Salvatore Lilli
Italian presbyter, martyr, blessed (1853-1895)
Feast: 22 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Near the river Zihun close to the city of Maraş in Cilicia, in the territory of present-day Turkey, Blessed Salvatore Lilli, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, John son of Balzi and six other companions of Armenian origin, martyrs, who, after receiving from Ottoman soldiers the order to deny Christ and refusing to betray their faith, reached the eternal kingdom pierced by lances.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 22 November as a Franciscan priest killed with Armenian companions near Maraş for refusing to deny Christ.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- David, son of David Blessed“By the river Zihun near the town of Maraş in Cilicia, in the territory of present-day Turkey, Blessed Salvatore Lilli, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, John son of Balzi and six other companions of Armenian origin, martyrs, who, having been ordered by Ottoman soldiers to deny Christ and having refused to betray…” — this site's research
- John, son of Balzi Blessed“By the river Zihun near the town of Maraş in Cilicia, in the territory of present-day Turkey, Blessed Salvatore Lilli, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, John son of Balzi and six other companions of Armenian origin, martyrs, who, having been ordered by Ottoman soldiers to deny Christ and having refused to betray…” — this site's research
- Theodore, son of David Blessed“By the river Zihun near the town of Maraş in Cilicia, in the territory of present-day Turkey, Blessed Salvatore Lilli, priest of the Order of Friars Minor, John son of Balzi and six other companions of Armenian origin, martyrs, who, having been ordered by Ottoman soldiers to deny Christ and having refused to betray…” — this site's research
- Roman Martyrology, 22 November (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q9333040 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Salvatore Lilli (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.