Saint Joseph Allamano. Photo: consolata.pl
Italian priest Joseph (Giuseppe) Allamano has been among the new saints in the Catholic Church since Sunday. He was shaped in life by his uncle, also a saint, and Don Bosco.
The period in which the new saint grew up was a period of great people in Piedmont, Italy. Allama’s uncle, priest Jozef Cafasso, also comes from the same town. Interestingly, the process of beatification of Cafassa was initiated by the new saint Jozef Allamano.
Saint Dominic Savio also grew up in one of the settlements that belongs to Castelnuovo. He died when Allamano was four years old.
Four saints come from one small town.
In Turin, Joseph Allamano met, or was able to meet, other saints, such as Joseph Cottolengo, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) and Saint Leonardo Murialdo (1828-1900), who founded the Josephine order from Murialdo. Saint Pope Pius X encouraged him in Rome with the establishment of the order.
At that time, it was a period full of unrest, wars and hostility towards the church. But let’s get things in order.
Formation at Don Bosco
Jozef was the fourth of five children. When he was three years old, his father died. However, his mother’s brother, priest Jozef Cafasso, took charge of his education. This priest was an important friend and spiritual guide of Don Bosco and accompanied and formed other priests in and around Turin.
Theologians and nobles also went to Cafasso for advice, they invited him to preach, including for missions and spiritual exercises. Don Cafasso also visited prisoners or accompanied convicts to the gallows. He was a holy priest who was also an example for Allaman.
The second saint who had a great influence on Allaman was Saint John Bosco. Allamano recalled talking to Don Bosco as a boy in Castelnuovo, but he had a real influence on him only later.
When he finished elementary school in 1862, as an 11-year-old, his grandfather brought him and his brother to Turin on Valdocco to see Don Bosco. Allamano spent four years there, during which he completed his high school education. During this period, Don Bosco was also his confessor.
As young Jozef felt a priestly vocation, he applied to the diocesan seminary.
Here came the first obstacles, because his brothers did not agree with it. They wanted him to do public high school first. However, he had only one answer for the brothers: “The Lord is calling me today.” I don’t know if he’ll call me again in two or three years.’
Don Bosco saw in the young man Allaman a future priest for his emerging congregation. Jozef therefore left Don Bosco without saying goodbye, for which he later gently rebuked him.
“You did it to me. You left without saying goodbye to me.” The timid answer was: “I didn’t dare.” Allamano liked Don Bosco and was close to him until the end of his life.
A young spiritual leader
Allaman’s desire was to go on missions, but his physical frailty, which was evident after entering the seminary, did not allow him to do so. Despite this, he stood out among his classmates.
His seminary companion and later Bishop GB Ressia said of him: “He was the first among us not only in the alphabet, but in merit of study and virtue, gentleness of heart and goodness of heart. Everyone knew that he was the closest to the Heart of Jesus.”
Allmano became a priest on September 20, 1873, when he was 22 years old, and his desire was to go to the parish ministry in some small village. However, the bishop entrusted him with pastoring in the seminary, where he was an assistant and, after three years, a spiritual leader. He performed this service for four years.
When the archbishop was sending him to the seminary, Allamano respectfully objected. The bishop replied: “Did you want to become a parish priest?” If for that reason alone, I give you the most famous parish in the diocese: the seminary!”
As an educator in the seminary, Allamano stood out for his firmness in principles, but he was gentle in asking for their implementation. Along the way, he did further studies in theology and qualified to teach at a college. He worked at the faculty of civil and canon law and was later dean of both faculties.
Fragment of the baptistery where St. was baptized. Jozef Allamano, St. Jozef Cafasso and St. John Bosco. The second picture shows a copy from the registry office that confirms the baptism.
At the age of 29, the archbishop of Turin entrusted him with the administration of the Basilica of La Consolata. It is the most popular Marian shrine in Turin. Don Bosco also visited her very often, either with the boys or privately.
He prayed for a long time in this basilica when his mother died. The basilica was built in the 4th century and is associated with respect for the ancient image of the Virgin Mary. Today, the church has a baroque form from 1679, a dome from 1703 and frescoes from 1740. The temple is dedicated to the Virgin Mary Comforter.
When Allamano objected to the bishop that he was too young for such a role, the latter told him fatherly: “You’ll see, they’ll love you anyway. If you make mistakes, it’s better to be young, you’ll have time to correct them.”
