Vishal5555 at 12:06, 19 March 2026

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{{Short description|Venerable}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox saint
|honorific_prefix= [[Venerable]]
|name = Francesco Convertini
|honorific_suffix= [[Salesians of Don Bosco|SDB]]
|image = Francesco Convertini c1935.jpg
|imagesize =
|caption = Fr. Convertini circa 1935
|birth_date = 29 August 1898
|birth_place = Marinelli, [[Province of Brindisi|Brindisi]], [[Kingdom of Italy]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1976|2|11|1898|8|29|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Krishnagar]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
|other_names =
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|resting_place =
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'''Francesco Convertini''', SDB (29 August 1898 – 11 February 1976) was an [[Italian people|Italian]] religious priest of the [[Salesians of Don Bosco]].<ref name=CM>{{cite news|url=https://conquestyouthministry.com/venerable-francesco-convertini/|title=Venerable Francesco Convertini|date=4 June 2018|work=Conquest|accessdate=17 October 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=SD>{{cite web|url=http://www.sdb.org/en/salesian-saints/173-venerables/666-convertini-francesco|title=Convertini Francesco – (1898-1976)|last=Baroni|first=Don|website=sdb.org|language=en-gb|publisher=[[Salesians of Don Bosco]]|accessdate=9 October 2018}}</ref> He served in the [[Missionary|missions]] in [[India]] since arriving there in the mid-1920s and dedicated his apostolate to tending to children suffering from malnutrition and fostering interreligious dialogue and tolerance. He also dedicated himself to preserving the environmental protection of local communities in waste-ridden areas and travelled to various communities to bring forth the [[Gospel]] message to all people.<ref name=CM/><ref name=SEB>{{cite web|url=http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/90097|title=Venerabile Francesco Convertini|publisher=Santi e Beati|accessdate=28 June 2019|author=Teresio Bosco}}</ref>

The process for Convertini's [[beatification]] was launched in the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Krishnagar|Krishnagar diocese]] in the late 1990s and he became titled as a [[Servant of God]]; he was titled as [[The Venerable|venerable]] in 2017 after [[Pope Francis]] confirmed that Convertini had practiced [[heroic virtue]] throughout his life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.preghiereperlafamiglia.it/francesco-convertini.htm|title=Francesco Convertini|website=preghiereperlafamiglia.it|accessdate=9 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://donboscosalesianportal.org/published-letters-of-venerable-francesco-convertini-salesian-missionary/|title=Published: "Letters" of Venerable Francesco Convertini, Salesian missionary|date=13 February 2018|work=Don Bosco Salesian Portal|accessdate=9 October 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.valleditrianews.it/2018/08/29/locorotondo-ricorda-venerabile-padre-francesco-convertini/|title=Locorotondo ricorda il Venerabile Padre Francesco Convertini|publisher=Valle d'Itria News|website=valleditrianews.it|language=it-IT|accessdate=9 October 2018|date=29 August 2018}}</ref><ref name=CI>{{cite news|url=http://www.infoans.org/en/component/k2/item/2449-vatican-cause-of-the-servant-of-god-francesco-convertini|title=Vatican – Cause of the Servant of God Francesco Convertini|publisher=Infoans|accessdate=9 October 2018|date=11 January 2017|language=en-gb}}</ref>

==Life==
Francesco Convertini was born in Marinelli near Cisternino in the [[Province of Brindisi]] on 29 August 1898 as the second of two children to a poor family: His parents were Sante Convertini (who died when he was three months old) and Caterina (who died when he was eleven).<ref name=SD/> His mother provided for his religious upbringing in his childhood. He and his elder brother Samuele (who was thirteen when their mother died) were orphaned and sent to the [[friars]] to be paired with [[foster parents]]; the couple Vito and Anna Petruzzi from [[Fasano]] adopted them and treated the two as their own, so that the two would refer to them as "mother" and "father" due to the connection the four formed with each other.<ref name=SEB/> His brother [[emigrate]]d to the [[United States of America]] around 1918.

He served in the [[Italian Armed Forces]] in [[World War I]] from January 1917, after being [[conscripted]] to the 124th Chieti Regiment. He served with on the frontlines in [[Trento]] from May 1917; on 23 December he was wounded and captured by the [[Austro-Hungarian Army|Austrian forces]] and held as a [[prisoner of war]] at a [[POW camp|camp]] in [[Poland]] for the next eleven months.<ref name=SEB/> He was freed upon the war's conclusion but after returning to his homeland on 15 November 1918 suffered from severe [[meningitis]] therefore forcing him to recover in isolation in the hospital in [[Cuneo]]; his poor health made it worse since he looked skeletal upon his release. It was after he recovered that he decided to begin the next stage of his life and so decided to join the [[Guardia di Finanza]] around 1920.<ref name=SD/><ref name=CM/><ref name=SEB/> But at the same time he met a girl from his town that he fell in love with and with whom he planned to be [[Marriage in the Catholic Church|married]] to. He followed his captain to [[Trieste]] and [[Pula|Pola]] before going to [[Turin]] where he attended [[Confession (religion)|confession]] in the [[Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin|Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians]]; this event proved to change his life since he confessed to Father Angelo Amadei who became his [[spiritual director]] and put him in direct contact with the [[religious congregation]] known as the [[Salesians of Don Bosco]]. But this newfound call to enter the priesthood tore him since he was divided between accepting [[God|God's]] call and his love for his girlfriend. He settled on the [[Priesthood in the Catholic Church|priesthood]] and on 6 December 1923 commenced his ecclesial studies at the Salesian mission institute in [[Ivrea]]. He received his [[Mission cross|mission crucifix]] from the [[Rector Major of the Salesians|Rector Major]] [[Filippo Rinaldi]] himself.<ref name=SD/>

