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The
Biographical Memoirs
of
Saint John Bosco
by
GIOVANNI BATTISTA LEMOYNE, S.D.B.
AN AMERICAN EDITION
TRANSLATED
FROM THE ORIGINAL ITALIAN
D ie g o B o r g a t e l l o , S.D.B.
Editor-in-chief
Volume IV
1850-1853
SALESIANA PUBLISHERS, INC.
NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK
1967
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I m pr im i P o test: Very Rev. John J. Malloy, S.D.B.
Provincial
N ihil Obstat:
Daniel V. Flynn, J.C.D.
Censor Librorum
Im prim atur:
Terence J. Cooke, D.D.
Auxiliary Bishop of New York
New York, N.Y., December 29,1967
The nihil obstat and imprimatur are official
declarations that a book or pamphlet is free
of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is
contained therein that those who have granted
the nihil obstat and imprimatur agree with the
contents, opinions or statements expressed.
Copyright (6) 1968 by the Salesian Society, Inc.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 65-3104rev
All Rights Reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
FIRST EDITION
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Bebicateb
WITH PROFOUND GRATITUDE
TO
THE LATE, LAMENTED, AND HIGHLY ESTEEMED
VERY REVEREND FELIX J. PENNA, S.D.B.
(1904-1962)
TO WHOSE
WISDOM, FORESIGHT, AND NOBLE SALESIAN HEART
THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
OF
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS
OF
SAINT JOHN BOSCO
IS
A LASTING MONUMENT
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TO
FATHER FRANCIS BINELLI, S.D.B.
(1863-1931)
* **
Appointed Master Of Novices By Saint John Bosco,
He Trained Generations Of Young Salesians
In Europe And In The United States.
Himself A Perfect Model Of The Salesian Spirit,
He Accordingly Formed His Charges
With Rare Discernment, Simplicity And Kindness.
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Editors Preface to the First Nine Volumes
yC^AINT JOHN BOSCO, the central figure of this vastly
extensive biography, was a towering person in the affairs of both
Church and State during the critical 19th century in Italy. He was
the founder of two very active religious congregations during a
time when other orders were being suppressed; he was a trusted
and key liaison between the Papacy and the emerging Italian nation
of the Risorgimento; above all, in troubled times, he was the saintly
Christian educator who successfully wedded modem pedagogy to
Christ’s law and Christ’s love for the poor young, and thereby de*
served the proud title of Apostle of youth.
He is known familiarly throughout the world simply as Don
Bosco.1 His now famous system of education, which he called the
Preventive System, was based on reason, religion and kindness, and
indicated by its descriptive name that, also in education, an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure. He always sought to place
pupils in the moral impossibility of committing sin, the moral
disorder from which all evils flow.
To ensure the continuation of his educational mission in behalf
of youth he founded two worldwide religious congregations, the
Society of St, Francis de Sales (Salesian Society) and the Institute
of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters)
which today number more than 40,000 members conducting 2,800
educational institutions throughout the world.
To help in the difficult art of educating the young, Don Bosco
planned to expound his method of education in a book but, ab-
1 Don is an abbreviation of the Latin dominus, master. It is used in Italy as a
title for priests; it stands for Father.
IX
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X
EDITOR’S PREFACE
sorbed as he was in the task of firmly establishing his two religious
congregations and in unceasing other labors, he had to content
himself with a simple outline of his ideas in a golden little treatise
entitled The Preventive System in the Education of Youth.
Fortunately, the Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco are
ample compensation for a book which, if written, might have given
us only theories. These memoirs, a monumental work in nineteen
volumes, until recently reserved exclusively to Salesians and pub
lished only in the original Italian, are now available, unabridged,
in this American edition not only to his spiritual children, devotees
and admirers, but also to all who are interested in education.
In these volumes Don Bosco is shown in action: not theorizing
but educating. What he said and did in countless circumstances
was faithfully recorded by several of his spiritual sons, chief among
them Father Giovanni Battista Lemoyne. From the day he first
met Don Bosco in 1864 to his own death in 1916, Father Lemoyne
spent his life recording words and deeds of Don Bosco, gathering
documents,2 interviewing witnesses, and arranging raw material for
the present nineteen volumes of the life of Don Bosco, eight of
which he himself authored besides readying another volume for
the press before his death.
In the compilation of the Biographical Memoirs of St. John
Bosco, Father Lemoyne’s primary sources were the Memorie del-
VOratorio dal 1835 al 1855 (Memoirs of the Oratory from 1835
to 1855) written by Don Bosco himself, the diaries and chronicles
of various fellow Salesians who daily recorded what Don Bosco
said or did, numerous letters of the Saint, the Cinque lustri di Storia
dell’Oratorio di S. Francesco di Sales (The History of the First
Twenty-five Years of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales) written
by Father John Bonetti, S.D.B., and personally checked by Don
Bosco, the proceedings of the diocesan process of beatification and
other unimpeachable contemporary documents and testimonies.
Above all, Father Lemoyne, intelligent, conscientious and well-
informed, not only used reliable sources, but was himself an eye
witness. He recorded what he personally saw and heard from Don
2 All the documents in the archives at the Salesian Motherhouse in Turin,
Italy are now being microfilmed and stored in the Don Bosco College Library in
Newton, New Jersey.
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e d i t o r ’s p r e f a c e
xi
Bosco. This enabled him to write a true history even though not
according to modern critical methods.3 He concerned himself prin
cipally with presenting chronologically his vast selected material
and therefore his narrative is somewhat fragmentary and may lack
scientific method. It is nevertheless true history, even Volume I
which deals mainly with Don Bosco’s youth and the training he
received from Mamma Margaret, his mother.4 When gifted writers
and scholars of the future will produce a critical biography of Don
Bosco, the Biographical Memoirs will still not be surpassed because
Father Lemoyne lived at Don Bosco’s side, wrote what he saw and
heard, and eminently succeeded in giving us a living portrait of
Don Bosco.
In editing the translation of the Biographical Memoirs accuracy
and readability were the goals we set. This was not easy and oc
casionally, as regards the latter, we may have fallen short of the
mark. Nineteenth-century Italian does not readily lend itself to an
agile version that strives to be an accurate translation and not a
paraphrase.
We have departed from the original in only one minor point:
the lengthy titles or series of subtitles in each chapter. Father
Lemoyne’s method of chronological sequence in his narration
necessarily made the contents of each chapter fragmentary. As it
was not possible, under these circumstances, to give them a mean
ingful title and the volumes were not indexed, Father Lemoyne
prefaced each chapter with many subtitles. In some volumes such
subtitles fill a whole page. Since we have indexed each volume and
subtitles become unnecessary, we selected in each chapter the
most outstanding episode and gave it a title.5
May the reading of these Memoirs portraying the life of a man
whom Pope Pius XI called “a giant of sanctity” inspire his spiritual
3 True history in the sense that what he narrates is substantially true, though
his method of presentation, his chronology, and his treatment of sources stand
improvement. The episodes and incidents he reports did not necessarily take place
in the manner described.
4 Cf. Francis Desramaut, S.D.B., Les Memorie 1 de Giovanni Battista Lemoyne,
Etude d‘un ouvrage fondamental sur la jeunesse de saint Jean Bosco, Lyon, 1962,
pp. 41 Iff.
5 One more thing: although this is not a critical edition, quite often we have
researched and added first names, dates, scriptural sources, and numerous foot
notes.
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xii
e d i t o r ’s p r e f a c e
children, to whom this work is primarily directed, and all men and
women of good will to walk their own path of life in a spirit of
service to God and man.
F r . D iego B orgatello, S.D .B .
Editor-in-chief
New Rochelle, N.Y.
June 5,1965
124th Anniversary of Don Bosco’s Ordination
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Acknowledgments
For the publication of The Biographical Memoirs of Saint
John Bosco we owe a debt of gratitude to the Reverend August
Bosio, S.D.B., Provincial emeritus of the Salesians in the eastern
United States and sponsor of this project, and to the Very Reverend
John J, Malloy, S.D.B., his successor in office.
In the preparation of this volume we are indebted to Salvator
Attanasio, Joseph Isola, Rev. Paul Aronica, S.D.B., Rev. Gustave
Sigwart, S.D.B., and Rev. Roger Luna, S.D.B., for editorial as
sistance; to Rev. Arnold Buja, S.D.B., Rev. Guido Favini, S.D.B.,
and Emilio Chiolero for research assistance; and to Rev. Henry A.
Sarnowski, S.D.B., for compiling the index. Last, but not least,
we wish to acknowledge our indebtedness to the research facilities
of the Ufficio Stamp a, Biblioteca Centrale, and Archivio Centrale
of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, the Salesian motherhouse,
in Turin, Italy.
Rev. Diego Borgatello, S.D.B.
Editor-in-chief
EDITORIAL BOARD
Rev. Diego Borgatello, S.D.B., Editor-in-chief
Rev. Henry A. Sarnowski, S.D.B., Secretary & Indexer
Rev. Paul Aronica, S.D.B.
Rev. Joseph Bajorek, S.D.B.
Rev. Emil Fardellone, S.D.B.
Rev. William Kelley, S.D.B.
