Rome, Italy, May 11, 2011 / 11:24 am
An Italian priest was posthumously awarded with a top honor for protecting a Jewish family from Nazi persecution in World War II.
Father Martino Michelone, who died in 1979, was declared “Righteous Among Nations” by Jewish leaders on May 8 for hiding four members of a family for nearly two years.
Fr. Machelone sheltered a young boy named Luciano Segre – as well as Segre's father, mother and aunt – between 1943 and 1945 in the town of Moransengo in northwest Italy.
The “Righteous Among the Nations” recognition honors those who helped save Jews during the Holocaust.