The Holy book tells us that it is when people think it is peaceful that the worst happens. At the beginning of 1913, Fr. Allamano received a decree entrusting the Kaffa Apostolic Prefecture to the Consolata Missionary Institute. It was truly a piece of good news. The territory however had been entrusted to us without us being there. The appointed Apostolic Prefect, Fr. Barlassina Gaudenzio was still in Kenya. He had to move to Ethiopia to begin his work. Towards the end of 1913, he travelled to Italy and a year later he was still there. The death of Menelek, who had been helped by the Italians to seize the empire created by uniting warring Ethiopian territories, had thrown the country into a spin. At the time, Ethiopia was a playground of foreign powers, with the British, the French and the Italians each pushing for their own interests against the chiefs who were also fighting among themselves.
The turn of the events demonstrated clearly that getting the Prefecture had been the simpler task. The true test of reality was entering Ethiopia in that political moment, getting into the Prefecture and governing it, when Italians were not looked upon favourably by the Ethiopians and the white missionaries were not esteemed by the Orthodox Church. The Institute’s attention was in opening Ethiopia after a successful missionary work in Kenya. However, things were thrown out of control when the prince of Hungary was assassinated in Sarejevo, throwing Europe into an enormous conflict. On 28th July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and soon Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Russia, and Japan joined into the conflict. That brought to reality the war that Pope Pius X had dreaded. The pope wrote to the world appealing for calm but it was too late even for him, because on 20th August he breathed his last, leaving the world on fire and many Christians desperate for peace.
Although in Italy the war had not yet began, and although Italy declared herself to be neutral, the conflict was already affecting the activities of the Institute. In Kenya, the conflict between the British and the Germans had deep negative impact on the missions. For example, maritime communication between Bishop Perlo’s Vicariate and Italy became more difficult each day. Ships were sunk and crucial shipment consignments for the missions were lost. Running the schools and hospitals became increasingly difficult demoralizing many missionaries. On 24th May 1915, Italy entered the war. It was a time of distress. Many families had their sons taken for the military service, many of whom did not come back. As for Fr. Allamano, the war came knocking.
In a matter of days, thirty-eight priests and brothers were taken into the military and the few who were left in the Mother House had to content themselves with less food and winter without heating. In a word, the missionary Institute was emptied. Things were becoming bad for Fr. Allamano. The situation was even more compounded by an earthquake at Marsica, which in January 1915, left over 30,000 people dead and thousands injured or displaced. Fr. Allamano like a great prophet turned into a mouthpiece of God’s hope. With people flocking to him at the Consolata Shrine for consolation, he found himself sometimes overwhelmed. Many spoke of what was happening to be a punishment of God. Otherwise how were they to explain the tragedies that were befalling them?
The earthquake had left an unspeakable pain, the Spanish flu had wiped out thousands and thousands of people and through the war families were losing fathers, husbands and sons. People’s property especially domestic animals were being taken to feed the improvised teams of soldiers and therefore families were not only being robbed of people, but also property, leaving behind many poor widows. Fr. Allamano remained the hope of such cries assuring all that God has reasons for whatever happens in the world and that even that situation would pass too. As if to reassure the people, in April 1915, having sold the building of Corso Duca di Genova, Fr. Allamano began work to extend the Mother House with a view of admitting 100 sisters. In a time in which no one would have thought of doing any worthwhile project, that action of the Founder was a real sign of courageous trust in God. This act can only be compared to that of prophet Jeremiah’s call to the people in exile to settle down, take wives and husbands, instead of remaining dejected, frustrated and in mourning.
Fr. Allamano had his hands full: he also had to minister to his missionary sons wherever they were. At least he had to give moral support to those who had been taken to the war by writing to them regularly either personally or through Fr. Umberto Costa. He also kept them informed by sending them the Institute’s publication, the Da Casa Madre (From the Mother House). At some point, actually at the end of 1916, the heroic effort of the Founder to keep things going as usual came down, not only because the Archbishop decreed the house to be closed, but also because there was only one seminarian left. The new wing of the Sisters in the Mother House was barely complete when in February 1917 the military authorities took it and turned it into a depot for medical store, and later into a barrack.
In Africa, war was ravaging the missions, creating more humanitarian needs. The war between the British and the Germans caused many Africans to be deployed in the battlefield as carriers. They were the ones to supply the soldiers with food and ammunitions. Caught in the middle, they died in their thousands. That led to the British authorities setting up make shift hospitals in Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, Taita Taveta, Kisii, and Voi. The situation of many injured people created a pastoral call, which saw Cottolengo Sisters and Consolata Missionaries being called upon to help. That is how Sr. Irene Stefani found herself amidst bloody situations at the age of twenty-five. In Italy, the war had taken another dimension. The year 1917 ended badly, with starvation and hunger. There was no bread in Turin. This led to frequent demonstrations, which within no time turned into a revolt. They began as peaceful demonstrations, but soon exploded into barricades, attacks on and looting of shops and finally into brutal assault on some Churches. Many were burnt, profaned and even vandalized. Luckily, for Fr. Allamano, the Consolata Shrine was not vandalized due to the presence of guards, but a few windows were broken.
In June 1919, four years after the war began, things began returning to normal. On 7th September, the Founder led the community to sing the Te Deum, to commemorate the re-union of all who had been scattered. Things were back on course and the Consolata Mission Institute was once more intact. Fr. Allamano could only tell the missionaries “it is a time to thank the Consolata”.