October 2, 2004

My Dear Missionaries,

In 1925 our Father Founder attended the solemn Beatification of Joseph Cafasso in Rome. On his return he wrote the following letter (May 11, 1925) to his men and women missionaries:

Dearest Sons and Daughters in Our Lord Jesus Christ,

I feel the need to share my thoughts with you: my heart is full of consolation on the occasion of the beatification of our Don Cafasso. You know how much I longed for this day and how much I did to reach it. At long last after thirty years of efforts I have reached this day. In the fullness of my joy I must open my heart to you who are my crown and who have always shared my sufferings and joys.

On May 3 this year I had the good fortune of being in Rome where I took part in truly heavenly ceremonies that our Holy Church only celebrates in St. Peter’s. The Holy Father was – for me and for all the cardinals and prelates – an exemplar of goodness.

Certainly you were all in my thoughts when the Papal Decree was read and the Saint’s painting was unveiled. I prayed especially to the new Blessed for all of you. I prayed for the grace necessary for your sanctification and the conversion of the heathen. Blessed Joseph Cafasso is the patron of the residence he helped to found; he is an example and a model for devout souls – especially clergymen. But he is also our special protector, our “uncle” you might say and as such you must follow his example. In heaven he will intercede for you and your needs. His zeal for souls was extraordinary and he will surely help you who work in the missions.

I am sending you pictures to be placed in your churches. Celebrate his feast day, pray his office and foster devotion to Blessed Joseph all year long. By promoting this devotion I will feel I have done my best for you; this devotion will guide you on the path of perfection. Pray to Blessed Joseph that I finish my career successfully and in time join him in heaven. I bless you in Jesus Christ with a heart filled with affection.

Canon G. Allamano - Superior[1]

I reproduced this letter in its entirety because it is an eloquent explanation of why the General Directorates chose St. Joseph Cafasso as protector for 2005, the year of our General Chapter. Along with examining the Institute’s previous six years the General Chapter is a time when all our members should review their progress during this period and determine if they have been following the path laid out by our Father Founder. Are we still drinking at the authentic springs of our charism? Does our missionary zeal still draw nourishment from what Blessed Allamano termed “his spirit?” ne of the most effective means to this end is a return to the original plan our Founder laid out for the Institute. We must examine ourselves in the light of those ideals of life and mission he set forth.

We know that our Founder’s relationship to his holy uncle were more than simple family ties. When he took charge of the Clergy Residence Allamano understood that his first duty was to embrace Cafasso’s spirituality and pass it on to the young priests he was training. Allamano was committed to “rediscovering” Cafasso’s spirituality; he thought of his Institute as the realization of a dream of Cafasso.[2] Joseph Allamano wanted Cafasso’s apostolic spirit and signal holiness to be an integral part of his missionary family. This is why he was involved in the efforts to have his uncle beatified. The May 3, 1925 Beatification in Rome ended thirty years of efforts. Allamano exclaimed, “After this… I too can sing my Nunc dimittis.”[3] He had given his missionaries a protector and a mentor for life and the missions.

Biographical Notes

Joseph Cafasso was born on January 15, 1811 in Castelnuovo d’Asti. He was the third of Giovanni Cafasso and Orsola Beltramo’s four children. His younger sister, Marianna, was the mother of Joseph Allamano. The Cafasso family cultivated a small parcel of land that hardly met their needs. Adult family members were obliged to work as seasonal field hands on other people’s farms. The continuous passage of armies through their fields and vineyards had reduced many families in the area to genuine destitution and hunger. With great difficulty, the Cafasso family survived this tragic period.

Cafasso was only marginally affected by the religious upheavals of his day (Napoleon’s religious legislation and the Jansenist movement). In 1803 his parish went from the diocese of Asti to that of Turin. It is worthy of note that during this period (1829-1880) Castelnuovo was an area rich in priestly vocations and gave the Church many impressive clerics. One need only cite St. Joseph Cafasso, St. John Bosco, Blessed Joseph Allamano and Cardinal Cagliero.

