Guido Maria Conforti

Guido Maria Conforti (30 March 1865 – 5 November 1931) was an Italian Roman Catholic archbishop who founded the Xaverian Missionaries (S.X.) on 3 December 1895. He was known to make frequent visits to his parishes and worked to support the religious education and religious involvement among the youth.

Pope John Paul II beatified him in 1996 and he was canonized in 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Biography Guido Maria Conforti was born in Casalora di Ravadese in the diocese and province of Parma, Italy, in 1865, the eighth of ten children of Rinaldo and Antonia Adorni Conforti.

Although his father would have preferred that he stay and manage the farm, Conforti enrolled in the seminary in Parma in November 1876. He began reading the works of Francis Xavier which inspired a desire to be a missionary, but his requests to join the Society of Jesus or the Salesians of Saint John Bosco were denied. At the time, the rector of the seminary was Andrea Carlo Ferrari, future cardinal and Blessed. Ferrari became his mentor. Conforti was appointed vice-rector.

Conforti was ordained to the priesthood on 22 September 1888 at Fontanellato.

He travelled to China in 1928 to visit the Xaverian Missionaries working there. He arrived in Shanghai on 26 October 1928 and met with his contacts to inspect their work.

Conforti returned to Parma and fell ill in October 1931. He died a month later and he was interred in Parma. His tomb was later relocated in 1942 and in 1996. The cause of sainthood was introduced in Parma on 29 May 1959 under Pope John XXIII and the work done on a diocesan level culminated on 11 February 1982 with Conforti being declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II on account of his life of heroic virtue.

The requisite miracle being approved, Conforti was beatified by John Paul II on 17 March 1996.

A second tribunal for a miracle needed for canonization opened on 4 October 2005 and closed on 16 November 2005 and Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree on 10 December 2010, leading to his canonization on 23 October 2011.

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