Pasin Ferdinando

Pasin, Don Ferdinando Don Ferdinando Pasin, a parish priest in San Martino (Treviso), together with his brother Camillo, also a priest, headed an anti-fascist and anti-Nazi underground network in northeast Italy. Enrico and Bice Liebman, who lived in Trieste, fled after the German occupation, finding refuge in the Treviso area. There they met Don Pasin, who supplied them with false documents and found a hiding place for them in Caerano S. Marco, near Treviso. The farmers treated them very generously, sharing with them their meager food. Their benefactor priest was always in the picture. In July 30, 1945, Enrico and Bice Liebman thanked Don Pasin in writing for his help. In the letter, the Liebmans indicated that without his support they would have not been able to survive. Don Pasin was also instrumental in finding shelter for Olga and Vittorio Padua in the home of villagers in Caerano S. Marco. They were introduced to everyone as war refugees. The elderly Vittorio Padua was a smiling, friendly man, while his wife, Olga was more reserved. In April 1944, a group of SS men entered the house early one morning, and they searched the house, looking for hiding partisans. The Paduas’ host was placed against the wall and threatened with being shot on the spot. Olga Padua, in fluent German pleaded for him, suggesting that they take her in his stead. When the SS officer wondered whether she and her husband were Jewish, she managed to allay his suspicion. Don Pasin’s actions involved rescuing Jews from deportation, supplying false papers for whole families as well as arranging their escape to Switzerland. On October 25, 1965, in Treviso, the Italian Republic awarded Don Ferdinando Pasin the title of Commendatore della Repubblica, in appreciation of his courage and his generosity in opening his house to persecuted partisans and Jews. On March 24, 1996, a plaque on the newly built parish house in San Martino was dedicated to “Don Ferdinando Pasin, priest and patriot whoduring the tragic years of Nazi occupation 1943-1945 made his home a center of activity for the Resistance and who risked his life saving persecuted Jews.” On December 23, 1999, Yad Vashem recognized Father Ferdinando Pasin as Righteous Among the Nations.