Rev. Peter Lappin, S.D.B.
Rev, Hugh McGlinchey, S.D.B.
Rev. Joseph Perozzi, S.D.B.
Rev. Chester Wisniewski, S.D.B.
xiii
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Contents
D e d i c a t i o n ......................................................
r-vii
E ditor’s P r e f a c e .......................................
ix
A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s ...............................
xiii
Salesian T erminology
....
xix
1 Loyalty to God and Church . . . .
1
2 A Father’s C a r e .........................................
4
3 A Fact-Finding Committee . . . .
12
4 Distinguished C atech ists............................
22
5 A Senate Debate on the Oratory .
31
6 Harassment of the Church . . . .
38
7 The Imprisonment of Archbishop Fransoni
45
8 Don Bosco’s Mutual Aid Society
52
9 A Gift from the P o p e ............................
57
10 Anticlerical Demonstrations . . . .
65
11 Don Bosco and Count Camillo Cavour ,
73
12 Two Memorable E v e n ts ............................
78
13 Apostolic Frankness...................................
87
14 Gain and Loss . . . . . . .
96
15 Mamma Margaret . . . . . .
101
16 Priestly Z e a l ................................................
108
17 A Jubilee Mission . . . . . .
119
XV
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xvi
CONTENTS
18 Love of P en a n ce..................................................................................128
19 Love of Penance ( Continued) ...................................................... 143
20 Defending the F a it h ........................................................................... 154
21 Purchase of the Pinardi P r o p e r t y ................................................167
22 The Man of Divine P rovid en ce...................................................... 174
23 Raising Funds for a C h u rch ............................................................. 183
24 Cornerstone Blessing .....................................................................190
25 Fostering V o c a tio n s........................................................................... 198
26 Special C harism s..................................................................................208
27 Crisis at the O r a t o r ie s .................................................................... 215
28 Plans for a L o t t e r y ...........................................................................222
29 Family S p ir it.........................................................................................231
30 Proselytizing by the W a l d e n s i a n s ............................................... 240
31 Launching the L o t t e r y ....................................................................246
32 Fomenters of D i s c o r d ....................................................................254
33 Fomenters of Discord ( Continued) ............................................... 260
34 A Devasting D isaster...........................................................................267
35 A Student R e c i t a l ........................................................................... 280
36 Love of N e i g h b o r ...........................................................................286
37 Preparations for a New Religious Congregation . . . . 294
38 The Fulfillment of a D r e a m ...................................................... 205
39 Eucharistic P i e t y ........................................................................... 310
40 A Solemn C e le b r a tio n .................................................................... 319
41 Plans for a New B u i l d i n g ............................................................. 327
42 Vacations at B e c c h i........................................................................... 334
43 Unexpected D e f e c t i o n s .................................................................... 342
44 A Harrowing N i g h t ........................................................................... 351
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CONTENTS
Xvii
45 A New U ndertaking.......................................................................... 362
46 A New Undertaking ( Continued) ............................................... 371
47 Don Bosco on the Education of the Y o u n g ................................. 379
48 Don Bosco on Punishm ents.............................................................390
49 Publication of the Letture C a tto lic h e ........................................ 399
50 Don Bosco’s Spiritual G u i d e ......................................................409
51 Trust in Divine P rovid en ce.............................................................415
52 An Important A c q u is it io n .............................................................421
53 Obscure T h r ea ts................................................................................. 429
54 A New P u b lic a tio n ...........................................................................440
55 Heroic H u m ility ................................................................................. 450
56 First Workshops at the O ratory......................................................458
57 Two Admirable T e a c h e r s .............................................................464
58 Spirituality at the O r a t o r y .............................................................474
59 Attempts on Don Bosco’s L i f e ......................................................486
60 A Mysterious D o g ...........................................................................496
61 Combating S piritism ...........................................................................503
A p p e n d i c e s .........................................................................................515
In d e x ............................................................................................... 575
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SALESIAN TERMINOLOGY
(For the General Reading Public)
A rtisans: trade school students.
A ssistance: Salesian method of supervision of boys and students, friendly
and informal in manner, stressing the prevention of disorders rather than
the punishment of offenders.
A ssistant: A Salesian engaged in supervising boys.
Cleric: a member of the Salesian Society training for the priesthood.
Coadjutor: a lay member of the Salesian Society.
Companion of Y outh, the: a prayer book composed by St. John Bosco
for the use of boys, originally entitled 11 Giovane Provveduto.
Cooperator: one who contributes in any manner to the development of
Salesian work.
Exercise for a H appy D eath: a monthly practice of piety that promotes
spiritual recollection and fervor by meditation on one’s eventual death.
It stresses the reception of the sacraments of Confession and Holy Com
munion as if for the last time.
F estive Oratory: A Salesian work which offers boys and young men or
ganized recreational, educational, and religious activities mostly on Sun
days and festive days.
The Festive Oratory was St. John Bosco’s first work and, for a good many
years, his only one. He called it “oratory” that is, a place of prayer, because its
primary purpose was to teach boys to go to church and pray. “Its objectives
were the practice of religion and virtue, the boys’ moral education and, conse
quently, the salvation of their souls; recreation, entertainment, singing and school
ing, which followed in due time, were only the means.” ( The Biographical
Memoirs of St. John Bosco, Vol. II, p. 71. See also Vol. Ill, pp, 67f)
G ood N ight: a short talk, immediately after night prayers, given by the
Director or someone in his stead. It consists of advice, exhortations, or
occasional remarks.
Oratory see Festive Oratory, Oratory o f St. Francis de Sales
Oratory, the: abbreviated form of “The Oratory of St. Francis de Sales.”
(See below)
Oratory of St . Francis de Sales, the: the first festive oratory and the
first boarding school for boys founded by St. John Bosco in a district of
Turin known as Valdocco; the motherhouse of the Salesian Congregation.
On a rainy night of May 1847 a hungry youngster, drenched from head to
foot, knocked at Don Bosco’s door. Don Bosco's mother fed him and prepared a
place for him to sleep. (See The Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco, Vol.
Ill, pp. 141ff) Thus, side by side with the festive oratory there began a hospice
that eventually grew into a large boarding school and became the motherhouse
of the Salesian Congregation.
Preventive System : the Salesian method of education and discipline, based
on reason and religion. It stresses vigilance, guidance, and sympathetic
understanding in the training of the young.
Valdocco: a district o f Turin.
The name is probably a contraction of the Latin vallis occisorum, the valley
of the slain, i.e. some soldiers of the Theban Legion who were martyred under
Emperor Maximian. The Salesian motherhouse stands on the site of their
martyrdom. (See The Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco, Vol. II, pp.
233ff, 268)
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THE
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS
OF
SAINT JOHN BOSCO
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CHAPTER 1
Loyalty to God and Church
I n the middle of the 19th century, the leaders of [Pied
montese] secret societies were planning to establish a godless State
which, instead of ruling according to God’s laws, would abide by
the changeable will of a people they would skillfully manipulate.
Their plati was to overthrow what until then they had hypocritically
held up to public adm iration;1 however, they intended to do this
gradually, unobtrusively, and only after the people had been psy
chologically prepared for the transition by moral decay and intel
lectual poisoning inflicted through the agencies of the press, enter
tainment, education, and politics. To this end, under the guise of
fostering national independence, they advocated freedom of thought,
of conscience, of religion, and of the press. Their brand of freedom
had already been described by St. Peter when he wrote, “Live as
free men, yet not using your freedom as a cover for malice.” [1 Pet.
2 ,1 6 ] The freedom they advocated was nothing less than a declara
tion of war against anything and everything that clashed with man’s
pride, ignoring the fact that there is a God to whom one owes
absolute obedience. Under this guise, godless legislators have pro
claimed in the past and continue to proclaim, “We are the law, and
there is no one above us— neither God nor Church.” They regarded
the Catholic Church as a purely private society, utterly without rele
vance and without legal right, divorced from society, separated from
the State, and, worse still, an enemy to be incessantly fought. “I am
a king,” Jesus Christ proclaimed [John 18, 37], but they retorted,
“We do not wish this man to be king over us.” [Luke 19, 14]
But “woe to those who enact unjust statutes,” Isaia threatened.
1 The monarchy. See Vol. Ill, pp. Iff. [Editor]
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2
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
[10, 1] “Governments,” commented Bonald,2 “strengthen them
selves when they make concessions to religion and undermine them
selves when they refuse to do so.” Where respect toward the Pope
wanes, respect toward the sovereign disappears. After evil councilors
had influenced Louis XIV against the Church, [Jean Baptiste] Col
bert, his famous minister, thus addressed him in his will, “No son
who rebels against his father goes unpunished. The actions you take
against the Supreme Pontiff will redound against Your Majesty.”
Unfortunately, monarchs despised the Church and were them
selves enslaved by the revolution which subjected them to parlia
ments and parliaments to the masses. The revolution’s ultimate cry
is still heard, “Away with God, with kings, with rulers! Away with
private property! We want socialism and communism!” The efforts
and prayers of the Church and the almighty hand of God will foil
these movements, but not before the apostate nations have paid
dearly for their rebellion.
