Missionary Formation
39. Formation here and now. The majority of religious congregations enjoyed a period of initial fervor. Members were intent on their own sanctification and combined solid virtue and apostolic zeal. They displayed the unity and harmony that are sure signs of charity. But they did not all continue at the same level of fervor – the spirit of the world entered and gained the upper hand. What can we say about our Congregation? It will survive, but we may ask will it retain its initial fervor? This is a grace we must constantly seek of the Lord. Woe to us if we lose this early fervor; it is easier to found a Congregation than it is to renew one. If one day our Congregation should lose its original spirit I hope to make myself heard from heaven!
The purpose of this house is your formation. The Lord has laid out rules, appointed people to train you and provided all the grace you need. If you take these things seriously and remain docile you will receive day by day, hour by hour this shower of grace. You will be the success the Lord hopes for and you will achieve the goal of your vocation.
“In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation!” (II Corinthians 6,2). St. Paul defines the time of the Gospel as the “acceptable time” – a time we must seize with gratitude and love. The Church applies these words to the period of Lent. I address the same words to you and apply them to the grace of your vocation and the time you spend learning priestly, religious and missionary virtues.
Think about it: this is your opportunity. Remember what St. Jerome – who lived so long in Jerusalem – said: “It is not living in Jerusalem that is important, it is living a holy life.” This house is your Jerusalem. It is not enough that you have come here, remain and live here – just as it is not enough to call yourselves missionaries: what is really important is that you learn how to live the missionary spirit. But to do this, and I can never repeat it enough, you cannot wait until you are in the missions. Each day is the “time of God’s favor.” It is here and now that you must begin your formation. Anyone who thinks he can wait until he is in the missions to become a saint is mistaken. No, No! If you are not saints here, if you are not saints before you leave, you will never be saints. Believe me on the missions you will only harvest what you have sown. Unhappy is the individual who finds formation tiresome and takes no delight in his own training. I repeat, let yourselves be formed, love the guidance and correction; seek out the perfection set forth by the Congregation! This should be your common motivation: value time and don’t waste a second. If you do this now you will profit in the future.
Be faithful to the graces and inspirations God gives you. The Lord is often knocking on the door of your heart. You must be ready to open the door to him immediately. We have many occasions to make small sacrifices and if we make them generously we will soon encounter occasions to make greater and greater sacrifices until we achieve heroic virtue.
40. The spirit of our Congregation. In this Congregation you must become what, with the Lord’s inspiration, I have envisioned; I am sometimes frightened by the responsibility I bear – I really want the members of our Congregation to be perfect and to lead a perfect life. I believe we must do what is good and do it well. Otherwise with my already many obligations I would not have undertaken the added responsibility of founding this Congregation. I want to exploit and apply my life-long experience of community to our two Congregations.
You pay attention to my commands, exhortations and even the simple wishes which you all know. Here is what I would like from you: good will and a generous, unflagging effort to absorb the spirit of the Congregation. Act in such a way that you can say with St. Paul, “I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2,20). This is because the Spirit of the Lord has so pervaded his being that he was totally transformed. Renew yourselves in the spirit of the mind (Cf. Ephesians 4,23) so that you become new persons replete with all the virtues of the Lord.
You are men and women Consolata Missionaries. But are you this only in name? Show that you are authentic missionaries, that you have the spirit of the Congregation and that you lead lives that every day and every hour conform to that spirit. The spirit gives form and life to an institution and to its individual members. Every institution has its own spirit - of which and for which it lives. Individuals are vital members of a Congregation to the extent that they possess its spirit. Whoever wants to absorb the spirit of our Congregation completely must begin now and not waste time.
41. In thought, word and deed. Are the thoughts you entertain during the day worthy of missionaries? Do you think constantly of the reason you came to our Congregation? In other words, are you eager to become saints? Can you say with St. Paul that your thoughts are the “thoughts of Christ?” (Cf. I Corinthians 2,16).
