St. Justin de Jacobis, C.M. (feast day: July 30) faced many challenges and hardships:

• His family was quite wealthy but his father mismanaged the family finances and they had to move from their ancestral home in the country to take up residence in Naples, dropping to a lower standard of living
• He was among the priests who ministered during the cholera epidemic in Naples in 1836-1837
• At the time of Justin’s arrival as a missionary in Ethiopia in 1839, Catholic priests were liable to immediate execution if discovered, so Justin and two other Vincentian priests celebrated Mass in hiding
• He was ordained a bishop in secret in 1849
• For the remaining 11 years until his death in 1860, Justin’s life was a series of problems, harassment, and persecution
• In 1860 the new king of Ethiopia prohibited Catholicism and Justin was imprisoned for several months. He spent the remaining months of his life in missionary work along the Red Sea. He died on July 31, 1860 of a tropical fever while on a missionary trip.

Source: amm.org

Despite all this, St. Justin consecrated 20 priests and made 5,000 converts. St. Justin is considered an apostle to Africa and the founder of the Abyssinian (today, Ethiopian and Eritrean) mission.

Watch the following video in Italian, titled St. Justin de Jacobis – A Distinguished Representative of the Missionary World.

This is a documentary produced in 2011 for the 150th anniversary of St. Justin’s birth into eternal life. It was produced by Radio Kolbe Melfi in collaboration with the Office of Social Communications of the Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa.

Below is the English transcription of the video script.

Transcript:

I invite everyone to joyfully embrace this Year of Grace dedicated to Saint Justin, so that, encouraged by his example and enlightened by his testimony, we may be motivated to live our faith with courage amidst the difficulties and suffering that arise during our journey through life.

With these words, Father Gianfranco Todisco, Bishop of the Diocese of Melfi-Rapolla-Venosa, concluded the decree proclaiming the Justinian Year– a year which invited the diocesan community to celebrate the memory of Saint Justin de Jacobis, a Vincentian missionary born in San Fele, in the 150th anniversary of his birth into Heaven, which occurred on July 31, 1860, in Hebo, a small village in Eritrea.

Justin was born on October 9, 1800, the seventh of fourteen children. The next day, he was baptized in the parish church and given the names Justin Pasquale Sebastiano. When he was twelve, Justin moved with his family to Naples, likely for economic reasons.

Alongside his early studies in literature and humanities, he participated deeply in the spiritual life. In 1818, Father Mariano Cacace, a Carmelite who recognized his vocation, directed him toward the Vincentian missionary community. Justin immediately adapted with great dedication and began his priestly training.

On June 18, 1824, in the cathedral of Brindisi, he was ordained a priest.

He began his priestly ministry in Puglia, serving from 1824 to 1836, first in Monopoli, then in Lecce. In 1836, he returned to Naples just as a cholera epidemic was devastating the city, claiming up to 200 lives a day. Even in that dire situation, Justin showed remarkable dedication, personally caring for the many sick along with his fellow Vincentians.

The years following the cholera outbreak weren’t any easier. In October 1837, his father passed away, and the following June, his mother also died.

That same year, Father Giuseppe Sapeto, a Vincentian, began a mission in Massawa, present-day Eritrea. Realizing how demanding the mission was, he repeatedly informed Pope Gregory XVI of the need for reinforcement. Cardinal Filippo Fransoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, met Justin by chance in Naples and was impressed by his exceptional virtues. He proposed that the Vincentian Procurator General, Father Jean-Baptiste Etienne, invite Justin to accept a mission in Ethiopia.

Justin, who had already expressed a desire to serve in foreign missions, agreed.

On May 24, 1839, he set out for Abyssinia. He disembarked in Adwa, where he met Father Giuseppe Sapeto, the mission’s founder. During the early months, Justin devoted himself to learning the language and getting to know the local regions, gradually overcoming the locals’ initial distrust.

In his diary, he described the people— naturally curly-haired, armed with spears and shields made of hippopotamus leather— and how he had to depend on them for everything: food, water, beds, transport animals, and protection, without even speaking their language.

He wrote:
“Now imagine two priests and a doctor— completely unarmed, powerless, no one would have reason to fear them or to respect them— making a 15-day journey through cliffs, wild beasts, and unfamiliar tribes, and not encountering a single major setback. You can see how clearly we were protected by Providence.”

Given the vast mission territory and to avoid drawing too much attention from religious adversaries, he and Father Sapeto decided to split up. Justin took the Tigray region and settled in Adwa. Father Sapeto went to Shoa, and another Vincentian, Father Montuori, took the Gondar region.

Justin threw himself into his missionary work. He described a typical day in a village as follows:
“They greet us warmly and seat us on a cowhide, cross-legged in the Eastern style. We sit among them, offering instruction, exhortation, and preaching. Afterward, we pray the rosary and other prayers, followed by dinner, which, because of our presence as missionaries, feels like a feast. The evening ends with the final prayer of the day.”

In 1840, Lubié, the Ras (regional governor) of that area, asked the missionary from San Fele to lead a delegation to the Patriarch of Alexandria in Egypt. The purpose was to request the appointment of a bishop for the Coptic Church, which had never been united with Rome and followed the monophysite doctrine (denial of the full human nature of Christ).

Justin agreed to lead the delegation, but only on the condition that he could first visit Rome to meet Pope Gregory XVI and then travel to the Holy Land. The condition was accepted, and in January 1841 the delegation set off for Alexandria.

The Patriarch appointed a Coptic bishop, Abba Andreas, who would later become one of the most persistent opponents of both Catholicism and Justin himself.

The delegation continued on to Rome, where the Pope warmly welcomed them. On the return journey to Abyssinia, Justin brought two Italian confrères with him: Father Lorenzo Biancheri and Brother Giuseppe Abbadini.

