Giuseppe Di Donna
Giuseppe Di Donna | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Andria | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Andria |
| See | Andria |
| Appointed | 2 February 1940 |
| Installed | 5 May 1940 |
| Term ended | 2 January 1952 |
| Predecessor | Paolo Rostagno |
| Successor | Luigi Pirelli |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 18 May 1924 by Basilio Pompili |
| Consecration | 31 March 1940 by Carlo Rossi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Giuseppe Di Donna 23 August 1901 |
| Died | 2 January 1952 (aged 50) Andria, Bari, Italy |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Gregorian University |
| Motto | Gloria tibi Trinitas ed captivis libertas |
| Sainthood | |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Title as Saint | Venerable |
| Attributes |
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Giuseppe Di Donna (23 August 1901 – 2 January 1952) - in religious Giuseppe della Vergine - was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate and professed member from the Trinitarian Order who served as the Bishop of Andria from 1940 until his death. Di Donna entered the Trinitarian ranks in his late childhood and studied for the priesthood in Rome while later working for over a decade in the missions in Madagascar for evangelization purposes. But in 1940 he was summoned back to his homeland when news broke that Pope Pius XII appointed him as a bishop. Di Donna carried out his duties with meticulous care to ensure the growth of his flock; he promoted the Azione Cattolica movement and advised his priests to hold frequent lessons in catechesis for people so as to have a better understanding of the faith.
Di Donna died in 1952 due to disease and had been revered as a saint both in and after his life. The beatification process opened soon after in his old diocese and he was titled as a Servant of God; he became titled as Venerable in 2008 after Pope Benedict XVI confirmed that he had lived a model life of heroic virtue.