Giulio Mancinelli


Giulio Mancinelli was 16th and 17th century Jesuit missionary. In 1583 he founded Jesuit mission in Ottoman held Istanbul.

Early life

Mancinelli was born to a noble family. He joined the Jesuits in 1558 and in 1566 was a novice in the first novitiate house in Rome.

Missionary appointments

Mancinelli was a missionary in Bosnia and Dalmatia.
Mancinellus was the head of a Jesuit mission to Istanbul established by the Pope in 1583. They held their services in the Church of Saint Benoit and opened their schools with the support of French and Venetian ambassadors.
In the period between 1585 and 1587 Mancinelli traveled from Constantinople through Wallachia and Moldova, visited Lvov and in" Observations about redeeming Christian slaves from Servitude to Unbelievers". He experienced a supernatural ecstasy during the trip---saints and angels appeared to him to reassure him about the positive outcome of the mission to Moldova---and he recorded his observations.
In 1608, he was on mission in England and according to his own testimonies had visions of angels. In his old age he was regularly consulted by young men who traveled to England hoping to bring it back to union with Rome.