Our Origin
Bl. James Alberione
Founder of the Pauline Family
Ven. Tecla Merlo
Do to all Charity of Truth
James Alberione
San Lorenzo di Fosano
Native land of Blessed James Alberione
In November 1883, just a few months before the birth of James, Michele Alberione moved his family to the “Nuove Peschiere” farmhouse in San Lorenzo, one of the 15 hamlets that comprised the Fossano municipality.
Alba
The hometowns of Fr. James Alberione and Sr. Thecla Merlo – the places where they grew up and received their formation – and also the places associated with the beginnings of the Pauline Family, are all located in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.
Castagnito
The little town of Castagnito lies between Alba and Asti. Maria Teresa Merlo was born here on 20 February 1894. Her father Hector and mother Vincenza were her first teachers. The village school only went up to the third grade, so Teresa had to go to a nearby town to continue her studies. Because the daily trip was too much of a strain on her delicate health, her parents hired a woman to teacher her privately.