Alex Pretti for Sainthood

Alex Jeffrey Pretti (1988–2026) lived a life marked not by ambition or acclaim, but by steady, embodied charity—caritas—expressed through service to the sick, the marginalized, and the forgotten. A Catholic chaplain earlier in his vocation and later an intensive care unit nurse for military veterans, Pretti consistently placed himself at the side of those in their most vulnerable moments. Those who knew him—patients, priests, fellow nurses, veterans, friends, and family—describe a man whose life reflected the Gospel in practice rather than proclamation. [ncregister.com], [militarytimes.com]

A Vocation of Service Rooted in Faith 

Before becoming a registered nurse, Alex Pretti worked as a Catholic chaplain at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he accompanied dying veterans and their families through final moments of fear, grief, and reconciliation. Father Harry Tasto, a Roman Catholic priest who worked closely with Pretti for nearly a decade, publicly testified that Alex was known for his “kindness and gentleness to patients” and for a pastoral presence that brought peace rather than attention to himself. Even after transitioning into clinical nursing, Pretti retained this sacramental approach to care—treating each patient as a whole person bearing intrinsic dignity. [ncregister.com], [ewtnnews.com]

In 2021, Pretti completed his nursing degree and joined the ICU staff at the Minneapolis VA, caring for critically ill veterans—often those with complex trauma, terminal illness, or no family present. Colleagues consistently described him as calm under pressure, ethically grounded, and instinctively protective of those entrusted to him. His work was not merely technical excellence but a continuation of his earlier ministry: standing watch with those who could not stand for themselves. [militarytimes.com], [usatoday.com]

A Life Lived for Others

Families of veterans whom Pretti treated recall his patience, clarity, and compassion during moments of profound suffering. One daughter of a terminally ill Vietnam veteran described him as “a genuine person… it was obvious that he truly cared about what we were going through.” Fellow nurses note that his instinct—inside and outside the hospital—was always to move toward someone in distress, even when doing so carried personal risk. This disposition would ultimately define both his death and his legacy. [usatoday.com], [mprnews.org]

Pretti’s friends and neighbors similarly remembered him as quietly attentive, ethically serious, and instinctively helpful—someone who directed traffic during emergencies, checked on vulnerable neighbors, and intervened when he believed someone was being harmed. These were not ideological acts but habitual ones, flowing naturally from a life oriented toward love of neighbor. [memoritree.com], [mprnews.org]

His Death: Witness, Protection, and Sacrifice

On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretti was shot and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents during federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. Multiple independent investigations and analyses of verified video footage show that Pretti was unarmed in the moments before his death, holding a cellphone while filming law enforcement activity and attempting to protect a woman who had been pushed to the ground by agents. He was pepper-sprayed, tackled, pinned by multiple officers, and shot at least ten times in rapid succession. [abcnews.go.com], [en.wikipedia.org], [themarshal...roject.org]

The circumstances of his death remain under investigation, but reporting by the Associated Press, Reuters, the BBC, ABC News, and The New York Times has consistently contradicted initial official claims that Pretti posed an imminent lethal threat. What remains uncontested is that he died while attempting to shield another person from harm—a final act consistent with the pattern of his life. [abcnews.go.com], [en.wikipedia.org]

Testimony of Virtue After Death

In the days following his killing, vigils were held across the United States at VA hospitals and Catholic parishes alike. Veterans, nurses, and clergy publicly referred to Pretti as an example of moral courage and Christian charity. Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis asked the faithful to pray for Pretti and invoked the Church’s call to peace rooted in recognition of every person as made in the image of God. Memorial tributes from Catholics explicitly expressed hope that the Church might one day recognize him as a modern saint. [ncregister.com], [forevermissed.com]

Importantly, these testimonies were not rooted in political alignment but in firsthand experience of his character. Priests, nurses, and patients spoke not of slogans but of virtue: mercy, gentleness, courage, and self-gift. [ncregister.com], [mprnews.org]

Why Alex Pretti Merits Consideration for Sainthood

The Catholic Church recognizes sainthood not as perfection, but as heroic virtue lived consistently and credibly. Alex Pretti’s life demonstrates:

• Heroic charity: Decades of work with the dying and gravely ill, culminating in death while protecting another.
• Constancy of vocation: A seamless continuity between chaplaincy, nursing, and civic witness.
• Witness unto death: Killed while performing an act of protection aligned with the corporal works of mercy.
• Reputation for holiness: Spontaneous, widespread testimony from clergy, veterans, patients, and strangers alike.

As one memorial tribute written by a fellow Catholic stated: “We sure could use a modern saint.” That sentiment reflects not wishful thinking but recognition of a life that already bore the marks of sanctity before any formal declaration. [forevermissed.com]