1942 - Carlo Osnaghi

February 2, 1942

Yejigang, Henan

Carlo Osnaghi.

Carlo Osnaghi was born as the 19th century drew to a conclusion, on October 26, 1899. He went through the same process as many other missionaries of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) had done before him: studying at a seminary, before being ordained a Catholic priest and sent to his field in China. Like so many of his colleagues, he would also face martyrdom for his faith in Christ.

Osnaghi had been close friends with Bruno Zanella, who was martyred in 1941. News of his death shocked Osnaghi. He wrote to his mother, “We are all at a loss. It almost seems like a dream. Let us pray that the blood of these victims will be the last. From heaven may they look down upon all of us who remain in this troubled land, so full of thorns.”[1]

On January 12, 1942, Osnaghi was awoken by a loud pounding on the door of the mission at Yejigang, Henan Province. He raced to the door in his pyjamas, thinking there was an emergency, only to be confronted by a mob who bound him in a corner while they looted the property. They decided to carry Osnaghi and a Chinese catechist off into the mountains as captives. For the next three weeks, Osnaghi was moved about from place to place. In his heart he knew the mission would never, and could never, pay the ransom demand of $500,000 set for his release. Since childhood Osnaghi had struggled with insomnia, and as he lay awake on February 1st he thought about the five PIME martyrs who had been slain the previous year in other parts of the province. His thoughts were mixed. On one hand he hoped the Lord would preserve his life, for he felt there was much unfinished work to do. On the other hand he hoped if he was required to lay down his life he would show the same faith and bravery as his countrymen.

On February 2nd the bandits realized the ransom for the Catholic priest would not be paid. Carlo Osnaghi became worthless in their eyes. A shallow grave two metre long and about a meter deep was dug next to the shack where Osnaghi had been detained for 20 days. Fellow missionary G. Pollio later recorded the tragic details of the martyrdom of Carlo Osnaghi and the Chinese catechist:

“With a fierce kick they sent Osnaghi rolling into the pit; with a second kick they rolled in the catechist, who fell on top of Fr. Osnaghi, and they immediately began to cover the pit with earth…. Osnaghi, finding himself tied up at the front of the pit and seeing no means of escape, let forth with a loud wail, in which he shouted some foreign words and some words in Chinese…. While the earth was piling up upon their bodies, Fr. Osnaghi and the catechist continued to cry out, until little by little, their cries ceased.”[2]