[3] He was a student to the priest Antonio Cesari and was also a close disciple to Saint Gaspare Bertoni who both proved to be strong influences on Mazza's life and personal spiritual inclinations.

His professorship solidified his desire to create a range of opportunities for people to have a fairer and better access to education irrespective of their class or economic status.

His companions around this point following his ordination - students and confreres alike - knew of Mazza's desire to evangelize Africa and referred to him as "Don Congo".

[2] On 14 September 1838 the Emperor Ferdinand I awarded him a large golden medal with a necklace in tribute to Mazza's work in the field of culture and education.

[4][3] Mazza sent six missionaries in 1857 to Central Africa with the hope of evangelizing the region which had been a lifelong ambition for him despite the fact that he never set foot on the African continent.

Mazza had also sent Francesco Oliboni and Angelo Melotto as well as Alessandro dal Bosco while also sending Isidoro Zilli who was neither a priest nor religious but a catechist.

Mazza was declared to be Venerable on 3 June 2013 after Pope Francis confirmed that the late priest had lived a life of heroic virtue.