He entered the Salesians of Don Bosco and was sent to [[India]] to serve in their [[Missionary|missions]] there. Convertini left for India from the port in [[Genova]] on 7 December 1927 and arrived in [[Bombay]] on 26 December before taking a [[train]] to [[Calcutta]]. Convertini commenced his [[novitiate]] period in [[Shillong]] under the direction of the bishop [[Stephen Ferrando|Stefano Ferrando]] and was also a disciple of both [[Constantine Vendrame|Costantino Vendrame]] and Archbishop [[Louis Mathias]] (he passed his [[Theology|theological]] and [[Philosophy|philosophical]] studies despite some difficulties).<ref name=SD/><ref name=CI/> He received his [[Ordination in the Catholic Church|ordination]] to the priesthood on 29 June 1935 from Bishop Ferrando. It was not long before Convertini gained fame among the people for his unconditional and unbiased services to all people; he also mastered the [[Bengali language]] in order to better communicate with the people. Convertini would travel to various villages on [[bike]] or on foot or even on [[horseback]] with his [[backpack]] in order to go around [[Evangelization|evangelizing]] and aiding people (covering miles in order to visit far-reaching villages). He was also considered one of the few missionaries who could enter into [[Hindu|Hindi]] or [[Muslim]] homes due to the strong rapport he fostered with people of other religions. This enabled him to create an air of [[interreligious dialogue]] and [[Religious tolerance in India|tolerance]].<ref name=CM/><ref name=SEB/> His superiors forced him twice in 1952 and 1974 to return to his homeland to recover due to Convertini being known for his constant workload.

Convertini died in 1976 in [[Krishnagar]] and his remains were interred in the garden adjacent to the Krishnagar cathedral.<ref name=SD/><ref name=SEB/>

==Beatification process==
The attention on Francesco Convertini was rekindled by the publication of a book by the Salesian [[:it:Nicola Palmisano|Nicola Palmisano]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Anche il fragno fiorisce : don Francesco Convertini missionario salesiano|last=Palmisano, Nicola.|date=1987|publisher=Schena|isbn=8875142157|location=Fasano (BR)|oclc=797314202}}</ref> The beatification process launched in the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Krishnagar|Diocese of Krishnagar]] on 12 December 1997 in a diocesan investigation that was later concluded there on 20 June 2005. The formal introduction to the cause came on 27 July 1998 after the [[Congregation for the Causes of Saints]] issued the ''[[nihil obstat]]'' ("no objections") decree and titling Convertini as a Servant of God. The Congregation later validated the diocesan process on 19 June 2006 after the cause was transferred to Rome while the department received the ''[[positio]]'' in 2009 for evaluation.<ref name=VC>{{cite news|url=http://www.infoans.org/en/?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2523|title=Vatican – Fr. Convertini and Fr. Vandor are Venerable|date=22 January 2017|work=Agenzia Info Salesiana|accessdate=28 June 2019|language=en-US}}</ref> Convertini became titled as venerable on 20 January 2017 after Pope Francis signed a decree that acknowledged that Convertini had led a life of [[heroic virtue]].<ref name=SEB/> The[[postulator]] for the cause is Pierluigi Cameroni SDB.<ref name=VC/>

==Books==
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=bStpswEACAAJ&q=books+by+Francesco+Convertini Lettere 1927-1976]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bStpswEACAAJ&q=books+by+Francesco+Convertini|title=Lettere 1927-1976|last=Convertini|first=Francesco|date=2018|publisher=Giacovelli|isbn=9788899967109|language=it}}</ref>
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=deOMGAAACAAJ&q=books+by+Francesco+Convertini L'impasse]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deOMGAAACAAJ&q=books+by+Francesco+Convertini|title=L'impasse|last=Convertini|first=Francesco|date=2007|publisher=Tracce|isbn=9788874333783|language=it}}</ref>
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=h012swEACAAJ&q=books+by+Francesco+Convertini Gli acrobati]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h012swEACAAJ&q=books+by+Francesco+Convertini|title=Gli acrobati|last=Convertini|first=Francesco|date=2017|publisher=Tracce|isbn=9788899101992|language=it}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://newsaints.faithweb.com/year/1976.htm Hagiography Circle]
* [https://catholicsaints.info/venerable-francesco-convertini/ Saints SQPN]

{{Canonization}}
{{Subject bar|portal1= Biography |portal2= Catholicism |portal3= Italy |portal4= India |portal5=Saints}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Convertini, Francesco}}
[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests]]
[[Category:Christian and Hindu interfaith dialogue]]
[[Category:Guardia di Finanza]]
[[Category:Italian military personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Italian Roman Catholic missionaries]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic missionaries in India]]
[[Category:People from the Province of Brindisi]]
[[Category:Salesians of Don Bosco]]
[[Category:World War I prisoners of war held by Austria-Hungary]]

Francesco Convertini - Revision history

Vishal5555 at 12:06, 19 March 2026