Andrea Benso

Don Andrea Benso (Genoa, January 1970) is a priest of the Diocese of Acqui Terme, known for his missionary work amongst the Lakota Sioux Native Americans on the reservations of South Dakota, in the United States. From a young age, he cultivated a keen interest in the history and culture of the indigenous peoples of North America, a passion that profoundly influenced his vocational journey.

Ordained a priest on 10 June 2009, he carried out his pastoral ministry as parish priest in Moasca and San Marzano Oliveto, in Piedmont. In 2013, he left his parishes to prepare for missionary work at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome and, in 2014, he set off as a ‘fidei donum’ priest for the Standing Rock reservation, where he served as a missionary for two years, and the neighbouring Cheyenne River reservation, where he served for one year.

Between 2014 and 2017, he lived amongst the Sioux communities, devoting himself to pastoral care, visiting families and fostering intercultural dialogue. His experience led him to study and promote Lakota spirituality and the relationship between indigenous traditions and the Christian faith. He served as vice-postulator for the canonisation process of Black Elk for about a year.

When he returned to South Dakota in 2014 to carry out his ministry there, he undertook a training programme called ‘Basic Direction’, which aimed to equip new missionaries with the knowledge needed to live out the Church’s mission amongst Native Americans. The programme was led by Fr John Hatcher SJ, an expert on Native American affairs, assisted by predominantly Catholic Oglala and Sicangu Lakota who were actively working alongside the Jesuits on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reserves.

Father Benso is regarded as an authoritative voice in the dialogue between Christianity and Native American cultures. Through lectures, public meetings and personal testimonies, he continues to raise awareness of the contemporary reality of the Sioux and the value of encounters between different peoples and traditions.