QUALIFIED APOSTLES,
GUIDES OF SOULS, PRIESTS AND BISHOPS
OF CONSECRATED
LIFE STATUS WITH HOLY VOWS
Sac. Furio Gauss, igs
There is no doubt that Fr. Alberione knew well the diocesan priests.
His orientation in youth had been for the priesthood in the diocese.
His preparation in the diocesan seminaries was on this line. His
promise to the Bishop who ordained him priest was of dedication to
the service of the diocese. As a young priest, he stayed in the
seminary as an educator, spiritual director and teacher.
His
constant attention to signs from above gradually revealed to him the
original project that God had planned for him, the special calling
that God was addressing to him. And he answered the call offering to
God his whole self, his talents, his will. In those years and after,
his valued spiritual director was the Canon Francesco Chiesa, also a
diocesan priest.
His
separation from his original presbytery did not cost him little. He
did it in obedience to a superior plan that wanted him as a
religious and father of an immense family of consecrated persons.
But he taught them to have strong ties with diocesan priests. For
them he preached, wrote, printed. He gave to his editions a pastoral
edge that made them a valid catechetical, liturgical, and apostolic
aid for the diocesan clergy and for parish priests: from the humble
parish bulletins to catechisms, texts of Sacred Scriptures,
formation series, periodicals. Among all I mention two: “Famiglia
Cristiana”, launched with a committed choice already in its
title: “So that all Italian families may become Christian families”.
In its phase of diffusion at least Fr. Alberione had committed all
the Italian parish priests. And to all the parish priests he sent as
a subscription or as a gift “Vita pastorale”, personally
taken care of by him or by his best collaborators in order to give
better and better quality to the ministry.
In
movie production his commitment was for the parish halls. The
reduced millimeter films were successful instruments for a big
jump forward. With his book titled La donna associata allo zelo
sacerdotale (Woman as helper of priestly zeal) he revealed acute
knowledge of feminine psychology and resources and he oriented them
to help the priest and his work. The female congregations that he
founded as time went on all referred to either vocation orientation
or pastoral support for the diocesan clergy.
There were also some priests, sensitive to the apostolate of the
editions, who would have been willing to leave their dioceses to
follow Fr. Alberione. But he could not comply with their wishes. The
memory of the moment when the Lord had taken him away from the
diocesan ministry was too vivid in him. And his attention to signs
from above became more and more acute.
By
then he was advanced in age, consumed by his concern for his many
foundations and for his numerous children, when the great sign from
above revealed itself to him through the light of “Provvida Mater
Ecclesia”. Opening his soul at that moment to the Lord, he said to
him: “I surrender”, though yet daring to put before God some
precise conditions.
He
had well understood that it was a project of high profile: forming
qualified apostles, guides of souls, priests and bishops with
status of consecrated lives not excluding sacred vows. And to be
their teacher of Pauline spirituality. He looked for them one by
one, proposing a vocation within a vocation. The first courses of
exercises he preached them to us himself. Then, as long as he lived,
he always came to meet us. He was glad to be in the midst of
priests. He blessed us but then, humbly, knelt down and himself
asked for our blessing.
We
are always late in discovering the designs of Providence, but they
are perfect. Well before 1960, year of approval of the Institute
“Jesus Priest”, Fr. Alberione had designated one of his sons, the
Pauline Fr. Stefano Lamera, to “comfort the teachers of souls” and
he prepared him for this delicate work. To him, as his delegate, he
entrusted the Institute “Jesus Priest”. There was in them perfect
identity of views, wealth of charism, immense love for priests.
As
long as Fr. Alberione lived, Fr. Lamera exhorted us to meet him,
every time it was possible, for advices, orientations, comfort. When
Fr. Alberione died, Fr. Lamera made alive for us his teaching by his
own life and exhorted us to ask for his intercession.
In
the Church every work can be fully evaluated only when, in time, it
produces fruits of sanctity. One who has had the fortune of being
called to consecration in the Institute of “Jesus Priest” in these
its first fifty years, or almost, of life, has known hundreds of
priests and bishops from every region of Italy. Among them are truly
so many living a convinced Pauline spirituality and of exceptional
virtues.
From priestly fruits
you can evaluate the tree that bears them: Fr. Alberione.
Informazione:
http://www.alberione.org/ita/fondazioni_igs_ita.html |
