REZZARA, Niccolò. - Catholic organizer, born in Chiappano (Vicenza) in 1848, died in Bergamo on 6 February 1915. In Vicenza he taught in secondary schools from 1869 to 1877 and was a very active organizer of youth circles and founder of the periodical *Berico*.
After moving to Bergamo, he continued his apostolic work in the S. Luigi circle and in the Opera dei Congressi Cattolici. He was an effective journalist: he founded the weekly *Campanone*, was director of *Eco di Bergamo*, established an association among Catholic journalists, initiated a society for a Catholic illustrated weekly, and gave strong impetus to the publishing activities of the S. Alessandro printing house in Bergamo. In his multifaceted activity, he also devoted himself to workers, serving as secretary of the Unione Economico-Sociale. But his greatest influence was in the field of education, where, as an advisor on education in Bergamo, he fought strenuously alongside P. G. Zocchi and Mons. G. Radini Tedeschi to preserve the freedom of teaching and promote effective Christian schools. His influence in this regard was particularly evident at the Venice School Week in 1912, when state secularism in education was at its height. He did not escape public opposition and hatred for his fidelity to the Church and the Pope.
Principal works: *La scuola neutra* (Bergamo 1881); *L'ateismo nelle scuole pubbliche* (ibid. 1883); *Il monopolio dell'istruzione in Italia* (ibid. 1887); *Le nostre battaglie* (ibid. 1888); *Il movimento cattolico della diocesi di Vicenza* (ibid. 1895); *Sui doveri dei rappresentanti del popolo nelle pubbliche amministrazioni* (ibid. 1895); *Preoccupazione dell'opera presente* (ibid. 1898); *L'Azione Cattolica in Italia* (ibid. 1904); *2783 istituzioni cattoliche economico-sociali*; *L'Esposizione di Milano* (ibid. 1906); *Il problema scolastico nell'opera presente* (ibid. 1913); *Le scuole comunali ai comuni* (ibid. 1913); *Il patronato scolastico imposto per legge* (ibid. 1914).