Justin de Jacobis

Holy Justin de Jacobis - (1800 - 1860) - Missionary lazarist.

In Italy

Justin was born with San Fele close to Naples on October 9th 1800, seventh child of Marie-Josèphe Muccia and Jean-Baptiste de Jacobis, of rich person and pious Christian.

In 1818 it entered the Congrégation of the Mission to Naples. In spite of its reserves due to its deep humility, and with the support of its superiors, it was ordered priest on June 12th 1824 in the cathedral of Brindisi. It attempted to it to organize retirements for the laic ones and the priests, and to preach parochial missions. In parallel, it animated various charitable activities to help the poor populations. He devoted himself without counting during the epidemic of Choléra which devastated the town of Naples to the end of the year 1836.

On the insistence of its superiors, it agreed to be used for a position of responsibility in the Congrégation of the Mission. It was whereas it was higher than the provincial House of Naples, in 1838 which it met the Franzoni Cardinal, and it is the latter which spoke to him about the immense needs for the Mission in Abyssinie.

In Abyssinie

The Congrégation of the Mission thus accepted this load and Justin was sent there on May 24th 1839 as an apostolic prefect of Abyssinie. He will become about it bishop ten years later.

Justin took in heart the training of the language, lived very close to the inhabitants, immersing himself in the local culture. To announce the Gospel, it used the traditions and the habits of the autochtones, it accompanied the priests in formation and posed the foundations of the local Catholic church.

It was a remarkable precursor of the oecumenical dialog between the Catholiques and the Coptes.

During twenty years, Justin was given entirely to his task, in spite of the sufferings and persecutions. He died victim of a tropical fever in the valley of Alighedien, close to Massaoua, on July 31st 1860.

Beatification - Canonization

Its lawsuit in beatification opened on July 13rd 1904 under the pontificate of Pie X.
It was canonized on October 26th 1975 by the Pope Paul VI. In a letter with the Pope Paul VI, at the time of its canonization, the president of the Episcopal conference of Ethiopia written: " the happy Justin de Jacobis was a father for the Church of Christian Ethiopia and returned it to the plenitude of this catholic faith which it had received from its first apostle, holy Frumenzins (IV century). "
Its festival is on July 31st

External bonds

Life of Saint Justin de Jacobis on the site of the Girls of Charity
Homélie of [[Paul IV] for the canonization of Justin de Jacobis]

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