 THE DREAM OF A SANCTUARY
FR. Walter Lobina, ssp
Talking
of the Queen of Apostles means, first of all, talking about
blessed James Alberione. He soon needed a church
dedicated to the
“Queen of Apostles”. The Pauline spirituality, in fact, is based and
is nourished through knowledge of Jesus Christ the Master, the Way,
the Truth and the Life and discipleship under him. This union with
Christ the Pauline attains through his devotion to Mary, Queen of
the Apostles, and having as model the apostle Paul.
Thus, in 1938, in
order to better organize the religious and apostolic life of the
Paulines sent to Rome in order to found a new house, Fr. Alberione
says: “There is need to build a convenient church for the community,
one that would be a tribute to Mary, Queen of the Apostles...
At Alba a big church was built in honor of the Divine Master,
another in honor of Saint Paul; now it is our duty to render honor
also to our Mother, Teacher and Queen of the Apostles”.
The following year
he shows with pride the plan in the cover of the magazine Unione
Cooperatori Apostolato Stampa: “We are glad to be able to
publish the design of the new church, Mary Queen of the Apostles…”.
To the decision of
Fr. Alberione, upon the entrance into the war of Italy on 10 June
1940, was added a pact with the Madonna: “Mary, Mother and Queen
of the Apostles, if you will save the lives of all our members, we
shall build to your name a church here!”.
The vow, after the
war, takes shape. In May 1945, in spite of economic difficulties and
the complicated configuration of the terrain, Fr. Alberione decides
to construct a grandiose Temple dedicated to the Queen of Apostles.
“The Church to our
Mother, Teacher and Queen will be: a lasting proof of
our gratitude to Mary; a living prayer for our needs; a
center of Marian devotion and piety; a beacon of
light for vocations; a throne of grace for all; a magnet
for religious and priestly vocations” (Fr. James Alberione, in:
Vita Nostra, October 1945).
“The
churches to Saint Paul and to Jesus Christ the Divine Master have
been built; now we shall not forget the Mother!... In Rome it will
be the central church of the Pious Society, of the Daughters of St.
Paul, of the Cooperators... It will be the church of Marian piety...
It will be the church of vocations...”
(Fr. James Alberione, La chiesa alla Regina degli Apostoli,
in: Unione Cooperatori Apostolato Stampa, January/February
1946).
“It is the church
of vocations because it will be the center of prayer to obtain holy
and good priestly and religious vocations” (Fr. James Alberione,
Il sacerdozio, in: Unione Cooperatori Apostolato Stampa,
May/June 1946).
Others would have
postponed everything for better times. For Fr. Alberione it was not
only a matter of cifers. It was a question of faith and gratitude. “Mary
has kept her promise, we ought to keep ours”. The word of
order became, therefore: build.
A new project is
being realized that gave the idea - in all of its expressions of
architecture, sculpture and painting - of the vocation and mission
of the church itself.
“The church of the
Queen of Apostles will be the dominant thought of 1947; it will be
grace that we shall ask every day; it will be our principal work and
task”, Fr. Alberione will say.
“People say: Too
much money is spent for the Church to the Queen of Apostles. We
answer: but this is like digging a well that must quench the thirst
of all and water all! It is not a loss, neither does it mean
committing unproductive money, without interest: from the church we
shall have the greatest interests... from the church we shall have
the greatest goods... This is the hour of the Mother; an occasion of
great merit”.
Early morning of
20 August 1947, on an improvised altar Fr. Alberione celebrates the
first holy Mass in the Crypt of the Sanctuary being constructed. He
will say: “Let us not stop at the work of humans: it is God that has
acted. To God alone be honor and glory. It is because of his
goodness that we have reached this point. From this day on you will
not look at this edifice as an imposing construction that is
developing, but as the house of God, a house of prayer” (Fr. James
Alberione, Un po’ di cronaca. Da Roma 19-20 agosto, in:
Vita nostra, September 1947).
