Hajja Salesjana April-June 2022

Before he became a hero and achieved a gold medal, before he gained everlasting fame, he was a simple, young man, a student and an avid football player in the playground of the Salesians at Vomero in Naples, Italy. Still before this period of time in his life, he was a lively child in the nursery school of the Salesian Sisters. This is how his mother Agnes, at the age of 81, with a clear mind, remembered him: “He used to spend the whole day at the Salesian School. He liked football very much. He has a reputation of being a hero! Everyone likes to enjoy life, especially when he is young. Salvo was only 23 years old when he offered himself to save 50 other Italian citizens from Nazi persecution. On the 23rd September, 1943, some soldiers of the notorious SS command, in Torre di Palidoro, some kilometers away fromRome, were searching in a large rubbish bin. Inside it there was a bomb, the soldiers who were searching were all drunk when the bomb exploded leaving one dead and two others injured. Alas, according to Martial Law rules, someone had to pay for this terrible misdeed, so Salvo courageously offered himself to save the other 50 prisoners. Suspicion fell on the nearby Carabinieri, even though they were not guilty, but it was esteemed that they should have been responsible to prevent such a horrible incident. On that same day, in the morning of the 23rd September, a jeep with two SS soldiers arrived at the barracks of Torrimpietra. At the time Salvo D’Acquisto was Vice- Brigadier and was the senior member responsible. He was taken on a motorcycle to Palidoro. At that time, in Torrimpietra it was just another ordinary day with its people working tranquilly and going about their business. At 11 o’clock an SS truck arrived in the main square: so as to clear the crowd, the soldiers fired in the air, shouting and gesticulating with their hands as they yelled, “Every one out, you must gather in the main square now! You all are responsible for what has happened during last night!!” The Vice-Brigadier, Salvo D’Acquisto also arrived, watched by two soldiers. The nervous German Commander approached Salvo and ordered him to point out who were the guilty persons of such a despicable act, but Salvo protested that the hostages the SS had gathered were all innocent. Having heard this, an SS soldier insulted, beat and shouted at Salvo saying, “If we don’t find the culprit, you will all die!!” So the Commander ordered the hostages to pick up the spades so as to dig a common grave for themselves. Salvo D’Acquisto tried to comfort them all by telling them, “Don’t be afraid.” He then went to talk to the Commander to defend the hostages but the Commander told him, “Only if the culprit presents himself, will all the hostages be freed.” It was indeed a difficult moment, but Salvo thinking of all the innocent hostages due to be killed shortly and all their families,shouted “I am the guilty one!” The pit was ready and Salvo was right in the middle of it! The SS soldiers immediately fired at Salvo and he fell dead in the pit. With the death of young Salvo, the Salesian Congregation earned another martyr. His body was carried with dignity and admiration from the pit by the Parish Priest and some other volunteers who took the body to the cemetery. The remains of this hero are today kept in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples. Indeed I admittedly feel a sense of pride because when the remains of Salvo D’Acquisto, a worthy Salesian Past Pupil, were brought to Santa Chiara, at the time I used to represent the World Confederation of the Salesian Past Pupils as World Delegate. Dear readers, we can all learn from Salvo’s heroic gesture and courage. This past pupil of Don Bosco, another martyr, is now being added to the many Salesian martyrs killed during the persecution of the notorious General Franco in Spain. Salvo D’Acquisto a new Salesian martyr and a worthy past pupil of the Salesians of Don Bosco By Charles Cini sdb 29 April - Ġunju 2022 hajja