February 3rd 1914 - March 25th 2007

 At the dawn of the 25th of March, the pilgrimage of Fr. Alessandro del Grande in this world came to an end. Hospitalized for a stomach tumour, he peacefully passed away surrounded by members of the community of Albavilla. Born on February 3rd 1914, Fr. Alessandro was one of the first young sent to Spain (Mendelu), then to France (Betharram, Balarin where he pronounced his first vows in 1932). He studied theology in Bethlehem, where he was ordained a priest in July 1938.

It is a meaningful figure of Betharram in Italy who is going way: he was related to the first steps of Betharram in Italy and its organisation into a Viceprovince in the 50ies. Above all, Fr. Alessandro trained several generations of Betharramites. He started with the service of formation as the master of novices in Albiate in 1948, then in Monteporzio, and finally at the minor seminary of Albavilla for which he was responsible for over 40 years. It is there that his journey came to an end, in the past ten years, at the Saint Michael House where he could not see with regret any relief of young in formation. The funeral took place in the church of Albavilla on March 27th, the day after the Annunciation. (P. Graziano Sala, Superior provincial)

 

Mary said: "Behold,

  I am the handmaid of the Lord ; may it be done

to me according to your world." (Lk 1,38)

Let the Lord do. Father Alessandro often said these words.  Even when he was asked what he felt before the empty seminary, he would answer: “Let the Lord do”. An act of faith, not of disengagement. On the contrary it was the expression of his complete availability and his abandonment to God who guides everything with his loving hand. Like Abraham the patriarch, fortified by his faith, he went to study at Betharram at 10… In 1938, he came back to Italy from Holy Land as a newly ordained priest.

His journey as a founder started with nothing, from Colico to Albiate, Monteporzio, finally Albavilla. He settled down there, even though, through his numerous posterity of priests trained by him, he attained several regions of Italy, Latin America, Africa, even the border areas of terminally ill aids sufferers.

As a confessor and spiritual guide, he made a lasting impression on many people, including lay people. And even if in the last years, he had the feeling of being a “lazybones”, as he used to say, he has fulfilled a huge work through prayer: “I pray so that you do well”. Besides, Fr Alessandro was a chaplain, and he cared very much for the hosts of the retirement house Pia Roscio. But the most genuine pilgrimage of Fr. Alessandro happened in his inner life characterised by four notes:

- gentleness: his gentleness led him to handle people kindly. Lately, at the hospital, he was continually saying: Be kind… Be kind… These words say how much Fr. Alessandro respected the others, so much that he would think of the others before thinking of himself.

- smiling and welcoming: he would welcome always people with a smile; he would never close his door to anyone. Father Alessandro was a content man, pleased with the gift of the vocation for which he would give thanks to the Lord.

- simplicity.

Yet, there is a gold thread which has weaved his life, and drawn a pattern: the Incarnation. This is how the Tradition of Orient see the Annunciation: the Angel, in front of Mary with open arms; in her right hand, a ball from where the blood red thread joins the womb of the Virgin in order to weave the Son of God, Eternal and Divine life. Of this Mystery of a God who becomes man so that we can be similar to Him, and who is called Jesus saying « Father here I am », of this Mystery of eternal and tender Love, merciful and faithful, inherited from saint Michael Garicoits, Fr. Alessandro tried to follow in the footsteps in his profound desire to respond to the call to sanctity, even in the humility of his being and his experience. To be saint. The fact is that Father Alessandro had a very high ideal of life...

Pietro Villa,SCJ

Albavilla Church, march 27th 2007