Are your words, your conversations worthy of a missionary? You must speak often of spiritual and useful subjects; you must help each other to grow in virtue and knowledge. On the contrary, so often your conversations are utterly banal! ... It is all wasted time, my beloved, wasted formation time. If only one of you had the courage to take the first step but alas no one dares. And yes, secretly each of you would be happy if this were to happen. This concern for your formation is very close to my heart. I would want your conversations to be always worthy of holy missionaries.
With regard to your deeds – you must examine yourself often. The actions of a good Christian are not enough, yours must be the actions of a good missionary. If a good Christian ought to disdain comfort how much more missionaries must forsake such vanity. The same is true about devotion, work and all the other virtues. Your habit and words are not enough to make you missionaries – there must be deeds. Deeds bear witness before the world. You must have the spirit of Consolata Missionaries in your thoughts, words and deeds.
42. With the leadership of your superiors and formators.[1] Superiors and those in charge of formation are sentinels God placed in the Congregation to promote and preserve its fervor and spirit. This is both a great service and a grave responsibility.
Our first responsibility as superiors is to pray for you. We think of you at Mass and recommend you to the Holy Spirit. We pray that He will grant you the strength to overcome obstacles in your daily struggle against shortcomings; we pray that He will further give you the gift of piety that you may become genuine men and women of prayer. Our second responsibility as superiors is to be present, caring and vigilant in the community. This is a serious responsibility: the life, success or failure of the community depends on it. St. Paul placed care for the Churches before all his other responsibilities (Cf. II Corinthians 11,28).
Our third responsibility is to leave no mistake uncorrected. Like choir directors we can let no false note go by or think it too insignificant to notice. I remember the instructions given to me by Archbishop Lorenzo Gastaldi[2] when he sent me to the seminary. “There are two things I recommend: first great charity – never say a harsh word or anything that could offend or make the young man think you do not respect him. Second, never let a mistake go by without correcting it.” This is what a superior or mentor’s responsibility amounts to.
When I was the seminary spiritual director I was often tempted to escape from so much responsibility and with you the responsibility is even greater and more enduring. I feel personally responsible for all of you, for your becoming saints and for the salvation of so many souls. I want to come before God with the assurance that I have done my duty as a mentor of missionaries and to the extent that my limited strength will permit I would like to do this duty.
God has sent me, your superiors and your teachers to lead you. It is up to us to discern your vocation and to train you in the authentic spirit of the Congregation as Consolata Missionaries. We must one day render an account to God on how we have carried out this special mission and if we have been faithful ministers and dispensers of the grace we have received and passed on to you. Woe to us if fear of offending you has kept us from being faithful channels of grace. The road you must follow is the one we point out. If we are channels of God’s grace for you it stands to reason that no one else, be he priest, layman, saint or more learned than us, should interfere or advise you. God will only ask you if you have obeyed me and those who act in my name. I hope that all of you have good will and will allow yourselves to be taught.
43. With an open and trusting heart. Here all must be love. Love your superiors and formators who endure so much on your behalf – your affection will comfort them. They should be respected regardless of their personal qualities – but only insofar as each in his own area of responsibility serves as God’s representative. Do you possess this spirit of practical faith?
Allow me to insist on the need for trust in your superiors and formators. We are all members of one family. [3]In well-ordered families children think it a duty to confide their thoughts, feelings, problems and successes to their parents and seek their help. You are the children and superiors and formators are your parents in the Lord. They are at your side day and night; they think, pray and work on your behalf and are aware of the responsibility they bear before the Congregation, the Church and God. Therefore your hearts should be open – like children with their parents. This and nothing else is what we hope to achieve. Never forget that superiors and formators have special grace from God to lead you and form you in the holiness required of your estate.
Believe me, without openness it is difficult to respond worthily to your calling; your superiors and formators constitute a channel through which God’s grace reaches your soul. I think I can say that the good or bad health of a religious community depends on the extent to which this trust exists.
In our communities there are individuals who practice what they hear, they make an effort to follow the rule, they are serene and … Thank God! They do this all year long. But then there are others – perhaps the majority – for whom openness with superiors and teachers is a genuine need and an absolute necessity if they are to make rapid and sure progress in their growth as religious and missionaries otherwise they will lose courage when faced with difficulties.
