St. Justin de Jacobis

Justin was born at San Fele, Italy, on October 9th, 1800. He joined the Vincentian Order when he was 18. After helping found a Vincentian house at Monopoly, he served as superior at Lecce, and in 1839 was sent as the first prefect and vicar apostolic to the new Catholic mission at Adua, Ethiopia. In 1848, Father de Jacobis was consecrated Bishop at Massawa, with authority to administer the sacraments in the Ethiopian rite. He was subjected to persecutions and imprisoned several times for preaching the Faith. He eventually made his way to Halai in southern Eritrea. He spent the rest of his life in missionary work along the Red Sea coast and died in the valley of Alghedien on July 31, 1860, of fever he contracted while on a missionary trip.

He was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975. His feast day is July 31.