He was parish priest of Courmayeur (Aosta) and
he was the protagonist of a simple but heroic act. She hosted a little Jew, Giulio Segre, for over a year under the guise of "the priest's nephew" and saved him from deportation. The memory of this fact is now collected in a book.
by Lucio Brunelli
«In memory of Don Cirillo Perron. Parish priest and mountaineer. Nominated "Righteous Among the Nations" for saving the life of a Jewish child, Giulio Segre, who lived with him."
Few, sober words carved on the plaque affixed on 16 July 2015 in Valtournenche, in the Aosta Valley. With a heroic act of charity, Don Cirillo Perron took care of the child during the Second World War, accepting the desperate plea of Giulio's parents, who were being hunted by the Nazi police. He passed him off as his nephew. Don Cirillo's real nephew was called to give the commemorative speech, also a parish priest and mountaineer, also a native of this small village at the foot of the Matterhorn, but having moved to Rome over 50 years ago: Don Donato Perron. He had become a great friend of Giulio Segre and was close to him until his death in 2015. It was Don Donato who introduced me to his uncle's fake nephew, who told us his incredible story.
It was December 3, 1943. In Cormaiore, (this is how fascism had “Italianized” Courmayeur) there was snow. And the smoke from Don Perron's stove rose in slow curls towards the mountains. Thanks to a tip-off, the family of little Giulio, 7 years old, had managed to escape the arrest order issued the previous day against all the Jews of Saluzzo. «At dawn we packed our suitcase and took the bus towards Courmayeur, in the naive hope of reaching neutral Switzerland», Giulio said. Father Vittorio and mother Eugenia had trusted in the help of a ferryman, but the hopes of an escape to Switzerland were dashed at the border against a wall of snow. So Vittorio Segre, not knowing who else to turn to, knocked on the door of the parish priest of Courmayeur. Hosting a Jew, hiding him in your home, was a crime punishable by death. And the reward of 5.000 lire for anyone who reported the fugitives could be tempting for many. «Instead Don Cirillo opened the doors for us», Giulio remembered. And he listened to them. Vittorio and Eugenia said that they would seek shelter somewhere but Giulio didn't, they couldn't risk taking him with them, he was too small and the escape was too dangerous... «Don Cirillo – Giulio said – came up with the idea of making me pass for a his convalescent nephew to whom the doctors had recommended mountain air." So the child's parents left Courmayeur with tears in their eyes and Giulio was left alone in the rectory with "uncle" Cirillo.
Imagine his state of mind! She had to learn Catholic prayers quickly, because nothing should betray his true identity. He did it with a diligent spirit, but sometimes, when he practiced alone, on his bed, before falling asleep, he confused the Shema Israel that his father Vittorio had taught him with the invocations of Our father. Don Cirillo watched over his new "grandson", whose surname had been changed. The most difficult moment was when a German officer showed affection and sympathy for the parish priest's little relative. These were absolutely clean feelings. One day he asked Don Cirillo to be invited to the house and to get to know the child better. There was a very dramatic reason behind the soldier's behavior: he had lost a son due to allied bombing, a child with blond hair and blue eyes, just like Giulio. «Don Cirillo was conflicted and restless; on the one hand he felt pity for the German, on the other he feared that he would discover the truth and he couldn't know how he would react." The play did not allow for errors.
There were numerous anecdotes that Giulio told me in a long interview broadcast by Tg2 Storie in 2013 and many more are told in the book Don Cirillo and his nephew, which he wrote with the intention of leaving a memory of his story to his children's children.
After a few months, the child's morale was raised by the good news he received from his parents. Dad Vittorio had found a good hiding place in Milan and every now and then he sent Don Cirillo a postcard signed only with his name and without the sender. Mother Eugenia, on the other hand, couldn't stand the distance from her son and managed to get closer by settling in Dolonne, a hamlet of Courmayeur. So she had the chance to see her Giulio at least from afar, which already filled her heart with joy.
In 2009 Giulio wanted to visit the hamlet where his mother had been staying. A little girl had brought her milk to her mother every day and she had spoken about it with so much affection and gratitude. Giulio managed to track her down. «I told her that I wanted to reveal a secret to her: I was Jewish, I wasn't Don Cirillo's real nephew, my mother couldn't confide this truth to anyone. The woman replied that in reality they knew, they understood, but mountain people are like that, they don't talk and when they can they help."
In recent years Giulio had become close friends with Don Donato and also with Don Maurizio Ventura, a passionate educator of young people in Rome. He had an intense exchange of letters with both of them, which has been published. Although very tired and suffering from illness, on 27 May 2015 he went to Courmayeur for the ceremony of awarding the "Righteous Among the Nations" medal to Don Cirillo. Since the priest passed away in 1996, the highest Jewish honor was handed over to Don Donato. Giulio was happy. A few weeks later, on July 8, he died with a peaceful heart.