Blessed Alberto Marvelli

Life story

Alberto Marvelli was born on 21 March 1918 in Ferrara. His family moved to Rimini on the Adriatic coast in June 1930. He attended a Salesian oratory and joined his parish's Catholic Action group. In 1936, aged 18, he was elected president of the local Catholic Action group.

In June 1941 he graduated in engineering from the University of Bologna and worked briefly in Turin for Fiat. When Rimini was bombed in the Second World War he returned to help the wounded and homeless. Sources report that he gave away his bicycle, shoes, food and blankets. He also helped people locked into trains at Santarcangelo escape deportation.

After the war he managed housing allocation and sat on Rimini's town council, ran a soup kitchen and was active in the Christian Democrat movement. He was a candidate of that party when he died.

On the evening of 5 October 1946, as he cycled to a polling place, he was struck by a military vehicle on a dark road and died. John Paul II beatified him at Loreto on 5 September 2004.

Works and witness

• Elected president of the local Catholic Action group at 18
• Graduated in engineering at Bologna in 1941
• Helped the wounded and homeless after Rimini's air raids
• Managed housing allocation and ran a soup kitchen after the war
• Beatified in 2004

Saints from the same country

Saint Agnes, Saint Lawrence, Saint Cecilia, Saint Sebastian

References

• Martyrologium Romanum
• Vatican and Diocese of Rimini accounts of the beatification, 5 September 2004

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.