I was about eleven years old when I had the grace to meet Don Rinaldi for the first time, at the festive Oratory of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Turin. All of them called him by the affectionate title “Signor Direttore”; all of them ran joyfully to meet him, like daughters to meet their father. His austere, yet so paternal, countenance, his kind smile, and his gaze that lingered especially on the smallest ones immediately made me think of Don Bosco, of whom I had already heard. I timidly approached, like the others, to kiss his hand and I felt his gaze rest on me, perhaps because he had never seen me before – for he knew all his little youngsters well. That gaze, accompanied by such a paternal smile, won me over. […]
His spiritual guidance was simple, direct, clear, Salesian in the fullest sense of the word, gentle and strong at the same time. It only took him a few minutes to clarify one’s state of the conscience, which spontaneously opened itself to the touch of his easy and kind words: nothing could be hidden from him; not only that, but everyone wanted to and was able to tell him everything. His advice was brief, but always appropriate; it translated into a practical and sure purpose, always aiming to solidly instruct, and to uproot whatever needed to be eliminated. More than to defects, he gave great importance to the habitual attitude of one’s soul, helping to support the weaker areas, while indicating the means to strengthen them. […]
Never useless words, inopportune questions; always encouraging, but adamant; always fatherly, but firm. […]
He accustomed us to sacrifice, without giving it much importance. When I expressed my pains and sorrows to him, these were always, according to him, things of little importance. And it was not for a lack of understanding that he took such an attitude – for I realized that I had been well understood, especially by the paternal advice he gave me – but because he wanted to see me grow strong spiritually.
He would say: “Like a good soldier, a true Christian should never be afraid of battles.” And it was excellent that he accustomed me to these struggles from a young age, because life always holds new and harder ones for us.
CERIA, SDB, Eugenio.
Vita del Servo di Dio Filippo Rinaldi.
Torino: Società Editrice Internazionale,
1948, p.504-506
