(a) Cardinal Alimonda misunderstands Fr. Allamano
We have already mentioned that Cardinal Alimonda may have misunderstood Fr. Allamano’s intention to write to Rome. Naturally, anyone would be vexed to know that something has already been discussed elsewhere and even worse, by people above him, yet it is being presented to him as if it is totally a new idea. We understand the Cardinal if he felt undermined. However, it is also true that the Cardinal did not know why Fr. Allamano had written to Rome, and probably it would have been wise to investigate the issue silently first before taking offence. Fr. Allamano did not intend to undermine his Bishop and neither was he requesting Propaganda Fide’s approval. He only wanted to know if the idea seemed viable, since if Propaganda Fide would have said the idea was off, then there would have been no need to pursue it further with the Archbishop. His bishop however missed that.
(b) Cardinal Alimonda dies
Time heals. The issue between Fr. Allamano and his bishop would have probably resolved itself naturally, were it for the fact that on 30th May 1891, the Archbishop, Cardinal Alimonda died at seventy-three. Death closes all opportunities, even of conversion. With the Archbishop dead, there was no point of going to Rome to discuss about the issue of the foundation. Everything had to be shelved until another bishop was sent to Turin, and the matter presented to him. Fr. Allamano’s idea of the foundation was therefore being forced to wait indefinitely. It was in fact better when the Archbishop was alive, since he could have as well changed his mind. Now that he was dead, things had to stop until another person was chosen as the Archbishop of Turin. Fr. Allamano’s letter to Fr. Barbagli in Rome expressed that feeling of uncertainty. “Can I be sure that the new Archbishop will understand this project properly and consequently know how to stand firm against the gossiping of those who, by complaining about the reduction of the clergy in the diocese will try to arouse the opposition of the Archbishop against me?” Fr. Allamano wrote. In a word, his idea of the foundation was as good as dead.
(c) Shortsightedness of many in Turin about missions
From the letter to Fr. Barbagli, it is clear that there were people who opposed Fr. Allamano’s idea of founding a missionary Institute in Turin. Fr. Allamano himself speaks of gossipers. It seems there were people who were speaking aimlessly against his project. The letter also makes it clear that those who did it were not really evil people. On the contrary, they were good people – bishops and priests who were only afraid that sending priests to the missions would create a deficiency of clerical ministers in the diocese after some time. In other words, they were acting out of fear and ignorance of the need that was in Africa, when parishes in Turin had many priests per parish. To Fr. Allamano they were just short sighted, because it seems to them the idea of having one priest less was more terrifying than thinking of the many Africans who did not have even a single one. We cannot however ignore the fact that some may have been gossiping against Fr. Allamano’s project due to jealousy. All in all, Fr. Allamano decided not to take their yapping in seriously. He knew a time would come when they would be ashamed of his progress and kep quiet.
(d) Wild accusations against Fr. Allamano
There is a saying that says if people are not complaining against you, be sure you are doing nothing exceptional. I tend to concur with it to some extent. When people see a person living the same mediocre life like them, they can never complain. Even worse, when people see a person living worse than them most of the time they are contented – due to the natural human tendency to wish to be better than others. Fr. Allamano’s effort to start the missionary Institute gave birth to many wild accusations. As Fr. Camisassa wrote, “Canon Allamano has been accused of taking advantage of his position to attract young priests to the detriment of the diocese”. That was not a simple accusation. Fr. Allamano himself was diocesan priest. How was it possible that he was working against his own diocese? The problem in the world is that those who shout louder are the ones who are heard. And because when something is repeatedly said it ends up appearing as the truth, those who are frequently heard end up appearing as the genuine ones. Fr. Allamano knew that the only way to avoid useless confrontations was to be silent and to wait. If it was the will of God, no one would stand against the idea of the foundation.
