15 Facts About Oreste Benzi

Oreste Benzi was an Italian Catholic priest and founder of the Pope John XXIII Community Association.

Oreste Benzi was born in San Clemente on 7 September 1925 as the seventh of nine children to the poor Achille Benzi and Rosa Silvagni.

Oreste Benzi had to repeat his first grade at school due to contracting the measles and being ill all winter which prevented him from attending school.

Oreste Benzi commenced his studies for the priesthood in 1937 first at Urbino for a brief period of time and then at Rimini.

Oreste Benzi transferred his studies to Bologna due to Allied bombings during World War II around Rimini.

Oreste Benzi was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1949 by Luigi Santa, Bishop of Rimini.

Oreste Benzi was appointed as the chaplain for the parish of San Nicolo in Rimini on 5 July 1949 and in October 1950 was made a teacher of seminarians and later the vice-assistant for Catholic Youth; he became the assistant in 1952.

In 1953, Oreste Benzi became the spiritual director of students in Rimini.

Oreste Benzi later oversaw the establishment of an Alpine vacation home for teenagers in Alba di Canazei that saw him make several visits to the United States of America in order to raise funds.

Oreste Benzi was known for his action in defense of the marginalised and his battle against prostitution and homosexual unions.

Oreste Benzi's work bought him into contact several times with Pope John Paul II.

Oreste Benzi died on 2 November 2007 at 2:22 am after suffering a heart attack.

Oreste Benzi's movement is present in a total of 27 European countries as well as being present in Asia and Africa as well as Latin America; amongst the nations it operates in are the United Kingdom and Australia.

Oreste Benzi wrote more than sixty books during his life, many of which are untranslated into English as of 2019.

Oreste Benzi is the author of some unusual spiritual writings on the Real Presence the Triune of God into the human heart, ls called as Mistical Union of Christ.