With the Eyes of a Prophet
I want to begin my story by recalling a simple question addressed to my mother by two Daughters of St. Paul, who were visiting the families of my hometown to spread good reading.
“How many children do you have, Ma’am?” they asked her.
“Four,” my mother replied. “I’m preparing some things for one of my daughters, who is going to Correggio (a town in Reggio Emilia) to study to be a teacher.”
“Ma’am,” they said immediately, “we too have young girls at our Motherhouse in Alba who are studying to be teachers.”
“Really?” my mother exclaimed. “How much do you charge your students?”
Imagine her surprise to learn it would cost less to study with the Daughters of St. Paul than to send me to Correggio! So my mother said, “In that case I’ll send my daughter to you. I’m sure you’ll give her a better formation and she will study harder.”
Our parish priest investigated the matter and with his support and that of the sisters I left for Alba in January 1931, accompanied by my mother, who was very pleased at the way things had turned out. Bright and early that morning we crossed Piazza San Paolo (St. Paul Square) and with great effort pushed open the massive doors of the Temple of St. Paul, which dominates the Square. The view that met our eyes was unforgettable.
The huge church was filled with priests–some kneeling in the pews, others celebrating Mass at the main altar and side altars. There were many seminarians in their cassocks, a lot of young boys and girls, and also a lot of sisters praying….
For many years after, my mother would remind me with deep emotion of that morning. She left for home that evening, leaving me with the other “Immacolatine”–the group of young girls who were studying with the Daughters of St. Paul.
I was twelve years old at that time. On 23 July 2013 I will celebrate my 94th birthday. It is not an easy matter to recount what happened to me in all that time: the years are too many and too densely-packed. So I’ll just touch lightly on a few stages of my long life that I consider particularly significant.
What was going on in Alba back in 1931? Nothing. Or better: everything was already there, but in seed form. You had to look at things with the eyes of a prophet. There was the House, the Temple, the community, our prayer life, study, school and the apostolate (which consisted of a typography, bindery, book shop, shipping department and circulating libraries). The Society of St. Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul teamed up to print and bind books. Several periodicals were already being published: The Union of Cooperators for the Good Press (launched in 1918); Pastoral Life (1912), La Domenica (the Sunday Mass leaflet) and the magazine Mother of God (1924). The Daughters of St. Paul had already opened their first branch houses in Salerno, Bari, Udine, Reggio Emilia, Genoa and Palermo. Rumors that the Institute would be making its first overseas foundation raced through the community like wildfire and was confirmed with the departure of a group of FSPs for Brazil that same year (1931)….
I made my initial formation in Alba. It was a very normal experience: everything took place in its own time and at its own pace, with respect for the rhythms of human development and growth. Prayer, study, school, work in the typography and bindery, noisy recreations and joyous feast days–all were an integral part of our schedule. And all those volley-ball games–how I enjoyed them!
I loved everything about the Pauline life, in spite of its negative aspects, such as the sacrifices that needed to be made, the poor food, the firm discipline, attacks of homesickness….
Little by little a new desire began to blossom in me: I wanted to do what these sisters did: proclaim the Gospel, help others get to know Jesus, go to distant mission lands. “Glory to God and peace to all people”: those words, written in large letters on cardboard placards and suspended all around the house not only struck my eye; they also began to make inroads in my heart.
Of course, Primo Maestro and Prima Maestra Thecla were with us. They were the heart and soul of everything–the guides of a Family that was moving with great strides toward a future of holiness and grace. I don’t remember having any personal contact with them in those years.
My first personal encounter with Prima Maestra Thecla took place in Alba during the Spring of 1935. Even though today I am nearly blind, her lovely, welcoming personality and unforgettable gaze are still engraved on the pupils of my eyes.
After my religious vestition, I began my apostolic experiences. I was assigned to the writing sector and in view of this I had the good fortune to be sent on for higher studies in philosophy, theology and the sacred sciences. These courses, which are still spoken about with enthusiasm and amazement within the Institute, were organized by Primo Maestro and he himself taught us moral theology.
