Gregory Grassi was an Italian Franciscan friar and Catholic bishop who dedicated his life to missionary work in China. Born in Castellazzo Bormida in 1833, he joined the Order of Friars Minor at age 15 before being ordained a priest in 1856. He later served as a vicar apostolic in the Shanxi province, where he managed orphanages and addressed local crises like famine and plague. He was killed in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, an event that led to his recognition as a martyr.