Giuseppe Rossi

Appointed parish priest of San Gottardo in Castiglione d'Ossola in October 1938, Father Giuseppe dedicated himself to the poor, the youth, and Catholic Action. During the Second World War, he provided spiritual support to soldiers and helped the needy by purchasing rice on the black market. After the armistice of 1943, the region became a hotbed of resistance. Father Giuseppe maintained strict pastoral neutrality to protect the entire civilian population.

On February 26, 1945, following a clash between partisans and fascists, the latter took hostages, including Father Giuseppe. Although released, he was arrested again that same evening by the Black Brigade. Taken to the Vallone dei Colombetti, he was forced to dig his own grave, savagely beaten, stabbed, and finished off with a gunshot. His body was discovered on March 4, 1945, and transferred in 1991 to his parish church.

The cause for beatification began under the impetus of Bishop Renato Corti. The Nihil obstat decree was granted on September 7, 2001, and the diocesan inquiry took place from 2002 to 2004. On December 14, 2023, Pope Francis recognized his martyrdom in hatred of the faith (in odium fidei). Father Giuseppe Rossi was solemnly beatified on May 26, 2024, in Novara by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro.

The spirituality of Father Giuseppe Rossi is Eucharistic, Marian, and Pauline, as evidenced by his spiritual journal 'Tu ci rialzi con la tua mano'. His legacy lies in his witness of heroic charity and active non-violence. By refusing to abandon his parish, he embodied the figure of the Good Shepherd, offering his life for his sheep.