From ‘country boy’ to pope, St. John XXIII continues to inspire

The Diocese of Owensboro will name its new retirement residence for priests the Roncalli Home for Priests. The facility, which is scheduled to open before the end of this year, will feature a small chapel dedicated to St. John XXIII.

The residence honors the saint, whose baptismal name was Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli. Born in 1881 to a family of sharecroppers in northern Italy, Roncalli was ordained a priest in 1904. He later served in various diplomatic roles for the Holy See and eventually opened the Second Vatican Council. During the Second World War, he worked to help Jews escape Nazi persecution.