After high school the young Joseph Cafasso studied philosophy for two years in public school (Chieri) and then entered the Chieri seminary to pursue studies of philosophy and theology. The seminary had been opened the previous year by Archbishop Colombano Chiaveroti as an alternative to the Turin seminary. Because of ongoing protests and turbulence the seminary in Turin was considered an inappropriate place to train priests. Joseph Cafasso was ordained a deacon on March 23, 1833 and a priest on September 21 that same year. Four months later he moved into the St. Francis Ecclesiastical Residence in Turin for further training in pastoral work. He would remain there for the rest of his life gradually taking on ever more responsible assignments: assistant to Father Guala, Rector of the Church and Residence of St. Francis of Assisi, Rector of the St. Ignatius Sanctuary in Lanzo.

Under Father Guala’s direction first and Father Cafasso’s later the St. Francis Residence became a breeding ground for zealous priests. The spirituality at the residence was Ignatian, but the moral theology and pastoral training were inspired by the works of St. Alphonsus Liguori. Special attention was devoted to teaching and training able preachers and confessors. Under Cafasso’s leadership the residence experienced a golden age.

Under Jesuit influence the practice of the Spiritual Exercises and preaching parish missions were widespread and left an indelible mark on the life of the local Church. Young priests at the residence learned that effective preaching depended on personal holiness and doctrinal soundness. Cafasso devoted much of his time to preaching the Spiritual Exercises and parish missions; this was especially true after he was appointed Rector of the St. Ignatius Sanctuary in Lanzo Torinese.

Although Cafasso spent much time preaching, confession was the real focus of his attention. “If a priest is eager to accomplish something impressive, sublime, noble and glorious he should hear confessions. If a priest wants to be genuinely helpful to his neighbors he should hear confessions. If a priest hopes to accumulate much merit he should hear confessions.” This is what Cafasso taught his young priests; for twenty-six years he spent several hours a day in the confessional. He was also much involved in spiritual direction; at his death the newspapers described him as “vir consiliorum” [man of counsel] for people of all classes: nobles, poor people, priests, bishops and founders of religious families.

These many activities did not exhaust his zeal. Cafasso paid close attention to the upheavals of contemporary Turin even if he did not always understand their importance. He worked for the welfare of those on the fringes of society (street sweepers, orphans, war wounded). He climbed rickety, dangerous tenement staircases to bring relief and minister to the poor. He was always ready to advise and offer financial support to charitable enterprises. He devoted so much time to the spiritual care of those in prison and those condemned to death that he was known as the “gallows priest.”

We know little about Cafasso’s impact on the politics of his time. His basic attitude apparently was one of prudence and reserve – something that saved the Residence from the excesses of the Risorgimento.

After a short sickness Joseph Cafasso died on June 23, 1860 – he was only 49 years old. At the request of many supporters Joseph Allamano became involved in the work to introduce Cafasso’s cause for beatification. This was accomplished on May 23, 1896 and at that time Cafasso’s remains were transferred from the City cemetery to the crypt of the Consolata Sanctuary. Cafasso’s path to canonization continued: on February 27, 1921 Benedict XV declared him a man of heroic virtue; on May 3, 1925, he was beatified; on June 22, 1947, Pius XII declared him a saint and an example of priestly life – a father of the poor, a comforter of the sick, a helper of the imprisoned and a hope for those condemned to death.” In his encyclical Menti Nostrae (September 23, 1950) Pius XII held him up as an example for all priests.

The Spiritual Teaching of St. Joseph Cafasso

This brief biographical sketch does not tell us much about St. Joseph Cafasso’s intense apostolic endeavors or the rich spirituality he lived and fostered through his preaching and teaching. A cursory glance at his life reveals a simple, humble priest who had little to do with great enterprises or foundations – his good works were modest and appropriate to his station in life. If we pay closer attention to his writings, however, we will discover a deep interior life nourished by a secret strength that led to holiness through an intense priestly apostolate. Cafasso found this inner strength in his understanding of the priestly vocation. He says at much in his talks to priests: “Above all a priest must have a clear understanding of who he is and what he is called to do. He must be convinced that he is different from others and that his state in life requires effort, sacrifice and subjection.”

