Saint Alberic Crescitelli
Saint Alberico Crescitelli (born June 30, 1863 in Altavilla Irpina, Campania, Italy; died July 21, 1900 in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, China) was an Italian Catholic priest and missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) who was martyred in China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. He was beaten and mutilated before being beheaded by a mob in Shaanxi Province in the chaos of the anti-Christian violence that swept through China during the Boxer Uprising. He was beatified by Pope Pius XII on November 18, 1951, and canonized as one of the 120 Martyrs of China by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000. His feast day is celebrated on July 9, the feast of the 120 Martyrs of China.
Alberico Crescitelli spent fifteen years as a missionary in the most remote and inaccessible regions of Shaanxi Province, learning the Chinese language and culture with thoroughness and ministering to the Catholic communities of the interior. His martyrdom came at the climax of the Boxer Rebellion, when the anti-foreign and anti-Christian violence that had been building throughout northern China erupted in the summer of 1900 with the support of the Qing government.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Alberic Crescitelli
| Saint Alberic Crescitelli | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | July 09 |
| Profession | Diocesan Priest; Missionary |
| Rel. Affiliation | Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) |
| Attributes | Priest's vestments; palm branch (martyr); cross |
| Birthplace | Altavilla Irpina, Campania, Italy |
| Death Place | Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, China |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; beaten, mutilated, and beheaded |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (in China; feast of the 120 Martyrs of China) |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Birth
Alberico Crescitelli was born on June 30, 1863, in Altavilla Irpina, a town in the Irpinia area of Campania in southern Italy. His family was devout, and Alberico felt drawn to the missionary life from an early age. He pursued this vocation by entering the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), the missionary institute founded in Milan in 1850 for the evangelization of non-Christian peoples.
Early Life
After completing his seminary studies and ordination at PIME, Alberico was assigned to the mission in China—specifically to the vicariate of Shaanxi Province in the interior of China, one of PIME's mission territories. He left Italy in 1887 and arrived in China, where he committed himself to the thorough study of the Chinese language and to the pastoral care of the Catholic communities spread across the vast, mountainous interior of Shaanxi Province.
Shaanxi is a landlocked province in central China, its terrain dominated by mountains and river valleys; the Catholic communities Alberico served were remote and difficult of access, scattered across a territory where communication was slow and travel arduous. He served in this mission for fifteen years, becoming a trusted pastor to the local Catholic population and a well-respected presence in the communities he served.
Occupation
Father Alberico Crescitelli served as a PIME missionary in Shaanxi Province, China, from 1887 to 1900. He ministered to the scattered Catholic communities of the province, celebrated the sacraments, ran a mission school, and engaged in the slow work of evangelization in one of the most geographically isolated regions of China.
The late 1890s saw increasing anti-foreign and anti-Christian tension throughout China, driven by a combination of nationalist reaction against Western imperialism, resentment of missionary privileges, and the political crisis of the Qing dynasty. The Boxer Movement—the "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists"—emerged from this environment as a militant anti-foreign organization that targeted Christian missionaries and Chinese converts with particular violence.
In 1900, the Boxers rose in open rebellion, targeting foreign missionaries and Chinese Christians across northern China. The Qing government under the Empress Dowager Cixi initially supported the Boxers, and the summer of 1900 saw a wave of massacres of missionaries and converts across northern and central China.
Vocation
Alberico Crescitelli's vocation was that of a PIME missionary committed to the evangelization of China. He had given fifteen years of his life to the mission of Shaanxi and had identified deeply with the Chinese Catholic communities in his care. His death came as he was captured by a Boxer mob along with the Catholic community he was serving.
Death
Alberico Crescitelli was captured by Boxer militants near Hanzhong in Shaanxi Province. He was subjected to severe beating and mutilation before being beheaded on July 21, 1900. He died along with the Chinese Catholics in his community who were targeted by the same mob.
Saint Alberico Crescitelli met his death through martyrdom on July 21, 1900, near Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, China, beaten, mutilated, and beheaded by Boxer militants for his Catholic faith and missionary ministry.
Significant events
- Born June 30, 1863 in Altavilla Irpina, Campania, Italy.
- Entered PIME; ordained priest; assigned to the China mission.
- Arrived in Shaanxi Province, China, 1887; served there for 15 years.
- Captured by Boxer militants during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion in Shaanxi Province.
- Beaten, mutilated, and beheaded on July 21, 1900, near Hanzhong.
- Beatified November 18, 1951 by Pope Pius XII.
- Canonized October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II as one of the 120 Martyrs of China.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Altavilla Irpina, Campania, Italy
Death location: Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, China
Notable location: Mission territory where he served for 15 years (PIME Mission, Shaanxi Province, China)
Notable location: Birthplace (Altavilla Irpina, Campania, Italy)
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Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Alberico Crescitelli have been added to the database yet.
Media
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Shrines
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Canonization
Servant of God
The cause of Alberico Crescitelli was introduced as part of the group cause for the Martyrs of China.
Beatification
Alberico Crescitelli was beatified on November 18, 1951, by Pope Pius XII.
Canonization
Alberico Crescitelli was canonized on October 1, 2000, by Pope John Paul II as one of the 120 Martyrs of China. The group included martyrs from multiple centuries (1648–1930) and from various nationalities and vocations—European missionaries, Chinese priests, and Chinese lay Catholics.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
A miracle was confirmed through the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in preparation for the beatification of 1951.
Miracle for canonization
A miracle was confirmed through the Congregation for the Causes of Saints as part of the group canonization of the 120 Martyrs of China in 2000.
Patronage
Saint Alberico Crescitelli is venerated collectively with the 120 Martyrs of China.
Feast day
July 09
Veneration
Saint Alberico Crescitelli is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on July 9 (the feast of the 120 Martyrs of China). He is honored particularly in Italy, in the PIME missionary congregation, and in the Church in China. He is depicted as a priest in mission dress or in vestments holding a palm branch.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.
Books
Written about the saint
Written by the saint
- Mission reports and letters preserved in the PIME archives.