BL. PHILIP RINALDI - 5 DECEMBER

BLESSED PHILIP RINALDI, PRIEST AND RELIGIOUS

Bl. Philip (Filippo) Rinaldi was born in mid-1856 in Lu Monferrato as the eighth child to the farmers Cristobolo Rinaldi and Antonia Brezza. He knew St John Bosco since 1861.

Rinaldi started his educational studies at Mirabello Monferrato in which the Salesians of Don Bosco oversaw his education; the assistance for him there was Paolo Albera but Rinaldi later returned to his home despite St John Bosco making an effort to convince him to reconsider his decision.

He continued his life as a farmer but received some letters from Bosco and some books from Albera regarding religious vocations and the process of discernment. In 1874 his parents welcomed St John Bosco who decided to visit Rinaldi but he proved to be most persistent in his decision not to continue his religious studies.

ST JOHN BOSCO VISITED HIM

St John Bosco's insistence at least managed to get his parents to convince to return to the school; his mother proved more vocal in this and even some people from the town also attempted to convince him.

In 1876 he prepared to wed but St John Bosco visited him once more to convince him that he should consider the religious life instead as a more viable alternative; in November 1877 he agreed to go to the order's house at Sampierdarena as the place that Bosco referred to as a place "for late vocations".

The director there at Sampierdarena was his priest friend Paolo Albera. It was a simplistic experience for Rinaldi to take on books but he learned to do so and joined the novitiate in San Benito Canaves in September 1879; he later received the cassock from St John Bosco himself on October 20, 1879.

HE RECEIVED THE CASSOCK FROM ST JOHN BOSCO HIMSELF

He made his initial profession on August 13, 1880 and he later received his ordination to the priesthood on December 23, 1882 in the Ivrea Cathedral from Archbishop Davide Riccardi.

St John Bosco appointed him as the director of the house for late vocations in Mathi.

Bosco showed Rinaldi in 1887 a map of Australia and told him that the Salesians would soon work there but told Rinaldi his work would be in Spain and not in Australia.

"LECTURAS CATOLICAS"

In 1889 he was sent to Spain as the director of the order at Sarria where he was set to work until 1901 while also serving as the provincial director for the order in his part of Spain from 1892 until 1901. In 1895 he began the production of the newspaper entitled "Lecturas Catolicas".

On April 1, 1901 he returned to Turin as the order's vicar general during the term of Blessed Michele Rua; but in 1910 it was his old friend Albera who succeeded Rua. But Albera's death later in 1921 saw the ensuring General Chapter electing Rinaldi the Rector Major and third successor of St John Bosco on May 24, 1922.

INTERNATIONAL VISITS

Rinaldi helped in the establishment of the World Federations of Past-Pupils and he also helped to organize the Salesian International Congress slated for 1911.

In 1925 he undertook a series of international visits throughout Europe to nations such as Poland and France as well as returning to Spain.

HE DISPATCHED MEMBERS FOR THE MISSIONS

On May 20, 1917 he founded the Secular Institute of Don Bosco Volunteers in Ivrea and dispatched members of the order to countries such as India and Japan for the missions and other objectives. During his term the number of Salesians shot up 66 per cent from 6000 to 10000 members.

Rinaldi died in mid-1931 in Turin and his remains were interred in Turin but later relocated in a Salesian-established basilica. He had suffered from heart muscle weakness from 1928 to his death.

His order later received diocesan approval from the Cardinal Archbishop of Turin Michele Pellegrino on January 31, 1971 and received full pontifical approval from Pope Paul VI on August 5, 1978 right before the pontiff's death.

Information from Wikipedia - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filippo_Rinaldi

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of the blessed Philip Rinaldi may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

BL. LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR 16th century houses, painted by Auguste Mayer He was born in the bishopric of Durham, according to Raissius ; others say at Richmond, in Yorkshire. He was master of arts in one of our universities; but going abroad to Douay, in Flanders, was received into the English college there, 1576, and made priest in 1577; and the year following sent upon the mission. Where he had not been long before he again went abroad, and travelled to Rome, partly for devotion, and partly for further improvement in learning. Here he remained in the English college till 1580, when he returned into England, and was not long after apprehended: for I find by a printed diary of things transacted in the Tower of London from 1580 till 1585, that on the 5th of December, 1580, Luke Kirby, Thomas Cottam , and other priests, were brought to the Tower from other prisons; and that these two, on the 10th...

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