Our founder, St. Joseph Allamano had a special concrete interest for the missions. Fr. Lorenzo Sales in fact notes that there was a list of prayers which showed Fr. Allamano’s interest for the missions.
By Jonah Makau *
In this period of lent, in which also we are called to be pilgrims of hope in the world, there is a special need to ask the Lord to make us tools of hope in the missions we are assigned. Maybe it would be important to know how much our founder was interested in the missions, so that we can also develop the same missionary zeal.
Although there are many things that show our Founder’s keen focus on mission, some things stand out. First, you already know of Fr. Allamano’s efforts in 1912, together with other missionary institutes in Italy, to petition Pope Pius X about having a missionary day and an encyclical on the missions. It was a clear sign of his commitment about missions. Second, we can’t forget that during his life, the periodical “La Consolata” became a highly appreciated herald of missionary idea. He wanted it well done. In fact, he always wanted to read it before it was printed. And third, our Founder was one of the first people to spread illustrated postcards of missions, just as he was among those who began spreading the missionary idea in the church through missionary conferences with projections of images from the missions.
Fr. Allamano’s love for the missions was evident even from the point of view of spiritual nourishment. First, according to Lorenzo Sales for example, our Founder inserted in the Institute’s prayer book, the prayer for the work of propagation of faith, and the “Hail Mary” for the Holy Childhood. Second, he also inserted the prayer of Saint Francis for the missions, to be recited daily. Third, to capture the idea of evangelization, in the prayer “I adore you”, to the words “I offer you all the actions of the day for the greater glory”, Fr. Allamano added “and for the conversions of non-Christians”.
Fourth, during the reciting of the breviary, he put as the intention of the hour of Lauds, the conversion of non-Christians. Fifth, among the free votive Masses, Fr. Allamano urged the missionaries and the seminarians to choose at least from time to time the Mass for the propagation of faith. In addition, the Founder established that in all the houses of the Institute and in all the mission stations, after the blessing of the blessing sacrament, the “laudate omnes gentes” (Praise all nations) be sang. Furthermore, according to Lorenzo Sales, the feast of the Epiphany, while the Founder was alive, always took an aspect of the greatest missionary solemnity. It was the only time that the Founder and all the Superiors of Consolata met at the Academy.
According to Fr. Lorenzo Sales, there were also events that demonstrated Fr. Allamano’s special concern for the missions. For example, one time during the priestly anniversaries, the Founder said, “If these celebrations would at least serve to increase the love for the missions among the people, I would be happy”. Second, the Founder followed with a great interest the work of the missions throughout the world. For example, he read almost all the Italian missionary periodicals, and encouraged the seminarians and the priests to read them in the refectory, so as to kindle missionary zeal for the conversion of the world. Third, although the Founder founded the institute primarily for the missions of Africa, he never excluded the possibility of the institute extending the work of evangelization to other places.
One time, he said “I will not see, but perhaps you will go to Japan, Tibet… perhaps like St Francis Xavier, who wanted to convert the whole world”. Fourth, another remarkable thing was that as long as he could, he always wanted to personally attend the departure celebrations of the missionaries. He used to say that each departure was like a piece of his heart that was torn out of him, but that he was never the nevertheless willing to let himself be torn to pieces, indeed with the joy, as long as the missionary work progressed. In addition, another key thing that showed Fr. Allamano’s interest for the missions were the letters that he reached him from Africa, explaining the progress of the missions. They gave him an intimate joy, which alighted his face. He read them with tasteful interest, noted everything, and identified what needed to be improved in what was being done.
Finally, the seminarians discovered Fr. Allamano’s love for the missions from the fact that in almost all Sunday conferences, there was no lack of a reference to the missions. They knew that the Founder wanted to inflame their hearts and to prepare them for the future. In this period of lent, our call for personal and communal renewal, prepares us to be pilgrims of hope in the world. Looking at the interest with which Fr. Allamano related with the missions, we are invited to offer ourselves fully for the service of the people of God.
* Father Jonah Makau, IMC, Postulator & Director of the History Office