The group of Consolata Missionaries celebrating their jubilee gathered in Rome for the ongoing formation course, on the 17th of September 2025, embarked on three-day pilgrimage to Turin, the native city of St. Joseph Allamano, the Founder.
By Deogratias Makei Mlay *
Turin in the north of Italy holds great significance to St. Joseph Allamano and the Consolata Missionaries in general. It is in this city where the Consolata Shrine is situated where the Founder worked as a priest and got the inspiration to found the two Institutes. It is a place where St. Joseph Allamano is buried in the church dedicated to him next to the Mother House.
The objective of the pilgrimage was to allow the group of missionaries to walk in the Founder’s footsteps and to share not only his profound spirituality but also religious, cultural and political life in which St. Joseph Allamano grew in (1851-1926).
Upon arriving in Turin, the group visited the tomb of the Founder by offering prayers of gratitude. The pilgrimage proceeded to the important historical sites including Castelnuovo Don Bosco the birthplace of St. Joseph Allamano, St. Andrew’s Church where he was baptized and celebrated his first mass as a newly ordained priest and St. Joseph Cafasso’s home, who was Allamano’s uncle. The group visited and celebrated the thanksgiving Mass at the Founder’s birthplace. For most of the missionaries it was their fist time to visit the historical places of the Congregation.
The experience was described by the group as deeply moving and enriching. Apart from that, the group was touched deeply by the land of many saints like, Saint John Bosco, Saint Joseph Cafasso, Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo, together with others such as Saint Leonardo Murialdo, Saint Dominic Savio and Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Another turning point of the pilgrimage was visiting Alpignano, the home of the elderly missionaries who spent most of their lives in the missions proclaiming the Gospel. The group celebrated Mass with them and had a social gathering where they shared meals and received encouraging words from the elderly brothers.
One of them, Fr. Roberto Sibilia, who worked for many years in Kenya gave the following remarks: “I am celebrating 60 years of priesthood but what encourages me is to see young missionaries behind me celebrating 25 years of ordination or religious life. This gives me courage because the proclamation of the Gospel we did has borne fruits and the missionary work we left is being carried out by the coming generation. Thank you God”.
To be at the Consolata Shrine in Turin where St. Joseph Allamano worked as a priest and the place where he developed his missionary vocation was a great experience. “This sanctuary has produced great saints such as St. Joseph Allamano and you missionaries of 25 years of priesthood or religious life are a living testimony that the Founder is continuing to proclaim the gospel and making more saints”, said the Vice-Rector of the Shrine, Don Osvaldo Maddaleno during the celebration of the Mass.
Read also: Disciplinary norms in Consecrated Life
New Missionary Trends: A Church that Goes Forth
Self-care and development of one’s integrity towards old age
Coping with midlife crisis as a religious
Insights for discerning the future prospects of Consecrated Life
Starting afresh from Christ: reviving the fire of the call
Course G25: General Analysis of Consecrated Life and of the Institute
“The Word of God as a Guide to Consecrated Life”
The second ongoing formation course begins in Rome
Tracing back the origins and inspirational spiritual insights of St. Joseph Allamano, the group visited the Cathedral of Turin where the Holy Shroud is located, and the Church of St. Lawrence together with the historical buildings of the city.
On Sunday 21st of September 2025 before starting the journey back to Rome, with gratitude the group celebrated Mass at the tomb of Saint Joseth Allamano presided over by Fr. Ottone Cantore. “Your presence here is a profound sense of appreciation to the Founder”, commented the biblist.
The Fifteen missionaries found this experience very enriching, and everyone felt renewed having made such a historical pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Joseph Allamano.
* Father Deogratias Makei Mlay, IMC, missionary in Tanzania.
