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Giovanni Messina
Palermo priest and founder of the Ursulines of the Heart of Jesus
Servant of GodFull write-upItaly
Born
31 March 1871
verified
Died
24 May 1949
verified
Beatified
—
not yet
Canonised
—
not yet
Who they were
Messina, known in Palermo as 'the madman of God', founded the Ursulines of the Heart of Jesus.
The miracles
No miracle has been approved. The cause is at its first stage.
Why that counted as sanctity
His cause was opened in the archdiocese of Palermo in 1982 and the diocesan process closed in 1991.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Sources
Checked against the sources listed on 24 September 2026. Corrections welcome.