BLESSED JAMES ALBERIONE

and

THE PAULINE FAMILY

BLESSED JAMES ALBERIONE
Who is he?
BLESSED JAMES ALBERIONE
was an Italian Catholic priest.

-Born on April 4, 1884

in Fossano,
Cuneo, Italy
 -founded
the Pauline Family

-died on
November 26, 1971
-Beatified on
April 27, 2003
by Pope John Paul II
His parents Michael
Alberione, Teresa Allocco
and their six children, were
farmers. He was the fourth
son and had a more
delicate physical
constitution than his
brothers.
At the age of sixteen, James
entered the seminary of Alba.
His Uncle James, who was his
godfather helped him in his
financial needs.
At the seminary of
Alba, his spiritual
director was Canon
Francesco Chiesa.
He became his father,
guide, friend and advisor
over the next 46 years.
At the end of the Holy Year of
1900, James, who had read and
reflected deeply on Pope Leo
XIII's encyclical, Tametsi Futura,
underwent an experience that
would give direction to the rest
of his life.
On the night of 31 December 1900,
the night that divided the 19th and
20th centuries, he prayed for four
hours before the Blessed Sacrament.
James felt
he was called
to do something
for the people
of the new century.
He contemplated the future
in the light of God.
A “particular
light” seemed
to come from
the Host and
roused in him
a sense of
obligation…
“to do
something for
the Lord and
for the
people of the
new
century”:
he felt “obliged to
serve the Church”
with the new
instruments
provided by human
ingenuity.
He was ordained
on the 29 of
th

June 1907 (Feast of

Sts. Peter and Paul),
and became a
parish priest in
Narzole.
He received his doctorate in theology, in 1908.
In Narzole he met little
Giuseppe Giaccardo,
who would be to him as
Timothy was
to the Apostle Paul.
It was also in Narzole that Fr.
Alberione came to a clearer
understanding of what women
could do in the apostolate.
He came to understand that the Lord was
guiding him toward a new mission: to
preach the Gospel to all peoples, in the
spirit of the Apostle Paul, using the
modern instruments of communication.
For the sake of charism and
continuity, such a mission needed
to be carried out by consecrated
persons because “the works of
God are performed by men and
women of God”.
Thus, on 20 August 1914, while
Pope Pius X lay dying in Rome,
Fr. Alberione initiated
the Pauline Family in Alba by
founding the Pious Society of
St. Paul.
 THE
PAULINE FAMILY
The human family—to which Fr.
Alberione turned for inspiration—
is made up of brothers and
sisters.

The first woman to follow Fr.

Alberione was 21-year-old Teresa
Merlo from Castagnito (Cuneo).
With her help, Fr. Alberione began a
second Congregation in 1915: the
Daughters of St. Paul.
Slowly the “Family”
grew, both masculine
and feminine vocations
increased, and the
apostolate began to take
shape.
The following year, a
second feminine
Congregation came into
being:
the Pious Disciples of
the Divine Master,
whose members would
carry out the
Eucharistic, priestly and
liturgical apostolate.
To guide this Institute,
Fr. Alberione chose the young
Sr. M. Scholastica Rivata, who died
at the age of 90 in a state of
holiness.
In October 1938, Fr. Alberione
founded a third feminine
Congregation: the Sisters of Jesus
Good Shepherd “Pastorelle” to
collaborate with parish priests in the
Pastoral ministry.
 The Pastorelle Sisters
PHILIPPINE-AUSTRALIA-SAIPAN-TAIWAN PROVINCE
From 1962-1965, Fr. Alberione was a silent
but attentive protagonist
in Vatican Council II,
attending its sessions daily.
He inculcated in
his followers
a spirit of
dedication by
means of deeply
apostolic
devotions to:
 JESUS MASTER
AND SHEPHERD
“WAY, TRUTH
AND LIFE,”
To MARY
MOTHER,
TEACHER AND
QUEEN OF
APOSTLES,
and to
ST. PAUL
THE APOSTLE.
The PASTORELLE SISTERS
are asked to follow the
example of Mary
Mother of the Good
Shepherd
in their collaboration
in Christ’s pastoral
Ministry.
The sisters’
inspiration of
fidelity and
courage come
from the
Apostles Peter
and Paul.
 It was this
reference to the
Apostle Paul
that gave his
new institutes
their identity as
the “Pauline
Family.”
The goal that Fr. Alberione wanted his
sons and daughters to pursue above all
was complete conformation to Christ
to embrace the whole Christ Way,
Truth and Life with one's entire being:
mind, will, heart and physical energies.
Fr. Alberione's
primary focus
remained
unswerving: to
help everyone
understand
that…
“the first
concern of
the Pauline
Family
should be
holiness of
life; the
second,
holiness of
doctrine.”
The Pauline Family was completed
between 1957-1960 with the
foundation of a fourth feminine
Congregation…
…the QUEEN OF APOSTLES INSTITUTE
for vocations (Apostoline Sisters)
Several
secular
institutes
for the
consecrated
life:

ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL…

Our Lady of the Annunciation
JESUS PRIEST
HOLY FAMILY.
 and the Association of
PAULINE COOPERATORS (APC)
The Pauline Family are united by
the same ideal of holiness and
apostolate:
TO BRING JESUS CHRIST WAY,
TRUTH AND LIFE
TO THE WORLD
THROUGH THE INSTRUMENTS
OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION.
Fr. Alberione lived
to the age of 87.In
his last hours, he
was comforted by
the visit and
blessing of Pope
Paul VI, who had
never hidden his
admiration and
veneration for the
Founder.
 In an audience
with the Pauline Family
on 28 June 1969,
the Pope spoke
these moving words
about Fr. Alberione,
who was then 85 years old:
“There he is:
humble, silent,
tireless, always
vigilant,
recollected in his
thoughts, which
run from prayer
to action;
always intent on
scrutinizing the
‘signs of the
times,' that is, the
most creative
ways to reach
souls.
Our Fr. Alberione
has given the
Church new
instruments with
which to express
herself, new
means to give
vigor and breadth
to her apostolate,
new capacities
and a new
awareness of the
validity and
possibilities of his
mission in the
modern world
with modern
means.
Dear Fr. Alberione,
allow the Pope to
rejoice in your long,
faithful and tireless
work and in the fruits
it has produced for
the glory of God and
the good of the
Church.”
 Having completed the work
God had entrusted to him,
he
26 left this earth on
November
1971 to
take his
place in
 -He was beatified
on April 27, 2003
by Pope John Paul II
Blessed James Alberione
Pray for us!
Thank You!