Saintly Saturday - Blessed Giuseppe "Pino" Puglisi
Today, October 21, is the feast day of Blessed Giuseppe “Pino” Puglis, an Sicilian priest & martyr of the 20th Century. He was born September 15, 1937 in Palermo, Sicily. His father was a cobbler and his mother a dressmaker. His childhood neighborhood was crime-ridden, full of street activities he refused to be a part of in his youth. He had a desire to fight back against crime & at the age of 16, he attended a seminary with the intention of becoming a priest. He was ordained in 1960.
His archbishop, Cardinal Ruffini, refused to believe in the Italian mafia, citing that communism was the true threat. Giuseppe disagreed & actively spoke out against the Mafia within his parishes. He refused financial assistance from those Mafia groups & wouldn’t allow their recommendations of organizations to repair the church.
Even when he returned to his hometown as priest of St. Gaetano’s Parish, he continued to speak out against organized crime & refused to allow the Mafia to manipulate or control him through money or threats. A common tradition was for the Mafia leaders to march at the head of religious processions, a practice Giuseppe refused to allow & he even confronted those who attempted to do so. As you can imagine, his refusal to accede to their demands did not go over well with the Mafia & he soon became a target.
On his birthday, September 15, 1993, he was approached by two hitmen. His last words, “I’ve been expecting you,” were spoken just before one of them held out a gun & shot him. Despite being rushed to the hospital & the efforts of the doctors, he died a martyr at the age of 56.
His death, however, was not in vain. A public outcry arose against the reign of the Italian Mafia. The hitmen & others involved in targeting him were soon arrested & sent to prison for life. The people began to speak out against the Mafia & the cardinal of Palermo initiated the beautification process for Giuseppe just six years after his death. He was beautified on May 25, 2013, recognized by Pope Francis as both “a martyr and an exemplary priest”.
His death, however, was not in vain. A public outcry arose against the reign of the Italian Mafia. The hitmen & others involved in targeting him were soon arrested & sent to prison for life. The people began to speak out against the Mafia & the cardinal of Palermo initiated the beautification process for Giuseppe just six years after his death. He was beautified on May 25, 2013, recognized by Pope Francis as both “a martyr and an exemplary priest”.
Blessed Guiseppe “Pino” Puglis, Pray for Us!
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