Agostino Roscelli

Life

On 27 July 1818, Roscelli was born in Bargone de Casarza, in Liguria, in northern Italy. His parents, Domenico Roscelli and Maria Gianelli, had him baptized the same day out of fear that he might not survive. Despite his early health problems, Roscelli would grow into a quiet intellectual, receiving his basic education from the parish priest, Andrea Garibaldi. These times were brief however, as he would spend a large part of his childhood caring for his poor farming family's sheep in the mountains. During these solitary times, he would fill his hours with prayer.

In May 1835, at the age of 17, Roscelli attended a parish mission given by a visiting priest, Antonio Maria Gianelli (parish priest of Chiavari and later bishop of Bobbio). This mission thoroughly convinced him he had a call to the priesthood, a calling that would not be easy considering the poor financial state his family was in. Despite this, he attacked the situation with prayer, which led to financial aid that allowed him to study in Genoa. One of his benefactors was Fr. Guanelli, who found him a post as a sacristan and guardian of a church attached to a girls' school. He was finally ordained on 19 September 1846.

Roscelli would induct the first of the nuns a week later, going on to act as their spiritual director. He would oversee the early growth of the order beyond Genoa, and eventually beyond Italy.

Till the very end of his life, Roscelli would describe himself simply as a "poor priest", ever humble as to his accomplishments. On 7 May 1902, he died of natural causes in Genoa. He was 83 years old.

Sainthood The road to sainthood started for Roscelli on 18 January 1932, when the informative, or information gathering process began. His cause was formally opened on 29 May 1939, and he was given the title Servant of God. The review of his spiritual writings began on 29 October 1941.

Canonization 99 years after his death, Roscelli was officially declared a saint by Pope John Paul II on 10 June 2001.

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