AN  UNPUBLIshed  FR.  ALBERIONE

From the recollections of Sr. Assunta Bassi, fsp

When I saw Fr. Alberione the first time, “so minute, so slender and a little curved”, I felt a great delusion. But the words that he said during our Spiritual Exercises lasting three days (1928) had a strong impact on me: “Preaching using the Press is pastoral activity just like the homily that is done in church. It allows us to reach more people, even those who do not go to church”.

This discourse introduced a novelty in the pastoral action of the Church, a novelty for which the Primo Maestro has paid personally on account of misunderstandings and suffering, even if supports and helps were not wanting to him.

When in 1927 I came to Alba, our Congregation was 12 years old. The Primo Maestro was young (43 years old). He was a fascinator, but his own (priests and young men) felt about him,  along with veneration and affection, also awe and a certain fear.

He gave the impression of being rather rustic. He did not allow others to kiss his hands. He was man of few words, always recollected in himself, brisk.

His mind seemed always to be “captivated” by a constant thought that did not allow him  escapes, even if at times with a smile he took part in our recreations and in those of the boys and with pleasure listened  to jokes.

“Let us not lose time!”, was one of the phrases he willingly repeated. His preoccupation about “not losing time” has sometimes caused annoyance because it seemed that he gave more importance to work rather than to be welcoming to persons. 

When the Primo Maestro stood by “immovable” positions, I came to ask myself: “Does he have reasons that make him sure or will he allow himself to be influenced?...” and I made him know about my doubt: “Primo Maestro, is this your own conviction or that somebody has referred it to you? Pardon me, but I have this misgiving”. And he answered me only in this way: “Oh, yes?”.

I have experienced his humble participation in my suffering when, as an aspirant, I was brought to the hospital. I have seen his merciful feeling toward a diocesan priest afflicted with senile dementia who, after dropping his pants under his cassock, stood there in plaza San Paolo in front of our entrance and did not know what to do. With a very understanding and respectful  demeanor he goes to meet him, accompanies him slowly to our parlor and like a mother puts him in order and accompanies him again outside.

I could narrate so many small episodes wherein the Primo Maestro has shown attentive understanding towards the sick and worry for the hard work that the Daughters doing propaganda were taking upon themselves. In the same way that he expressed concern due to the dangers to which they were exposed, both while doing it and inside their bookstores.

But the strongest image in my mind about the Primo Maestro is when he is already advanced in age, all gathered in himself, aware that he was chosen by God for a mission for which he will have to render an account to God himself. His frequent question veiled with sadness is: “What can we do?”.

I see again the flashes of light that transpired from his eyes when he hears some good news about the apostolate or in his “outbursts of impatience” in the face of resistance or slow footedness...

When there are difficulties or there are objections relating to the “Pauline charism”, he reacted with energy. It seems to me that his temperament was prone to anger. I admired him for his capacity to control himself. But when he did not succeed, I consoled myself, thinking: the Lord allows limitations and occasions to fall even for the Saints.

The Primo Maestro gave the impression of being a “tormented” man that did not succeed in making known his “thought” and “feeling”.

He continued to tell us to look for the ways to reach the greatest number of persons, with the fastest means so as to save time and physical strength, but using more intelligence and making better our prayer, especially the Hour of adoration in order to have a deeper sensitiveness to the needs of mankind. One morning, we were in the parlor and Fr. Alberione was talking about these things; at a certain moment he said, lowering his eyes: “We must make well the Hour of adoration because the needs of mankind become understood when we are on our knees. We understand them in Jesus Christ”. Then, looking up, he added: “Jesus Christ is the book on which everything is written”!

I cannot describe the expression on his face and the timbre of his voice when he said: “everything is written”.

Then timidly he began to make some proposals: “You could see, he said, if you can approach those in charge of culture, of pastoral, the centers of direction of various services and movements and by means of them reach many others. For example: instead of going to propose a school library in every classroom, make an appointment with the person responsible; propose a stock of suitable and well-chosen books and so through him furnish all the libraries of the various classes; there are Publishing Houses that already do this. Or at least go to the provincial education directors and propose the adoption of some books for all the scholastic libraries of the Province”.

In his person, apostolic anxiousness and deep conviction were strong: “Yours must be a convinced apostolic work that tends to heal governments, the school, the laws, the family, relationships between social classes. The Pauline Family has a broad task and responsibility” (cf AD 63).