BALESTRA, Serafino. — Priest, educator, b. in the Canton of Ticino, d. Oct. 26, 1886. Having been ordained a priest, he abandoned his archaeological studies and, by a deeply felt vocation and mission, devoted himself entirely to the education of the deaf-mute. From his travels abroad after 1867, especially in Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, and France, to study the methods in use, he became convinced that speech could be taught—as a general rule—to all the deaf-mute. From his encouragement, supported by the enthusiastic reports of others who had gone to Germany to verify the progress claimed for this method, many came to believe that Italy should attempt what was being done abroad. It was chiefly through him that educators were persuaded to abandon sign language and to give first place in the instruction of the deaf-mute to oral and lip-read speech.
The superiority of the “pure oral” method of education which he adopted, and the extraordinary results he achieved, were recognized at a congress—convened at his initiative in Milan—of 200 teachers from every country. His untiring apostolic spirit led him even to distant Argentina, where he founded the first institute for the deaf-mute.