Profile
Born to a poor farming family, Agostino spent his youth as a mountain shepherd, using his solitary time for prayer. During a parish mission in May 1835, he realized a call to the priesthood, a calling he attacked with prayer which led to financial aid that allowed him to study at Genoa, Italy. He was ordained on 19 September 1846.
He was a priest at Saint Martin d’Albaro in 1846, then the Church of Consolation in Genoa in 1854. He was the chaplain of the provincial orphanage in 1874, a post he held for 22 years. He became a prison chaplain, working especially with prisoners condemned to death.
Agostino established a residential school to train young women who were in danger of starvation or falling into prostitution because they had no support. On 15 October 1876, he founded the Institute of Sisters of the Immaculata to run this and other residential centers he established.
Born
- 27 July 1818 at Bargone di Casarza Ligure, Italy
Died
- 7 May 1902 at Genoa, Italy of natural causes
Venerated
- 21 December 1989 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic virtues)
Beatified
- 7 May 1995 by Pope John Paul II
Canonized
- 10 June 2001 by Pope John Paul II
Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-agostino-roscelli/