To confirm that these studies were aimed at the writing apostolate, they concluded with the Founder’s command that we each write a book for publication. The book I wrote was entitled, Selected Letters of St. Francis De Sales. I sent the manuscript to Primo Maestro for evaluation and in response I received a note from him that read: “From now on, never lay down your pen.” To tell the truth, over the years I used my pen much less than anticipated, laying it down for long periods of time.
An initiative in which I participated for over ten years–not full time, obviously, but nevertheless with a full heart–was what was called “Gospel Days” or “Feasts of the Gospel.” In collaboration with the FSPs in the local communities, who did the hard work of organizing these celebrations in the parishes, I would do my part by giving conferences and guiding encounters for various groups of people. It was a wonderful way of proclaiming Christ the Master, Way, Truth and Life and I hope that this initiative continues to be carried out with great enthusiasm today, in ways suited to the times.
Christmas 1955 saw the birth of a new FSP periodical: Così. Months earlier, Primo Maestro had summoned me and asked me to pray, think about and prepare myself to launch a magazine for young women. He said he was placing me in charge of this initiative. The story of Così is worth recounting separately, not only because it is long but also because it is very interesting. A brief reflection: the magazine no longer exists (it ceased publication after only 3 years) but the Founder’s vision concerning it remains vibrant and up to date because it is a symbol of how he viewed the Daughters of St. Paul–at the heart of the communications apostolate, involved in the dynamics of publishing in keeping with the times.
An account of my life as a Pauline would be blurred, myopic and fragmented if I failed to mention Prima Maestra Thecla–an icon of beauty and goodness whose presence permeates my vocation story. I did not only see, greet, listen to and speak with Prima Maestra from time to time…. I lived with her for almost thirty years: in Alba, from 1931-1936, and then in Rome from 1938-1962. I loved Prima Maestra very much and she also loved me. Among my many memories of her, I would like to mention a few privileged moments I spent with her that fill my heart with joy and nostalgia.
One of these was the great privilege I had of accompanying her on two trips: to England and India. I admired Prima Maestra’s great maternal love for each sister, her concern for the good of the communities, her interest in their various apostolic initiatives and in the concrete way they were inserted in the local Churches. Wherever Prima Maestra went, she nourished the hope of the sisters and rekindled their enthusiasm for the Pauline life and mission. In both India and
England she told them: “Show Lorenzina many things that she will find useful for the apostolate.” As a result of this recommendation, I was kept busy from morning to night, while M. Thecla remained at home to speak personally with each sister and observe how the community was functioning.
My trip to India with Prima Maestra Thecla produced unexpected results. When Così’s lifespan came to an end in 1962, my job as the magazine’s director also came to an end and in giving me my new assignment, Prima Maestra said, “I’m sending you to a place where I saw that the sisters liked you very much. You are going to India, to Bombay.” And in short order I was on my way. When my temporary visa expired, Prima Maestra wrote to the provincial superior of India, Sr. Elena Ramondetti, saying that while I was waiting for my visa to be renewed she wanted me to help out in some of our other communities in Asia. This desire of Prima Maestra took me to the Philippines, Borneo, Japan and Korea….
Later, I also had unforgettable and very enriching experiences in the United States, England and Australia. If I were writing my life story in book form, I would have to dedicate at least one chapter to each country in which I was stationed–each assignment a surprise that turned out to be a great gift of God to me. Those many experiences are all engraved on my heart and I revisit them often with wonder and gratitude.
Unknown lands and cultures very different from my own were opened to me. Above all, I came to personally know many Daughters of St. Paul who had previously been just names to me. It was necessary for me to see where they lived, what they did and the many sacrifices they made so courageously and enthusiastically for the sake of the Gospel….
Returning to Italy with a truckload of experiences, I had the chance to concretely compare them with the new experiences I acquired in the two communities in which I served as superior: Alba and Via Antonino Pio (Rome). Both are large, vibrant and complex communities which, notwithstanding the difficulties and problems, also know how to build up and suport their members, work creatively and maintain an attitude “straining forward.”
In a conversation with Sr. Filippina Busso, in which we relived many memories that we have in common, Sr. Filippina suddenly turned to me and exclaimed with shining eyes, “What beautiful lives we’ve led!” Yes, Sr. Filippina, I agree with you: what beautiful lives we’ve led in the marvelous Pauline Family. How wonderful to be a part of it!
