opted for the order of Cardinal-Bishop and assumed the suburbicarian see of Frascati on 16 December 1920. He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 1922 papal conclave, which selected Pope Pius XI.

Cardinal Cagliero died in Rome, at the age of 88. He was initially buried in the sepulchre of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in Campo Verano cemetery, but his remains were later transferred in 1964 to Mater Misericordiae Cathedral in Viedma.

• Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
• Catholic-Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}