Callisto Caravario was born at Cuorgne (Turin) on 18th June 1903. When he met Monsignor Versiglia in Turin in 1921 he said: "I will come and join you in China". He kept his word and left for China two years later. As a young priest, faithful to his religious consecration and fervent in charity, he was on a pastoral visit in the Lin Chow area with Mons. Versiglia, two teachers, two catechists and a student, when they were attacked by communist pirates. As they tried to protect the young people the two missionaries were brutally beaten and then shot, because of the pirates' hatred of their Christian faith.

At their beatification, in 1983, Pope John Paul II said that they were examples of "the gospel ideal of the shepherd who gives his life for his flock... for the cause of truth and justice, defending the weak and the poor, triumphing over the evils of sin and death."

They were canonized on 1st October 2000 and they are honoured on 25th February.