Callisto Caravario – Wikipedia

Callisto Caravario (Cuorgnè, June 8, 1903 – Shaoguan, February 25, 1930) was a Salesian priest, killed in China by pirates. It is venerated as a saint and martyr from the Catholic Church.

Callisto was born in Cuorgnè, in the province of Turin, in 1903 to two workers, Pietro and Rosa, who educated him teaching him the love for the Lord and for the neighbor. From an early age he was a good child, who instead of playing preferred to gather in prayer, and willingly helped his mother in household chores.
After a few years, his family moved to Turin for work, and Callisto was enrolled in the elementary school of the Salesians of Don Bosco, the San Giovanni Evangelista : The oratory became his second home and here Callisto began to be an example for the street boys, approaching them, taking an interest in their lives, inviting them to attend the oratory, following the example of San Giovanni Bosco. Callisto often repeated: “I was lucky enough to have a family; these children, on the other hand, to have a future can only rely on the Lord. I want to help them find the path of good, with the help of Divine Providence”.

At 15, while attending the classical high school, Callisto decided to make himself a priest, and “I hope, one day, to become a missionary, just like Don Giovanni Bosco” he said to his parents. Thus, in 1919 he asked to become a novice of the Salesian order. On his diary he noted the following prayer: ” Lord, my cross I don’t want it to be light or heavy, but as you want it. Only I ask you to be able to carry it willingly ” I, I will soon reach her in China; Together we will make known the light of Christ “.

The mission in China and death [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

Callisto left two years later, reaching the confreres in Shanghai. Here he had difficulty to learn the language, as can be seen from one of the many letters he wrote to the mother: ” Here we missionaries are studying Chinese. At 20 I learn to write and stammer like an infant. This is also in the name of the Lord. We are very happy here. We think of Italy, because it is impossible not to think about it, but we are very happy to be in China. My good mom, pray for your Callisto, so that she can learn this language a little easily, which is very difficult, and it can thus do good. Mom, I never forget it: every now and then I look at her portrait and I recommend it to the Madonna “.

However, those were not easy years in China: in 1926 the communist army ordered Catholic priests to abandon all their belongings and the Chinese territory. The Salesians were also forced to leave the mission and take refuge in Timor, an Indonesian island, for a couple of years, until the end of 1927, when General Chiang Kai-Syk, opponent of the communists supported by Stalin, declared out of the Communists.
The Salesians managed to return to China, but the turbulence that had prevented Callisto from being consecrated priest had not completely ceased.

Callisto was ordained a priest in 1929, at 26 years old not yet completed.
Also on this occasion the mother was notified: ” I will be lucky enough to become a priest just next month, in May, near the feast of Mary Ausiliatrice. Isn’t it a true delicacy that Our Lady uses me? Instead, she, my mother, follow her courage. Having a priest son is a great grace and great honor. Courage! In heaven the Lord will reward her of all the sacrifices made for her love “.

On February 25, 1930 Don Callisto, who was just 26 years old, was accompanying Monsignor Versiglia on a pastoral visit to the mission of the district of Lin Chow, in an area devastated by the civil war, together with two young teachers, their sisters and a catechist. Suddenly their boat was attacked by pirates who wanted a lot of money to let them pass. “We don’t have any, we are missionaries,” replied the two Salesians. When pirates threatened to kidnap the young women who were with them, Monsignor Versiglia and Don Caravario didn’t think twice: “Take us but, we beg you, save these girls”.
The bandits shot them in a forest on the banks of the Beijang river, near the city of Shaoguan, then they returned to the boat from the accomplice left of guard and before running away they commented amazed: “We cannot understand: everyone fears death. Your friends priestly friends Instead, they died happy, with courage “.

The act of heroism earned him the title of martyr in 1975, and in 2000 Pope John Paul II cannon him together with Versiglia and 118 other martyrs, religious and lay people. On that occasion, the Pope remembered the words of those who had known the missionary: “Don Callisto Caravario became saint not because he was martyr, but became a martyr because he was a saint”.

In the Roman martyrology on February 25: “On the banks of the Beijang river near the city of Shaoguan in the province of Guandong in China, Santi Martiri Luigi Versiglia, bishop, and Callisto Caravario, priest of the Salesian society, who suffered martyrdom for giving Christian assistance to the souls entrusted to them “.