Video: Friar from Padua who rescued hundreds from the Nazis

Fr Placido Cortese

In this new video for Holocaust Memorial Day, Father Mario Conte, executive editor of the 'Messenger of Saint Anthony' magazine, tells the story of Father Placido Cortese, a Franciscan friar of the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, who secretly organized rescue missions for Jews, British prisoners, Yugoslavs, Czechs and others, fleeing Nazi persecution during the Second World War.

The young friar saved many hundreds of lives, until one day in November 1944, he kidnapped from the Basilica and dissappeared. Years later a witness came forward with the information that he had been taken to Trieste by the Gestapo, brutally tortured and killed. Throughout his ordeal Fr Placido remained silent, and did not reveal a single name. He was 37 years old.

His cause of beatification opened in January, 2002 in Trieste, the place where he was tortured, whom people already call the 'Paduan Father Kolbe.'

Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zojW2D1MkHk&feature=youtu.be