Father Albera with a group of Salesian soldiers gathered in Valdocco for retreat (Turin, 13 October 1916)
The outbreak of war
At the end of July 1914 the terrible First World War broke out. It soon involved the major world powers and ended only in November 1918, with the horrendous toll of 9,000,000 dead soldiers and 7,000,000 civilian victims. On 20 August, while the first battles were taking place on the Belgian and French front, Pius X, who had not succeeded in preventing the conflict, died struck down by grief. After the election of his successor, Benedict XV, Father Albera went to Rome. The Pope received him with
great affection in an audience on 14 October. Meanwhile, as the war went on disastrously, the superior chapter decided to postpone the celebrations planned for the centenary of Don Bosco’s birth in 1915 and the general chapter that should have convened in August 1916.
In his annual message to the Cooperators of January 1915, Albera encouraged them to pray earnestly.
A horrendous war threatens to plunge into blood the prosperity of many nations towards which the Salesian Family has powerful bonds of gratitude. The consequences of the enormous conflict impede the vitality of so many other peoples. …
Many confreres are caught up in the war’s vortex, therefore exposed to tragic death (and we have cried for many dead). Various institutes, once happy and flourishing, are now depopulated of youths or reduced to a miserable life. Terrified by the news of the vast conflagration, as long ago as 2 August we began fervent prayers for peace before the altar of Mary Help of Christians. We will continue to raise our humble supplications every day, and with ever-increasing fervour, until it pleases the divine clemency to hear them. …
The moment is serious: it is time for a great social expiation. God wants to make the nations understand that their temporal and eternal happiness lies in practising the teachings of the Holy Gospel. When they have understood that, the day of the restoration of all things in Jesus Christ will come quickly. …
So let us be on guard, dear, devout Cooperators, not to yield to fear or despair; rather, let us intensify our humble efforts so that Jesus Christ may reign in modern society.1
The conflict was only beginning. The rector major could not foresee what would happen in the following years, the horrors of the battlefields, and the losses that would convulse the Salesian Family.
On 13 January a powerful earthquake struck Abruzzo. The many victims included two Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. Father Albera wrote to the confreres: “Let us bow before God’s will and pray also for the many victims of this cataclysm. My heart tells me that Don Bosco and Father Rua would not be content with this only, and therefore I am ready to take in, within the limits of the charity which the Lord sends us, some of
1 BS 1915, pp. 1-2.
the orphans who have survived.”2 Moved by his invitation, the Salesians acted at once and welcomed 172 orphans into their various houses in Italy.
At the end of January, the Director’s Manual was printed, on which Father Albera had been working for years, containing the norms to help each director “preserve the spirit of Don Bosco” in his own house. He addressed the directors in the introduction:
This Manual will not only be of great use because, putting aside the theoretical disquisitions, it gets down to practical life and reminds you of everything you need to do to do your duty in the most advantageous way for yourself and all those who depend on you. But you will also appreciate it and, I hope, it will bear fruit, because the exhortations, advice, and warnings it contains are drawn from precious sources.
In fact, these are indications deduced from “what Don Bosco and Father Rua left us as written norms for the directors” and from some directives of Father Albera himself, suggested “by the need of the times and the new conditions” of the Salesian institutes.3
The volume is divided into two parts. The first lists the qualities that must characterize the director according to the spirit of Don Bosco. These include commitment to perfect oneself; study and observance of the Consti-tutions; obedience to superiors; the spirit of discipline and sacrifice; love of poverty; pursuit of sacred studies; the life of faith and zeal. The second part applies those qualities by presenting the duties of the director towards the confreres, the young people, and outsiders. The text was sent to the Salesian directors with a personal handwritten letter from Father Albera.
To one he wrote:
As director of Viedma you’ll have the opportunity to work hard and also to contribute to preserving the spirit of Don Bosco ever better.
Try to reproduce in yourself the virtues and way of governing that Don Bosco and Father Rua taught us by example and word. The whole smooth running of a house depends on the director. If some houses aren’t doing well, it is because the director doesn’t have the calm, the charity, the gentleness, and the patience of our fathers. With certain actions he breaks down instead of helping, with an abrupt and uneven zeal he alienates souls. By wanting the confreres to be too perfect, he
2 LC 171.
makes them nervous and discourages them.4
He dedicated April, May, and June to visiting the Salesian houses in Piedmont, Lombardy, and Veneto. When he finished, he was exhausted and was forced to take fifteen days off at Oulx in Val di Susa. Meanwhile, on 24 May 1915, Italy had entered the war alongside the Triple Entente.
The government began mass military recruitment. Hundreds of young Salesians were immediately called up.
In a meeting of the provincials of Europe at the end of July, they decided to reopen the schools despite the difficulties of the war. They considered how to assist Salesians in the service and discussed mobilizing the Coop-erators to support works that were in serious economic difficulties.
The celebrations planned for the centenary of Don Bosco’s birth were downsized. On 15 August in front of his tomb in Valsalice’s courtyard, a Mass was celebrated with many participants. In the afternoon, the civic commemoration took place. The next day, next to Don Bosco’s house at Becchi, after the celebration of the Eucharist, Father Albera blessed the first stone of the little shrine of Mary Help of Christians, which he wanted to erect as a votive offering to implore peace.