In every country, city, or even small town, there were saintly
people in every walk of life who were like the salt of the earth and
the light of the world. There were religious, priests, and bishops
who, while invoking Divine Mercy on mankind, relieved the poor
with heroic acts of charity and gave to God and to the Church the
obedience that misguided men were refusing. Don Bosco was one
of these. The commandments of God, the precepts of the Church,
and the duties of his state in life were his code of action. He took
great care to abide by this code faithfully, and he was so thoroughly
dedicated to its adherence that he seemed unable to deviate from it
in any degree throughout his whole life. No one ever noticed in him
any fault or negligence in the fulfillment of his duties as a Christian,
as a priest, or as the superior of a congregation whose rules he him
self, their author, obeyed to perfection.
However, Don Bosco grieved at the general disregard of the
Divine Law and at the blasphemies uttered against God, Jesus
Christ, and the Blessed Virgin. He felt profoundly saddened by the
snares laid for the innocence of so many boys; his heart bled at the
outrages committed against the Pope and at the disregard of the
Church’s rights. His obedience to the precepts of the Church in-
2 Louis Gabriel Ambroise de Bonald (1754-1840), French philosopher and
writer. [Editor]
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Loyalty to God and Church
3
eluded the most minute regulations, the sacred ceremonies, the
rubrics, and the various replies of the Sacred Roman Congregations,
and he exacted the same observance from his subjects. Even in those
things in which there was more than one possible interpretation and
practice, he always followed the opinion most in keeping with the
Church’s spirit.
Father Ascanio Savio3 affirmed, “From what I know, he was
absolutely irreproachable. I never had the least doubt about his hav
ing preserved his baptismal innocence.”
Father [Felix] Reviglio4 corroborates this testimony, “He had
such a profound horror of sin that in the eleven years I lived with
him I never saw him deliberately commit a venial sin.”
Father Michael R u a 5 did not hesitate to say, “I lived at Don
Bosco’s side for thirty-seven years. The more I think of the tenor
of his life, of the example he gave us, of the teachings he left us,
the greater grows my esteem and veneration for him and my con
viction of his holiness. I may safely say that his entire life was dedi
cated to God. I was more impressed by watching Don Bosco in all
his actions, even the minutest, than by reading and meditating on
a spiritual book.”
This same conviction was expressed by the several hundreds of
people who lived with our beloved Don Bosco from 1846 to 1888.
8 Don Bosco’s first seminarian. [Editor]
4 One of Don Bosco’s first pupils and later a pastor in Turin. [Editor]
5 Don Bosco’s vicar and successor. He first met Don Bosco in 1845. See Vol. II,
p. 248. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 2
A Fathers Care
\\J L [ E shall now proceed with our story. Don Bosco directly
looked after the religious and moral welfare of the seven hundred
and more boys attending the Festive Oratory of St. Francis de Sales;
in addition, he supervised the management of the St. Aloysius Ora
tory and that of the Guardian Angel (the latter two oratories fre
quented by a total of about one thousand boys). But while doing
this, he did not lose sight of the poor boys in the hospice that was
gradually talking shape at Valdocco.1 Indeed, he looked on them
as the apple of his eye. The most solicitous and affectionate father
could not have exerted himself more conscientiously on their behalf.
During this year [1850] there were about forty of them. Pastors,
parents, and other people sent a steady flow of recommendations
for some boy or other. In the face of such need Don Bosco was
deeply moved, and, fearing that a refusal on his part might jeopar
dize a boy’s future, he often would take him in. If the boy himself
pleaded to be admitted, Don Bosco simply did not have the heart
to refuse.
In 1884 the school superintendent of La Spezia, Mr. Alvaro
Bonino, told us the following moving incident which he himself
witnessed in 1850. He was at that time an elementary public school
teacher and a catechist at the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales.
In Turin the father of a family from Savoy had become a Protes
tant, exchanging his faith for money. This pitiable man wanted his
wife and son to do likewise, but his hopes were in vain, for the good
woman remained steadfast in her Faith and kept their young son
equally firm. The distressed mother wept and prayed. One night the
i A section of Turin where Don Bosco began his work and established the
motherhouse of his religious congregation. [Editor]
4
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A Father's Care
5
boy dreamed that he was being forcibly dragged to the Protestant
church. While he struggled, a priest appeared, set him free, and led
him away. The next morning he told the dream to his mother who
had been seeking for a way to shelter him in some institution in
order to protect him from his father’s evil design. During that week
someone suggested that she visit Don Bosco at Valdocco and in
quire about placing her son there. She took the boy there on Sunday
morning, and since it was time for Mass, they went into the chapel.
A t that moment Don Bosco entered the sanctuary to celebrate Mass.
Mr. Alvaro Bonino happened to be kneeling beside the young boy.
The moment the young lad saw Don Bosco, he cried out, almost
beside himself, “C ’est lui maman! C ’est lui meme! C’est lui meme!”
[“Mom, it’s him, it’s him. It’s really him!”] Don Bosco was the priest
he had seen in his dream. The young boy was very excited and the
mother was in tears. Mr. Bonino, who had at first admonished the
youngster to keep quiet, realized that he could not hush him and
led the mother and her son into the sacristy. There they told him
about the dream and how the boy had recognized Don Bosco as the
priest who had freed him. When Mass was over, Don Bosco re
turned to the sacristy. Before he could finish taking off his sacred
vestments, the boy ran to him and, hugging his knees, cried, “Please,
Father, save me!” Don Bosco accepted him into his hospice and the
little Savoyard remained at the Oratory for several years.
How many other boys, through a chance meeting with Don Bosco,
were given shelter by him and saved from moral danger! One day
in a cafe in Turin he was served by a handsome young waiter. While
the youth poured the coffee, Don Bosco struck up a conversation
with him, kindly inquiring about his life. With each question he
probed more deeply to his innermost heart. Won over by Don
Bosco’s fatherly manner, the youth kept no secrets from him and
disclosed the sorry state of his soul. Their conversation was inter
rupted whenever the youth had to wait on other customers; how
ever, he always managed to return to Don Bosco, who spoke in a
low tone so that their tete-a-tete could not be overheard.
Don Bosco ended by saying, “Ask your employer for permission
to come to the Oratory, and then we’ll come to some decision.”
“He’ll never give me permission.”
“But you can’t stay here.”
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6
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
“I know; I understand that, but what can I do?”
“Run away.”
“But where?”
“To your parents.”
“They’re dead. I’m all alone.”
“Then come with me.”
“W here?”
“To Valdocco,”
He gave him the address,
“And then what?”
“Don’t worry. Get your things and come to me as quickly as
possible. Don’t let anyone know about it. Just come and you’ll have
food, shelter, and an education. That will help you toward a happy
future. I’ll be your father.”
Don Bosco then left the cafe. The following day the youth ran
to the Oratory with his few belongings under his arm. His conduct
was excellent and for several years he was a model to the other
pupils.
The responsibility for feeding, housing, and clothing the boys fell
entirely upon Don Bosco. It was out of the question to expect a
monthly contribution from the boys themselves or even from those
who had recommended them. The majority of the boys earned noth
ing or very little, and their sponsors generally were poor. On the
other hand, Don Bosco himself had no steady income and lacked
other financial resources. His debts continued to increase alarm
ingly, and he was also burdened by the cost of running the festive
oratories. Quite often, unable to pay the amount due on time, Don
Bosco was faced with the hard choice of either letting his boys suffer
privations or of sending them back to those who had entrusted them
to his care.
His charitable heart could not be reconciled to either alternative.
Therefore, putting all his trust in God and in Our Lady’s promises
and sure of his mission, he would go out during the week to solicit
donations for his boys with the greatest humility and amiability. To
anyone who met him on the street and inquired where he was going,
he would reply, “I’m foraging for my fledglings,” and continue on
his way.
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A Father's Care
7
This was a heroic sacrifice, the full import of which only God
knew. Bishop [John] Cagliero had this to say:
By his own admission Don Bosco had a fiery and haughty tempera
ment intolerant of rebuff. He suffered intensely whenever he had to call
on someone for charity. Yet, by incessantly battling this natural tendency
of his, he learned to approach graciously not only those whom he knew
to be favorably disposed toward him, but also those who were more or
less disinclined or adverse to him. If he did not succeed at first, he would
return again and again with such amiability that he finally would win
the person over. I can attest to this not only because I accompanied him
many times in later years on such visits, but also because he took me
into his confidence in order to instruct me.
For his boys he spared neither efforts nor humiliations. Sometimes his
quest brought him only kind words, often nothing but rebuffs, insults,
and harsh refusals; however, he gladly accepted everything without tak
ing offense. His ardent charity never waned. Ever more numerous were
his appeals to wealthy persons.
Once he received an insulting note. He dictated the answer to one of
his aides. “Tell him,” he said, “that if he cannot or will not help my
orphans that’s his privilege. But he should not abuse me for taking care
of them. Such conduct is displeasing to God. Nevertheless, send him my
respects, and assure him that I bear him no ill will.” Upon receipt of
this letter the gentleman took a more favorable view of the matter and
from then on became a friend and admirer of Don Bosco.