Let me say this in conclusion: nobody has ever been sorry that he trusted his superiors or formators. On the contrary many regret – but too late – that they ignored this powerful tool of formation. It would have taken just an act of humility to reveal one’s problems and sufferings; and it would have taken just a word from our leaders to save a vocation that is now forever lost. Blessed is he who understands and puts these principles into practice. When I am in heaven I will bless you even more; I will always be looking down at you …
44. In simplicity and sincerity. Simplicity eliminates duplicity from one’s soul; it does not seek its own advantage but only the glory of God and the benefit of one’s neighbor. This virtue is a great secret that endears us to God. The Lord says, “Be simple as doves” (Matthew 10,16) and He urges us to become as little children to enter the Kingdom. Here in this place we must learn the spirit of simplicity. The simple person thinks, speaks and works with candor.
If we seek (and we should) only God’s will and our own improvement we must reveal everything (except sin) to our superiors and formators. They will show us God’s will and will keep us from pursuing a path God does not favor. Instead of seeking every means possible to be open and seek help to improve and perfect ourselves we make an effort to hide and cover up our weaknesses. This is not how the saints behaved. If we act like children who say everything they think we will be all right. Do not worry if others know your defects they can help you overcome them. Be straightforward, be simple without ambivalence … What is, is. Remember that the Lord does not work in muddy waters. Let what is in your heart be on your lips. Truth is truth and we must love it. This is what I want to see: a pure spirit, precise and clear; you should be on the outside what you are on the inside.
45. Quality. The Lord has sent vocations to our Congregation and if we maintain our good spirit He will send more; the Congregation is His work as are vocations. May the Lord continue to send us candidates – but first class candidates. This is what I want: few candidates but good ones, ones in order: they should have spirit; they should be both willing and capable of working for others. It is not quantity but quality that counts – quality and spirit. Numbers can be important if they are accompanied by quality.
What do I care if there are 50 or 100 young people in training if they are not the right sort? How often have you heard me say: Woe to those who throw the doors wide open! Woe to those who are afraid of sending candidates away! I keep saying the same things but I repeat myself because our numbers – if not accompanied by the necessary quality – frighten me. It is not as easy to train many well as it is to train a few. I have said it before and I repeat: better fewer candidates but first-rate candidates. And if someone who has not yet made perpetual vows feels he cannot continue on the right path it would be better if he left. It would be better for him, for the Congregation and for the missions.
46. Don’t rush your departure. You are fragile plants in the Church’s garden and the Lord wants you to grow properly, straight and healthy. For this reason you must be cared for. Put all your heart into this effort. Happy is the individual who is well prepared. To acquire solid, full-blown, strong virtue you need time.
Don’t rush your departure for the missions. It is only natural that you feel a strong urge to leave for the missions – this is the reason you came here and the goal towards which you are striving. This is what your formation in the Congregation is preparing you for. As I always say, your heart should be in the missions. But at the same time your desire should be accompanied by a healthy caution. It is not enough to want to leave for the missions you must be prepared for this undertaking – both intellectually and spiritually. Are you prepared? Don’t deceive yourselves: it is here that you must be formed in virtue. In the missions the tree will produce its fruits: you will be patient, generous and disdainful of comfort if you have learned all these things in formation, if they have become a habit. This is the proper caution possessed by all who have a good spirit and understand the value of the apostolate.
Get rid of the obsession with rushing! I would recommend calm and patience so that you can prepare yourselves well. It is better to do something slowly and well. There is no point in having much land to cultivate if you lack the workers or if the workers you have are not fit. We need capable, well-trained workers. I would like these thoughts to take root in your mind. A desire to go to the missions – yes – but coupled with a healthy concern that we be sufficiently prepared. The Church does not need so many subjects – it can continue its mission without them. It does, though, need learned and spiritually formed apostles. No one is indispensable but all are useful. The same thing can be said about our Congregation.
