the common good: “With the Lord's help I want to and resolve to always be of example to my companions and to defend my faith on every occasions with human respect but with my mind ever turned to the great glory of God.” It was with this spirit of service that Albert tackled his civic involvement. When political parties resumed in Rimini he joined the Christian Democrats. He felt and lived his political involvement as a service to the organised collective: political activity could be and had to be the highest expression of a lived faith.
During that time the bishop called on him to lead Catholic graduates. His involvement could be summed up in two words: culture and charity. “We need to bring culture not only to the intellectuals but to the whole people.” This way he gave birth to the popular university. He opened a canteen for the poor, invited them to come to Mass, prayed with them; then at the canteen he ladled out soup and helped them with their needs. His activity on everyone's behalf was tireless: he was among the founders of ACLI, set up a cooperative for construction workers, the first “white” cooperative in “red” Romagna.
His intimacy with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament never became self-focused, or alienation from his duties and from history. On the contrary, when he noticed that the world around him lay under the mark of injustice and sin, the Eucharist became for him the strength to tackle the task of redemption and liberation that could humanise the face of the earth.
On the evening of 5 October 1946 he was heading out on his bicycle to attend an electoral committee meeting; he was himself a candidate for elections for the first district administration. He was hit by a military truck at 8:30 p.m. He would die just a few hours later at 28 years of age without regaining consciousness. His mother Maria, strong despite her pain, was by his side. There was widespread grief throughout Italy at his death. In the history of the lay apostolate the figure of Albert Marvelli is one of the genuine precursor to Vatican Council II for his lay involvement in providing Christian leadership in society. He was, as Don Bosco wanted, a good Christian and an upright citizen, involved in the Church and society with a Salesian heart.