(e) Inability to debunk the accusations
There is no difficulty like the one of knowing you are right, but you have no way of proving it to people who think otherwise. Fr. Allamano found himself unable to persuade his distracters to see things the way he saw them. They were just too much bent not to understand. The abundance of priests in Turin did not seem to say anything to them. The cry of mission lands about the lack of evangelizers did not touch them. At least even if they did not understand his words, the reality was clear on the wall for all to read: someone had to do something for Africa. Naturally, if everyone said it was not his business, then at the end it would be nobody’s business. Fr. Allamano knew that if things took that route of everyone minding his own business, then the Non-Christians in Africa were the ones to pay the price. In September 1891 Fr. Allamano at the request of Cardinal Simeoni, the prefect of Propaganda Fide, sent to him the overall plan for the Missionary Institute. He however ruled out the idea of going to Rome. Founded on his obedience, Fr. Allamano said that he did not intend to do anything before being sure that the new Archbishop would approve his idea. He was however happy that someone important in the Church saw things from his perspective.
(f) Cardinal Simeoni dies
The scriptures remind us always that we should not put our hope in human beings because human beings are finite (Ps. 118:8; Ps. 146:3). Human beings are limited. They can fail and actually do fail. They can also disappoint, frustrate and humiliate – and they actually do it. If Fr. Allamano would have put his hope in Cardinal Simeoni, then he would have failed, because in January 1892 the Cardinal died of pneumonia at the age of seventy-six. We do not need to be told how Fr. Allamano felt. Probably if he had not been grounded in faith in God, he would have as well said that the trend of the events that seemingly opposed the foundation of the Institute, were a sign of God that the foundation was not his will. However, Fr. Allamano’s hope was in God. Like Mary, he was convinced that “nothing is impossible to God.” (Lk. 1:37). With that conviction he decided to wait God’s appointed time. He was sure God’s time was the best. He had no doubt that good things come to those who are patient enough to pray and wait.
(g) Uncooperative Prefect of Propaganda Fide
With the death of Cardinal Simeoni, Cardinal Miecislaus Ledochowski became the head of Propaganda Fide. The new Cardinal was Polish, and a splendid figure and witness to the Christian faith. He did receive Fr. Camisassa in Rome, but his message was one of discouragement. Without beating about the bush, the cardinal noted that “Allamano’s plan was of no interest, since there were already more than enough missionary institutes in Italy”. That sounds like a knockout. With those words, I doubt if there was a need to push further. Fr. Allamano as usual remained calm. He must have remembered Psalm 108:12 and Psalm 60:11 which say that the help that a human being can give is worthless. Getting a green light from the Cardinal would have been an encouraging thing, but that alone would have meant nothing. Strengthened by his meditations on the Imitation of Christ, the silent industrious man went on with his duties at the Consolata Shrine as if nothing so disheartening had happened. Now and then the words of his favourite book (the imitation of Christ) on patience would pass through his mind:
“You are not truly patient if you will only endure what you think fit, and only from those whom you like A true patient man does not consider by whom he is tried, whether by his superior, his equal, or his inferior; whether by a good and holy man or by a perverse and wicked one…” (III, 19,1)
(h) Death of Archbishop Riccardi
The place of Archbishop Alimonda was taken by Archbishop Davide Riccardi. The new Archbishop arrived in the diocese on 23rd March 1892. He had been the bishop of Ivrea and then Novara. He was a nice man who loved working in the mass media. He immediately found a good working relationship with Fr. Allamano when he realized that Fr. Allamano could help him out in various issues. Fr. Allamano’s cool temperament and serene character endeared him to people. After all who likes noisy crooks, disorganized chatterboxes and dishonest hooligans? Not even me. Soon Fr. Allamano was again in committees and commissions of the diocese. He was however not in a hurry to bring up the topic about his idea of beginning a missionary Institute even though the Archbishop frequented the Shrine for personal prayer. Surprisingly, the new Archbishop did not rule the diocese for long. On 28th November 1897 the tireless bishop breathed his last. From a distance it would seem that Fr. Allamano’s dream to be a founder was hitting a snag. However, God had his own plans. After all, was he not the one who said “My ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts?” (Isa. 55:8,9). The death of Archbishop Riccardi saw the entrance of Agostino Richelmy as the new Archbishop of Turin. Fr. Allamano sensed that his time of trial was approaching the end. Archbishop Richelmy had been fellow student with Fr. Allamano, and that somehow opened a window of hope that things could still tilt to his favour. From a distance Fr. Allamano started seeing the truth of the words “God does not test us beyond our capabilities” (1 Cor. 10:13).
