In the late summer of 1880, Saint Joseph Allamano was appointed Rector of the Consolata Shrine in Turin, under whose jurisdiction was also the Shrine of Sant’Ignazio near Lanzo Torinese. From 1880 until July 1923, two and a half years before his death, Allamano regularly traveled to Saint Ignatius during the summer season to organize the Spiritual Exercises held in the complex adjacent to the Shrine.
History of a sanctuary
In the Archdiocese of Turin, there is a sanctuary, the only one in Italy dedicated to Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Built in 1635 on the summit of Mount Bastia (931 metres above sea level), the complex dominates the access to the three Lanzo valleys: Viù, Ala, and Grande.
The sanctuary’s first chapel was built between 1628 and 1635, and its origins are linked to several events believed to be miraculous, occurring after prayers and invoking the protection of Saint Ignatius. As a sign of gratitude, the population decided to name their firstborn children after the saint and promised to build a church in his honor on Mount Bastia.
The church soon proved too small to accommodate the pilgrims, so in 1673 the locals donated the summit of Mount Bastia to the Jesuits so they could build a larger church dedicated to their holy founder. And so it was. The current sanctuary was built in the shape of a Greek cross, with a rocky outcrop at its center that still serves as the base of the altar.
The church, in turn, is incorporated into a large complex equipped for hospitality.
In 1773, the Sanctuary was entrusted to the Archdiocese of Turin and, beginning in 1807, it became a centre for Spiritual Exercises. The Sanctuary of Saint Ignatius gradually became a spiritual centre increasingly frequented by both priests and lay people.
From the 1800s to the 1900s, many Piedmontese Saints and Blesseds stayed there as rectors, preachers, or participants in the Spiritual Exercises: Joseph Cafasso, Francesco Faà di Bruno, John Bosco, Federico Albert, Leonard Murialdo, James Alberione, and others.
Saint Joseph Allamano to Saint Ignatius
For the Spiritual Exercises, Canon Allamano carefully chose preachers who were capable of offering the meditations with zeal and of bearing witness through their lives to what they preached. He placed the utmost importance to the proper organization of this space dedicated to “spiritual renewal.” To ensure that everything was in order, he would arrive at Sant’Ignazio few days in advance.
Allamano usually remained for one or two sessions of the Spiritual Exercises before returning to the Sanctuary of the Consolata in Turin. He would return again to Saint Ignatius in the heart of summer, where he spent several days with the young Missionaries and later with the Missionary Sisters. In 1914, Sister Irene Stefani also went up to Saint Ignatius to spend a few days there in rest and prayer.
Saint Joseph Allamano greatly appreciated this space, which offered the opportunity to pause for prayer and “refresh the spirit.” In a 1907 conference, he reminded the missionaries that the Exercises were a grace, especially if held at Saint Ignatius, where so many saints had passed.
Saint Joseph Allamano never preached the Exercises at Saint Ignatius, however, many priests and lay people affirmed that the meetings they had with Canon Allamano there transformed their lives.
How did Saint Joseph Allamano spend his time at Saint Ignatius?
“There, right in front of the statue of St. Ignatius, I asked for many graces for you, graces you have already received or will receive.” (Conferences to the Missionary Sisters, vol. I, p. 143)
“When I was up there, I always prayed to St. Ignatius; I always watched to see if he was laughing or not. Over there (in the Missionaries’ Motherhouse), the children asked me if he was laughing, and I told them: Wait until you go so you can laugh. He was there, looking good!” (Conferences to the Missionary Sisters, vol. III, p. 105)
“How many things I did in those days! I began to pray very slowly; then I read several books by the saints, and then I still had time to spare! What was I to do? Look up into the air? No! Start studying? No; I hadn’t come for that. And then I started looking at the bell towers in the neighborhood where the tabernacles were” (Conferences to the Missionary Sisters, vol. III, pp. 106-107).
“I have always prayed for you to St. Ignatius, that you may always work diligently for the greater glory of God: I do not want mulanciue (weak people). You will soon be going to the countryside to St. Ignatius or Rivoli. Therefore, the first thing you must do when you go to the countryside is to thank the Lord for this grace, because by gaining new vigor and strength you will then be able to do your duty better. I will send my blessing to everyone; you see, this is what I do: first I turn to St. Ignatius and bless; then I turn to Rivoli… then to Kenya, to Kaffa… in short, I remember everyone” (Conferences to the Missionary Sisters, vol. III, p. 277).
“Well? I said that I had brought another thought from St. Ignatius. You believe who knows what it is, and so I must tell you; when you return from St. Ignatius, you must also bring something for yourselves. I took this thought from a meditation that, I would say, was my predominant meditation during the Exercises. It’s the one by St. Ignatius where he speaks of the three degrees of humility. I really like this consideration; one could better say: three degrees of humility, or three degrees of perfection. (Then, Allamano continues to explain the three degrees of humility in detail in: Conferences to the Missionary Sisters, vol. II, pp. 621-626)
“Let’s go to St. Ignatius. You see, this year I also went for a walk. The older you get, the more lively you become! I’ve been going to St. Ignatius for 36 years, 36 times I’ve done the Exercises; and yet, I’ve always been content to see the cross from afar, from the Sanctuary of St. Ignatius. I said to my servant: ‘Ah! Let’s go, I’ll take a walk to the cross.’ And I went right there. I left at eight and arrived around noon. If someone sprains a little, you can stretch a little! Good heavens! Oh, one gets stronger a little. And I did it, and I don’t regret it at all. Now we’ll see what you guys can do”. (Conferences to the Missionaries, vol. II, p. 637).
By Sr. Maria Luisa Casiraghi, mc