Formation for an ordered life
47. Involvement and collaboration of all. Discipline[4] is important because it promotes the individual’s formation and the organization of the community. It covers a wide range that includes punctuality in carrying out one’s duties, faithfulness to the rule and customs of the community, good manners, etiquette, etc.
In former times a paterfamilias like the patriarchs of old used to gather his older and more experienced offspring to discus family matters. They would speak of the past, the present and the future; they would discuss how family affairs were progressing, how they could be improved and what ought to be corrected in the family. I knew a father like this and I knew how well things went in his household. There was agreement and commitment! This is what we should do as well and this is why I am always so happy to be in your company. We must get to know and understand each other intimately. We should consider the present and ask: Are things going well in our community? … Could they improve? … What should we do about this? … What pitfalls should we avoid? … The future of the Congregation depends on the present.
As missionaries the Lord expects you to be involved and interested in the common welfare. Remember for something to be genuinely good it must be complete. Generally one who is not orderly in his activities is not orderly in his thinking or anything else. As I have said before good must be done well and this is true of our vocation: we must do better every day and with enthusiasm. It is not so much the action itself that counts but the spirit with which we perform it. This is how our community should be: orderly in activity and filled with a good spirit.
48. It’s up to me as well. We are all in this together and have an interest in everything going on in this house – as if every inch of it belonged to us. We need order for our own sake and for the good of all; each of us should feel we are members of a living body; we should work in unison for the good of all like the members of a human body. Don’t we all have the same goal? Yes, the same goal and the identical motivation: that our community, our Congregation should progress, prosper and accomplish its mission. No one should say, “it’s not my concern” – it’s everyone’s concern. With the excuse that “it’s not up to me” you will bump into a chair out of place and not think to put it back where it belongs, or see a piece of paper on the floor and not pick it up, or hear a window or door banging and not close it. First of all we must do our own tasks and do them well, thoroughly and enthusiastically. Then we must be concerned about everything else as well.
49. Not only maintain but love discipline. Discipline should not just be maintained it should be loved. If you don’t love discipline it will be almost impossible to maintain it and perform our tasks cheerfully and with determination. I think it is not so much its material observance that is lacking as it is the love of discipline. Consequently while we all do the same things some enjoy their work because they do it with love while others unable to avoid work think of it as a burden.
The observance of discipline certainly costs us something. We must work on our own will and cleanse it totally of all our disordered tendencies. This costs us – but love can make it sweet and bearable. Do not forget the Holy Spirit’s warning: “Unhappy is the man who disdains discipline” (Wisdom 3,11). While he who maintains discipline lovingly enjoys perfect peace. Instead of aspiring to do the impossible do what you must do and do it well and do it in the time, place and way prescribed; not sporadically following each day’s whim but always, every day and all day long. This is the spirit of discipline! Discipline is necessary above all in the missions – it must be considered a duty and maintained lovingly. Given the circumstances in which mission work is done an undisciplined act can cause disorder and harm to evangelization.
50. Good manners and sensitivity. Apart from every other consideration, discipline – in this case good manners – is necessary for the apostolate. A missionary without good manners will never win respect and will have difficulty doing anything worthwhile good for people.
Good manners are equally necessary for safeguarding charity. In our communities as in families and society at large there must be mutual respect. Good manners will make us more sensitive; we will think of ourselves with humility and avoid offending others. We will defer to others and show gratitude. Good manners may help us practice charity but charity can turn good manners into something noble. Charity exists where good manners prevail. Communities with good manners can more easily practice mutual charity. What begins with a rude word can end up with an attack on charity. This is why I would hope to see great sensitivity in our midst. Each of us should examine himself to see if he is guilty of anything that undermines sensitivity. I want you to practice this delicate charity so that our community can be genuinely sensitive.
And how do we become refined and polite? By self-examination and correcting any defect which leads to poor manners. Believe me time spent on self-examination is time well spent. We must examine ourselves and look for anything unbecoming a person with good manners or anything offensive to others. Ultimately we become refined and polite through fraternal correction. At times we don’t recognize our less refined habits and it is an act of charity if others point them out. Shortcomings in manners are little things we should call to each other’s attention.
