Luigi Rocchi

Luigi Rocchi (19 February 1932 – 26 March 1979) was an Italian Roman Catholic who was disabled for most of his life and was sometimes referred to as a "saint in a wheelchair". Rocchi exhibited signs of weakness in his limbs since his childhood but was not diagnosed until he was eight with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (D.M.D.) that led to a progressive muscular decline. He struggled with his condition at first but a religious experience in his adolescence seemed to restore him from his struggles and a commitment to preach the Gospel message to all while using his own suffering to demonstrate the need for people to love more. Rocchi made pilgrimages to Lourdes and to Loreto where he came to know and correspond with its prelate Loris Francesco Capovilla. He was also close with several other priests and figures such as the journalist (and later politician) Ettore Masina and his diocesan bishop (later cardinal) Ersilio Tonini.

The process for his beatification commenced in the 1990s in smaller steps that were undertaken in his diocese since 1991 to launch a formal cause. This formal activation came in 1992 and he became titled as a Servant of God. The cause took a decisive step forward on 3 April 2014 after Pope Francis signed a decree that named him as Venerable upon confirming that Rocchi had lived a life practicing heroic virtue. Provided by Wikipedia