Francesco Maria Greco
Italian Catholic priest, blessed (1857–1931)
Feast: 13 January (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
The Vatican record
- 21 January 2016 — Miracle through their intercession approved (decree list, 2016)
Who they were
Francesco Maria Greco was born in Acri, in Calabria, on 26 July 1857. His father, a pharmacist, hoped he would take over the business, but he was drawn to the priesthood and was ordained on 17 December 1881. From 1887 he was parish priest and archpriest in Acri, where he spent his whole ministry, and with Maria Teresa De Vincenti he founded the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts. He died in Acri on 13 January 1931.
The miracles
Nina Pancaro — Altomonte, Calabria, Italy — 2003
A woman from Altomonte suffered a venous thrombosis and bleeding in the brain and fell into a coma that doctors judged irreversible. A few days later she woke up healed, and told her doctors and family she had dreamed of a priest who introduced himself as Francesco Maria Greco and promised she would soon be well. Shown a holy card of him, she recognised the priest from her dream.
Why that counted as sanctity
The case of Nina Pancaro was examined by the Church's doctors and theologians and approved as a miracle on 21 January 2016, opening the way to beatification. Beatification followed on 21 May 2016 by Cardinal Angelo Amato, for Pope Francis.
Connected on this site
- Maria Teresa De Vincenti Venerable“From 1887 he was parish priest and archpriest in Acri, where he spent his whole ministry, and with Maria Teresa De Vincenti he founded the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts.” — this site's research
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography of Blessed Francesco Maria Greco
- Order of Friars Minor - the beatification in Cosenza, 21 May 2016
- ANSA, May 2016 - Francesco Maria Greco a new Blessed
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints — promulgated decrees (causesanti.va), summarised in our own words
- Wikidata Q3750229 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Francesco Maria Greco (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.