To those who knew him during his lifetime, and more so to those who, after his death, were to evaluate his impact on history, Father Rinaldi was somewhat of a baffling character.

As a young man he hesitated a long time before answering God's call and he went on to the priesthood only because of Don Bosco's encouragement. He became a Salesian and eventually rector major. According to Father Ceria, he concealed great qualities and extraordinary virtues under extreme simplicity.

He was born on May 28, 1856, at Lu, a village in Monferrato, Piedmont, where his parents owned a farm. Young Philip saw Don Bosco for the first time at the age of five. It was in October 1861, when the apostle of Turin and his band of boys made such a spectacular entrance into Lu one day that little Philip exclaimed "That priest is more important than a bishop!"

The Salesian school that opened at Mirabello in 1863 was not far from Lu. Philip's parents were of the old fashioned kind, and when they thought to detect signs of a vocation in their son, they sent him to Mirabello in 1866. Philip however was not at all enthusiastic; he did not get along with one of the assistants, and his studies gave him headaches. Even before the end of the year, he returned home to stay, though he kept in contact with Don Bosco who had spoken to him twice when visiting the school. The saint apparently thought highly of him and endeavored to persuade him to try again, but for nine years Philip was not persuaded because he felt that he was not meant for the priesthood, still less for the religious life or for the Salesians!

And there was a time when he thought of marriage. On June 22, 1876, Don Bosco arrived unexpectedly at the Rinaldi household. Philip was then twenty years old, and during the subsequent conversation he suddenly felt his entire attitude profoundly changed. "I found he had answered all my objections and slowly but surely had won me over," Father Rinaldi was to write later in his memoirs. Of course, not all the uncertainties had disappeared, but since then he had felt bound to Don Bosco.

The following year found him at the school for late vocations at Sampierdarena. He still had moments of doubt and even crisis, but he was grateful to his rector, Father Albera, for helping him overcome them. At the same time, however, Father Rinaldi was beginning to assert himself. Of strong build, a friend to all, he took things seriously and succeeded to rise to the top of his class. The superiors thought highly of him, and when he moved to San Benigno in 1879, the master of novices chose him as an assistant. He pronounced his vows on August 13, 1880, and retained the office during his studies in philosophy and theology.

He became a priest under circumstances that were rather surprising. "I had no intention to become a priest," he said later; "a religious yes, but not a priest. I went through all my ecclesiastical studies, took the examinations in theology and received Holy Orders and final ordination only through obedience. Don Bosco would say to me: On this day, you take that examination; on that day you take this test, and receive that Order. I obeyed every time." Father Ceria comments that he knows of no other similar instance concerning Don Bosco, for it seemed totally out of character.

His priestly ordination took place on December 23, 1882. Immediate advantage was taken of Father Rinaldi's personal experience.

In 1883 he was put in charge of the so called "late vocations," first at Mathi and then at Turin near the church dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. Despite his original doubts about himself, he succeeded very well in this office, because of his rare and innate goodness which won the confidence of the candidates for the priesthood.

Don Bosco was not far away, and every week he went to tell him about the progress of the house and to make his confession, and Don Bosco sometimes invited him to the meetings of the superior chapter which was a rather exceptional honor.

Important Offices in Spain and Turin

In 1889 Father Rua asked him to make a big sacrifice and go to Spain, where the house at Sarria was going through a difficult period. The new rector found himself beset by problems, not the least of which was ignorance of the language. He succeeded however in reestablishing discipline, filling the house, and winning the Cooperators for his cause. He also attracted vocations, among them the future Salesian provincial, Jose Calasanz.

His success led to the advancement to the leadership of the Salesians in Spain, and the requests for new foundations came pouring in. While still only a rector, he opened houses at Gerona and at Santander, and, when in 1892, the rector major decided to establish a Spanish province, it was obvious who would be Provincial.

From 1892 until 1901 Father Rinaldi exercised his new office with great skill; statistics show that he founded no less than sixteen Salesian houses in nine years. In order to meet the demand for personnel, he became a most zealous seeker of vocations. To him, more than anyone else, must go the credit for the deep and lasting foundations of Don Bosco's work in Spain. Father Rinaldi was particularly anxious to create good Salesians who would also be good Spaniards. Convinced of the importance of the press, he launched the Lecturas Catolicas in 1895 which were as successful as their Italian counterparts. He also contributed towards the expansion of the work of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Spain.

In 1901 the prefect general of the Society, Father Belmonte, died. Father Rua had seen first-hand evidence of the capabilities of the Provincial of Spain, and he now chose Father Rinaldi for the vacant office. Obediently, he left for Turin where he took up his new office on April 1, 1901. In his twenty years as prefect general he was the right-hand man of two successive rectors major. From his own experience in the position during Don Bosco's lifetime, Father Rua helped Father Rinaldi get a good start. With Father Albera, however, despite good will on both sides, things did not go quite so well in view of the fact that Father Rinaldi was an eminently practical and active man, while Father Albera was rather speculative and hesitant. Nevertheless, Father Rinaldi considered it his obligation to agree with the views of the rector major. Content to live in the shadow of Don Bosco's successor as prefect general, a conscientious and efficient assistant, he was greatly esteemed for his ability to deal with thorny problems. Father Barberis says that the happy combination of a practical spirit with a certain bonhomie ensured a gradual and peaceful solution of every problem.

