Venerable Augusto Bertazzoni

Augusto Bertazzoni (10 January 1876 - 30 August 1972) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Potenza from 1930 until his retirement in 1966. He was titled later in his career as an archbishop despite running a normal diocese as opposed to archdiocese; upon his resignation he was given a ceremonial position which he occupied until his death. The process for his beatification commenced on 8 June 1995 and he was titled as a Servant of God as a result. Pope Francis titled him as Venerable on 2 October 2019. Augusto Bertazzoni was born in 1876 in Mantua. He was a follower as a child of John Bosco in Turin and was also a close friend of both Luigi Orione and Giovanni Calabria; he was also close to the Bishop of Mantua Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, who would become Pope Pius X. He attended the Oratorio that the Salesians of Don Bosco managed in Turin from 1885 until 1887. Bosco himself proved to be a great influence on Bertazzoni who as bishop would dedicate an altar in the Potenza cathedral to his mentor in 1939. It would be during the course of his studies in Mantua that he first met Bishop Sarto who likewise was an influence on the new seminarian. Following the completion of his theological studies he was ordained to the priesthood on 25 February 1899 and he later served as the archpriest of the parish of San Benedetto Po from 30 April 1904 until 30 June 1930. In 1922 he was named as a Monsignor. Pope Pius XI later appointed him on 30 June 1930 as the new Bishop of Potenza and Bertazzoni received his episcopal consecration from Domenico Menna on 15 August 1930 on the Feast of the Assumption. He was enthroned in his new episcopal see on 29 October 1930. He led with great wisdom and with fortitude as his pastoral programme included the cultivation of diocesan vocations and commitment to the teaching of catechism.