Don Giusseppe “Pino” Puglisi was born on September 15, 1937 in Palermo, Sicily. His father was a cobbler and his mother a seamstress. He learned the roughness of the crime-ridden neighborhood and refused to participate in the petty criminal activity on the streets.
He joined the seminary at the age of 16, with an aim to become a priest and fight back against rampant crime and corruption. At the age of 23, he was ordained.
The archbishop had a passive attitude towards the mafia and claimed it didn’t exist.
Father Puglisi was well aware of the mafia influence in his parish and corrected the archbishop. He moved through various parishes and called on children to attend school and refrain from vice and evil works. He was well known for his humor and tough stance against the mafia. He refused money and denied awarding a contract to repair his church roof to an organization the mafia “recommended”.
In 1990, he had returned to his native church and continued to speak boldly against organized crime and asked the authorities to move against known members. He refused to permit known gangsters from marching at the head of religious processions, one of their traditions, and was the 1st known priest to confront men attempting to do so.
They couldn’t control him with bribery or intimidation and therefore he became a target.
On his birthday in 1993, 2 hitmen approached him in front of his parish. His last words greeted the men saying, “I’ve been expecting you.” One of the men then fired a single bullet at point-blank range and rendered him unconscious.
Following his death, there was a loud public outcry for justice. Anti-mafia graffiti was painted across the region. The hitmen were arrested and the gunman confessed. Him, along with 3 other men were given life sentences.
Church leaders, emboldened by the anger of the people, and arrest of his murderers, began to join the outcry and the mafia lost influence across the region.
The beatification of Father Puglisi took place on May 25, 2013. The Pope declared him a Martyr and condemned the mafia and all criminal organizations.
For God’s Glory.
