Blessed Odoardo Focherini

Odoardo Focherini (sometimes referred to as Edward Focherini; 6 June 1907 – 27 December 1944) was an Italian Roman Catholic journalist. He issued false documents to Jews during World War II in order for them to escape the Nazi regime but was arrested and sent to a concentration camp where he later died. Yad Vashem later recognized him as a Righteous Among the Nations in 1969 for his efforts. Focherini's beatification was held on 15 June 2013 in Modena under Pope Francis who had Cardinal Angelo Amato preside over the celebration on his behalf. Odoardo Focherini was born on 6 June 1907 in Modena as the third son of Tobia Focherini and Maria Bertacchini; his father married Teresa Merigi in 1909 after Focherini's mother died. He had three brothers. Focherini met Maria Marchesi (1909–1989) while he was on vacation in Trento, and they became engaged in 1925. They married on 9 July 1930 and had seven children together between 1931 and 1943. The children in order of birth were: Olga (b. 1931), Maddalena, Attilio (d. 1946), Rodolfo, Gianna, Carla and Paola (b. July 1943). The couple were to have an eighth child (Sandro or Sandra depending on the gender) but this did not happen as Focherini was arrested. On 1 January 1934, Focherini gained work with the Società Assicurazione Cattolica di Verona, an insurance corporation, and worked as an agent for the Modena branch. In 1933 he left his line of work in order to become a journalist and he became the managing director of L'Avvenire d'Italia. A fellow friend and journalist was the Jewish-Italian Giacomo Lampronti. In 1936 he became the diocesan president of Catholic Action. Pope Pius XI commended Focherini for his work in 1937 and awarded him the Order of Saint Sylvester. In 1942 his activism in saving the lives of Jews during World War II and the Holocaust first manifested when the first he saved came from Poland on a train to Genoa.