(i) Fr. Allamano gets seriously ill
The change of guard in Turin resuscitated Fr. Allamano’s hope. He began counting his graces, and was sure that Archbishop Richelmy who was also a Cardinal would never turn down the idea of beginning a missionary Institute, not merely due to their friendship, but especially because his intentions to start one were genuine. Fr. Allamano must have counted the coming of Cardinal Richelmy to Turin as the Archbishop as one of his many blessings. He may have also counted the recent events in his life as moments of grace leading to the foundation of the Institute. To start with, Msgr Angelo Demichelis, a priest whom Fr. Allamano barely knew had left him a house along Corso Duca di Genova when he died. Then there was another house in Rivoli. In addition, Engineer Edoardo Felizzati, who had died due to influenza epidemic that took place between 1899 and 1900, had left three hundred thousand lire to Fr. Allamano. All these must have been real signs that God may have been interested with the foundation. After all, it was only financially stable people who would ever think of starting huge undertakings like beginning missionary institutes.
Fr. Allamano was still counting those as his blessings when on 18th January 1900 he felt the first symptoms of the Flu. On 24th he was so ill that doctors lost hope of his recovery. Many had written him off. Few people thought that he would survive. Allamano himself thought that he would die, and for that reason he had told his archbishop that he was not in a position to found the congregation, so he was asking the cardinal to do it. Many people were already praying that he may go to heaven in peace after his wonderful service at the Consolata Shrine. All those were in for a rude shock. On 29th January, he was miraculously healed from a deadly sickness by Our Lady Consolata. On 6th April he wrote an official application to Cardinal Richelmy for the foundation of the missionary institute, and on September in a meeting with other bishops of Piedmont, Bishop Richelmy pleaded for the foundation of the institute. On 12th October, Cardinal Richelmy gave a verbal approval of the foundation, and on 29 January 1901, during the feast of St. Francis de Sales, he sent the official Decree of Foundation, bringing into reality the existence of the Consolata fathers and brothers. It is rather important to note that Fr. Allamano’s idea was to start the Institute in 1891, but he ended up starting it in 1901 - ten years later. Without a doubt, this says a lot.
First of all, it tells us that Fr. Allamano lived in the hands of God like every other human person. Remember, this fact did not apply just to Fr. Allamano. Even for the Holy Family, God did not make their lives any easier. True, in the Holy Family there was his son, but God did not make life for St. Joseph any simpler. Like all people, St. Joseph had to struggle to feed his family. He had to be a man. He had to work like everyone else to put food on the table. Like all people, Joseph had to make furniture, display them and wait for customers. If nobody came to buy, that day became a bad day. Why? Because if no one appeared to buy something, not only he and Mary his wife, but also Jesus their son, slept hungry. Similarly, just like God didn’t favour Joseph by bringing to him miracle furnitures and customers, he didn’t favour Fr. Allamano just because he had a good idea and good intentions. Although Fr. Allamano had plans, good dreams, admirable wishes and desires (of seeing the congregation begin), his convictions did not replicate the will of God. If the plans of Fr. Allamano were in conformity with God’s will, it would have been possible to start the Institute in 1891 as he wished. This reminds us that the plan of God cannot be changed by good human plans and wishes, and therefore our duty in the world is to try to identify the will of God and follow it. It reminds us what we read in the Psalms “the soldiers can prepare the horses for a battle, but the victory comes from the Lord” (Prov. 21:31). It is important to note that it was not a mistake for Allamano to have good plans (of starting the Institute) - we should all have plans for the future. If we don’t then we are dead, since man lives by hope.