Good manners are something I think really important that I will continue to emphasize. I want our community to be refined. Together with piety and an eagerness to learn I want our communities to be marked by good manners. I want everything done well, with dignity, moderation and sensitivity. I will never permit anything rude here. Certainly good manners, as St. Bernard notes, do not constitute religious perfection but they certainly foster perfection. Good manners are to virtue as flowers are to fruit. They are only flowers but they give promise of fruit in the future. If we act accordingly the Lord will bless us and our community will be a well ordered community. Our Lady, the Consolata, is sensitive and she would want her sons and daughters to be equally sensitive.
51. Mastery of self and modest behavior. Modesty - reserve and dignity - should characterize our behavior “from the hair on our head to the soles of our shoes” as St. Joseph Cafasso used to say. The great virtue of modesty is born of self-mastery and presupposes the existence of other virtues: patience, meekness, humility, etc. It requires unceasing self-control. God is invisible but He makes Himself seen through us; not just in our virtues but also in our behavior. Practice modesty not just for its own sake but also for the witness it bears to others.
How does one acquire modesty? - primarily through practice of the Presence of God. God is always at hand and He sees us. We must learn to live in His Presence and then whether alone or with others we will behave with reserve and dignity. We must frequently examine ourselves to determine if we are in any way immodest; if so we must ruthlessly change our ways. Yes, I want you to love modesty.
This is what discipline involves. Let us love and maintain it. For us it is like God’s Law and should inspire everything we do all day long. It is written: “Great peace to all who love Your Law” (Psalm 118,165). These words have always been dear to my heart. Remember abundant peace comes only from love or an observance that is born of love.
Study and work formation
52. The need for knowledge. Holiness is not all you need as missionaries, you need knowledge too. Piety may be sufficient for the formation of a hermit, but one who proclaims the Gospel must have both knowledge and piety. A genuine apostle is knowledgeable. You should see study as necessary for your mission. Mediocre intellectual preparation is just not good enough – you need genuine knowledge. An ignorant missionary is a sad and bitter sight.
The need for knowledge Is apparent from Scripture. In the Old Testament we read in the prophet Malachi: “For the priest’s lips ought to safeguard knowledge, his mouth is where the law should be sought, since he is Yahweh’s messenger” (Malachi 2,7). People sought truth from the priests and presumably the priests possessed it. The Prophet Hosea writes: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you that you shall be no priest to Me” (Hosea 4,6). In the New Testament the Lord says to His disciples: “Go therefore and teach all nations” (Matthew 28,19). If we are to teach others we must first be knowledgeable ourselves. This is why St. Paul wrote to Timothy: “Look well to yourself and your teaching and persevere in these things” (I Timothy 4,16).
St. Francis de Sales speaks of knowledge as the eighth sacrament. And you know what St. Teresa said: if forced to choose between a learned but not too pious confessor and a pious confessor who was not too learned she would, for her own peace of mind, choose the learned confessor. We cannot expect infused knowledge – something that occurred with the apostles who spent three years living with Jesus. Believe me, your success will depend on how much you have studied or failed to study.
A missionary without knowledge is like a lamp without light. For this reason you must be as broadly knowledgeable as possible. Everything here is designed for your intellectual and spiritual formation. At the end of his apprenticeship everyone who has made a genuine effort will discover himself well prepared for whatever mission the Lord gives him. Remember the slogan: Repetition helps [Repetita iuvant]. We must review our studies. The first time we study something we understand it; the second time we begin to assimilate it and the third time – we relish it.
53. Language study. I would especially recommend the study and practice of languages so that you can communicate with people. What is the purpose of philosophy, theology and so many other things if you are unable to communicate what you have studied? If you speak languages poorly you will have little success and will soon lose the incentive to evangelize or you will evangelize without enthusiasm or conviction. Therefore: first philosophy, then theology, Holy Scripture and immediately after these: languages. I think this is one sign of a missionary vocation in our Congregation.