Never importunate or indiscreet, Don Bosco limited himself to
explaining his boys’ needs without asking for any particular amount
of money. He left it to his listeners to draw their own logical and
charitable conclusions. He was often asked to name a specific sum,
but he would simply restate his need without directly replying to the
question. Thus he often received larger donations than he could
have hoped for even from the most generous.
In an extraordinary case he would call upon some wealthy per
son, but not as a petitioner; kindly, but as one having the authority
to do so, he would tell the person to donate a considerable sum of
money, and he was obeyed. His ability to impress people as God’s
spokesman was one of Don Bosco’s wonderful gifts. We will bring
this out in due course.
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8
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Don Bosco never kept a penny for himself. Often he had to de
prive himself of the bare necessities of life for the sake of his young
boarders. A conscientious administrator, he gladly used all dona
tions for their benefit and welfare. If it was necessary to make an
expenditure, he knew how and when to make it. This was the con
sensus of all who knew him. Joseph Brosio2 narrates, “One day,
in later years, I found myself for business reasons with a group of
bankers, journalists, and important businessmen, among whom I
thought I recognized two reporters of La Gazzetta del Popolo, Mr.
Govean and Mr. Bottero. Although they were anticlericals and there
fore logical enemies of Don Bosco and his institutions, I heard them
admit that if Don Bosco were the Minister of Finance, Piedmont
would have no debts. Such esteem shows how greatly people trusted
Don Bosco when giving him their donations.”
Nevertheless, many times it seemed as though such help would
not be forthcoming. In 1850, in the aftermath of war and other
disastrous events, the little hospice at Valdocco was often in sorry
straits. On those occasions when there was neither food nor money
in the house for the next day’s needs, Don Bosco never doubted
Divine Providence; always cheerful and serene, he would tell the
boys, “E at and don’t worry. God will provide for tomorrow.” Divine
Providence never abandoned him. Though the number of boys at
the hospice increased daily and general conditions became critical,
he was never obliged to send a boy away for lack of means. This
was a well-deserved reward for a life spent entirely in performing
heroic acts of charity toward his fellowman.
His most zealous solicitude, however, was directed toward the
boys* spiritual welfare. Evil influences were becoming daily more
powerful and baneful. Freedom of the press resulted in large num
bers of harmful books and newspapers that had great influence on
the working class. Anyone and everyone, the educated and the un
educated, felt qualified to discuss religion and morals and make
pronouncements as if they were all Sorbonne theologians. Faith and
morals were in great peril.
2 A young man who began helping Don Bosco in 1841 and became one of his
most valuable assistants until Don Bosco’s death. See Vol. Ill, pp. 76f, 90, 309ff,
336, 348f, 395, 421, 423f. [Editor]
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A Father's Care
9
Don Bosco had to send his boys into town to learn some craft
or trade. To shield them from spiritual harm he made careful in
quiries beforehand about the integrity of the people to whom he was
to entrust his boys; when necessary, he looked for more reliable em
ployers. In addition, he often checked with the employers about the
boys’ deportment. Thus he showed both his interest in their dili
gence at work, and his concern lest the faith and morals of his young
proteges be endangered. He spent as much time as he could with
them. He tactfully kept himself informed of their day’s events and,
like an expert and loving physician, promptly counteracted the
poisonous notions they had absorbed.
From the very beginning of his hospice he had started the custom
of giving the boys a little talk after night prayers. At the very start
he did it rarely, mostly on the vigil of feast days or some special
occasion; in 1850 he did it very frequently, almost nightly. In his
short talk, lasting only two or three minutes, he would stress some
doctrinal point or moral truth embodied in a story to which the boys
would listen attentively. Above all, he endeavored to guard them
against the unwholesome ideas of the times and against Protestant
errors which were fast spreading in Turin. Sometimes, the better to
hold their attention and the deeper to impress some good maxim on
their minds, he would tell them about some edifying incident which
had occurred that day, or which he had culled from history or the
life of a saint. At other times, as he had done and continued to do
with the festive oratory boys, he would present them with a problem
to solve or a question to answer, as, for example, the meaning of
such words as “God,” “Jesus Christ,” “Catholic Church,” “council,”
Or why the Lord punished unrepentant sinners with eternal damna
tion, and so on. He generally gave them several days to prepare
their written and signed answers. There would be some small prize
for the best response. Thus Don Bosco made them think and could
develop important truths which they never forgot. His brief talk
was always preceded by a “Lost and Found” announcement, for
the boys would bring him whatever personal objects they had found
on the premises.
In addition to the various practices of piety and solemn liturgical
services that fostered frequent confession and Communion, Don
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10
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Bosco introduced the annual celebration of the Forty Hours’ devo
tion. It was held in the little chapel [formerly the Pinardi shed],8
beautifully decorated for the occasion. Services were held for three
days with high Mass, sermon, Vespers, and Tantum Ergo in po
lyphony, just as in the local parishes. This afforded the choirboys an
opportunity to sing. Don Bosco had formed them into three groups,
and had assigned to each group one of the more experienced singers
as a leader. James B ellia34 was one of these leaders.
Charles Tom atis5 wrote:
Don Bosco played on a miserable piano so that we could learn the
tunes, and sometimes he would also teach some volunteer to play the
violin to accompany a solo singer. One day in 1850, inspired by a musi
cal motif he had heard soldiers in the neighborhood practicing on their
trumpets, he wrote a single-voice Tantum Ergo. I still have it, and I sang
it many times when he took the choir boys to sacred services in Turin,
most of the time at the Crocetta parish church, or elsewhere. Felix
Reviglio6 also helped Don Bosco with the choir from 1850 to 1856.
Shortly afterward Don Bosco provided his choristers with a small
wooden pipe organ, a real antique. It was worn-out and screechy, but it
had the virtue of being able to withstand the pounding of a beginner.
Everyone recalls how one of its valves was cracked and emitted shrill
sounds that plunged us into fits of laughter. It was placed in the room
next to Don Bosco’s, and some of those who practiced on it later be
came well-known organists.
Since music and dramatics go hand in hand, Don Bosco continued to
entertain the boys with delightful stage plays. However, he excluded those
that required costumes, since he could not afford to rent them.
This gave rise to some amusing and memorable incidents. One play,
Three Wise Men, required some costumes. The actors secretly got to
gether and figured out a way to obtain them. They went to the Rifugio 7
and to a parish church and asked for the loan of some copes, alleging
3 See Vol. II, pp. 334f. [Editor]
4 An Oratory boy and later a diocesan priest. [Editor]
5 Don Bosco first met him in 1847 in an artist’s studio. From then on he
attended the festive oratory in VaJdocco every Sunday. See Vol. Ill, pp. 118f.
[Editor]
6 As a boy of sixteen he first met Don Bosco at the Oratory in 1847. Later be
became a priest and pastor in Turin. See Vol. Ill, pp, 23911. [Editor]
7 An institution for wayward girls where Don Bosco had been a chaplain. See
Vol. II, pp. 184ff. [Editor]
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A Father’s Care
11
that the Oratory needed them for solemn Vespers. They requested four,
one of them for King Herod. Since they used Don Bosco’s name, they
had no trouble obtaining them. Concealing them carefully until the per
formance, they donned them just before walking on stage, thus making
a triumphal entry. There was, however, an anticlimax. Uproarious laugh
ter greeted their ridiculous appearance and Don Bosco immediately made
them take the copes off.
Most of my companions were of a happy, carefree nature, though they
studied and worked hard. There were regular evening classes during
which Don Bosco taught us arithmetic and penmanship. His presence
alone filled us with an indescribable joy.
What we all admired in him, in these and in many other circumstances,
was the blend of firmness and gentleness of manner, of patience and of
inexhaustible forbearance with which he overcame or forestalled diffi
culties, and his ability to pursue all things to a successful conclusion.
Above all, his humility appealed to us.
One evening, while he was teaching us the metric system, he made a
mistake while making some calculations on the blackboard, and thus he
could not solve the problem correctly. Though the large class was paying
attention, they did not see the difficulty. Detecting the error, I arose and,
as best I could, corrected it. Other teachers might not have welcomed
such a public correction, but Don Bosco not only graciously accepted it,
but thereafter held me in such high regard that I was overwhelmed.
Finally, his vigilance over us was unceasing, for he would not suffer
the devil to rob him of our souls.
Thus wrote Charles Tomatis. During 1849 and 1850 Don Bosco
was assisted by Father [John] G rassino8 who was in charge of dis
cipline and administration. He used to move to the Oratory when
ever Don Bosco was away preaching in various parts of Piedmont.
8 A diocesan priest. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 3
A Fact-Finding Committee
j IC h ER E was much talk in Turin about Don Bosco’s ora
tories. His untiring efforts made people forget their earlier misgiv
ings; they now appreciated his work and frequently voiced their
favorable opinions. They realized that Don Bosco’s festive oratory
prevented juvenile delinquency by turning underprivileged youths
into good Catholics and upright citizens. The facts spoke for them
selves and could not be denied. Public opinion, private reports, and
a deliberation in the Senate finally led the government to take an
interest in Don Bosco’s oratory.