Six months into the war, the situation worsened. Albera’s circular letter of 21 November reads:
An overwhelming number of our dear Salesians, including many young priests, found themselves in the dire need to lay aside their religious habits and put on military uniforms. They had to leave their beloved books to wield sword and rifle. They were rushed from their peaceful academic and trade schools to go to live in barracks and trenches, or as nurses were employed in care of the sick and the wounded. We also have quite a few at the front, where some have already given up their lives, and others have returned horribly injured.
Despite everything, Father Albera encouraged all of them to continue their mission with confidence:
We would be men of little faith if we let ourselves be discouraged. We would show that we are ignorant of the history of our Pious Society if, faced with the difficulties that seem to block our path, we halted, disheartened. What would our most gentle Father say from heaven, whence he looks lovingly upon us, if he saw us weak and discouraged
4 Garneri 314.
at seeing ourselves fewer to cultivate that field which Providence has assigned as our mission? Oh, remember, dear sons, that Don Bosco will recognize us as his true sons only when our courage and strength are equal to the serious difficulties we have to overcome. This courage and this energy that are necessary for us, we must draw first of all from our piety.5
At the beginning of 1916, the conflict escalated. Father Albera commu-nicated the consequences to the Cooperators.
From day to day the long lists of the dead are increasing, and while industry and international commerce are becoming paralysed, and perhaps nearing extinction … the sentiment of christian charity and brotherhood, which ought to unite the nations, is weakening more and more. …
My heart is profoundly moved at the sorrow of so many parents, widows and orphan children; but at the same time our own anxieties are heavy in the extreme.
On the outbreak of war … large numbers of our own Society had to join the ranks of the army. … perhaps to find themselves on opposing fronts in the various fields of action. …
All of them are bearing the great discomforts in the best of spirits, and are able to find scope for their apostolic work among the soldiers, or among their own companions; and they are doing this in the barracks and hospitals, in the camps at the front, and in the trenches, and on the field of battle.
The Salesian works experienced heavy repercussions:
… the many works on behalf of society, to which [Salesian military personnel] had consecrated their lives in the Congregation founded by Don Bosco must necessarily suffer; while some would be quite brought to a standstill, if those that remained behind had not undertaken double burdens; and not only are they bearing this, but there is also a great strain upon the necessaries of life, on account of being cut off from so many of our Co-operators, and from the usual sources of supply. May the sacrifices that are so generously made, whether by our Co-operators, or by those in the war hasten the return of peace. When that glad day arrives, … we shall continue our efforts to render more proficient and
lasting the blessings of peace. Oh! that these aspirations might enkindle the hearts of all our Co-operators and encourage them earnestly to work more intensely for a more christian restoration in all things in harmony with the spirit of the Venerable Don Bosco.
Father Albera concluded: “Dear Co-operators … all should take courage
…; in our times there are many occasions for works of generous charity particularly towards the young who may be in need; and much more can be accomplished by working under the standard of Don Bosco. Almighty God Himself will be your reward.”6
The care of Salesian soldiers
As the months passed, the army drafted an increasing number of confreres and sent them to the front. Once the illusion of a short-lived war had faded, besides the initiatives launched the previous year to support, accompany, and help “morally and materially” those called to war, on 15 February 1916 Father Albera proposed more coordinated action by the Congregation’s leaders, the provincials, and the directors for the care of the Salesians called up. They invited the servicemen to maintain regular correspondence with their superiors and confreres, to forward a detailed personal account to their director every two months. Each received the Salesian Bulletin every month, accompanied by a letter from the rector major. The first of these monthly circulars is dated 19 March 1916. It contains a program that is constantly referred to in subsequent letters:
In your holy and fruitful battles as teachers you were tireless. … Now your country also asks you for physical efforts, and you have answered with your customary enthusiasm and cheerfulness, ready to make any sacrifice. So much noble purpose, so much vigorous virtue has been allotted to you in a very high degree and gives you a very lofty dignity, from which additional duties derive in you. It is these duties that I recommend that you keep constantly before your eyes, to keep yourselves always and in every circumstance worthy of being Don Bosco’s sons.
Therefore, my beloved sons, try to sanctify all your actions by living in
6 BS 1916, pp. 2-3/Eng SB Jan.-Feb. 1916, pp. 202-203, 206-207.
union with God. Constantly direct your thoughts and affections to him, and he will keep you steadfast in virtue, will infuse you with strength and courage in the hours of prostration and discomfort, nor will he let you lack for a single moment the strength necessary to honour all your duties. Perhaps you cannot have much time for prayer, but for this you must dedicate everything, so that your piety is an active one encompassing and pervading, I will say, every moment of your life.
Do not get disturbed by the clamour of arms, nor let the newness and variety of life distract you or the constant sacrifices you have to face weaken your character. Let them be a means to fortify yourself more and more in the faith, and to conquer any danger that could undermine your perseverance in goodness.