Second, the ten years of waiting shows that Fr. Allamano was a man of very strong character. He was not the type that gives up after an initial failure. We certainly know that Fr. Allamano was not just sitting as the years went past. He was consulting and pushing in the corridors of power in the Church. Each failure motivated him to go ahead, since he had known another way how not to achieve his goal. This is certainly a lesson to all of us. Nothing comes easy. In fact, failure is already success if we learn from it. Many people in Fr. Allamano’s position would have given up very early. His endurance however showed that he too understood what we know today: failure is only an opportunity to begin again, this time more wisely. Those who work with that attitude end up learning that in truth, failure is not the opposite of success, but part of it. Sometimes when we are in difficulties, we think that we have been buried underground forever, until we discover that we are actually planted to sprout out into new promising reality. The truth however remains that no gain is without pain and as our medics tell us, the pain that does not kill us instructs us and heals us. Fr. Allamano’s ten years wait to start a congregation reminds us that we should fight for what we are convinced of, because if it is the will of God, it ends up becoming a reality. One who abandons his vocation just due to a few challenges and obstacles is not meant for that vocation. Even Jesus said that whoever holds a plough and looks back is not worthy of him (Lk. 9:62). The ten certainly frustrating years that Fr. Allamano waited for the will of God to manifest itself shows his endurance. The ten or so years that a person goes through to arrive at priesthood is also a test of endurance. When lived in serenity, they are also a confirmation of the authenticity of the vocation of a person. Endurance is a key quality since it is not those who start well who are praised in any race, but those who endure to the end. As if to confirm the same, the bible itself tells us that “he who will endure to the end will be saved” (Mt. 24:13).
With the Institute founded, on 8th May 1902, our Founder saw the departure of the first four Consolatas to Africa. I have no doubt that they remembered the words of the Founder each and every minute they sailed through the ocean:
…it’s not enough to be called It’s not enough to answer that call It’s not enough just to enter the society It’s not enough even to go to the missions One needs a full, generous and constant response to the grace of his vocation Not everyone who is called perseveres, because not everyone responds Judas was certainly called to the apostolate by Jesus himself - and still he lost his vocation (SL 25)
These words of our Founder must never be forgotten. Even today, they are as fundamental as they were the time he spoke them. By repeating the word “enough” so many times, the Founder wanted to pass a key message to his missionaries. He meant that it was not sufficient just to be in the Church - one had to live accordingly. And the Founder was right. Even today, we know that just like the Jews believed that they were sons of God by the virtue of having Abraham as their father, but ended up cheating themselves, only to be woken up by the Babylonian exile, it is also very possible for us to believe that we have already secured our salvation by being close to the tabernacles and the Church compound. Fortunately, the gospels show us that even though there were many people pushing round and about Jesus, it was only the sickly woman who felt the effect of touching him - actually his cloak (Mt. 9:18-26). In other words, it was not enough for people to be around Jesus – they had to have the right disposition in order to benefit from the nearness to him. Similarly, for us, the proximity to sacred areas does not matter. We may live in what many consider to be sacred grounds and as a result frequently touch him whom many are searching daily, yet live and finally leave (the world) unchanged. This explains why Fr. Allamano repeats insistently the word “enough” in the above citation. The hope of Fr. Allamano when he spoke those words was that his listeners like the old sickly woman who touched the cloak of Jesus and got healed, would one day manage to truly touch him who died for them before their final journey begins or actually ends. The four missionaries he was sending to Africa knew that very well: they had to respond generously to the gift of vocation that God had given them if they were to make any difference in the lives of the people.
They must have been also aware that those words of Fr. Allamano were an affirmation that we are created for something and to devote ourselves to it. They were on their journey to fulfil the usefulness for which God had created and called them. Even today, we must reaffirm that no one is created just to be in the world. God created us to do something in the world, to make a difference, to contribute in the on-going creation of the world and to make the world a better place to live. That is however only possible if we are aware of the choice we are meant to make: either live for something or die for nothing. Our search for that something therefore should be a response to the plan of he who created us. In the scripture we also get the confirmation that God created us to do something. In Genesis, we read that God took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it (Gen. 2:15).