It was no surprise that crowds attended his Mass, flocked to his confessional and sought his advice. People were drawn to his renown as a holy priest whose celebration of the sacraments drew everyone in; his preaching touched hearts and in all things he was clearly a “man of God” – a reminder of the supernatural aspects of life. Sanctity and the apostolate constituted the twin poles of his life. His fruitful apostolate was a logical consequence of the holiness that was the foundation of his life.

Because of limited space we can only describe those elements of his teaching that are pertinent to our missionary spirituality and constitute part of our charism and heritage. I will draw an outline and let the saint’s own words fill in the details.

Service of God

In his writings[4] Cafasso conceives of spiritual life as an exercise of love that is carried out as “service of God.” For Cafasso the expression “service of God” means this: a creature must see God as the foundation of his existence; he must never lose sight of the source of all he needs to make sense of his own existence – the final goal of all human (especially apostolic) endeavor. He explains this principle in one of his meditations for clerics:

“I am only on earth to serve God – this is my only purpose here … everything else is meaningless; God, glory, His purposes, the salvation of souls – these are the concerns that should fill and consume my days and my life. I am here only for God, only for His purposes, His concerns, His love … The servant is one who is involved, possessed, consecrated and entirely devoted to God’s purposes; someone who works from morning to night for the honor and glory of God – this is his only concern.”

Without this clarity, Cafasso continues, a priest becomes “something formless, denatured and freakish.” He goes on to say, “If while on earth we stray from our goal we become useless tools and treacherous machines in earth’s workshop.” His biographer reports Cafasso’s dying words to the priests of the residence as “A priest without God is nothing!”

Service of God is not something sentimental; it is “commitment, care, continual eagerness to serve God; nothing much matters as long as one serves God.” To carry this out properly we must cultivate certain attitudes:

-           totality: God does not settle for half-measures; he wants the whole human heart;

-           constancy: “I am in the world to serve God; whether my life be long or short there will be no single moment when I am excused from serving; day or night, at home or abroad, in health or sickness, poverty or prosperity I must serve Him …”;

-           determination and readiness: totality requires all of our energy and eschews all lethargy and laziness.

The Will of God

“All holiness, perfection and progress depend on doing God’s will perfectly. We must do what God asks of us and we must do it as He would have it done. I believe that nothing more can be asked of us.”

Cafasso’s teaching on holiness and Christian perfection is both clear and specific. It sees God and His service as the basis of everything and seeks the best way to live in conformity with God. This can be done by doing God’s will always and everywhere.

Conformity to God’s will – Cafasso explains at length – is not simple intellectual adherence to what God asks of us. It implies acts such as recognizing God’s dominion over us, trust in his goodness, and above all the act of love. The nature and character of our love for God involves complete conformity to all his wishes and Will. As we have already said, love makes us like those we love.”

By adhering always and everywhere to God’s will the creature gradually identifies with his creator. Here is what Cafasso has to say on this:

“Happy are we if we bury our heart in God’s heart, if we identify our desires with His and we become one heart, one will. To will what God wills, as and when He wills it – to will it only because He wills it; in this world God is my everything – what He wills, I will. I have no will, no preference, no desire, no goal – everything is in God. He may do with me as He wills – His will is always my will.”

On this subject Cafasso devotes a lot of space to the meaning of “indifference” vis-à-vis God’s will. He uses words that are unfamiliar for us but that were the common vocabulary of spirituality in his time. He emphasizes the positive elements in this apparently passive attitude – an attitude that leads to complete and trusting abandon to God’s will. Finally he reminds us that one who abandons himself lovingly to God’s will is not deprived of reason.