Jozef Allaman was joined by the priest Giacomo Camisassa, whom he met in the seminary, where he acted as his spiritual guide.
Their priestly cooperation and friendship lasted more than 40 years. When Camisassa died, Allamano concluded that he had lost both hands. These priests spent long hours together in the study and promised each other that they would always tell each other the truth.
Under the leadership of these priests, the dilapidated temple came to life and they transformed it again into a work of art, where gold and marble shone. The sanctuary became the center of Marian spirituality and Christian renewal for the entire region.
However, Allamano was not only a builder, but first and foremost a charismatic priest. Many saw him as his uncle Don Cafasso. They said that Don Cafasso had come back to life.
Jozef Allamano had a gift from God to advise and comfort people of all social classes, and he was a man with a big heart. He was also able to admonish and many years later returned to God through a good confession and rediscovered peace in their hearts and friendship with God.
He also led spiritual exercises in the sanctuary of St. Ignáca near Lanza Torinese. This center of spirituality was known because Fr. Caffaso preached there for many years.
And it was his nephew who contributed to the beatification of Cafasso, as he emphasized, not because they are family, but because he wanted to give him as an example to other priests. In addition, he collected memoirs, which he published.
In front of the church in Castelnuovo.
Allaman himself was not happy about being related to Don Cafasso, and when dealing with the beatification process, he often said that as a relative he should not even bother with it. “I do this as the rector of the boarding school and because I replaced him in teaching and leading the clergy. It is my duty to point out the virtues and holiness of Cafasso.’
Allaman cared a lot about the formation of young priests. When the archbishop closed the priestly convention because of serious disputes over the teaching of morality in 1876, led by Fr Cafasso, he persuaded him to reopen it. The convent then operated under his leadership in the premises of the former monastery near the Consolata Basilica.
He instilled in the priests that the ultimate goal of the priestly vocation is the salvation of their brothers. He also underlined the missionary dimension associated with priestly ordination, saying that the vocation to missions is the vocation of every holy priest.
Allamano participated directly or indirectly in many apostolic works, was a canon of the cathedral and a member of various commissions and committees.
During the First World War, he helped refugees priests and seminarians who had to join the army. He also supported the Catholic press, including with a significant amount of money. He encouraged publishers not to be afraid to apply innovation.
He couldn’t go on missions, that’s why he founded a religious order
Gradually, Allamano felt an increasing urgency to bring the gospel to everyone. Thus, the idea of founding a missionary institute was gradually born. He himself could not go on missions due to poor health.
He found support and understanding from Cardinal Agostino Richelmy, who was his friend from the seminary. In January 1900, Allamano became very ill and it seemed that his life was at an end. He became ill while tending to a sick poor woman who was lying in a cold attic. Allamano eventually recovered, which he considered a miracle. This event cemented in him the idea to found a missionary institute.
Consolata in Turin.
And so on January 29, 1901, the Consolata Missionary Institute (L’Istituto Missioni Consolata) was born. “Since I could not be a missionary, I want those souls who want to follow this path not to be hindered,” said the saint.
The institute was intended for both priests and laymen, and the first two priests and two laymen left for missions in Kenya on May 8, 1902. They were soon followed by others.
Allamano saw that he also needed women in the missions. Saint Joseph Cottolengo, who founded hospitals for the poorest in Turin, helped him in this matter. This priest freed the Vincentian sisters for the missions.
However, due to difficulties with the newly elected vicar apostolic, the sisters had to return, so Allamano remained in the missions without sisters. This also led him to found the Consolata Missionary Institute on January 29, 1910. However, Pope Pius X encouraged him to take that step.
When Allamano told him about his difficulties, the Holy Father replied: “It is necessary that you yourself found an institute of missionary sisters, just as you founded an institute of missionaries.”
“Your holiness,” Allamano ventured to object, “there are already many female religious families.” “Yes, but not exclusively missionary.” “But I, the most holy father, do not feel called to found nuns!” Allamano countered.
“If you don’t have it, I’ll give it to you,” replied Pius X. Allamano’s next comment to the missionaries was: “See? It was not I who wanted you, but the Pope; therefore you must be papal.’
.JPG)
Altar of St. Allamana in the church in his hometown of Castelnuovo
