Salvatore Lilli and 7 companions

Father Salvatore's ministry in Lesser Armenia was marked by exceptional pastoral and social dedication. To improve the living conditions of his Armenian parishioners, who were often poor and isolated, he founded three new villages to regroup scattered families, thereby facilitating their protection and instruction. He acquired vast agricultural lands to provide work and food for the most destitute, and had schools, dispensaries, and houses built for those who had been abandoned.

He also distinguished himself through his heroic action during the cholera epidemic that struck Marash in November 1890. For forty days, he assisted the sick alone, administering the sacraments and acting as a makeshift doctor, without ever contracting the disease. His dedication, regardless of religion, earned him the esteem of the Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims of the region.

In 1895, the Hamidian massacres perpetrated under the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II began to ravage the Christian populations of Armenia. Despite repeated warnings from his superiors and his faithful who urged him to flee to safer areas, Father Salvatore categorically refused to abandon his parish, stating: "I cannot abandon my sheep; I prefer to die with them, if necessary."

In November 1895, Ottoman troops invaded the convent of Mujuk-Deresi. Father Salvatore was wounded in the leg while attempting to assist his parishioners. He was arrested along with several Armenian faithful and locked in a cell where they were subjected to constant pressure to renounce their Christian faith and embrace Islam. During this captivity, the priest incessantly exhorted his companions to remain firm in their faith.

On November 22, 1895, as they were being led under military escort toward Marash, the soldiers gave them a final ultimatum to apostatize. Faced with their heroic and unanimous refusal, Father Salvatore Lilli and seven of his Armenian parishioners were savagely put to death, pierced by the soldiers' spears and bayonets. Their bodies were then desecrated and burned.

The seven Armenian lay companions who shared his martyrdom are: 1. John Baldji (Baldji Oghlou Ohannes), born around 1860 in Mujuk-Deresi, married and a father. 2. K'adir Xodianin (Khodianin Oghlou Kadir). 3. Cerun K'Urazi (Kouradji Oghlou Tzeroum). 4. Vardavar Dimbalac (Dimbalac Oghlou Wartavar). 5. Paul Ieremia (Ieremias Oghlou Boghos), who assisted Father Salvatore. 6. David (David Oghlou David). 7. Theodore David (Toros Oghlou David), brother of the former.

The ordinary process of beatification was opened in 1930 by the Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo. The cause was officially introduced in Rome on February 13, 1959, under the pontificate of Pope John XXIII. The decree officially recognizing their martyrdom was promulgated on July 12, 1982, by Pope John Paul II.

Father Salvatore Lilli and his seven Armenian companions were solemnly beatified on October 3, 1982, by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. During the ceremony, the Sovereign Pontiff praised their heroic testimony, emphasizing that these humble peasants and their pastor preferred to sacrifice their earthly lives rather than betray their faith in Jesus Christ. Their liturgical memorial is set for November 22, the anniversary of their martyrdom, in accordance with the Roman Martyrology. In the proper calendar of the Order of Friars Minor, they are sometimes commemorated on November 19.

The spirituality of Blessed Salvatore Lilli is deeply rooted in the Franciscan charism of poverty, universal fraternity, and missionary zeal. His martyrdom is the culmination of a life entirely given to the service of the poorest and the sick. He embodies the figure of the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, refusing personal safety to remain in solidarity with his persecuted community. The seven Armenian companions bear witness to the deep faith and resilience of the Christian laity of the East. Their shared fidelity seals a blood covenant between the Italian missionary and his Armenian parishioners. The legacy of these martyrs remains alive. In August 2023, the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton, inaugurated a chapel dedicated to his memory in Cappadocia (Italy), the birthplace of Father Salvatore, recalling the relevance of his message of fidelity and pastoral charity.