At this time a relative of the Gastaldi family,1 a kindhearted
gentleman named Volpotto who held a high governmental post,
advised Don Bosco to place his festive oratory informally under gov
ernment auspices. When Don Bosco declined, Mr. Volpotto of his
own accord had the Senate pass a resolution requesting the govern
ment to grant a subsidy to the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales. Before
passing the resolution, the Senate appointed a three-man fact-find
ing committee. The committee members were Count Frederick
Sclopis,12 Marquis Ignatius Pallavicini, and Count Louis Collegno.
1 One of its members, Canon Lawrence Gastaldi, became bishop of Saluzzo
in 1867 and archbishop of Turin in 1871. Serious controversies developed between
him and Don Bosco soon after the former’s appointment to the archdiocese of
Turin. [Editor]
2 Count Frederick Sclopis, one of the most illustrious Piedmontese patricians
and a high-minded magistrate, was the Crown’s trusted counselor and president
of the Senate. A man of international repute and a devout Catholic, he became
mediator between England and the United States in the intricate question concern
ing the ship Alabama. He earned worldwide applause and congratulations for the
just settlement of this issue. It is gratifying to note that this distinguished diplomat
attributed the outstanding results of his mediation to Divine Wisdom. On Septem
ber 17, 1872, he wrote in his Memoirs, “I am returning from Geneva after having
experienced your blessing, O Lord.. . . Profound and deep gratitude binds me to
12
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A Fact-Finding Committee
13
On the afternoon of a holy day in January, 1850, the three sena
tors went to Valdocco to visit the Oratory. It was about two o’clock.
The more than five hundred boys engaged in various games pro
vided a most pleasant spectacle. Watching them running around,
jumping, and walking on stilts under the supervision of various
priests and laymen, the senators were greatly impressed. After a
few moments Count Sclopis exclaimed, “Isn’t this something!”
“Indeed!” answered Marquis Pallavicini.
“Turin would be truly fortunate if many more such institutions
would be established,” added Count Louis Collegno.
Count Sclopis mused, “That would take so many youngsters off
our streets and squares on Sundays and holy days: youngsters who
are growing up ignorant and lawless.”
Don Bosco, surrounded by a group of boys, noticed these visitors
and approached them. After the usual amenities, a conversation
ensued which we have been able to reconstruct from what the visi
tors and especially Don Bosco related to us.
Count Sclopis: We have been watching with astonishment so many
boys enjoying themselves. It’s quite a sight! We have heard that a priest
named Don Bosco is the prime mover behind all this. Would you intro
duce us to him?
Don Bosco: Gentlemen, I’m Don Bosco. Would you be so good as to
come with me?
(He then led them to his small room.)
Count Sclopis: I am delighted to meet you in person. Your fame has
long preceded you.
Don Bosco: Perhaps that’s due more to the boys’ chatter than to my
merits.
you, my God.” See: Carattere e Religiosity del Conte Frederico Sclopis, a golden
booklet written by another Turin patrician, Baron Anthony Manno, Turin, 1880.
Editor's Note: During the American Civil War, a Confederate raiding-ship,
“The Alabama,” was built by a private company in England. It destroyed many
millions of dollars worth of Union shipping in the period 1862-1864. After the
war, the Union government demanded reparation from the British government
for allowing this Confederate raider, which had caused such havoc, to be built
within, and sail from, its dominion. After much discussion, the dispute was turned
over to arbitration. The members of the commission included one American, one
Briton, one Italian (Count Sclopis), one Swiss, and one Brazilian. After many
months of discussion, on September 14, 1872, the United States (Union) govern
ment was awarded $15,000,000 by the committee of arbitration, and this amount
was paid by Great Britain.
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14
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Marquis Pallavicini: Your boys are the best judges in this matter and
have been quite truthful. Didn’t David say, “Upon the lips of infants and
babies, you have composed a hymn of praise”? [Ps. 8, 2]
Count Sclopis: The Senate is cognizant of your work and we have
been commissioned to acquaint ourselves with what you are doing and
make a report. I am Count Sclopis, this is Marquis Pallavicini, and this
is Count Louis Collegno.
Don Bosco: To date, my little oratory has received many welcome
visits, but this one will certainly be remembered as one of the most cher
ished. Gentlemen, ask me any questions you like. I shall be happy to
answer them as best I can.
Count Sclopis: What is the purpose of this oratory?
Don Bosco: Its purpose is to gather on Sundays and holy days the
greatest possible number of boys who, either because ol parental neglect
or because they are strangers in the city, would roam the streets instead
of attending church services and catechism classes. Here, instead, at
tracted by the many games available, as well as by small gifts and a
warm reception, they have an opportunity to enjoy themselves under
supervision. In the morning they hear Mass, receive the sacraments, and
listen to a sermon especially suited to them; in the afternoon, after sev
eral hours of play, they receive catechism instruction and attend Vespers
and Benediction. Briefly, the purpose of this oratory is to gather boys and
turn them into upright citizens and good Catholics.
Marquis Pallavicini: A fine program indeed. There should be more
such oratories in town.
Don Bosco: With God’s help, in 1847 a similar o n e8 was started near
Valentino Park, not far from the Royal Palace at Porta Nuova, and a
third one4 was opened a short time ago in Borgo Vanchiglia.
Count Collegno: Excellent!
Count Sclopis: How many boys come here?
Don Bosco: Usually five hundred; often we have even more. About
the same number attend each of the other two oratories.
Count Collegno: So that’s about fifteen hundred boys who are provi
dentially brought up in the right manner. Our city is indeed fortunate.
This is a great help for our government.
Marquis Pallavicini: When did you begin this work?
Don Bosco: It all started in 1841 when I began to care for several poor
young boys who needed personal attention. I soon realized that many
s The St. Aloysius Oratory. See Vol. Ill, pp. 197ff. [Editor]
* The Guardian Angel Oratory. See Vol. Ill, pp. 392ff. [Editor]
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A Fact-Finding Committee
15
boys who were a little unruly but not really bad could easily become
serious problems if left to themselves.
Count Sclopis: Yours is truly a philanthropic work and one of great
social importance. Our government should encourage and support such
undertakings. I am sure you will be pleased to know that the government
and the Royal Family appreciate your work and will support it.
Count Collegno: How do you go about keeping order and discipline
among so many boys?
Don Bosco: Reason and charity. One must be kind, patient, and for
bearing. Here kindness prevails over punishment; in fact, kindness reigns
supreme.
Marquis Pallavicini: This method should be adopted in other institutes,
especially in our reformatories. Then we wouldn’t need so many wardens
and guards. Not only that, but these inmates would be rehabilitated in
stead of being released after many years far worse in character than when
they entered.
Count Sclopis: Are all these boys from town?
Don Bosco: No, sir. Some come from Biella, Vercelli, Novara, and
other provinces; others are from Milan, Como, and even from Switzer
land. They come to Turin to look for jobs. Being far away from their
families, they are exposed to many dangers and could easily turn bad.
Count Sclopis: And soon give serious trouble to the police and even
to the government.
(A t that moment a twelve-year-old boy came knocking at the door
with a message for Don Bosco, who told him to stay. The boy's confi
dence and candor delighted Count Sclopis.)
“What is your name?” he asked the boy.
“Joseph Vanzino.”
“Where are you from?”
“Varese.”
“What’s your job?”
“Fm a stonecutter.”
“Are your parents living?”
“My father is dead.”
“And your mother?”
The boy lowered his eyes, hung his head, blushed and did not answer.
“Tell me,” Count Sclopis pressed him. “What about her? Is she dead
too?”
In a muffled voice the boy replied, “My mother is in jail.” And he
broke into tears. The senators and Don Bosco were moved. After a mo
ment’s silence Count Sclopis continued:
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
“Poor lad, I am deeply concerned about you. When night comes where
do you go?”
“Up till now my employer let me sleep in his house,” the boy replied,
wiping his eyes, “but today Don Bosco promised to take me in with the
other boys who live here.”
“What?” asked Count Sclopis turning to Don Bosco. “You also shel
ter boys?”
Don Bosco: Yes. Circumstances made it necessary. Right now about
forty boys live here; most of them are either orphans or forsaken by their
parents. They board here and go to work in town.
Marquis Pallavicini: This is truly a work inspired by charity.
Count Collegno: But where do you obtain the means to feed and shel
ter so many boys?
Don Bosco: It’s quite a problem, and at times I am in financial diffi
culty. Most of the boys do not earn any money, and as for the few who
do, they earn so little that it could never suffice to provide for their
needs. However, to tell the truth, Divine Providence has never failed me
yet. In fact, I am so confident that God will continue to aid me that I
am planning to expand in order to accommodate a larger number of boys.
Count Sclopis: Will you show us around?
Don Bosco: Most willingly. Our dwelling is so poor, however, that it
is hardly worth seeing.
So saying, Don Bosco took them on a tour. They first visited the
dormitory located on the first floor. The entrance was so low that
Count Sclopis accidentally hit the lintel with his hat; it fell off and
hit the nose of Marquis Pallavicini who was following close behind
and who managed to catch it.
“This never happened to me in the royal palace,” remarked the
count. To which the marquis added, “Nor did I ever have a hat land
on my nose before!”
From the dormitory the three senators passed on to the kitchen,
where Margaret was putting away pots and dishes. “This is my
mother,” Don Bosco said. “She is also the mother of my orphans.”
