The whole world celebrated what all of us had been preparing and waiting for; the birth of Saint Joseph Allamano to heaven. So many of our communities celebrated this day with their Christian communities. In California (USA), the feast was prepared by the Novena that was prayed at the end of each Mass. The ceremony took place on Monday February 18, which coincided with Presidents Day, which celebrates all the US presidents, past and present.
By Peter Ssekajogo and Juliet Hobson *
In his homily, Fr. Peter Ssekajugo, the Delegate Superior of the Delegation of Canada, Mexico and United States (DCMS) narrated aspects of Allamano’s history, starting with his origin from a humble family in Castelnuovo D’Asti. It was the formation of and example of his mother, the inspiration of his uncle Saint Joseph Cafasso and the saintly environment of his place that led Allamano to respond to God’s call for priesthood.
Like St. Paul, Allamano, though a local diocesan priest, felt the duty of contributing to the mission. He had two apparent obstacles to being a missionary. First, he was a diocesan. Two, he was weak due to bad health, he couldn’t go out. Where Jesus said that the spirit is willing, but the body is weak, we can say that for Allamano, though the body was weak, the spirit was willing. That’s why despite of his sickness, he founded missionaries and formed them. Allamano has made us what we are as missionaries. He has also brought us to this encounter with different peoples and cultures. Without Allamano we wouldn’t have known the peoples of the Americas nor would they have known us. We wouldn’t have gone to the different missions where we are now. Due to Allamano’s charism and mission, his disciples and people of different origins have become part of the same family, and God’s children.
We are happy to celebrate 100 years of Allamano’s death, 115 years of the founding of the Consolata Sisters and 125 years of the founding of the Consolata missionaries (priests and brothers). We also celebrate more than one year of Sant Allamano’s canonization (20 October 2024). This is why we celebrate with joy, with zeal and with because Allamano’s life has benefitted different people. His life was not his alone but for humanity. It’s like the life of a mother, that is not only hers but for the whole family.
As we celebrate Allamano’s life, let us think about the family. Let’s promote religious and missionary vocations of our youth. Nowadays, still there are those who want to be priests and Sisters, but not as missionaries who go out of their dioceses and countries. They prefer remaining in their countries. Let’s ask Allamano to continue inspiring us to have missionary vocations. Let’s also pray for the missionaries in the different territories where God has sent them.
In New Jersey, we celebrated both the foundation of our Institute and the Centenary of St. Joseph Allamno on January 29, 2026, with the Consolata Prayer Group, formed mainly by the Filipino community of Somerset. The Mass, celebrated at our Regional House in North Brunswick (Somerset), was presided by the Delegate Superior, Fr. Peter Ssekajugo with a group of about 20 people of the Filipino Community. During the homily, Fr. Peter narrated how Joseph Allamano went through challenges to find the two missionary congregations, that of priests and brothers and the one for the Consolata Sisters. We can compare the time Allamano harbored and nurtured the dream of the founding Consolata Missionaries to the nine months of an expecting mother, and the time of the foundation to the birth of a new baby.
After Mass, we shared a sumptuous Potluck Buffet. For the Consolata Prayer Group, who had been praying online since Covid-19, this feast was a festive homecoming. They asked to have their monthly prayer meeting at our house. In her words, the leader of the group, Juliet Hobson said: “We are finally home with our Lady Consolata and her Missionaries.” She continued: “Our Prayer Group’s official name is “Rejoice in his Consolation”. To magnify the consolation the Holy Spirit freely gives and that of our Lady.
* Father Peter Ssekajogo, IMC, DCMS delegate Superior and Juliet Hobson, Consolata Prayer Group.
