Paolo Roasenda

In December 1940, at the age of 34, Paolo Roasenda decided to leave public teaching to embrace religious life. He entered the novitiate of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin at the convent of Fiuggi, where he took the religious name Fra Mariano (in honor of the Virgin Mary). He made his simple vows on January 12, 1942, and was ordained a priest on July 29, 1945. Sent to Rome, he continued his theological studies at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), where he obtained a doctorate in theology on July 30, 1949, with a thesis titled 'Essenza e valore dell'umiltà nella vita interiore' ('Essence and value of humility in the interior life'). He exercised his priestly ministry as a chaplain in various Roman hospitals (notably the Santo Spirito hospital) and at the Regina Coeli prison. It was from the 1950s that Father Mariano began his work of evangelization through the media, becoming an absolute pioneer of audiovisual pastoral care in Italy. He began on the radio with programs such as 'Il quarto d'ora della serenità' on Vatican Radio and 'Sorella radio' on the Italian public radio (RAI). In 1955, he made his debut on Italian television (RAI) with the religious segment 'Sguardi sul mondo'. In 1959, he launched the weekly program 'La posta di Padre Mariano' ('Father Mariano's Mail'), which met with immense popular success. He also hosted other highly followed programs such as 'In famiglia' and 'Chi è Gesù?' ('Who is Jesus?'). His warm style, his simplicity, his profound culture, and his ritual greeting 'Pace e bene a tutti' ('Peace and good to all') marked generations of viewers, earning him the nickname of 'the parish priest of all Italians'. He continued this media mission until his final days, before passing away in Rome on March 27, 1972.

After his death, the reputation for holiness of Father Mariano da Torino continued to grow among the faithful. The cause for canonization was officially opened in the Diocese of Rome. May 11, 1991, marked the official closing of the diocesan inquiry into his life, virtues, and reputation for holiness. On January 22, 1993, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued the decree of legal validity for the diocesan inquiry. On June 29, 1996, the 'Positio super virtutibus', a summary document demonstrating the heroic nature of his virtues, was officially published. Finally, on March 15, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

Paolo Roasenda (Father Mariano da Torino) is currently recognized as Venerable by the Catholic Church. For his beatification to be pronounced, the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession is required by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. To this day, no miracle has yet been the subject of an official decree, and the cause is following its course.

Father Mariano's spirituality is deeply rooted in the Franciscan tradition, characterized by humility, evangelical joy, and a filial love for the Virgin Mary. He conceived his mission as that of a 'friend of Jesus who seeks friends for Jesus.' His legacy lies primarily in his ability to use modern means of communication to spread the Gospel in a simple, accessible, and benevolent manner, without ever sacrificing theological rigor. Initially buried in the Campo Verano cemetery in Rome, his body was transferred in 1985 to the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, located on the famous Via Veneto in Rome, where many faithful come to pray at his tomb.