Albera, Paolo

ALBERA, PAOLO. - Salesian and second successor of St. John Bosco, b. at None on June 6, 1845, d. at Turin on Oct. 30, 1921. He was among the "very first" to give his name to the Pious Salesian Society. After several years of teaching at the college of Mirabello, ordained a priest in 1871, he was immediately sent to open the new house in Genoa; and that institute in one year had such growth that it had to move to larger premises at Sampierdarena. His industriousness, prudence and religious spirit marked him out in 1881 for the office of inspector of the Salesian houses of France, then, at the death of Don Bosco, for that of director general spiritual, which he held for 18 years. He thus had to visit almost all the houses of Europe, Africa and America, bringing and strengthening that interior spirit and that dynamic zeal that he had learned from the founder. At the death of Don M. Rua (1910) he was appointed rector major. So high an office brought even more into view his greatness of soul and his tireless enterprise. The Pious Salesian Society and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians grew greatly in number; the houses multiplied also in the missions; the institute was strengthened in its organization. The times did not spare him labors; but from them his charity gained expansion. Hence the initiatives for the war orphans (1916), for the children of Italians expelled from Turkey (1912), for the poor children of central Europe, victims of the earthquake. The most consoling event for him was to see himself surrounded, not long before his death, by a host of young men from almost all the nations of America and Europe, gathered at Turin to prepare for their future mission as apostles, thus realizing the dearest design of the rector major.

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