He took a great interest in the Cooperators by promoting congresses and organizing reunions. It was also his idea to create a large organization of Past Pupils and the International Congress of 1911 was held on his initiative. At this congress the decision was made to erect a monument in honor of Don Bosco in the square in front of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians. The inauguration took place in 1920, at a reunion of Cooperators and male and female past-pupils. It is said that on that grand occasion Fr. Rinaldi who had been behind the whole idea simply disappeared among the crowd where he watched the events as an ordinary spectator.

Without neglecting the basic duties of his office, he was able to attend to several other activities. He was greatly sought after as confessor and spiritual director; he never refused to preach even though he found it difficult to memorize his sermons; for quite a while he gave regular conferences at the seminary of theology at Foglizzo.

Father Rinaldi was elected on May 24, 1922. During the years of his service he faced the consequences of war, and devoted himself completely to the service of the Congregation. The war was over and he had the joy of seeing the Congregation start to grow again. The number of Salesians rose from 6,000 to 10,000 and more than 250 new houses were opened.

In order to give encouragement to the huge family for which he was now responsible he too began to travel. In Rome he found Pius XI extremely well disposed towards the Salesians and towards himself; he went on to Bologna, Trieste, and Sicily. On a journey through central Europe in 1925, he found twelve flourishing communities under Father Hlond in Poland with numerous and well-organized Cooperators. After stopping in Vienna, he entered Hungary where the Salesians already had six houses, and at Szentkereszt he officiated at the clothing of sixteen novices before going on to Budapest.

Returning to Vienna, he continued on to Germany, clothing another group of sixty-three young men at Ensdorf. In 1926 he made a trip to France, where he visited Marseilles and the Sisters' Novitiate at Sainte-Marguerite. He then continued on to Spain, now fully developed with forty-two houses, where he received the traditional and very enthusiastic welcome; at Madrid he was received by King Alfonso XIII.

Like his predecessors, Father Rinaldi inherited the missionary spirit of Don Bosco. It is said the saint had told him one day that though he would not go to the missions himself, he would send others there. Valiantly supported by Prefect General, Father Ricaldone, whom he had nominated delegate for the missions, he gave great support to the congregation's missionary activity.

The pontificate of Pius XI saw an accentuation of missionary activity, and the Salesian contribution was very significant. In 1922 Father Rinaldi opened the Cardinal Cagliero Institute for the training of future missionaries at Ivrea, and there were already one hundred sixty candidates in its second year. Other institutes of this type were established with equal success at Penango in 1925, at Foglizzo in 1926, at Gaeta, Bagnolo, Cumiana (for Coadjutors) and at Turin (Rebaudengo) - two of them in Italy. In Spain there was Astudillo in 1928; Shrigley followed in England in 1929; Coat-an-Doc'h was founded in France in 1936 (after Father Rinaldi's time). There was in fact a flourishing of missionary vocations, very much helped by the periodical Giovantu Missionaria, launched in 1923 by missionary associations of Salesian youth, and by such missionary exhibitions as those held at the Vatican in 1925, and in Turin the following year. It is therefore no wonder that the Salesian missions enjoyed another period of great development. Personnel was increased and new territories were accepted in Porto Velho, Brazil in 1926; in Madras and Krishnagar, India in 1928; Miyasaki, Japan in 1928; Ratburi, Siam in 1930.

On becoming rector major, Father Rinaldi continued to encourage the members, urging them to exercise an apostolate founded on faith. Father Ceria was able to dedicate a whole chapter of his biography to the work done by Father Rinaldi among the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians whose delegate apostolic the rector major had become by a decree of Benedict XV. Father Rinaldi took an active part in the Golden Jubilee celebration of their foundation and in their general chapter in 1922, and also encouraged the missionary expansions of the Salesian Sisters.

Being an eminently practical man, gifted with great common sense and a calm temperament, Father Rinaldi never ignored any original ideas that he came across. He encouraged, for example, the Don Bosco Union, a form of Catholic Action among teachers with the purpose of "moral and religious formation of its associates through the knowledge and especially the practice of the Preventive System". This association spread to several Italian cities. Father Rinaldi was the first to suggest that the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians at Turin should be enlarged - an idea which was at first considered somewhat rash and was opposed by the aged Cardinal Cagliero.

The peak of Father Rinaldi's rectorship, or at least its most moving moment, as far as he was concerned, was undoubtedly the beatification of Don Bosco. After some delay, the event took place on June 2, 1929, when the enthusiasm and fervor of the crowds in Rome surpassed all his expectations. Many people were aware that the new saint had desired a conciliation between the Church and the Italian state which had materialized only the previous February in the form of the Lateran Treaty.

During his lifetime Father Rinaldi did not seem to acquire great popularity. Through inclination and by choice he kept as much in the background as possible, but his goodness and simplicity gave joy to those who knew him. The expression of his face was so fatherly that he reminded many of Don Bosco. His devotion to the Sacred Heart and to Mary Help of Christians was well known. After his death the fame of his virtues had grown so much that his name was submitted for possible canonization in 1947, an honor fully deserved by this humble and unpretentious priest who was at the same time so very effective.