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Elia Comini was born on May 7, 1910, in Calvenzano, Vergato, Bologna, Italy to Claudio Comini, a carpenter, and Emma Limoni, a dressmaker. The couple had one other son, Amleto.
In 1914, the Comini family moved to Salvaro, Bologna, the area where he would be martyred thirty years later. The priest of the parish in Salvaro was Fidenzio Mellini who had met Father (now Saint) Giovanni Bosco, founder of the Salesians, an order whose charism (or special mission) was to educate and care for children and youth.
Growing up, Elia attended Salesian schools and decided to give his life to God as a Salesian priest, and Father Fidenzio was one of young Elia’s biggest fans.
After making his novitiate from 1925-1926, Elia made his first religious profession on October 3, 1926. Interestingly, Elia’s father, Claudio, died that same year, and Father Fidenzio became sort of a “surrogate father” to Elia.
After completing his priesthood preparation in Turin and Milan, Elia was ordained a priest on March 16, 1935, in the Brescia cathedral. Not surprisingly, Fr. Elia exhibited the same personal characteristics as a new priest as he did as a seminarian, that is, friendliness, kindness, and a proneness to smile. He was also noted to love music and willing to share his musical talents with others.
In his priesthood, Father Elia taught in the Salesian school in Chiari, Bresia from 1936-1941, and in in the Salesian Aspirante from 1941-1944.
In the summer of 1944, Father Elia returned to Salvaro to visit his mother and to help nurse Msgr. Fidenzio Mellini, his “surrogate father.” Unfortunately, however, that area was a hotbed of conflict between World War II factions such as the Nazis, Allies, and an assortment of other enemies. Therefore, Fr. Elia began serving the poor and displaced persons in the area by celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation with those who wanted it, preaching, and entertaining others with music.
During this time, Fr. Elia made friends with another priest, Sacred Heart Father Nicola Capelli whose name in religious life was “Martino.” With some basic nursing skills Elia had learned as a medic, the two put those skills in action by visiting war refugees and caring for the wounded.
On September 29, 1944, however, the two priests were arrested as they made their way to Grizzana, Bologna, where 69 people were about to be killed. The Nazis considered the two priests to be spies and captured them. The Nazis mistreated the pair and made them transport their ammunition
The next day, the two priests devoted themselves to comforting the other prisoners. Though there were attempts to free the priests, they refused to be freed unless all were freed. As Father Elia said, “either all or none.”
At dusk on October 1, 1944, the Nazis shot and killed Father Elia and 44 others. Before being shot, however, the two priests heard each other’s confession. And before being shot, in a loud voice, Father Elia granted absolution to all his fellow prisoners. Father Elia’s remains, with those of the other victims, were thrown into the Rhine River.
Today, Father Elia Comini is known as a Servant of God in the Catholic Church, just as his friend, Father Nicola “Martino” Capelli is.
