Federico Albert

In 1852, Federico Albert was appointed vicar, then parish priest of the parish of Lanzo Torinese, a rural town near Turin. It was in this parish that he would deploy a considerable social and educational work, centered on disadvantaged children and youth.

In 1858, he opened a nursery school (asilo infantile), the direction of which he entrusted to the Sisters of Charity. The following year, in 1859, he founded an orphanage for abandoned young girls. In 1866, he created a boarding school for young girls (educandato) equipped with an elementary school offering courses in French, music, drawing, and preparation for the teaching profession, thus offering a quality education to young girls from rural backgrounds who were excluded from it at the time. At the same time, he partnered with Saint John Bosco to open an oratory for boys in Lanzo in 1864, which would subsequently become a college.

To ensure the sustainability and development of his educational and charitable works, he founded in 1869 the Congregation of the Vincentian Sisters of Mary Immaculate (Suore Vincenzine di Maria Immacolata), commonly called "Albertine Sisters." Inspired by the charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, these religious women dedicate themselves to the education of youth, the assistance of the sick, and the care of the most destitute.

Sensitive to the condition of land workers, he also founded in 1873 an Agricultural Colony (Colonia Agricola) intended to train young peasants in modern agricultural techniques while offering them a solid moral and Christian education.

Federico Albert distinguished himself by a profound humility and a total detachment from ecclesiastical honors. He refused several times to be appointed bishop, notably for the dioceses of Biella and Pinerolo. In 1873, when he was elected bishop of Pinerolo, he begged Pope Pius IX to relieve him of this nomination so that he could remain with his parishioners and his works in Lanzo Torinese.

His death occurred in a tragic and unexpected manner. On September 28, 1876, while he was helping a worker or installing decorations (festoons) on a temporary scaffold in the Saint Joseph chapel of the agricultural colony, he lost his balance and fell from a height of seven meters. Gravely wounded in the head, he received the last sacraments and a visit from his close friend Saint John Bosco. After two days of agony, he passed away on September 30, 1876, in Lanzo Torinese, surrounded by the affection of his parishioners and his spiritual daughters.

The cause for the beatification of Federico Albert was officially introduced on June 13, 1934. On January 16, 1953, Pope Pius XII authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

He was solemnly beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 30, 1984, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican. During the same ceremony, the Sovereign Pontiff also proclaimed Clemente Marchisio, Isidoro de Loor, and Rafaela Ybarra de Vilallonga as Blessed.

His liturgical feast is set for September 30, the day of his birth into heaven, according to the Roman Martyrology. The Archdiocese of Turin celebrates his optional memorial on September 28.

The spirituality of Federico Albert rests upon an intimate union with God, nourished by long hours of nocturnal prayer and an ardent pastoral zeal. For him, faith must not be a mere intellectual knowledge, but a concrete guide for actions of justice, charity, and solidarity toward the poorest.

Today, the Albertine Sisters faithfully continue the work of their founder. The congregation, whose motherhouse is still located in Lanzo Torinese, has opened itself to international missions and is present today not only in Italy, but also in Benin (in Pèrèrè) and Guatemala (in Olopa), where it continues to dedicate itself to the education of the youth and the assistance of the sick and the needy.