Fr Alberto Lorenzelli was born in Isidro Casanova, Province of Buenos Aires, in Argentina, on September 2, 1953, to Italian immigrant parents. Returning to Italy in 1972, after attending the novitiate in Pinerolo, he made his first profession as a Salesian of Don Bosco on 24 January 1973, and his perpetual profession in Rome-San Callisto on 15 September 1977. He was ordained a priest in Genoa-Sampierdarena on January 24, 1981, by the laying on of hands of Card. Rosalio Castillo Lara, SDB.
He was Vice Dean of the "Don Bosco" Middle School and Dean of the "Don Bosco" Institute of Technical Studies and Scientific Lyceum of Genoa; then, Director of the Don Bosco Institute of Genoa-Sampierdarena from 1996 to 2002.
Founder and Professor of Theology and History of Religions at the Università della Terza Età of Genoa, he was the chaplain-educator of the Genoa Juvenile Prison for five years. In 2001 he founded the Liceo Scientifico Sportivo "Pierre De Coubertin", the first in Italy.
He was President of "FIDAE - Liguria" (Federation of Institutes of Educational Activities) and member of the National Council of the Catholic School of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
In 2002 he was appointed Superior of the Salesian Province of Italy-Liguria-Tuscany.
From 2005 to 2012 he was National President of the CISM (Italian Conference of Superiors Major) and member of UCESM (Union of Cnferences of European Superiors Major).
In 2008 he was appointed Provincial of the Salesian Circumscription of Central Italy "Sacred Heart".
On 19 January 2012 he was appointed Superior of the “St Gabriel Archangel” Province of Chile and Grand Chancellor of the “Silva Henríquez” Catholic University of Santiago de Chile.
On 27 January 2018, having completed his mandate as Provincial of Chile, he returned to Italy and on 25 July 2018 took up the post of Director of the Salesian Community in the Vatican.
On 10 November, Holy Father Pope Francis appointed him Chaplain of the Directorate of Security and Civil Protection Services of the Vatican City State.
