Stefano Bellesini

After the suppression of his convent in 1809 under Napoleonic rule, Father Stefano dedicated himself to the free education of poor children in Trento. His innovative methods led to his appointment as inspector of schools by the Austrian government. Aspiring to community life, he fled secretly to Rome in 1817. There he became master of novices, and was later assigned in 1826 to the sanctuary of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, becoming its parish priest in 1831, devoting himself entirely to the poor and the sick.

In 1839, a severe epidemic of exanthematous typhus struck Genazzano. Father Stefano spared no effort in visiting and assisting the sick. During one visit, he accidentally injured his leg. The resulting infection, combined with his contraction of typhus and his physical exhaustion, led to his death on February 2, 1840, in Genazzano, surrounded by an immediate reputation for holiness.

The informative process for his canonization was introduced on January 10, 1852, under the pontificate of Pius IX. On May 14, 1896, Pope Leo XIII recognized the heroic nature of his virtues, declaring him Venerable. He was solemnly beatified on December 27, 1904, by Pope Pius X in St. Peter's Basilica, becoming the first parish priest to be raised to the honors of the altar. His remains are venerated in the Basilica-Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano.

The spirituality of Stefano Bellesini is based on a pedagogy of love and respect for the child, excluding violence, and on heroic pastoral charity. Proposed as a model for parish priests by Pope Pius X alongside the Curé of Ars, he also left a mark on minds through his deep filial devotion to the Mother of Good Counsel, to whom he consecrated the children he baptized.