Message of the Provincial | Feb. 11, 2021

Dear Confreres,

Last week was full of virtual meetings, especially related to formation. On Tuesday, there was the post-novitiate curatorium and on Wednesday, the pre-novitiate curatorium. The curatorium for the Salesian Ratisbonne Monastery in Jerusalem was Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 7:00 -9:00 AM. There was also a three-hour meeting with the provincials of Interamerica about CRESCO on Thursday morning. That afternoon, there was a meeting of the province delegates. On Friday morning, there was the independent review board meeting. I’m very grateful for the people that helped organize all these important online gatherings. It was encouraging to be with Fr. Mel Trinidad and Fr. Joe Nguyen from the SUO province. Fr. Ivo Coelho and Fr. Hugo Orozco were brothers and held gentle leadership during the curatoriums. But by Friday afternoon, I needed a break, so I decided to go to a museum.

Even though some of world-renowned museums in New York City are open, I spent an hour or so at the virtual Paolo Albera Exhibition in Casa Don Bosco Museum, Turin. In a relaxed way, I explored the 30 stations, each with vintage photos of the second successor of Don Bosco, a few dates of important events in his life, or sometimes a quote from his writings. It was time well-spent, and I encourage all the confreres to explore the exhibit during this 100th anniversary of Albera’s death. After my visit, I thought I’d share a few impressions with you.

Paolo Albera was a youth at Oratory at the same time as Michael Migone. He was able to learn the Salesian charism from Don Bosco himself. In the 1920 circular letter, he shared this memory: “The year of the consecration of the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians (1868), I returned [from Mirabello] to Turin, and, for another four years, I was privileged to be close to Don Bosco and to draw from his great heart those precious teachings that were all the more effective because we saw them put into practice by him in his daily conduct.” He was with Don Bosco in 1875 when the first Salesian missionaries set sail from Genoa for Buenos Aires. He was also able to be at Don Bosco’s side in the 1880s whenever Don Bosco visited France. As a young man, as a young Salesian, as a provincial, he could be guided in the ways of holiness by a saint. Later, as the spiritual director of the Congregation and then Rector Major, he was able to offer others what he had learned so well.

Albera kept spiritual journals, written in Italian, French, and even in English. I was struck by the humility, simplicity, and honesty of some of the quotes from his journals included in the exhibition. In 1895, Albera traveled with Michael Rua, the Rector Major, to the Holy Land. On December 31 of that year, he reflected on his spiritual growth: “But even the year 1895 ended without my most serious defects being corrected. My pride is still at the highest degree. My character is still difficult even with Fr. Rua himself. My piety is always superficial and does not exert a great influence on conduct, on my actions, which are all still human and unworthy of a religious life.” We get to see the very human and sensitive side of the man who would become the Rector Major after Michael Rua.

During World War I, Albera wrote a circular letter almost every month, and sent personal letters to hundreds of Salesians serving in the military. Imagine what he could have done if he had email or other modern means of communication at his time! Station 21 in the exhibition is dedicated to several congresses Albera attended as Rector Major: for the Oratories, for the Cooperators, for the SDB past pupils, the FMA past pupils, and for all of them together. We still have those types of meetings now using Zoom.

I asked some SDBs what they were doing to celebrate this year of Fr. Albera. Some are reading his biography, others enjoying the annotated letters of Albera to our province that Fr. Mike Mendl has made available, and others putting Albera’s photo up in the community. I would encourage you to add to the list a virtual visit to the Albera Exhibition in Turin.

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. Let’s remember to pray for our sick and elder confreres, as well as those from our Salesian presences and Salesian Family who are suffering from the coronavirus. Mary, Health of the Sick, pray for us.

Fr. Tim Zak