Fr. James Alberione, SSP, STD

On December 20, 2002, Pope John Paul II promulgated the decree for the beatification of Fr. James Alberione. His beatification will take place on April 27, 2002.

"Here he is, humble, silent, tireless,
contained in his thoughts, which flows from prayer to work, always ready to read the signs of the times.
Our Father Alberione has given the Church new instruments to express herself, new means to give vigor and new breadth to its apostolic mission..
May the Pope, in the name of the whole Church, express its gratitude."
(Paul VI, June 28, 1969)

On December 31, 1900, during a special night of prayer before the Eucharist, the young seminarian James Alberione felt himself called to serve God and the people of the new century.

Following his ordination to the priesthood, his call gradually became clearer, and a group of young boys under his direction began, publishing the Gazzette d'Alba, to use the press to spread the gospel.

Thus in 1914 was born the Society of St. Paul. A year later, he founded a similar group for women, the Daughters of St. Paul. His ideal, like that of St. Paul, was universal--all the means of modern communications were to be used so that all people would hear the gospel. For this extraordinary mission, new apostles were needed, who could dedicate themselves entirely to this service.

By the time of his death in 1971, Fr. James Alberione had founded five religious congregations, four lay institutes and the Union of Pauline Cooperators who together make up the Pauline Family.

A Brief Biography

Born April 4, 1884 and died in 1971. These dates define the parameters of James Alberione's early life.

If he were to write a resume for a job application today it would read as follows: Health: Frail from birth. Education: Grade School. Cherasco, Italy 1890 - 1896. Minor Seminary at Bra 1896 - 1900. No diploma, expelled. Major Seminary at Alba 1900 - 1907. St. Thomas University, Genoa, Doctorate in Theology 1908. Previous Positions: Ordained a Catholic priest for Alba, Italy 1907. Spiritual director and seminary professor 1908 - 1920. Established printing school for boys, 1914. Founded the Society of St. Paul to work in media, 1914. Founded the Daughters of St. Paul to work in media, 1915. Founded Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, for the liturgical life of the Church and service to priests, 1924. Founded Sisters of the Good Shepherd to work in parishes, 1938. Founded Sisters of the Queen of the Apostles, to work for vocations to all Church ministries, 1957. Founded the Secular Institute of St. Gabriel, for consecrated laymen living in the world, 1958. Founded the Annunciationist Institute, for consecrated laywomen living in the world, 1958. Founded the Holy Family Institute for consecrated married people, 1960. Founded the Institute of Jesus the Priest, for the secular clergy, whereby their priestly service would be enhanced by Pauline Spirituality and would collaborate in media efforts, 1959. Current number of Paulines around the world 9000. Established major book and magazine publications in Italy, including Familglia Cristiana, largest Catholic magazine in the world. Sent priests, brothers and sisters to over 30 countries. Encouraged the growth and development of religious radio and movies. Current status: Servant of God

James Alberione: his mission Fr. Alberione came from a devout farming family in Northern Italy. From an early age he desired to become a priest and this desire was encouraged and supported by his family. He had a crisis at the minor seminary that led to his expulsion, but providentially he was accepted into the seminary at Alba and eventually his desire to be a priest became a reality.

On the night between the centuries, the evening of December 31, 1900 and the morning of January 1, 1901 all of the seminarians gathered in the cathedral of Alba to pray for the new century as Pope Leo XIII had urged the universal Church to do. James Alberione spent at least four hours in intense prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. He was the last of his companions to leave the cathedral.

He had entered the cathedral a mere boy of 17 but left it a man with a mission. He received a light from the tabernacle that gave him a mission to serve humanity in a special way in the twentieth century.

Everyone faces certain defining moments that determine his or her destiny. Such moments shape the quality and value of a person's very existence. The night between the centuries was "the" defining moment in James Alberione's life. He was determined to serve humanity in ever new and creative ways so that the new century would be filled with the love of Christ.

Though he was studying for the diocesan priesthood he understood that in some way his mission would transcend the boundaries of the diocese of Alba and would reach out to the entire world. On that night, the breadth, the depth and the scope of his priesthood began to come into focus. The direction of his life was determined. He would both serve and lead. His vision came from the tabernacle and his strength too would always come from the Eucharist.

Aware of his physical frailty and his limited energies he understood that his fate was in the hands of God and his mission would require the help of others who were willing to follow the path of service. Perhaps you are approaching a defining moment in your own life that will determine how you serve God and humanity in the twenty-first century.

James Alberione: his ministry For nineteen centuries, preaching from the pulpit and teaching in the classroom had been Christianity's tried and true method of keeping the faith alive and spreading it to others. Faced with the industrial revolution and shocking rapid changes in European and world culture, Fr. Alberione believed that the Church had to use technology to respond to the evil that was being spread through the newspapers and the press of the nineteenth century.

At first he felt that he could draw co-workers purely from the laity but under the influence of the Spirit and the guidance of enlightened members of the Church he founded an astounding number of religious congregations and secular institutes.

The ministry of all the congregations and secular institutes he founded is to communicate Christ. The ministry of the Society and the Daughters of St. Paul focuses on doing this through books, magazines, television and the new computer technologies. His charism was to embrace all the means that technology and science could produce and harness them for the kingdom of God.

Paulines involved in this ministry have been reaching millions of people around the world on every continent. The truth of the Divine Master is being told and it is setting the world free.

Fr. Alberione realized that the pulpits of the Pauline Family would reach beyond the churches and schools and touch the countless people who would never think of entering a church or seeking out a priest or religious for advice. The Pauline ministry reaches into homes, automobiles, computers and market places of the world, inviting people to know Jesus, the way, the truth and the life.

Fr. Alberione wanted the members of his congregations to reach out to people of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries with the same zeal, flexibility and intelligence with which St. Paul did in the first century. In fact, Fr. Alberione always insisted that it was St. Paul who should be considered the true founder of the Pauline Family.

Night Between the Centuries
The Woman Who Made It Happen--Mother Thecla
Beloved by All--Blessed Timothy
Pauline Family