Saint Giuseppe Freinademetz

Freinademetz dedicated his life to missionary work

Joseph was born on April 15, 1852 in the hamlet of Oies as the forth child of a peasant family. On July 25, 1875 he was ordained a priest for the diocese of Bressanone.
For a period of two years he hold the priesthood in San Martino. Soon after an article in the local diocesan about a Mission House in Holland caught his attention and as a consequence he decided to leave Val Badia and he went to Steyl in Holland. This is where he prepared himself for his life as a missionary. In 1879 he travelled to Hong Kong and devoted himself to the work as a missionary.

In China Freinademetz was exposed to different dangers, but fully dedicated his life to his devotion. His profound belief let him escape poverty and diseases. Nevertheless in 1908 he died of epidemic typhus.

Since 1939 there are proves for the miracles he worked an thus he was beatified by Pope Paul VI and canonised by Pope Paulus II on October 5, 2003. The house in Oies/Pedraces, in which Joseph Freinademetz was born, has become a popular pilgrimage site. In his room numerous items like Chinese dresses as well as letters are exhibited. In 1995 a church was built next to the house of Freinademetz.