Anne Eileen Heffernan FSP - Blessed James Alberione

Media Apostle

Anne Eileen Heffernan, FSP
Illustrated by Charlie Craig

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Heffernan, Eileen.
Blessed James Alberione : media apostle / Anne Eileen Heffernan, FSP ;
illustrated by Charlie Craig.
pages cm. -- (Encounter the saints series)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8198-1213-1
ISBN-10: 0-8198-1213-7
1. Alberione, James, 1884-1971. 2. Catholic Church--Italy--Clergy-
Biography. 3. Mass media in religion. I. Title.
BX4705.A429H44 2013
271.79--dc23
[B]
2013005202

Cover art/illustrated by Charlie Craig

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Pauline Books & Media is the publishing house of the Daughters of St. Paul, an international congregation of women religious serving the Church with the communications media.

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It was an early April afternoon in northern Italy, and the air was cool. A middleaged farmer knocked briskly on the door of his pastors house.

Is Father in? he asked the housekeeper as she opened the door. Im Michael Alberione (Al- BARE-ee-OH-nay) from New Ponds Farm.

Yes, indeed, Im here, said the priest, coming up behind the housekeeper. Come in, Michael, come in. He led Mr. Alberione into his parlor. As they sat down, he asked, Is your family well?

Yes, Father, replied the farmer. Except for our new son, who was born this morning. Hes small and very thin. Im afraid he may not live, and Teresamy wifeis worried, too. We wondered if we could have him baptized tomorrow.

I dont see why not, replied the priest. Are the godparents nearby?

The godmother lives nearby. Shes Teresas sister and is at the house now, to help her. But the godfather, my brother James, lives farther away, and it feels like a storm is coming.

In farming country in 1884 it was hard to send messages quickly. There were no cars yet, and no telephones.

I could substitute for your brother, offered the priest kindly.

Thank you very much, Father, replied the farmer. What time shall we bring our little James?

Ten oclock in the morning will be fine, Father said.

After thanking the priest again, Michael Alberione returned to the farm he was renting.

He and Teresa, with their three sons, had moved to New Ponds Farm only last November. Yet already they felt that this was not the place for them.

The owner of the farm lived far away. He had rented a large room and the stable to the Alberione family. The Alberiones lived in the large room. At night the boys went to the stable to sleep.

Michael Alberione did not find it hard to live in one room and a stable. He had always been poor. What bothered him was the farmland. Even though there were two ponds, the ground was dry and hard. It was clay soil. The neighbors had told Mr. Alberione that his harvests would be poor. He would get very little profit to share with the farms owner.

Many evenings Michael had told Teresa, We need to find land thats better for farming. Were going to have to move our family again.

Baby James was baptized the next morning in the Church of Saint Lawrence. His father and Aunt Anna, his godmother, brought him home. They were happy that he had not caught cold. Anna placed him in his mothers arms. Teresa rejoiced that her youngest son was now a child of God, like his brothers.

At noon the family had a simple meal of celebration in their one large room. James lay in the cradle that each of his brothers had used before him. Papa Michael looked with pride at his new son and the three older boys. Juvenal (JOO-vuh-nuhl) was eight; John, five; and Francis, almost three. Smiling at his wife, Michael said, We have four sons. Someday theyll be able to help with the farm work.

Hurry, James, we need your light, called Mamma Teresa after supper one autumn evening. It was already dark, but Jamess parents and brothers were going out to the field to finish the autumn planting. James was no longer a baby. He was old enough to hold the lantern, so the others could see what they were doing. Small for his age, James struggled to keep up with everyone else as they walked toward the field.

One of his brothers joked, James, that lantern is almost as big as you are! The other boys laughed, too. James concentrated on keeping up.

When they reached the field, it was easier. Now everyone moved slowly, spread out in a row. James simply had to walk ahead, holding the lantern. His parents and brothers hoed the earth to cover the seed they had planted earlier in the day. The soil was not hard to hoe. The family had moved to a different farm, where the ground was better for growing crops.

James was glad to have his very own job. But he was tired, too. He couldnt see beyond the bright light of the lantern. He tried not to stumble as he moved ahead.

James, give us light! his mother called. Her little son was zigzagging from right to left and back again. He was falling asleep on his feet!