Just prior to his episcopal nomination the order held its General Chapter in Rome to elect a new Superior General . Pope Pius X - who knew Intreccialagli well and held him in high esteem - made it clear to the order of his desire to see him elected to the position . This never materialized so the pope said that if the order " did not want him then I 'll take him " . The pope sent a handwritten note to him to inform him that he would be appointed as a bishop . This terrified Intreccialagli who went to see the pope in a vain effort to dissuade him from appointing him as a bishop . He relented and received his episcopal consecration as the new Bishop of Caltanissetta a short while later . He visited the pope the following afternoon to thank him . His formal enthronement in his new see was celebrated on 1 November . In Caltanissetta he helped to fund orphanages and travelled to the salt mines to wait for the miners to finish work all so he could meet with them and talk to them . In the aftermath of the 1908 Messina earthquake he welcomed several affected families while he later attempted to help families purchase tickets for immigration to the United States of America
1908 Messina earthquake
1908 Messina earthquake
Antonio Augusto Intreccialagli