(Another conversation then ensued.)
Count Sclopis: It seems you are also the cook. Isn’t that so, mother?
Mamma Margaret: To gain heaven we do a little bit of everything.
Count Sclopis: What do you feed the boys?
Mamma Margaret: Bread and soup, soup and bread.
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A Fact-Finding Committee
17
Count Sclopis: How many courses do you serve Don Bosco?
Mamma Margaret: Only one!
Count Sclopis: That’s rather little. Is it a good one at least?
Mamma Margaret: You be the judge. It’s the same dish twice a day,
Sunday through Thursday.
(The senators chuckled at these words.)
Count Sclopis: Why not from Sunday to Sunday?
Mamma Margaret: Because Fridays and Saturdays are meatless days,
and so I prepare a dish without meat.
Count Sclopis: I understand. I see that you are a very thrifty cook.
I fear your menus will not be a great success nowadays.
Marquis Pallavicini: Is anyone helping you?
Mamma Margaret: I have a very good helper, but today he is very
busy and I have to manage all by myself.
Marquis Pallavicini: Who is your kitchen boy?
Mamma Margaret: “Here he is,” she said laughingly as she pointed
to Don Bosco.
Count Sclopis: Congratulations, Don Bosco. I knew you to be an ex
cellent educator and also a gifted writer, but I didn’t know that you also
had experience in cooking.
Don Bosco: You should see me in action, especially when I make
polenta.5
They all laughed and said good-bye to the good woman.
The time for recreation was now over. Don Bosco gave the signal
and the visitors were in for another surprise. All games promptly
stopped, and hundreds of boys fell into an orderly line and went
into the chapel.
The senators then visited the catechism classes and attended
Vespers, the sermon and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, to
the great edification of the boys. Afterward, they exchanged a few
words with the youngsters in the playground.
“What’s your job?” Count Sclopis asked one of the boys.
“I’m a shoemaker,” the boy replied.
“What’s the difference between a shoemaker and a cobbler?” con
tinued the count.
“Well,” the boy answered, “a cobbler mends shoes while a shoemaker
makes them.”
5A tasty corrnneal dish quite common in northern Italy. [Editorl
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
“Excellent!” said the count. “You have given me a very good answer.”
Don Bosco: He attends our evening classes very faithfully.
Marquis Pallavicini: Do you have evening classes too?
Don Bosco: Yes, marquis. We have had them since 1844 for those
boys who because of their jobs or age cannot attend regular day classes.
During the next hour classes will begin in those rooms over there.
Marquis Pallavicini: What subjects are taught?
Don Bosco: Reading, writing, bible history, Italian history, geography,
arithmetic, and the metric system. There are also classes in drawing,
French, and music, both vocal and instrumental.
Marquis Pallavicini: And who helps you?
Don Bosco: Some priests and laymen. I call them “cooperators.” These
generous men help me not only in teaching, but also in other ways, such
as finding jobs for the boys with reputable people, and providing shoes
and clothing.
Marquis Pallavicini: Good! These men are truly civic-minded and
well-deserving of our country’s gratitude.
Count Sclopis: Don Bosco, I don’t indulge in flattery, but in all hon
esty I must say, also on behalf of my colleagues, that we are highly
pleased with what we have seen, and that as Catholics, citizens, and sen
ators of the realm we heartily endorse your work and hope that it will
prosper and expand.
Before leaving, Count Sclopis gave Don Bosco a donation for the
boys most in need. From that time on the three senators became
Don Bosco’s benefactors.
The praise bestowed on the oratories greatly pleased Don Bosco.
Another source of comfort to him was the interest shown by these
and other high government officials.
A few days after the committee’s visit, Don Bosco received the
following reply to a petition he had made.
Royal Secretariat for Internal Affairs, Department 5, No. 563
Turin, February 12, 1850
Reverend and dear Father:
I cannot take your petition into consideration until this department’s
budget has been definitely approved by the Parliament, notwithstanding
the fact that I would very much like to assist in promoting a work which
is such a credit to you. Truly inspired by sentiments of Christian charity,
you have undertaken to reduce as much as possible the number of under-
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A Fact-Finding Committee
19
privileged youths who, orphaned and without a guiding hand in their
early years, could become by their lawlessness a serious problem to
society and a threat to themselves. I am very pleased, however, to express
my sincerest admiration for your untiring zeal on behalf of these youths.
I hope that my appreciation will at least gratify you and encourage you
to continue this arduous humanitarian undertaking.
I shall give your petition every consideration as soon as our budget
is approved. I am honored to remain,
Your most devoted servant,
For the Minister of the Interior
S. Martino, Executive Secretary
Don Bosco was more interested in the government’s official ap
proval than in a subsidy. With the help of Divine Providence this
would in due time ease the unjust animosity and suspicion that polit
ical reactionaries had against the clergy and would protect him
against the new wave of anticlerical moves that were in the offing.
The secret societies and the government were both pressing for
the abolition of the ecclesiastical court. But the government, wish
ing to keep a semblance of respect for the authority of the Church,
decided to resume negotiations for a new concordat. Negotiations
had broken down in 1848, partly because of the bad faith of the
Piedmontese delegation and partly because of Pope Pius IX ’s de
parture from Rome. For this purpose, and also to seek the resigna
tions of Archbishop [Louis] Fransoni [of Turin] and Bishop [Philip]
Artico [of Asti], Count Joseph Siccardi was sent to Gaeta in Novem
ber of 1849.
Pius IX was ready to make some concessions, but not all those
demanded, and he was totally opposed to the unjustified request
regarding the two bishops. Vexed by this turn of events, Count Sic
cardi broke off negotiations and returned to Turin. In order that
Victor Emmanuel II would not receive a distorted report, the Pope
instructed Bishop Andrew Charvaz [of Pinerolo] to assure the king
of his goodwill and explain the grave obligations that the Pope’s
apostolic ministry placed on him. The king then wrote the Pope a
letter stating that he would uphold the rights of the Church and
protect the two bishops.
For some time anticlerical newspapers and publications had been
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
mounting a campaign against the ecclesiastical court, demanding its
abolition. As a follow-up, on February 25, 1850, Count [Joseph]
Siccardi, Minister of Justice, introduced a bill for its total abolition.
The ecclesiastical court was the most ancient tribunal in Pied
mont, or for that matter in any other Catholic State; it was based
on law and justice, on Holy Scripture, and on the decrees of popes
and councils. It had precedents in civil society: magistrates were
judged by magistrates, senators and ministers of state by their peers,
soldiers by the military, importers and exporters by courts of com
merce, and members of the House of Representatives could not be
imprisoned while the House was in session without the House’s au
thorization. Obviously, the aim of all these moves was to subject the
clergy to the civil authority.
Meanwhile, at the beginning of this year [1850], Archbishop
Fransoni had decided not to postpone his return to his diocese any
longer. The situation was growing more uncertain and difficult. The
clergy, accustomed to a long period of peace and harmony between
Church and State and to the laity’s docile submission to the Church’s
authority, was unprepared for the approaching storm and would not
have been able to steer a safe course in the turbulent waters ahead.
On January 22 [1850], the archbishop had issued a pastoral letter
informing the faithful of the Lenten indult, reiterating his ban on
licentious and heretical newspapers, and announcing the restoration
of papal government in the Papal States. Leaving Chambery on
February 25, he arrived at Pianezza the following day. From there
he apprised King Victor Emmanuel II of his arrival by letter, adding
that he was obeying a call of duty that he could not ignore without
grave guilt.
The king sent prominent people, including some ecclesiastics, to
persuade him to return abroad, but he frankly told them he in
tended to stay.
Don Bosco, alone and on foot, hastened to Pianezza, about six
miles away. When Don Bosco was ushered in, the archbishop re
marked affectionately, “Woe to the solitary man!” [Eccles. 4, 10]
Without acknowledging the prelate’s reference to his having come
unaccompanied, Don Bosco said to him, “To His angels He has
given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways.”
[Ps. 90, 11]
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Don Bosco visited the archbishop frequently; he had many things
to report, and the archbishop had confidential errands to entrust to
him. Without doubt great affection linked Don Bosco to his first
benefactor! Despite the grave problems which beset him, Arch
bishop Fransoni always enjoyed talking with Don Bosco about the
festive oratories. This was a work in which he had taken a personal
interest and to which he had given his support from the very start.6
He was greatly concerned with its future. In fact, before going into
exile7 he had frequently urged Don Bosco to work toward insuring
the future of his oratories. He had expressed to Don Bosco his
earnest desire that a society be established and developed to look
after the education of poor boys and to preserve the spirit and those
traditions that are formed only through experience. He often asked,
“How will you make sure that your work will continue? You are
mortal like all other men; if you don’t take the necessary steps, the
oratories will die with you. Figure out a way to make them survive.
Look for someone to take your place.” Finally, he said that it was
necessary for Don Bosco to found a religious congregation.
Vol. II, pp. 61, 194, 236, 281, 316, 325, 344; Vol. Ill, pp. 134f, 154-9.
