Giovanni Antonio Solinas

After his arrival in South America, Father Solinas completed his spiritual formation (his Third Year) in Santa Fe and Córdoba. His superiors then sent him to work in the famous Jesuit "Reductions," villages structured for the evangelization and human advancement of the indigenous populations. He first exercised his ministry in the Guarani reductions of Santa Ana and Itapúa.

For nearly ten years, Father Solinas devoted himself to the service of the Guaranis as well as the Spanish colonists established in the region. He learned the Guarani language, which allowed him to preach and hear the confessions of the indigenous people directly. His contemporaries described him as a humble, gentle man, accustomed to privations and deeply loved by his companions. He distinguished himself by his attention to the material and spiritual needs of the poorest, acting simultaneously as a catechist, provider of food and clothing, and caregiver for the sick. A testimony from the time describes him as a "physician of the sick, whom he cared for with great gentleness, and a universal remedy for all bodily ailments."

In 1683, a new apostolic challenge presented itself: the evangelization of the Gran Chaco region (the Zenta Valley), a particularly hostile and unstable area, marked by incessant conflicts between various indigenous tribes (Tobas, Mocovíes, Mataguayos) and the Spanish colonists. Aware of the extreme risks, Father Solinas volunteered for this mission of peace and reconciliation.

In April 1683, Father Solinas and two Jesuit companions joined the diocesan priest Pedro Ortiz de Zárate, vicar of Jujuy, who had organized a missionary expedition to pacify the border and bring the Gospel to the peoples of the Zenta Valley. Together, accompanied by a team of laypeople, they founded the reduction of San Rafael.

In October 1683, while awaiting provisions, the missionaries received an unexpected visit from about 500 indigenous people of the Toba and Mocoví tribes, armed and painted for war. Although the warriors' approach seemed peaceful at first, the priests quickly understood that their lives were in danger. Refusing to abandon their mission of peace, they chose to stay.

The morning of October 27, 1683, after praying and celebrating the Eucharist, Fathers Solinas and Ortiz de Zárate spoke amicably with the attackers to tell them about God. In the afternoon, driven by the sorcerers of their clans, the warriors brutally attacked the missionaries with arrows, spears, and clubs. Father Solinas, Father Ortiz de Zárate, and their lay companions were cruelly massacred and beheaded. The remains of Father Solinas were later transported and buried near the altar of the old Jesuit church in Salta.

The reputation of martyrdom (fama martyrii) of Father Solinas spread immediately in Argentina and in his native Sardinia. The cause for beatification, promoted by the Diocese of Orán, reached a decisive stage on October 13, 2021, when Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree officially recognizing the martyrdom of Fathers Pedro Ortiz de Zárate and Giovanni Antonio Solinas, killed in hatred of the faith (in odium fidei).

The beatification ceremony took place on July 2, 2022, at the Parque de la Familia in San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, in the province of Salta, Argentina. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, representing Pope Francis, in the presence of numerous bishops, priests, and faithful.

The following day, July 3, 2022, during the Angelus prayer at the Vatican, Pope Francis honored the memory of the new blesseds: "These two missionaries, who dedicated their lives to the transmission of the faith and the defense of indigenous peoples, were killed in 1683 because they carried the Gospel's message of peace. May the example of these martyrs help us to bear witness to the Good News without compromise."

The liturgical memorial of Blessed Giovanni Antonio Solinas is celebrated on October 27, the anniversary of his martyrdom.

The spirituality of Blessed Giovanni Antonio Solinas is rooted in the charism of the Society of Jesus and the missionary zeal of Saint Francis Xavier. His ministry testifies to an integral vision of evangelization, where the salvation of souls is inseparable from the care provided to bodies and the defense of the human dignity of indigenous populations in the face of colonial injustices. His legacy remains alive in Argentina, particularly in the Diocese of Orán. Each year, in the month of October, a pilgrimage gathers numerous faithful who walk from the town of Pichanal to the site of his martyrdom in the Zenta Valley, perpetuating the memory of his sacrifice for peace and reconciliation. In Sardinia, his native land, he is also venerated as a model of self-giving and fidelity to Christ unto the shedding of blood.