Those words of Fr. Allamano, “it is not enough…”, reveal that it is a sign of personal maturity for a person to be able to devote oneself to a goal, steadily and calmly. This has never been easy for anyone. Even great people like prophet Elijah ran away at some point (1 Kings 19:3,4). Fr. Allamano must have told the four missionaries not to be under any illusion that things would be easy. Devoting oneself to a given goal is a tough task because there is always no guarantee that the effort of devoting oneself to something will be an enjoyable experience, will be appreciated by others or will be successful. In fact, history and experience has shown that most of the worthwhile ventures inevitably meet great challenges, which may even include opposition. In other words, there has never been any perfect environment in which all good things flourish and go smoothly - even God’s great enterprise unfolds in the face of evidently bitter defeat. The ruthless death of Jesus on the cross is one of the best examples we may cite anytime. Fr. Allamano must have repeatedly told the four missionaries that their work would meet difficulties, and that they would have proved to be mature missionaries if they recognized that difficulties are normal in life, and with that knowledge still calmly and steadily pursues their aim undeterred by the forces against it.
Today, if Fr. Allamano were to speak to us, he would tell us categorically that devoting oneself calmly and steadily to a certain goal implies a capacity to delay gratification of other legitimate needs that may clamour for satisfaction. In other words, when we are in formation, our bodies do not discover that we intend to be religious and hence stop demanding for pleasure, power, or alcohol. They continue. After all that is their nature. We are the ones to learn to delay such gratification. The more we learn to do it the better, for we become experts in it. That way, at some point, such needs no longer bother us much (although it would also be self-deception to think that at some point in life, may be due to age, our bodies will be less tempted). Anyway, arriving at the point where our bodies do not disturb much requires a great deal of discipline and time. Of course, it would be a lie to say that we only need discipline. That would be like saying that we can actually do it by ourselves provided we are disciplined. In fact, this is one of the greatest lies of our world today: the fact that man is capable to achieve anything and everything provided he is disciplined and determined. History has proved that idea wrong. Man’s efforts of trying to create monuments of pride have not only ended up as terrible failure, but also as terrible forces of destruction. That is why we must underline that man needs divine power if he has to make any worthwhile achievement. Anyway, the point is that in addition to the divine assistance that is needed to overcome ourselves, one’s discipline is important. If the Founder came here today, he would not mince words telling us that an immature seminarian is not likely to succeed in delaying the gratification of such needs. Instead, he gives in when his body disturbs him. Certainly, this applies not just to the seminarians, but to all followers of Christ. We all know that true happiness comes when needs are fulfilled and when desires are satisfied. Our needs however exist at different levels and the need to prioritize them is crucial. At the depth of the person, is the need for God (a thirst that only he can satisfy). This is why St. Augustine once said that we are meant for God, and we remain restless until we find rest in him. Fr. Allamano’s happiness was beginning to get fulfilled. His dream was coming true.
As you would expect, the project did not attract admiration and joy from all quarters. Naturally, that is understandable. We are always surrounded by envious and jealous people, who are either not happy of our achievements, who feel that our achievements make them appear inferior, who hate to see us happy or who are simply hurt by our success. This has been a human tendency for centuries. Even in the time of Jesus there were people who seemingly felt bad when others benefitted from Christ’s healing. Such people make us think that they would have been happy if the healed individuals would have been left with their suffering. In other words, it is unfortunate that we carry with us sadistic tendencies even as we claim to be sons and daughters of God. That too was the experience of Fr. Allamano.
While many people were thanking the Lord for the successful foundation of yet another religious Institute in Turin, there were those who had different opinion. Some considered Fr. Allamano’s project a clear folly. How could he begin such a project? They could not understand how he had come to a decision of sending people to Africa at his own expense. Where would he get the money to run the institute? How would he maintain the people in Africa? It was sheer foolish to have made such a decision – they said. Fr. Allamano’s action became the talk of the town. Some other people wondered how on earth Fr. Allamano would run the Institute since he was already overloaded with many duties in the diocese, in addition to his frail health. They went to a point of claiming that he was looking for fame, popularity and recognition. “He will end up like Fr. Ortalda”, some said openly.