“This is the head
Church and the central Church of the Pauline Families; it is the
Church of the Congregation, not just a church!... It must therefore
rise from the affection, the heart, the sacrifices and prayers, the
offerings and works of the whole Pauline Family; to it are turned
the thoughts, the desires, and the homage of every House, land, son,
family. It is the House of the Mother; the abode of “our Madonna”.
And from this house, from this Church, from every brick that is
built, will descend on eveyone, every house, every country, the
fecund blessing of the Mother, accompanied by her beautiful eyes and
her protective hand. Let everyone of us be a living and eternal
stone of this church” (Fr. James Alberione, San Paolo,
October-November1947).
From 1947 to 1951
the works and sacrifices follow one another. With brick over brick
the walls go up and the vault of the cupola takes on form in all its
majestic impressiveness.
“The new church is not
the simple chapel of a community even if in this case it would be
the precious and holy dwelling of God in the midst of men. Not even
will it be a church for the use of the surrounding population,
although even this purpose would be enough to justify its
construction and cost.
The new church is
destined to be a grandiose and devout Sanctuary of Mary. It is the
vow of gratefulness of her sons and daughters. It is the expression
of their most intense love for their Mother. It is the throne of
graces that Mary will extend to all the earth. It is the meeting
place, the light and the source of many vocations. She’s here, the
Madonna who transforms sinners into saints, and changes saints into
apostles. It’s here, the joy and comfort of the one who works for
Jesus Christ and the true Church.
Already there are
thoughts about the splendor of liturgical solemnities, about pious
and daily intimate functions, about pilgrimages, confessions,
countless communions. The continuous adorations will multiply for
the Church the ranks of priests and religious, men and women. The
songs and the prayers will touch hearts. The Word of God will
elevate souls in the light of God. The doubtful will be enlightened,
the weak strengthened, the sick healed, the afflicted comforted, the
student gifted with science and all will find peace, good health and
salvation” (Fr. James Alberione, Tempio o Santuario alla Regina
degli Apostoli?, in: Unione Cooperatori Apostolato Stampa,
September/October 1950).
During the
Novena in preparation for the dedication of the Sanctuary, Fr.
Alberione says: “This church has something important with respect
to humanity. In it will be set up continuous adoration, that is, we
shall present to Jesus, through Mary, our petitions for vocations,
but not for Pauline vocations only. Today, the Church has the
problem of problems to solve: the problem of vocations. We shall
pray for the whole world, for all institutions, dioceses,
apostolates. Our hearts must be open and big. Open to the needs of
all, big so as to include therein all souls. They must be formed
according to the heart of Jesus: ‘Come to me, all of you that are
weary and oppressed, and I shall give you rest’ (Mt 11,28)”.
During the
inauguration of the church on 5 December 1954, while starting to
speak, Fr. Alberione points out some of the reasons for it: “It can
already sufficiently serve: as a center of Eucharistic and Marian
piety; as a place of continuous adoration for all vocations...”.
“Vocations for all
apostolates, for all religious Institutes, for all seminaries, for
all nations: among them especially, vocations for the most urgent,
modern and efficacious apostolates” (Fr. James Alberione,
Dedicazione…, in: San Paolo, November/ December 1954).
As evangelizer in
the culture of communication, Fr. Alberione wants that the Sanctuary
of the “Queen of Apostles” be not only a place of cult, but also a
“word” that addresses all those who approach it and enter.
Three superimposed
churches. The structural elements with greater emphasis are the four
pillars that mark a quadrant put above the Greek cross. Inscribed in
this quadrant is the circumference corresponding to the ambulatory
and the architrave of the Crypt, and to the pavement of the hall in
the upper church, until becoming visible externally in the tambour,
in the dome cladding and in the lantern.
Interesting is the
symbolism of the geometric figures described above: the quadrant
represents earth, the circle divinity. The two figures penetrate
each other according to a vertical movement from top to bottom to
signify the will of God to descend among men and to live among
them, and from bottom to top to express the longing of men to touch
heaven.