Living Every Day Perfectly

This is the keystone of Cafasso’s spirituality and the logical consequence of the aspects we discussed above. Whoever makes God the basis of his existence, striving to love Him and do His will, will find commitment to his daily duties the best, the royal road to holiness.

To see daily duty as a path to holiness is not something exclusive to Cafasso. St. Francis de Sales presented this insight with originality and efficacy. Cafasso brought this idea to many – especially priests. His own life was in no way exceptional, noteworthy or out of the ordinary; it demonstrated how effective a method this was for achieving holiness if followed with commitment, seriousness, serenity and optimism. As Don Bosco himself said, “Practicing the ordinary virtues with marvelous constancy and faithfulness was Cafasso’s extraordinary virtue.” To those who asked how to achieve holiness he would answer: “… Miracles are not necessary; if the fasts and penances of the saints were necessary we would be in trouble – who would be saved?” He would then explain himself in detail in what has become a classic text:

“The priest who carries out his ministry, the common and ordinary duties of his vocation and does all he can to perform them well is a saint - this is what I understand by the word ‘saint’. What is the life of a good priest? How does he pass his days? He prays, he celebrates Mass, he studies, he hears confessions, he preaches, he teaches, he comforts, he advises, he visits, he brings relief – this what a good priest does. There is nothing extraordinary or spectacular here. It is common, ordinary – one might even say trivial. But if these things are done in an orderly fashion, prudently, appropriately – if they meet the needs of the times, the place and individuals – if they are done well they will make one a saint. This is true of someone in the world, a mother or a father, this is true of a priest.”

Cafasso’s preaching denounced the mania many have for the spectacular. He called this a “great and ruinous illusion.” He justifies this view:

-           Every individual has his own path to holiness. Few are called to perform extraordinary deeds or miracles. Many are called to follow the ordinary path of daily duty performed for God and the brethren with eagerness, precision and perseverance.

-           Frankly there are few so-called “extraordinary events” in life; they never constitute the total fabric of one’s life.

-           Common sense tells us we should not concentrate our energy on the special moments of our life and neglect the rest. Woe to a spiritual life that neglects every-day commitments and concentrates on the extraordinary!

Cafasso concludes – and insists – that the path to holiness is easy, accessible to all and followed by so many individuals.

Solitude versus Isolation

Cafasso’s vast experience in the spiritual direction of priests made him wary of the isolation in which priests often live. A diocesan priest frequently lives alone and finds no fraternal support for his spiritual and pastoral life. Few are close to the priest who strays or is in need . Few are ready to provide fraternal correction. Superiors probably know very little about the circumstances of his life. Even confessors are reluctant to speak out thinking a priest will know how to behave…

Cafasso describes this situation with great realism and suggests the love of solitude as an antidote. Solitude, Cafasso tell us, enables a priest to go within himself and watch over his conduct. It is a strength that promotes spiritual progress: “Union with God, purity of conscience, exemplary conduct are all appropriate for priests – they cannot be separated from retreat and solitude.” He explains that solitude is not an obstacle to activity, on the contrary it can generate action. “My dear brothers we must never forget that our life consists more of spirit than work; spirit determines the value of our work. If you remove or diminish the interior spirit of a priest you remove or diminish the value of his work.”

Solitude is not simply the ability to “go within oneself.” It involves detachment from every-day activity, a solitude “where we find refuge and can recover from the daily cares that overwhelm us.” There are many ways to achieve this solitude. Cafasso favors two:

-           Solitude in one’s room (cell): “Only in our room can we find the peace, quiet and calm that is so necessary for the formation of a good priest.” To those who object that an active priest should not be confused with a contemplative monk, Cafasso explains that there is a hierarchy of values. A priest’s first concern is priestly values, but at the same time he must order his life so that his ministry is effective. Solitude gives strength and efficacy to the ministry.

-           Solitude in a retreat: “From time to time we must leave the world for a few days, go on retreat, close ourselves off, embrace solitude and silence; we must establish a pact with God that involves our actions and our heart.” He describes a retreat as a special call from God, a great grace, a time of comfort and spiritual refreshment, a time of sharing confidences with God.