Fr. Ortalda had been a priest in Turin who enthusiastically began what he called apostolic schools for training missionaries. For a period, he became popular and many admired him. For some reasons however, he could not maintain the dream alive for long. With time everything collapsed and for that reason he not only ended up dying a frustrated man in 1880, but also becoming the word of caution to those who dreamt of beginning similar projects. Fr. Allamano went on with his activities while many of his colleagues went on spreading all sorts of stories about the end of his projects. Even Bishop Bertagna participated in spreading pessimism about Fr. Allamano ideas. Fr. Allamano was not surprised – everything was scriptural: Jesus was betrayed by one of the twelve men he had chosen as his apostles, just like Samson was betrayed by Delilah – the love of his life.
Today, with the Institute having made a strong foothold in Africa, if the Founder came to us, he would speak to us using African proverbs. I believe he would tell us “people do not through stones to an empty tree, and neither do they kick a dead dog”. Naturally, people throw stones to a tree that has ripe fruits. Similarly, people are not likely to kick a dead dog, because it has no effect on them. They only kick a living dog because they know it could bite. The Founder’s life and experience depicted exactly that. The fact that many people were opposing his project or spreading pessimism about it was because they discovered in him something they did not have. Fr. Allamano was not an empty tree, and that was why they were throwing ‘stones’ at him. He was not a dead dog – and that was why they tried to discourage him. If he had been a mediocre person like many of his colleagues, that is, living a flat life that rotated between his sleeping quarters and the pulpit, they would not have fought him. Their efforts to fight him were signs that they had recognized that he was ‘more’ than what they thought him to be. Fr. Allamano’s experience should teach us a lot. If we are second-rate, average or middling, people are not concerned about us because after all we have nothing much to offer. If we find ourselves doing the right thing and yet being persecuted, we should not stop, because it is a sign that we have something that others wish they had. If however we find ourselves being praised, recognized and sung about all the time, we should investigate the issue. Why? Because John the evangelist tells us that the world loves what is its own (Jn. 16:19).
In addition, the fact that Fr. Allamano was being discouraged by people in the Church should not surprise us too. One time, people took their children to Jesus so that he may touch them, but his disciples told them to go away (Mt. 19:13-15). Luckily, Christ noted the issue before the kids disappeared. Of course, it was a shocking thing that the disciples among whom were parents, could stop children from accessing Jesus when they had witnessed how much he did to the people who encountered him. If the action would have been done by some passers-by we would not be surprised, but the disciples! The efforts of many people to discourage Fr. Allamano’s tell us that we should not expect to be recognized even when we do well. There will always be a person full of envy, jealousy, and such feelings. Instead of getting annoyed, we should move on with our activities praying for them and hoping that they would change their minds. In fact, we should pray for them to live longer so that they may witness God’s blessing taking effect in us and our lives radiating his majesty.
Furthermore, the discouragement that Fr. Allamano received from within the Church tells us also that Christ should be the only centre of our lives. Of course, we will always need mentors and other people to be good examples for us to follow, but the centre should always be Christ. When we understand this, even if those whom we consider to be our mentors fail, we will still remain standing, since they are not the central pillar of our lives. Again, our duty should be to pray for them, not to criticize or blame them – because what goes around has a way of coming around. Guided by this wisdom, that is exactly what Fr. Allamano did.
With the Institute a reality, Fr. Allamano continued forming people for its first step out of Italy. In the Consolatina, that is, the small house that he had received as a gift along Corso Duca di Genova, there were eleven aspirant missionaries: some priests and some brothers. Fr. Allamano ensured that they got the best preparation possible. He knew they were heading out of Europe into the jungle of lions and malaria. They deepened their spiritual life, studied English, general medicine, mathematics, natural sciences, and other practical things like riding, carpentry, masonry, etc. It was the final step before his Institute found its way to Africa. It was what he had been working for all those years.