Our letters from missionaries all complain about one thing: they do not know the native languages sufficiently well to begin immediately to proclaim the Gospel. This should not be the case with you! Be really committed to language study. When an individual does all he can to learn the Lord will give him the gift of tongues promised to the apostles. When we sent the first Kikuyu dictionary and grammar (composed entirely by our missionaries) to Rome Cardinal Gaetano De Lay wrote a long letter of congratulations. He compared our missionaries to Sts. Cyril and Methodius who were the first to commit a Slavic language to writing. In a sense our missionaries gave new life to the Kikuyu language.
It is not enough to study the grammar of a language – you must practice speaking it. Anyone not interested in studying languages will have a hard time being a missionary. This is why I insist on the need to study languages – for missionaries it is an absolute necessity.
54. Study for the evangelisation. You must study with humility, enthusiasm, moderation and piety. With humility: we will talk about this at length when we discuss the virtue of faith. With enthusiasm: this means studying in depth without wasting time. With moderation: this means studying neither more nor less than is necessary – you should never think time subtracted from study by obedience is wasted time. Here in this place everything is done for the sake of the missions.
Study especially with piety: for a missionary everything leads to piety – even study. Msgr. Edoardo Pulciano complained when he was a seminarian that there was a barrier between school and chapel. How can we study the sacrament of Baptism without feeling a surge of gratitude for this gift we in no way deserved? How can we study the Eucharist without making a spiritual communion? How can we study Penance without thanking the Lord for the many times we have received and will yet receive this sacrament?
Studying with piety involves turning to the Lord for the light of understanding. St. Thomas tells us he learned more at the foot of the crucifix than in his books. Study with devotion; study as if you were in church. The Curé of Ars always studied in the sacristy so he could be near the Lord. During St. Francis de Sales lifetime there was a saying: “If you want to debate an adversary go here or there but if you want to convert him go to the Bishop of Geneva.”
We study to become saints and to serve the Congregation and the missions. Do not study for human reasons. Never forget that everything you do, you do for the sake of proclaiming the Gospel. Repeat constantly the words of the psalmist “Teach me good judgment and discernment” (Psalm 119,66).
55. Work, duty and honor. A missionary must be known for his love of work. Whoever cannot put up with manual labor does not have the missionary spirit. Our spirit must be one of prayer and work – intellectual and manual work. In work be active, in prayer be contemplative.
Work is a duty but it is also an honor; it was made holy by the Holy Family. Until He was thirty years old Jesus worked with St. Joseph as a humble carpenter. Mary too did not spend her life on her knees praying. She worked hard keeping house in Nazareth. While committed to preaching St. Paul worked to provide for himself and others: “And we still toil unto weariness, working hard with our own hands” (I Corinthians 4,12). We read in the Acts of the Apostles that St. Paul “met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently arrived from Italy with Priscilla his wife …And Paul went to see them, and because he was of the same occupation, he stayed with them; and they worked together, for they were tentmakers by trade” (Acts 18,2-3). Cardinal G. Massaia[5] used to patch his own clothes and make rope sandals for the people he preached to and the Benedictines and the other monks did the same thing for the barbarians they hoped to convert. A first-hand experience of work is no less necessary than any other knowledge and this is especially true in the missions.
Anyone who does not know how or who does not have the will to work does not have a missionary vocation. If you arrive in the missions and do not know how to speak the language what will you do? Start working and while working with the people you will learn the language. Anyone who says I came here to preach and not to do manual labor is making a big mistake. A missionary sister wrote from Africa: “What is really necessary in the missions along with obedience and mutual charity is a love of hard work.” The same holds true for missionary priests.
56. Helping each other. It is truly beautiful to see members of a community compete with each other to see who can be the most helpful. Isn’t this what happens in families? It is indeed beautiful when you all work together for the common good. The individual who cleans the house is acting for the love of God just as much as those who study or work. In our Congregation there are so many jobs to be done; one individual is suited for one job and another individual for some other task – working together we will get everything done. What is important is to do all for the love of God, to become saints and to save souls.