[Editor]
i See Vol. Ill, p. 224. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 4
Distinguished Catechists
JM E N T E N catechism classes began at the three oratories
of Valdocco, Porta Nuova, and Borgo Vanchiglia on February 18
[1850]. It was the Tuesday after the first Sunday in Lent. Earlier
in the month the boys had made the usual Exercise for a Happy
D eath 1 amid hopes and fears prompted by the unrest of the times.
The only change introduced in the boys’ practices of piety was that
the Sunday rosary was no longer recited in the evening but rather
before or after Mass.
In Piedmont at this time there was great interest in Don Bosco’s
oratories. Of course, opinions varied. There was no lack of critics
who, unable to do any good themselves, scoffed at Don Bosco and
his youngsters. “They’re just riffraff,” they told him. “You won’t be
able to do anything with them.” Later they had to reverse their
opinion when they saw how he had turned them into skilled workers,
honest shopkeepers, teachers, lawyers, brave soldiers, and saintly
priests. As regards workers, we must add that Don Bosco, in a brief
history of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales published in 1862,
wrote that every year he was able to find jobs for several hundred
boys.
Many people came to Valdocco on Sundays to see how he con
ducted catechism classes. It was an extremely rewarding experience.
Classes were held in the chapel, in the sacristy and adjoining rooms,
on the playground, in the little vegetable garden fronting the house,
and even in an open field nearby where the church of Mary Help of
Christians now stands. In a little clearing flanked by potatoes and
1 A practice of piety that promotes spiritual recollection and fervor by medita
tion on one’s death. It stresses the reception of the sacraments of Penance and
Holy Eucharist as if for the last time. [Editor]
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beans Don Bosco taught catechism to the more difficult boys. After
welcoming them as his very dear friends, he would begin his instruc
tion.
One Sunday several Englishmen came to the Oratory to ascer
tain personally the truth of what they had heard about the priest
of Valdocco. They were led by Bishop Cucchi who had told them,
“Now you’ll see what Don Bosco is like!” Since this was to be a sur
prise visit, the prelate said nothing to the many boys they passed,
but looked for Don Bosco all over the grounds. The search was un
successful until, finally, as they came out the gate, he spotted a
group of boys sitting in the shade of a tree on a patch of grass and
exclaimed, “He must be over there!” Don Bosco indeed was there.
Seated on the grass, he was teaching about twenty of the older boys
who, despite their cocky appearance, were listening with rapt atten
tion. After watching the unusual sight in amazement for several
minutes, the Englishmen exclaimed, “If all priests acted like that
and taught catechism even in the fields, the whole world would be
converted in no time at all!”
Of course, this success had not come about by itself; it had cost
Don Bosco much hard work. Since crowds of boys also flocked to
catechism classes at the St. Aloysius and Guardian Angel oratories,
Don Bosco had to send most of his young clerics and the more
experienced catechists there. But he did not fail to supervise them,
and often he would drop in on them unexpectedly. He would walk
out of the Oratory with his biretta on lest his absence be noticed,
but a short distance away someone would be waiting to hand him
his hat.
As a result of his solicitude for these two other oratories, Don
Bosco was often short of personnel in Valdocco. He had entrusted
all the discipline to Father [John] Grassino [a diocesan priest], but
this did not remedy the shortage of catechists. To ease the situation,
he made use of anyone who happened to be around, provided that
the individual was qualified for this work. Thus, for example, he
enlisted Father [Francis] Marengo [another diocesan priest], who
ended up by teaching catechism there for about eight years until
other duties finally forced him to give it up. However, he still con
tinued to help with the hearing of confessions.
One day Marquis Gustavo Cavour arrived with a friend after the
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
catechism classes had already begun. Knowing Don Bosco’s ways,
he immediately set out for the field where Don Bosco was sitting
surrounded by boys. He went up to him, introduced his companion,
and asked Don Bosco to take him for a tour of the Oratory, since
his friend was eager to know everything about it. “I’d be happy to
oblige, marquis, but right now I’m tied up with these boys. If you
would kindly take over this class for a little while, I’ll be very glad
to show your friend around.” The marquis agreed, sat down among
those young apprentices, and took over where Don Bosco had
left off.
On another Sunday afternoon Don Bosco was visited by two dis
tinguished priests from out-of-town. Passing through Turin, they
had decided to call upon Don Bosco. It was about two o’clock when
they arrived at the Oratory. The boys were moving to their locations
for catechism class, while Don Bosco, short of teachers, was think
ing of how he could switch the classes around. The two priests
showed up at that very moment. “My companion and I would like
to visit your Oratory and observe your method of teaching,” one
of them said.
“I’ll be delighted to show you everything after the church serv
ices. As you can see, right now I’m terribly busy with these hundreds
of boys. Your arrival at this very moment is providential. Would
you be so good as to help me with the catechism classes? Afterward,
we’ll be able to talk at our own leisure.” Then he turned to the one
who seemed to be the more important of the two and said, “Would
you please take care of the older boys? They are in the chapel, back
of the main altar.”
“Gladly!” replied the priest.
“And you,” Don Bosco said addressing the other, “would you
mind teaching another group in the sanctuary? The boys in that
group are the most restless.”
The second priest also generously consented. Don Bosco gave
them a copy of the diocesan catechism and, without asking their
names, led them to their respective locations. Thus he was free for
general supervision. Young Michael Rua, who had attended the
festive oratory regularly since 1849, was present at this scene. He
had a good view of the two priests from where he sat among the
other boys and he was greatly impressed.
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Distinguished Catechists
25
Don Bosco somehow sensed that his two visitors were not just
ordinary priests, and he also noticed that they were expert catechists.
He could hear the one who was teaching back of the main altar.
The priest was speaking about the virtue of faith and was bringing
in examples and comparisons. “Faith,” he was saying, “concerns
things which we do not see. Since they are not visible, we make an
act of faith and believe in their existence. We would not need to do
so if they were visible. Thus while we are on earth we believe in
eternal life, but when we shall have the good fortune to be in heaven,
we shall no longer need to make this act of faith; we shall be actually
enjoying eternal life.”
After listening for some time to the priest’s accurate presentation
of doctrinal truths in a manner adapted to the understanding of his
youthful audience, Don Bosco asked him to give them a brief ser
mon after the singing of Vespers. The priest tried to decline since
he was a stranger, adducing that it might be more fitting to have a
preacher with whom the boys were familiar, but Don Bosco in
sisted. He also asked the other priest to give Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament. Both accepted without further ado. During the
sermon the other visiting priest helped to supervise the boys. As
soon as the services were over, Don Bosco eagerly looked for them
to make their acquaintance. “This is Father Rosmini, founder of
the Institute of Charity,” one of them said, gesturing to the other.
“Oh, the great philosopher!” exclaimed Don Bosco, highly sur
prised.
“Oh, indeed?” Father Rosmini remarked with a smile.
“Quite so,” continued Don Bosco. “Your many books warrant
my calling you a great philosopher.”
“Yes, I’ve written a few,” Father Rosmini said humbly in a
matter-of-fact fashion.
“I’m not surprised now that you taught catechism so well,” Don
Bosco added. Then turning to the other priest, he said, “And might
I ask your name, Father?”
“I’m Father Joseph De Gaudenzi.”
“The canon archpriest of Vercelli?”
“Yes.”
“I’m delighted to finally meet you in person, since I already know
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
you so well by our correspondence. I have heard about your charity
and pastoral zeal.”
Both then had a long conversation with Don Bosco, and from
that time on they became great admirers, friends, and benefactors
of the Oratory.
After they left, the boys in the canon’s class asked Don Bosco
about him, and he told them, “He comes from Vercelli and is one
of the outstanding priests of that archdiocese. He is the timber of
which bishops are made.” Indeed, Canon De Gaudenzi was later
appointed bishop of Vigevano and proved to be a great credit to
the episcopate.
Father [Antonio] Rosmini came to visit Don Bosco on other occa
sions, together with Marquis Gustavo Cavour.
Professor Charles Tomatis of Fossano described these visits as
follows:
Father Rosmini often dropped in on our evening classes, graciously
taught us catechism, and occasionally took part in the church services of
the Oratory, to our great delight. He considered them no less important
in spreading the Faith than those held in the forests of primitive coun
tries or in the churches of mission lands such as China and India. Once
he chanced upon Don Bosco teaching a large number of boys under a
mulberry tree. It was a charming scene and Father Rosmini remarked,
“The loving serenity of that good priest is a reflection of his yearning for
the eternal repose of heaven, where he will go with the thousands of
souls he has saved. They will throng around him in the glory of the
blessed, just as they now surround him affectionately on earth.” Once
Father Rosmini also put in an appearance at the Oratory on a weekday
just as the young apprentices were returning from their jobs. Don Bosco
summoned them around the priest, who asked them a few questions and
spoke a word of encouragement to all, including myself. Afterward he
visited our little home and was moved by its extreme poverty.
On another occasion, Father Rosmini and Marquis [Gustavo]
Cavour, whose guest the former always was whenever he came to
Turin, attended a playlet written by Don Bosco and staged by the
Oratory boys. John T urchi2 played the leading part.
