For about twenty years after the death of Saint Joseph Allamano, no biographies were written about him. His life was narrated by those who knew him and spoke of him with enthusiasm, gratitude, and emotion. In the communities, the Founder’s memory lived on and was passed down through the reading of typewritten booklets of his lectures. These “special” booklets contained the Father’s “words,” patiently collected with love by his missionaries. Those who took the notes, to convey to their readers the meaning, richness, depth, and, at the same time, the simplicity of Allamano’s teaching, also described the context, motivations, and atmosphere of those meetings.
In the 1980s, the “typewritten booklets” of the Conferences gave way to printed volumes. Father Igino Tubaldo, IMC, presenting the collection of Conferences addressed to missionaries, emphasizes:
“Allamano’s Conferences are more a testimony of life, a mirror of his soul, than a “rigorous system of thought” or a “treatise on ascetic theology,” and the language used is that of “wonder,” of religious amazement, of enthusiasm, exuberance, fervor, conviction, and spiritual intensity.”
Mother Chiaretta Bovio, after presenting the three volumes containing the Founder’s Conferences to the missionaries, invites them to read and study them in depth because:
The Father’s word resonates in the depths of our hearts: it questions us, stimulates us, encourages us, pushes us upward and forward. Gentle and strong, wise and patient, simple and rich, clear and decisive, it shows us without hesitation the path of apostolic sanctification, beyond any compromise. Founder, Teacher, Father, Man for whom God was everything, are the faces that alternate in these pages and reveal features that transcend time and space, being reflections of God’s Goodness.
Leafing through the pages of the Conferences, a fundamental theme for Allamano emerges: holiness. As Father and Master, he asks those who join the institute to evaluate their life choices and compare them with the purpose of the institute:
You are here to become saints and then missionaries. The primary goal of the Institute is its own sanctification and it must be achieved. We must remember it often and ask ourselves: why did I come to this house? To become a saint. Therefore we must become saints: promise yourselves this every day, indeed many times a day, and when you meet it is also good to tell each other: let us become saints; but not only say it: do it. Make a firm resolution: I want to become a saint immediately, and here, here, here. The Lord will bless you and help you. (Conference to the Sisters, November 5, 1922).
Testimonies from those who listened to him
Fr. Vincenzo Dolza testifies:
“The Founder wanted us to be saints! This was his constant concern for us. And every time he spoke to us, no matter what topic he was discussing, he reminded us of this goal. The Founder’s zeal for our formation and sanctification was especially evident in his wonderful Sunday conferences. He would arrive smiling, sit down, and take out a little note: and we were enchanted by his words. How we longed for those moments, always too brief for us! His words were a delight to us at the various anniversaries of the year and on a thousand other occasions.”
Holiness is the goal to be achieved by following paths, using safe and appropriate means, making daily choices… following the instructions contained and explained repeatedly, in depth and detail, by the Founding Father in his Conferences.
The formative effectiveness of what Allamano proposed is confirmed by those who were able to listen to them.
“The most beautiful picture of the Most Venerable Founder is to picture him among us budding Missionaries, on Sundays for the Conference: that transfigured face of his, with that characteristic look and the paternal tone of his voice. For me, those three-quarters of an hour were Heaven. We all drank in the Father’s word avidly: I felt it sink into the depths of my soul, it shook me, it enthused me and made me better.” (Fr. Borello Pietro)
In the “Filo D’Oro,” similar to a Motherhouse Diary, the missionaries collected and recorded what happened in the community. Regarding their meetings with the Founding Father, the Sisters emphasize that they were characterized by a joyful family atmosphere:
“All gathered around him, we drank in his word, which filled our hearts with a great love of virtue. Father, he exhorted us with a kindness that gave us the strength to walk fearlessly on the path of holiness.”
“Other” words
In addition to the Conferences, other “words” of the Founder have been published: those collected in the “Letters”, from which emerges a Father not concerned with underlining doctrinal principles, but who insists on remembering that to be good missionaries one must be saints.
Over the years, Allamano has never stopped sending missionaries short, to-the-point messages, mostly written along with greetings or attached to an image. This is a highly effective means of communication, helping those he meets maintain communion with God, maintain their fervor, and continue their apostolic work with commitment and hope.
In 1986, Sister Gianpaola Mina perfectly nailed the title of her short biography of the Founding Father: “A silent man who had something to say.” Yes, because even today, anyone who wants to drink from the “well” of the word left to us by Saint Joseph Allamano can discover that “something” the Founder has to say to them.
Sr. Maria Luisa Casiraghi, mc
