Saint of the Day: Bl. Giuseppe Girotti

Dominican Priest and Martyr (1905-1945)

His life

+ Giuseppe was born in Alba, Italy.

+ After professing vows as a Dominican friar and being ordained a priest, he studied at the École Biblique in Jerusalem. He taught Scripture at the Dominican seminary in Turin, Italy.

+ Giuseppe was arrested by the Nazis on August 19, 1944, for hiding Jews and helping them escape Nazi territories.

+ After being shuffled from one concentration camp to another, and ultimately spent his final weeks in the Dachau concentration camp caring for other prisoners. He was killed by lethal injection on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945.

+ Blessed Giuseppe Girotii was beatified in 2014.

+ In 1995, Yad Vashem recognized Blessed Giuseppe Girotti as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations.”

For prayer and reflection

“This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”—John 15:12-13

Prayer

O God, who were pleased to give light to your Church by adorning blessed Giuseppe with the victory of martyrdom, graciously grant that, as he imitated the Lord's Passion, so we may, by following in his footsteps, be worthy to attain eternal joys. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal: Common of Martyrs—For One Martyr)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.