Later, the mission bore further fruit when an Ethiopian monk, Ghebre Michael, converted to Catholicism. Gradually, other locals also embraced the faith.

After leaving Adwa, Justin and his growing group of local followers established additional mission centers in Guala, Aliena, Alay, Hebo, and Cherem. In Guala he founded the Seminary of the Immaculate to train local clergy.

As he himself wrote:
“A deeply Catholic Abyssinian priest, well-educated and fluent in the language, customs, and cultural nuances of his people— something a European can rarely achieve— can work with far greater success than any European.”

However, Bishop Abba Andreas made life increasingly difficult for the missionary. Before taking his position in Adwa, Andreas again met with Ras Lubié and asked him to expel all Catholic missionaries. Although the request was denied, persecution had already begun.

In the meantime, Rome decided to strengthen the mission by establishing an independent Vicariate in southern Ethiopia. The task was entrusted to the Capuchin Bishop Guglielmo Massaia, who joined Justin in early 1847.

Unfortunately, Bishop Massaia’s arrival created immediate tensions. A letter addressed to “Abuna Massaia, Bishop of Abyssinia” from his superior was intercepted by Bishop Andreas. Upon discovering that a Catholic bishop had entered his territory, Andreas went so far as to excommunicate Ras Lubié.

Fearing greater conflict, Ras Lubié expelled Justin from his territories. With no other option, in early October 1848, Justin left for the city of Massawa with Bishop Massaia.

Bishop Massaia had been entrusted with the mission of ordaining Justin de Jacobis a bishop, as decided in Rome, so that Justin could take full responsibility for the northern territories of Ethiopia. After much insistence— and despite his own hesitation— Justin was secretly ordained bishop on the evening of May 8, 1849.

The first months under this new responsibility were not easy. In February 1850, Justin was briefly imprisoned, along with Ghebre Michael, the monk who had converted to Catholicism. After his release, Justin ordained him a priest.

Meanwhile, the political landscape in the country shifted unexpectedly. Ras Kassa rose to power after defeating Ras Lubié, and by February 1854, he held full control of the region. The new Ras quickly aligned with Bishop Andreas— who now called himself Abuna Salama, or “Father of Peace”— in exchange for religious backing and protection.

In this context, Ras Kassa issued an edict in July 1854 requiring the entire population to adhere to the schismatic faith. In other words, Catholic missionaries were ordered to leave Abyssinia immediately.

The missionaries refused to comply. As a result, they were arrested. “Abuna Jacob,” as Bishop Justin was affectionately known by the people, spent four months in a tiny prison cell. His two fellow missionaries received similarly harsh treatment.

The cruelty and hatred directed at the missionaries sparked widespread resentment among the people. In November 1854, Justin was finally released, though Ghebre Michael remained imprisoned. He died in his cell on July 13, 1855, due to the torture he endured.

On September 30, 1926, the Church would recognize him as a Blessed.

After his confrere’s death, Justin returned to Gondar, where he devoted himself once again to caring for the sick— especially during a cholera outbreak in 1858. He poured all of himself into serving others, drawing on the experience he had gained during a similar crisis in Naples in 1836.

Meanwhile, Negusie, the nephew of the deposed Ras Lubié, attempted to challenge Ras Kassa’s rule. Unfortunately, his efforts were swiftly crushed, and as a result, Justin was imprisoned once again— this time for 22 days— on accusations of aiding the French, who had supported Negusie’s cause.

This new trial further weakened Justin’s already fragile health. Yet he never stopped reflecting on how to strengthen the mission.

On July 19, 1860, after celebrating Mass in Massawa, Justin began to feel seriously ill. In the days that followed, he set out for the Alai plateau, a healthier and more temperate area compared to where he normally resided. But before reaching his destination, on the afternoon of July 31, in the valley of Alighede along the path leading from Massawa to the highlands, Justin passed away around 3:00 PM.

His final words were filled with tenderness and fatherly care for his disciples:
“My children, all of you have a part in my love. I want to bless you. Do not weep, do not be afraid. If you follow the recommendations I’ve given you, nothing will harm you. Pass these words along to those in Hebo, Aliena, Alai, and Monculle. Let them all remember me in their prayers.”

News of “Abuna Jacob’s” death spread quickly across the Abyssinian highlands. The missionary would remain forever among them, in Hebo where his tomb continues to be a site of pilgrimage to this day.

From 1904 to 1913, the Church of Rome held canonical investigations in Naples, Lecce, and Ethiopia. On July 25, 1935, Pope Pius XI declared the heroic virtues of Justin de Jacobis. Four years later, on July 25, 1939, he was beatified.

On October 26, during the Holy Year of 1975, Pope Paul VI proclaimed Justin de Jacobis a saint in an unforgettable celebration held on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica. The square was filled with faithful from Abyssinia and from his birthplace, San Fele.

During the canonization homily, Pope Paul VI invited everyone to invoke Saint Justin, emphasizing his visionary ecumenical spirit. The Pope declared:

“We must call upon him so that he may continue to shine his light, to instill his example, and to pass on his spiritual legacy to his fellow Vincentians and to all missionaries. He was eager to reach out to separated brothers— the Ethiopian Copts— and even to the Muslim faithful.”

And perhaps, the Pope noted, this very openness to others is what brought him great hostility and misunderstanding. Justin sought to strengthen the Christian values already present in those lands, aiming toward unity and the integrity of faith.

Let us hope that the celebration in his honor— held during the year dedicated to him for the 150th anniversary of his death— can help make up for the injustice, more ours than his, of being little known. May Saint Justin not only become better known, but above all, loved and imitated— especially in his desire to give his life completely in the service of the Gospel.