Francesco Minerva

Francesco Minerva ( born January 31, 1904 in Canosa di Puglia, Province of Barletta -Andria -Trani, Italy, † August 23, 2004 ibid ) was first bishop, later became the first Archbishop of Lecce.

Life

Minerva studied law and theology and received on 16 April 1927, the ordination. In 1931 he became pastor of the Cathedral of San Sabino in his hometown.

Pope Pius XII. appointed him on 16 September 1948 to the Bishop of Nardo. He received his episcopal consecration on 31 October of the same year, Archbishop Ferdinando Bernardi. Co-consecrators were Giuseppe Di Dona and Giuseppe Ruotolo. On 17 December 1950, the appointment as Bishop of Lecce took place. 1956 Minerva organized the celebrations for the 15th National Eucharistic Congress. He took from 1962 to 1965 at the Second Vatican Council in part. With the elevation of the bishopric to an archbishopric Lecce on 20 October 1980 he became the first Archbishop of Lecce.

Pope John Paul II was adopted on 27 January 1981 be filed on grounds of age resignation. Francesco Minerva retreated to his hometown of Canosa di Puglia and died in 2004 at the age of 100 years. Since 2008 he is in the crypt of San Sabino Cathedral buried.