S. Ignazio presso Lanzo, 25 July 1860

My beloved son,

The letter you wrote me truly gave me pleasure. You have really shown by this that you have understood how I feel about you. Yes, my good friend, I love you with all my heart, and this love urges me to do whatever I can to help you progress in your studies and in piety and guide you on the way to Heaven. Call to mind the advice I have given you at various times; be cheerful, but let this cheerfulness be truly that of a conscience free from sin. Try to become wealthy - but in terms of virtue, and the greatest wealth is a holy fear of God. Keep away from bad boys and be friends with good ones; place yourself in the hands of your parish priest (arch priest) and follow his advice, and all will go well.

Greet your parents on my behalf; pray for me, and while God is keeping you some distance from me, I pray that he will always keep for as one of his own until you return to us. Meanwhile, I am yours in fatherly affection.

Yours,

Fr John Bosco.

Calliano, 10 October 1860

My dear Garino,

I received your letter with much pleasure and I am delighted that you want so much to be good so you can become an excellent ecclesiastic. I will do everything I can for my part; but I also need you to do something. What is it? Unlimited confidence in everything regarding the good of your soul. I need you to go out and catch souls, but afraid that you might instead be caught by others I suggest that you simply make yourself a model for your companions in doing good. Moreover you will be greatly fortunate if you can do some good or prevent some wrong amongst your companions.

Love me as I love you in the Lord, and pray for me, since I am yours with all my heart.

Yours,

Fr John Bosco.

Turin, 8 September 1861

Dear Emanuele,

While you are enjoying the countryside with good Stanislao, I am arriving along with your maman (mum) to visit you by means of this note that I should write to you.

My idea is to put a plan to you; so listen up. Your age and your preparation would seem to be adequate enough for you to be admitted to Holy Communion. So I would like next Easter to be the great day for your First Holy Communion. What do you say about that, dear Emanuele? Try to talk to your parents about it and hear what they have to say. But I would like you to start now to prepare yourself and therefore be especially exemplary in the following:

1. Exact obedience to your parents and your superiors, not complaining about anything they ask you to do.

2. Fulfilment of all your duties, especially at school, without complaining about them.

3. Have great regard for your devotions. So make the sign of the cross well, kneel up straight and pray, and be exemplary at church.

I would be very happy to hear your answer regarding these proposals. Please greet Azeglia and Stanislao for me. Always be happy in the Lord. may God bless you all; pray for me, especially you, dear Emanuele, and honour me by your good behaviour. I am always your

in Jesus Christ,

Fr John Bosco

Turin, 20 July [1864]

My precious young Pelazza Annetta,

1. Obedience is your sure path to Heaven.

2. To carry out the idea you sometimes are thinking about (you have not told me but I seem to see it in your mind: to become a Sister) put yourself entirely into the hands of your good superiors.

3. When you need something go and ask Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and Mary Immaculate, and you will be heard.

May God bless you and grant that you all may progress along the way that leads to the salvation of your souls.

Pray for me. your humble servant in Jesus Christ

Fr John Bosco

Turin, 1 June 1866

My dear Gregorio Garofoli,

I was very pleased to receive your letter and I gave your news to the boys who were part of the caravan at Tortona. They were delighted and gave me the pleasant task of thanking you and greeting you. I would certainly like to speak with you at some length, but the things I would like to tell you cannot be entrusted to a letter. If you would like to you can visit me next holidays and I will tell you what I would like to be writing.

As a friend of your soul, I can but give you certain basic reminders. There are three of them, three 'f's. They are:

1. Flee from idleness.

2. Flee companions who indulge in immoral conversations or give you bad advice.

3. Fervent and frequent Confession and Communion.

Please greet your two brothers for me, Emanuele Callori and other Piedmontese there whom you have made known to me. May God bless you and keep you in his holy grace. Pray for me.

I am yours affectionately in the Lord

Fr. John Bosco.

Rome, 20 January 1874

My dear Fr Lazzero and dear boys,

Although I have written a letter to all my beloved children at the Oratory, because the trade students are the apple of my eye, and since I have asked the Holy Father for a special blessing for them, I would like to please you and satisfy my own heart by writing to you.