57. Providing support. We go to the missions to preach the Gospel but we still have to live and therefore we must be able to support ourselves. Someone who works is helping the community save money. Since we are its living members it is our duty to try and earn something for the Congregation. This is not a school where we pay tuition but rather a family where we all contribute. If we can help we should think ourselves fortunate and glad to contribute. We work not just to support ourselves but to help others as well. St. Paul urged Christians to work “let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need” (Ephesians 4,28).
I think that proper preparation for the missions involves learning a useful trade and also being something of a jack of all trades. Remember I don’t want the talents we have here to go unexploited. Everything useful that you know should be taken into account. No talent should be neglected. Do not be afraid of getting your hands dirty; be eager to engage in hard work – even humble household chores. Whoever has a problem with work or does it only unwillingly is not cut out to be a missionary. Learn how to do everything – everything is important. Be observant and willing to try any task; learn to love work.
You must work diligently and well. Keep your mind on what you are doing and do not waste time. Try hard to learn. Work enthusiastically. Do not avoid work or seek out comfort. The more there is to be done the more you must do. Here we are working for the love of God. Our efforts are not really excessive and they are done for the sake of the Lord and our own sanctification. Let us do the will of God in all things. If you had been “soft” you would not have come to our Congregation.
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[1] During Allamano's times those in charge of formation in the seminaries were simply called “superiors.” Undoubtedly superiors have responsibility for formation in their communities. Being Allamano a great formator himself, in order to make more explicit his use of the term “superior” as one involved in formation, we have frequently changed it into “formator” as its synonim.
[2] Lorenzo Gastaldi (1815-1882) Archbishop of Turin was an active, zealous apostle and a man of great learning. He was a Doctor in theology, a member of the University of Turin Theological College and a Canon of the Church of the Holy Trinity. In 1851 he entered the Rosminians and was sent to England by Rosmini himself. He worked in England for ten years. For reasons of poor health he left the Rosminians in 1862 and entered the diocese. He was elected Bishop of Saluzzo in 1862 and took part in the First Vatican Council where he defended Papal Infallibility with fervor and intelligence. When the Archiepiscopal See of Turin fell vacant Pius IX, on the advice of Don Bosco, named him Archbishop. Gastaldi thought highly of Allamano and appointed him assistant and then spiritual director of the seminary as well as rector of the Consolata Sanctuary shortly after his ordination. Allamano was only twenty-nine years old. Gastaldi trusted Allamano to reopen the Ecclesiastical Residence (Convitto - for training young priests) at the Consolata Sanctuary. He appointed Allamano to teach moral theology. All his life long Allamano revered this man, his Archbishop.
[3] We are well aware of the problems that arise from the concept of “family” in certain cultural contexts but we are preserving Allamano’s terminology and thought in this area because they represent a tradition in our Congregations and reflect exactly the Magisterium of the Church.
[4] In the usage common to his time Allamano used the word “discipline” to cover a variety of attitudes from observing the rules (regularity) to the way one treated other people. These attitudes could be summed up: “to be faithful in an ordered fashion in one’s own life.” Discipline did not so much refer to an external conformity to rules or obligations as to an internal fidelity to one’s commitments. To avoid distorting Allamano’s thought we have preserved the word “discipline” but it must be understood in the light of these observations.
[5] Guglielmo Massaia (1809-1889) was born in Piovà (Asti) and became a Capuchin at Turin in 1826. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1832 and became chaplain at the Ospedale Mauriziano in Turin. He taught philosophy and theology at the Testona Friary (Turin). He was ordained a Bishop in 1846 and in 1852 went to the missions in Ethiopia on his own after a long and painful journey with many detours. In 1879 he was expelled by the Emperor John IV by which time he had established many Christian communities in Ethiopia. In 1884 he was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII who asked him to write a record of his missionary activity. His missionary memoirs were published in twelve volumes beginning in 1884. The work was entitled I miei 35 anni di missione nell’alta Etiopia [My Thirty-Five Years of Missionary Work in Upper Ethiopia]. This is one of the masterpieces of international missionary literature. Allamano founded our congregation with the intention of continuing Massaia’s work.