What will fill this solitude? Self-examination, meditation, spiritual reading, apostolic formation and continuous study.

Intense Life of Prayer

A few brief quotations will help us understand the fundamental importance Cafasso attributes to prayer in the life of a priest.

“Along with retreats, prayer is a necessary instrument for training a priest – that special man in the world, a reflection of divinity on earth, an interior, spiritual man, far from the world’s deceit, totally devoted to God’s interests, more divine than human.”

“St. Alphonsus often said the man who prays will be saved; the man who does not pray will be damned. I would say the same thing: you may be sure that the priest who prays will be good, virtuous and saved; the priest who does not pray even if he works hard, studies, learns – I fear for his virtue and his goodness – I fear even more for his salvation.”

Cafasso believed that commitment to prayer and progress in holiness were related. Prayer not only leads to a greater knowledge of God, it allows one to possess God and establish a profound union with Him: “Prayer brings one closer to and almost merges one with God. Prayer teaches us how to deal with and speak to God; prayer brings us God’s assistance, insight and comfort.”

He urges the priest who seeks to cultivate a genuine spirit of prayer to merge himself (body and soul, heart and will) with God to the extent that he can say, “he sees God,” “he speaks to God,” “he tastes God and sees him,” “he embraces him.” Only then will one understand what “familiarity” with God means; only then will one understand Jesus’ command to pray ceaselessly.

Cafasso recommends that anyone hoping to make progress in prayer consider three aspects:

1.        Detachment and withdrawal from the world. This is one of the cornerstones of his spiritual teaching and the indispensable condition for anyone seeking progress in the spirit of prayer. Our heart either beats for God or for the world. e must make a clear and distinct choice. Prayer cannot coexist with mediocrity and sin, with compromise or the lack of commitment.

2.        Pious practices. To those who would object that authentic piety does not consist of external exercises Cafasso responds: “This is true, gentlemen, external practices do not constitute the substance of genuine religiosity; but I fear that what is lacking on the outside is also missing on the inside. Tell me this: if you saw a tree without bark or leaves, without protection against the ravages of weather would you say: this is a good tree, it will bear much fruit because of what it has inside?” He recommends that every priest establish fixed times during the day for prayer and that nothing distract him from his daily prayer.”

3.        Reflection and meditation. Cafasso thinks so highly of this practice that he asserts forcefully: “show me a way to make priests think seriously and engage in reflection and I will show you how to make saints.” He adds, “All disorders, both secular and priestly, derive from our lack of recollection, from our failure to reflect. Woe to those seculars and woe to those ecclesiastics who do not think.”

Conclusion

Let me close with an anecdote. In late 2002 and early 2003 political events in northern Ivory Coast cut our colleagues off from all communication. Not knowing who had been chosen as protector for the year they met in January to choose their own protector. After surveying the community they chose St. Joseph Cafasso. They believed that Cafasso being family saint would take the concerns of his nephews to heart. He has a spirituality that is closely linked to our own charism and is a genuine model for all of us.

May St. Joseph Cafasso who has so obviously protected our Ivory Coast confrères bless and protect the Institute in this year in which we will celebrate our Eleventh General Chapter. May his example of apostolic holiness move us in our commitment to spiritual progress. This is the indispensable pre-condition for genuine success in our Family projects. May Cafasso’s example prompt us to return to the spiritual roots and charism of our Blessed Founder. May St. Joseph Cafasso grant our missionaries an apostolic soul that combines action and contemplation, service of God and commitment to our brothers. May he foster creativity among our chapter members so they can discern and point out new methods of carrying out missionary work. May he stir up the enthusiasm we need to overcome obstacles and fatigue and make rapid progress in our work on all continents.

May our Blessed Founder bless you. I greet you all fraternally in our Mother, the Consolata.

Fr. Piero Trabucco, imc

(Superior General)