Feast Day: January 18
Order: Order of Preachers (Dominicans)
Born: circa 1400, in Peschiera del Garda, Verona, Italy
Died: January 18, 1485, in Morbegno, Italy
Beatified: 1820 by Pope Pius VII
✠ Life and Mission
Andrés Grego was born in Peschiera del Garda, a town near Lake Garda in northern Italy, around the year 1400. At an early age, he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), drawn by their fervor for preaching the Gospel and combating heresy with sound doctrine and holy example.
After his formation, he was assigned to missionary work in the Valtellina Valley, a rugged and remote alpine region in northern Lombardy, where ignorance of the faith and moral corruption were widespread. For over 45 years, he tirelessly evangelized these mountainous regions, often traveling on foot through harsh weather and treacherous terrain, to reach even the most isolated villages.
He was known not only for his zeal in preaching, but also for his austere personal holiness, humility, and works of charity. He catechized the people, preached repentance, and helped bring about a renewal of Christian life in the area.
His long missionary efforts transformed the region spiritually, earning him the title of “Apostle of Valtellina.”
✠ Hallmarks of His Sanctity
- Evangelical Poverty: He lived a life of poverty and simplicity in imitation of Christ.
- Catechesis and Preaching: Faithful to Dominican tradition, he emphasized doctrinal clarity in preaching and made catechism accessible to the common people.
- Perseverance: Despite the physical and spiritual hardships of his mission territory, he remained faithful for decades.
- Love for the Poor: He ministered especially to the materially and spiritually poor.
✠ Death and Veneration
Blessed Andrés died on January 18, 1485, in Morbegno, a town in the Valtellina region. His body was placed in the Dominican church there, where it became a site of pilgrimage. His tomb is reported to have been the source of many miracles.
He was beatified by Pope Pius VII in 1820, in recognition of his enduring cult and the widespread devotion to him in the regions he had evangelized.
✠ Legacy
Though lesser known in the broader Catholic world, Blessed Andrés remains a beloved figure in northern Italy, especially in Lombardy. Churches and shrines have been dedicated in his name, and he is invoked particularly as a patron of missionaries, preachers, and those serving in difficult or remote apostolates.
✠ Suggested Devotional Practices
- Commemorate his feast on January 18 with a special prayer for missionary priests and preachers.
- Read or recite the missionary rosary, asking for the intercession of Blessed Andrés for perseverance in proclaiming the faith.
- Pray for the conversion of neglected or rural areas, invoking his intercession as one who brought light to the dark and forgotten places.
✠ Prayer for the Intercession of Blessed Andrés Grego
O God, who didst raise up Blessed Andrés Grego to bring the light of the Gospel to the valleys and mountains of northern Italy, grant that through his intercession, we may have the courage to preach Christ by word and example, especially to those who are far from the faith. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.