May the goodness and gentleness of your soul shine forth in all your actions. This must be your habitual character; in this character you have been formed; in this you must persevere. This must be the sign that makes you known as sons of Don Bosco. Therefore, continuing the tradition of your life, always be ready for any service for your comrades, rush to help them in all their needs, always see a burning flame of charity shining in your heart that makes you tireless for every good work. There will be no shortage of opportunities, and you will not allow yourself to shirk them. Indeed, take them all, and you will ensure the blessings of heaven and the love of your brothers. In this way you will be bright beacons of good example, and almost unconsciously, you will do great good, imitating the Apostle, who made himself all things for all in order to win all to Jesus Christ.7
The extensive correspondence of Salesian soldiers preserved in the archives displays the effectiveness of his initiative. The letters of the rector major united them in spirit to the Congregation and its mission. They were supported morally and spiritually, encouraged to remain faithful to their consecration, to show themselves everywhere as worthy sons of Don Bosco, models of virtue to their fellow soldiers, tireless apostles for the good of souls. A cleric wrote to Father Albera:
How lucky I am, when in quiet moments I scroll through your precious circulars. They are a gold mine of advice, strength, and stimulus to fight. What an ardent desire to persevere, to hold high and honour the banner around which Don Bosco called us! What a joy to feel a clear
conscience, a heart fervent with all his kind words. Thus our lives are revived. Falling asleep in the evening with your circulars in my hands and being able to dream of my dear distant confreres is a happiness amid so much nostalgia.8
Others trusted their hard work:
Yesterday I received your very dear letter. I read it affectionately, and the more I examine it, the more I know myself far from possessing the same spirit. Oh, how much we lose when we’ve been removed from the source! I’m sorry to hurt you, but to be honest, it is so. For the comfort of your abundantly good heart, I assure you that your advice and exhortations are of great help to me in the work of suppressing my infinite evil inclinations. With great anxiety I await your treasured letters, which are for me the stella maris, and I try to practice them.
But given the poor soil and the great inconveniences, almost everything soon vanishes. When I’m at rest, I make use of the means of our holy religion, and I seem to revive, but on the line it is sterile. Oh, what dryness!9
Many declared that they felt confirmed in their vocation among the daily dismays.
The priest often blesses bodies massacred by machine guns, slaughtered bodies. My most common prayer is the countless requiems I recite for the dear departed who are around me, cut down by enemy bullets. They say that military life is a great danger for the religious vocation. Thanks be to God, I can say that I’ve never felt it so rooted, never have I felt the need to return to my Congregation, among my dear young people, among my dear confreres. I always remember the dear solemnities, the noisy playgrounds, the unforgettable, prayerful, sorrowful hours of the morning in church, beautifully praying at the foot of the altar! I read avidly the Bulletin that comes to me regularly, even more than your circulars, beloved father, which always give me a new perspective on life, even if I have to read them a hundred times.10
Beloved father, it is not custom but sincere affection and gratitude that
8 ASC B0421101, P. Di Cola, 04.01.1918.
9 ASC B0410679, G. Conti, 20.02.1918
10 ASC B0420502, E. De Angelis, 28.06.1917.
makes me write to you. Oh, if it were possible for me to be near you, to open my heart to you, to tell you so many things, that I love you so much, that for you, for the Congregation, for what is good, I suffer and do my duty as best I can. The situation is terrible, but so far, with God’s help, everything has gone well. Courage, beloved superior, in the terrible present trial. May it comfort you to know that your distant sons increasingly appreciate their beautiful vocation and feel more and more attached to the Congregation and yearn for the day when they will return to their precious occupations.11
Even in the most dramatic moments, the Salesians on the front line felt comforted by faith, assisted by Divine Providence, ready to offer their sufferings for the good of the Congregation. After the military disaster at Caporetto, a priest confrere wrote:
Sperabundo gaudio in omni tribulatione mea [With all our affliction, I am overjoyed – 2 Cor 7:4]. I sincerely thank the Lord who has made me suffer so much. For me this is the best sign that not only does the Lord not forget me, but he loves me very much. I’m very grateful to him for that. In moments when my exhaustion has reached the point that I can’t swallow a piece of bread … and while tens of thousands of people, crammed into the streets and squares of a small village were looking for how to feed themselves, Providence sent me a cup of hot soup in a way that was really strange. I’m eager to assure you I never forget that I’m Don Bosco’s son; that as a Salesian I suffer willingly, happy to fulfil the Lord’s will in everything, convinced that my sufferings will also benefit my dear Society, which I love as my family.12
Sperabundo gaudio in omni tribulatione mea [With all our affliction, I am overjoyed – 2 Cor 7:4]. I sincerely thank the Lord who has made me suffer so much. For me this is the best sign that not only does the Lord not forget me, but he loves me very much. I’m very grateful to him for that. In moments when my exhaustion has reached the point that I can’t swallow a piece of bread … and while tens of thousands of people, crammed into the streets and squares of a small village were looking for how to feed themselves, Providence sent me a cup of hot soup in a way that was really strange. I’m eager to assure you I never forget that I’m Don Bosco’s son; that as a Salesian I suffer willingly, happy to fulfil the Lord’s will in everything, convinced that my sufferings will also benefit my dear Society, which I love as my family.12