The center of the
circumference represents both the point of confluence of the lines
of force of the whole Temple and the point of irradiation of the
same: the architecture seems to talk and say: “remember that you
are born of the Host”, and: “from here I want to enlighten”.
Externally, in the
frieze, the dedication “B(EATAE) M(ARIAE) V(IRGINIS) REGINAE
APOSTOLORUM” (south side) and the three citations “AB HINC
ILLUMINARE VOLO” (east side), “VOBISCUM SUM - NOLITE TIMERE” (north
side), “POENITENS COR TENETE” (west side) narrate, while amplifying
it, the message inherent in the entire elaboration of the Temple.
Even the
decoration inside the three churches follows a doctrinal unity. The
narrative theme expressed and illustrated by words, frescoes,
sculptures and mosaics, is the following: “The way of humanity,
by means of Mary, in Christ and in the Church”. Fr. Alberione
had imagined singing the history of salvation of which Mary
is the splendid example in the light of God.
Such a history has
its base below the Crypt, starts once more from the altar of the
Crypt that represents the dawn of the history of salvation and grows
up, until the light of the Spirit that blows gently in the cupola
above and pours itself out into the history of the world.
The following in
outline form is the catechesis:
• Bottomcrypt:
God wants to save men. Here is the plan of salavtion, from the
creation of the world and of man until the day of his entrance into
eternity.
• Crypt:
this universal plan of salvation is focused on the person of Mary,
the Mother of God, through the promises, the prophecies and the
allegories about her.
•
Sanctuary/Temple: this plan of salvation is realized through the
mission of Jesus and Mary, and has as its target man of every time.
Prominently behind
the altar of the Sanctuary is the giant altar piece/mosaic
portraying Mary giving Jesus to the world.
“Mary holds out
Jesus to men. She offers to us her fruit: “Blessed is the fruit,
Jesus” that is Life. She is the Reparatrix against the devil who
offered to our first parents the forbidden fruit that was death. Her
fruit is Jesus-Host; fruit of Marian piety is Eucharistic piety”
(Fr. James Alberione, La chiesa alla Regina degli Apostoli,
in: Unione Cooperatori Apostolato Stampa, January/February
1946).
“We do not know yet
enough about what concerns Mary, Queen of the Apostles. One time I
heard this strange thing: in the image of the Queen of Apostles
there is nothing regarding the apostolate. But is it not the Madonna
who gives Jesus? And what is the apostolate if not giving Jesus? You
are not distributing bread: you are distributing the truth, in order
to give Jesus to the world. Therefore: in the image of the Queen of
Apostles everything is there” (Fr. James Alberione, Prediche alle
suore, 1 May 1951).
In his posture of
blessing (or “speaking”) Jesus holds in his left hand the scroll of
the Gospel, the only fount of Truth and Wisdom to be “scrutinized”,
understood and communicated. And this also is the mission of the
Pauline.
The Madonna is
venerated as Mother, Teacher and Queen of the Apostles. At her feet
is a group of 15 persons: they are the Apostles (12, including
Matthias), keepers of the precious inheritance left by the Master;
the two Evangelists who are not apostles, writers of the message of
salvation; and the apostle Paul who, filled with the Spirit,
delivers the Gospel to all nations.
At the sides
of the dome cladding of the tabernacle, are the words (in Latin)
“From here – that is, from the tabernacle, - I want to enlighten”,
because the Eucharist is the fulcrum of light. While, at the sides
of the tabernacle, the words (in Latin)
“I
am the light of the world” remind of the mission of the Pauline as
announcer of salvation, guide for the peoples in imitation of Christ
the Master.
On the surface
of entrance to the church, are the words (in Latin): “Receive
us, Mother, Teacher and Queen of the Apostles – Pray to your Son to
send workers to his harvest”. It is a kind of invocation for the
apostolate. In this Temple people come above all to ask the Virgin
for all the graces in relation to vocations, all vocations.
• during their
birth, as response to the divine calling;
• when they are
growing, in the time of formation;
• when they are
living the apostolate, whatever be the form, for all the needs of
the Church.
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