Blessed James Alberione

James Alberione, SSP (Italian: Giacomo) (4 April 1884 – 26 November 1971), was an Italian Catholic priest, and the founder of the Society of St. Paul, of the Daughters of St. Paul, of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master, of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, of the Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd, of the Sisters of Mary Queen of the Apostles, and other religious institutes, which form the Pauline Family. The first two groups are best known for promoting the Catholic faith through various forms of modern media. Alberione was born on 4 April 1884, in San Lorenzo di Fossano, Cuneo, then in the Kingdom of Italy. The Alberione family, made up of Michael Alberione, Teresa Allocco and their six children, were farmers. He was the fourth son of a peasant family and had a more delicate physical constitution than his brothers. At the age of sixteen, James entered the seminary of Alba, Piedmont, financially aided by his uncle James, his godfather from whom his name is derived. At the seminary of Alba, his spiritual director was Canon Francesco Chiesa, who is now a "Venerable". On the night of 31 December 1900, the night that divided the 19th and 20th centuries, he prayed for five hours before the Blessed Sacrament and contemplating the future, felt that he was called to do something for the people of the new century. Inspired by the example of Saint John Bosco (1815-1888), he was one of the first to engage in a mission to educate and evangelize exclusively through the mass media. Alberione was ordained on 29 June 1907 (Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul), and became a parish priest in Narzole. He received his doctorate in theology in 1908. Alberione founded a total of ten religious congregations, aggregated institutes, and lay cooperators. These congregations use modern media technology and published materials to spread the word of God and help in personal devotions.