GUIDO MARIA CONFORTI. — Bishop, born at Ravadese (Parma) on 30 March 1865, died at Parma on 5 November 1931. He pursued his studies in Parma, always ranking first or among the top students. He was ordained priest on 22 September 1888. In 1902 he was
preconized Archbishop of Ravenna, but due to serious illness he had to withdraw. Once restored to health, in 1908 he succeeded Monsignor Magani at Parma. After 24 years of laborious episcopate, he died in a reputation for holiness, mourned by the people. Ten years after his death, a diocesan process on his reputation for holiness was opened, and the acts were sent to Rome.
Upon taking charge of the diocese of Parma, he first concerned himself with having a good, cultured, and active clergy. He held a first synod in 1914 and a second after the publication of the Code of Canon Law, publishing the acts of both.
He founded the monthly bulletin *Eco di Curia* and reconstituted the Society of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, which had flourished but then declined. He took part, especially with notable personal contributions, in the episcopal conferences of Emilia. He presided over and organized several congresses for various purposes and promoted various charitable works. He devoted particular attention to catechesis, which he organized in the form of schools. He established a Society for Clerical Culture, which held monthly lectures on current topics. In 1922, during a period of political strife, he worked for peace and mediated between the parties.
When Father Manna conceived the idea of organizing the clergy into a large union for uniform and continuous missionary work, he turned to Monsignor C., who assured his support.
But the work for which Monsignor C. will be remembered in the history of missions is the Pious Society of St Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions. In 1920 he went to visit its missions in China. He opened houses of the institute in the Veneto, Lombardy, the Marches, and Lucania.