Martyr priest Giuseppe Rossi, murdered at age 32 by fascists in Italy, is beatified

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, presided over the Mass of beatification of the priest Giuseppe (José) Rossi, murdered at the age of 32 by fascists who forced him to dig his grave with his own hands.

The Eucharist, celebrated in the cathedral of the Diocese of Novara (Italy), took place on Sunday, May 26, Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. The local Bishop, Mons. Franco Brambilla, concelebrated, along with about 150 priests; and about 1,500 faithful attended.

In his homily, Cardinal Semeraro, at the beginning, recalled the words of Bishop Brambilla, when in December Pope Francis approved the decree that recognized the martyrdom of Father Rossi: “humble and exemplary priest for the life of prayer (…) icon of a martyred parish priest, a model for all the people of God, particularly for us priests, and for the lay people who carry out a ministry at the service of the Church.”

The cardinal then highlighted that the young priest “did not hesitate to sacrifice his young life for the flock that had been entrusted to him” in the town of Castiglione, a town in the Anzasca Valley, in the Italian region of Piedmont.

The prefect also recalled some passages from Fr. Rossi’s diary: “I throw myself desperately into the arms of Jesus, whose footsteps I must follow towards the cross, Calvary.” “I suffer with joy because I am united to my God on the cross,” he adds.

The priest also wrote that he thus understands “the heroic follies of the saints in seeking the cross, the suffering: they were souls thirsty for life, that life that springs from the blood shed on Golgotha ​​which is a washing away of all guilt, which is a medicine for all wounds.”

These words, the cardinal highlighted, “must certainly be framed in the initial difficulties of developing pastoral action in the new context; At the same time, however, they reveal an essential disposition that will mature until the night of February 26, 1945, making him, day after day, a parish priest for all, a parish priest for each one and a parish priest for the poor (…) . This path has led him to be a martyr priest.”

Who was the martyred priest Giuseppe Rossi?

Giuseppe Rossi was born in Varallo Pombia (Novara) on November 3, 1912, into a poor and religious family.

He entered the seminary in 1925 and was ordained a priest on June 29, 1937.

In 1938 he was appointed parish priest of Castiglione, a small mountain town, where he carried out his apostolate for six years. He dedicated himself in particular to training young people, to the spiritual direction of the Catholic Women’s Action and the Saint Vincent Conferences, and to helping the poor and sick.

With the Second World War, the territory of his parish became the site of clashes between partisans and Mussolini’s fascists.

According to the website of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, on February 26, 1945, soldiers of the Black Brigade of Ravenna had a confrontation with partisans near Castiglione, with two dead and about 20 wounded.

This provoked a reprisal against the local population, with the burning of houses and hostages, including Father Giuseppe Rossi, who was however released the same day. When he returned home he was captured again by fascist soldiers who forced him to dig his grave with his bare hands, and then beat him to death.

On February 26, 2025, the 80th anniversary of his martyrdom, the liturgical memory of Blessed Giuseppe Rossi will be celebrated for the first time.