There is no need to tell you how much affection I have for you. I have given you clear proof of that. Nor do I need you to tell me of your love for me, because you have shown that so often. But what is our mutual affections based on? On money? Not mine, because I spend it on you; not yours because (and don't be offended) you have none. So my affection is based on the desire I have to save your souls. You were all redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and you love me because I try to lead you along the path to eternal salvation. So the good of our souls is the basis of our affection.

But, my dear children, does each of us really behave in a way that leads to saving our souls, or rather to losing them?

If our Divine Saviour would call each of us at this moment to his divine tribunal to be judged would he find us all ready? Resolutions made and never kept; scandals committed and not amended for; conversations which teach bad things to others are all things we should fear reproach for.

However while Jesus Christ could rightly reproach us for these, I am convinced that many will present with a clean conscience and with their state of soul well-adjusted, and this is my consolation. At any rate my dear friends, take courage; I will not cease praying for you, working for you, thinking of you. Help me with your good will.

Put into practice St Paul's words which I translate here for you: persuade the younger men to be moderate,⁷ never forget that it has been established that all must die and that after death we must all present ourselves before the law court of Jesus.⁸ Whoever does not suffer with Jesus Christ on earth cannot be crowned with glory with him in Heaven.⁹ Flee sin as your greatest enemy, and flee the source of sin, the immoral talk which is the ruin of good behaviour.¹⁰in what you do and say,¹¹ etc. etc.

Fr Lazzero can tell you the rest. Meanwhile my dear friends, I recommend myself to your charity. Pray for me especially, and for members of the St Joseph Sodality. May the most fervent amongst you make a holy Communion for my intentions.

May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with us always and help us persevere in doing good until death. Amen.

Your affectionate friend,

Fr J. Bosco

Turin, 26 September 1878

My dear friend in Jesus Christ,

Your neat writing shows your good will and invites me to speak to you with confidence. God is great, God is merciful. We sometimes do not think about him, but he thinks about us and when he sees us running away he places his hands on our shoulders and stops us to bring us back to him. Is that not true? May the Lord be blessed in everything and his decrees adored. When your health allows you to take up your studies again, I will not be far from advising you to push on ahead as far as priesthood. If you would like a life in common and would like to come with me, I will list you amongst my dear and beloved sons.

Meanwhile prayer, work, mortification, frequent confession and communion, will help you conquer the old enemy of your soul. Other matters cannot be entrusted to a letter. Goodbye my dear friend and may God bless you. Pray for me, your ever affectionate friend in Jesus Christ,

Fr John Bosco

Turin, 17 June 1879

My dear sons,

I would have liked to have replied before now to some of the letters written by your dear teacher and some of you. Not being able to do so for each one in particular, I am writing a letter to you all, reserving the opportunity to speak to each one privately on the coming feast of St Aloysius.

You know then that men in this world must walk on the path to Heaven in one of two states: ecclesiastical or secular. For the secular state each one must choose the studies, employment, profession that allows him to fulfil his duties as a good Christian and which will also please his parents. For the ecclesiastical state we have to follow the rules established by our Divine Saviour: renouncing comfort, worldly glory, earthly enjoyment to give oneself to God's service, and so assure oneself of the everlasting joys of Heaven.

In making this choice each one should listen to the opinion of his confessor and then without worrying either about superiors or inferiors, parents or friends, resolve to do what will facilitate the way to salvation and console you most at the moment of your death. The young man who enters the ecclesiastical state with this intention, has the moral certainty of doing great good to his own soul and the soul of his neighbour.

In the ecclesiastical state there are many branches which spread out from one point and tend to the same centre, who is God. Secular priest, religious priest, priest in the foreign missions are three fields in which labourers of the Gospel are called to work and promote the glory of God. One must choose what one has most at heart, most adapted to one's physical and moral strength, accepting advice from pious, learned and prudent people.

At this point I should deal with the many difficulties that refer to the world that would like to have all young people at its service, while God would like them all for himself. Nevertheless I will try to respond verbally or better explain the difficulties which each one could face in making one of these very important decisions.

The basis of a happy life for a young man is frequent communion and reading the prayer to Mary Most Holy every Saturday, for his state in life, as described in The Companion of Youth.

May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be always with you and grant you the precious gift of persevering in doing good. I recommend you to the Lord every day. Please pray for me. I am affectionately yours in Jesus Christ,

Fr John Bosco