ALLAMANO - A FATHER IN THE FAITH OF INNUMERABLE CHRISTIANS

BLESSED JOSEPH ALLAMANO FOUNDER OF THE CONSOLATA FATHERS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS.     A short biography and some aspects of the spiritual doctrine of Blessed Joseph Allamano     PRESENTATION I am happy to have a chance to present this small book on the life and spirituality of Bd. Joseph Allamano, whom many of us Kenya Christians rightly consider as our Father in the Faith. When Bd. Joseph Allamano founded the Consolata Missionaries, he wanted them to continue the missionary activity of Card. Massaia (a Capuchin, born in the same area as Bd. J. Allamano) in Ethiopia. However, for various reasons (political, etc.), his desire could not be fulfilled. As a consequence, we, people of Kenya, especially those living in the Central part of our Country, benefited. His missionaries came to Murang'a, Nyeri, and later went also to Meru, Embu, and Marsabit. They were the first to preach our Faith in these areas, so that their Founder and Father can rightly be considered as the Father in the Faith of the people living there.

Feast of Blessed Joseph Allamano 2014 - CANADA

On Monday February 17, 2014 a Family day was observed in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. On the same day the Consolata Missionaries in Toronto gathered to celebrate the feast of blessed Joseph Allamano.

All the Consolata Missionaries, staff, benefactors and friends came together to celebrate the Founder’s passing to the glory of God.

Mass was celebrated at 1:00pm with full attendance at the Chapel. After Mass, the community convened in the hall for lunch.Fr. Michael Mutinda, the main celebrant, was joined by Fr. Jose Fernandes, the local Superior, Fr. Peter Turrone, Fr. Sosimi Atandi, Deacon Yair Morales, Deacon Joseph Afryie, a Permanent Deacon of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Three other priests working in the archdiocese of Toronto also joined for the celebration of mass.

In his homily Fr. Michael emphasized on the mission of blessed Joseph Allamano, an Italian Diocesan priest of Turin who founded Consolata Missionaries. His work is the work we are all called to do.

From the gospel reading, the acronym word STAND became a theme that Fr. Michael accentuated on. The word stand gives us interest to talk about: in this modern society where by it seem every thing is falling: spirituality, morality, love, economy, missions, etc. Jesus in his life used the word stand as a precedence of healing. Stand, take your mat and walk, your faith has healed you; little girl, stand etc. The Blessed Allamano shares this in deep experience. He was in deathbed when he recovered miraculously and stood up to found our congregation. Let us also stand in different ways!

S - serve with simplicity: as Consolata, we are called to serve the poor too as Jesus did (the charism) but always with simplicity. “The good must be done well without noise,” says Allamano.” Our service is not doing miracles but doing the ordinary in extraordinary way”.

T - teach by testimony. Pope Paul VI says, the modern world will listen more to witnesses than teachers and would listen to the latter if only they are former! We are all called to give testimony of holy life to all. Holiness is the first and foremost vocation and teacher to convert souls. “First saints then missionaries”, says Allamano. He adds, the aim of our congregation is to sanctify ourselves then others.

A - announce: announcing is a consequence of holiness. We don't need words to announce the glory of God, as much as we need to live it! In the book of the Prophet Isaiah 66, it is said: "they will announce my glory to the nations." This is our biblical theme as Consolata missionaries.

N - news and novelty of life: the Bospel should never leave anyone unchanged! We cannot come out the church the same as we went in if really the Gospel has impart in our lives. The poor cannot remain the same if really theY have the good news.

D - depart and deliver: Jesus proclaimed deliverance to the captives... today we need to deliver what? sin, forgiveness, unity, love, mission, vocation, and how? Now depart and deliver, our Mass is ended!More than ever, there are a lot of works to be done in the field of evangelization. There are now over one billion people who are part of the great Catholic communion to which we belong.

If we were to describe the most common color or complexion of the members of our Church it would be brown. If we were to look on a map to locate were most of the Consolata missionaries in the world lived, it would be in the regions where there is great physical or material poverty. If we were to describe the economic status of most of the world's Catholics, most of us would live in poverty.

Most of the world's baptized Catholics owe their faith to great missionaries who have left their families, friends and comfort zone, and through their vow of obedience, they follow their superior’s directions and sweep through the globe to preach the Good News about Jesus. Faith in Jesus Christ circles the globe largely as a result of the heroic efforts of missionaries to endure profound hardship to bring the good news of salvation to the world and even to die. Yet we live in a world that is very hostile toward religion of all kinds. Christianity in particular, some might argue, bears the repercussion of this discrimination and outright persecution.

The days of the martyrs are not long gone, but instead happening now more than before. Recently, two Salesians priests were murdered. Let us continue to pray for all men and women who are suffering these atrocities for exercising their fundamental human right to express and practice faith.

Blessed Joseph Allamano was such a missionary. Due to his failing health, he wasn’t able to travel out of Turin, but this did not stop or discourage him to be a missionary. His deep faith and desire to spread good news compelled him to establish missions that started to send their missionaries to Africa and eventually spread to all the continents. His work laid the groundwork for the spread of the Catholic faith in over twenty-five countries and give consolation to thousands of people in the globe.

 

Paul Mageto