2 A pupil and later a teacher at the Oratory where he said his first Mass on May
26, 1861. [Editor]
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27
During his visits to Valdocco, Father Rosmini used to have long,
friendly talks with Don Bosco in his room. On one of his first visits
he asked Don Bosco’s advice about putting money belonging to his
institute into a savings bank. But he added that he would prefer to
lend it to some private individuals provided that he could be sure
of their integrity.
At that time Don Bosco was planning to put up another build
ing at the Oratory. Therefore, he replied, “I can help you in that.
I know a person in need of a loan. He is quite trustworthy. I’ll write
you about it soon, and I hope you will agree with me.”
A few days later he wrote the following letter to Father Rosmini
at Stresa.
Very Rev. Father Antonio Rosmini
Superior of the Institute of Charity
Stresa
Turin, March 11, 1850
Very Reverend and dear Father:
Your interest and active participation in all that concerns public wel
fare, especially the spiritual welfare of souls, encourages me to reveal a
plan which I have already discussed with Father [Joseph] Fradelizio3
and about which I have recently informed Father Pauli.4
I plan to expand the facilities of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales,
an institution for the civic, moral, and religious education of underprivi
leged youths, by adding another building. Other similar oratories, of
which I am the head, have already been opened in Turin. The harvest is
not without thorns but is nevertheless plentiful and promising. Priests
are needed, priests full of love for their fellowmen.
Would it be possible for your Institute of Charity to establish itself
quietly here in Turin? One way to do so would be by contributing to the
construction of the new building I am planning, with the proviso that
some members of your institute could live here and gradually participate
in the many works of charity as the need arises. Please give this matter
some thought. Should you decide to try something along these lines, you
can count on my cooperation in any undertaking for the welfare of souls
and the greater glory of God. Father Pauli is fully acquainted with my
3 A Rosminian. See Vol. Ill, pp. 37Iff. [Editor]
* Another Rosminian. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
plans and so he will be in a better position to explain matters than I could
in a letter.
Please forgive me if I have taken too great a liberty in making this
suggestion. I assure you of my highest esteem and am honored to remain,
Your most humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Rosmini had the following reply sent to Don Bosco:
Stresa, April 4, 1850
Very Reverend and dear Don Bosco:
The charitable undertaking you mentioned in your kind letter of
March 11 sounds very interesting to my revered superior, Father An
tonio Rosmini. He would like to participate in it effectively, but, before
committing himself, he needs more detailed information on the matter.
Neither your letter nor the report made to him by Father Pauli upon his
return from Turin sufficiently illustrates your plans. My superior there
fore suggests a meeting at which it will be easier to clarify the matter and
reach some agreement. We would be very pleased if you could honor us
a second tim e5*by visiting us at your convenience in Stresa.8 You would
then have every opportunity of discussing the matter at length with my
superior. If you can do so, please let us know when we might expect you.
Father Rosmini and all the members of our community who know you
send their most cordial regards. With the deepest respect, I remain,
Your devoted servant,
Father Charles Gilardi
Don Bosco lost no time in supplying the desired information.
Turin, April 15, 1850
Very Reverend and dear Father Charles:
I was very glad to learn that the plan I mentioned to Father Rosmini
met with his approval in principle. I too believe that we should have a
meeting, but presently I cannot say when I will be able to come to Stresa,
much as I am looking forward to it.
For the moment, therefore, I shall outline a few specific points which
5 Don Bosco had paid them a visit in the fall of 1847. See Vol. Ill, pp. 173f.
[Editor]
« Headquarters of the Rosminians. [Editor]
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29
I shall be glad to clarify further if need be. My plan has two objectives:
the first is to obtain material and spiritual support for the oratories
which by design of Divine Providence have been opened in three dif
ferent parts of the city; the second is to ascertain whether the Lord has
chosen this as the time to establish your congregation in Turin, as a rem
edy against the many grievous wounds already inflicted or about to be
inflicted on the Church. As you see, we must combine the simplicity of
the dove with the prudence of the serpent. Everything must be done
quietly lest the enemy rush in to sow the seeds of discord.
Since undertakings of this sort require compliance with legal formali
ties lest any of the parties concerned suffer damages, I submit the follow
ing agreement to your reverend superior. I believe that these provisions
will satisfy legal requirements without attracting too much public attention.
1. My plan is to erect a three-story building with a church annex.
The land covers an area of approximately 34,200 square feet and will
be encircled by a wall. It is located at Porta Susina7 in the Valdocco
district.
2. The Rev. John Bosco will reserve six or more rooms for the use of
students of the Institute of Charity or for others as determined by the
superior of the institute. This arrangement will offer an opportunity for
works of charity in the oratories, hospitals, prisons, schools, etc.
3. The Rev. John Bosco is prepared to lend his assistance in what
ever may redound to the prestige and benefit of the institute.
4. The Institute of Charity would contribute to the construction the
sum of, say, twelve thousand lire, payable in three installments: at the
start of the construction, at the mid-point, and upon its completion.
5. This sum would be guaranteed by a mortgage on the land and
building.
6. In the event of the Rev. John Bosco’s death, the Institute of
Charity would acquire title to a portion of the building on terms to be
established, or be entitled to a refund of the money, but only in the event
that no other testamentary arrangements have been made in favor of the
said institute.
These are my suggestions. I would like to point out, though, that the
government and the municipal authorities, both of whom take great in
terest in public education, are favorably disposed toward the oratories,
and have several times expressed the wish that day classes be established
in all three of them. A shortage of teachers has prevented me from car
rying this out.
7 Also called Porta Paesana. Since 1860 its name has been Porta Savoia. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
In conclusion, I am interested in furthering the expansion of the Insti
tute of Charity by aiding its establishment in Turin. If this is in accord
ance with God’s will, we could attempt it.
Please give my regards to the revered Father Rosmini. I shall pray
that God will preserve you both in the interest of the Church, so sorely
tried in our day. I remain,
Your most humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
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CHAPTER 5
A Senate Debate on the Oratory
H a r d l y a month had passed since the visit of the
three senators to the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales when, at the
beginning of March, it became known that the Oratory had been
discussed at a Senate session. On March 1 [1850], under the chair
manship of Marquis [Caesar] Alfieri, the Senate examined two peti
tions, quite similar in nature, which had been on the agenda since
January 11 of the same year. Petition No. 47 read as follows,
“Joseph Charles Bruno, physician, proposes the adoption of legisla
tion to provide shelter and education for unemployed, vagrant boys.”
Petition No. 48 was couched in these terms, “The Rev. John Bosco
states that, through his personal initiative, three oratories have been
opened on the outskirts of Turin for the intellectual and moral edu
cation of vagrant boys, and requests the Senate to provide funds
for the operation of said institutes.”
Marquis Ignatius Pallavicini, reporter of these petitions, spoke
for the committee which had been appointed for that purpose, de
livering the following address in the March 1, 1850, session as
recorded in the A tti Ufficiati [similar to our Congressional Record].
Senator Pallavicini: Joseph Charles Bruno, house doctor and surgeon
of the state reformatory for juveniles, in his petition No. 47 expresses a
justified concern over the alarming number of orphaned or abandoned
boys roaming the city streets. Many are runaway boys. Jobless, they go
around selling matches or candles or other odds and ends. Since they are
homeless, they sleep in doorways and hallways. Briefly, they grow up
lazy, idle, and prone to delinquency. Even though very young, they are
fast becoming skillful pickpockets and are well on the road to far greater
crimes. To remedy this lamentable situation, Dr. Bruno suggests that
these urchins be removed from their dangerous surroundings and housed
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in some institution where they can learn some trade and receive some
moral education. The institution he has in mind is the agricultural school
called “La Generala” which was recently remodeled according to mod
ern penal principles and has been properly equipped with everything
necessary to give its inmates a moral, intellectual, and vocational educa
tion. In support of his suggestion, he cites what is now being done along
such lines at Lausanne, Belgium, and in France. He finally asks for the
realization of this project. Our committee cannot but applaud the hu
manitarian intentions of Dr. Joseph Charles Bruno and is convinced (in
deed I believe the entire Senate shares this conviction) that it would be
highly advisable not to postpone further whatever steps are required to
curb and prevent this disorder. Let us fill our educational institutes and
we shall empty our prisons. Our committee therefore proposes that this
petition be forwarded with our recommendation to the Minister of the
Interior in order that he may expeditiously and effectively remove the
causes of juvenile delinquency.
(At this point Senator Giulio requested permission to speak.)
President: Senator Giulio has the floor.
Senator Giulio: We certainly sympathize with the humane sentiments
expressed by the petitioner and shared by the committee whose report
we have just heard. I am sure that we are all eager to take steps to put
an end to the evils rightly deplored by both the petitioner and the com
mittee. Yet one may well believe, indeed one may be convinced, that
the means suggested in the petition (which would bear the Senate’s stamp
of approval if the Senate forwarded it to the Minister of the Interior),
far from eradicating the evils deplored, would merely aggravate them.
Before recommending the petition to the Minister of the Interior for
action, as proposed, the Senate should first consider whether the govern
ment can possibly take upon itself the education of so many boys; and
even if it can, whether such a step would be advisable. By so doing, the
government would unavoidably encourage parental irresponsibility and
give rise to greater evils than those it tries to remedy.
I will not further elaborate on these points as I am sure that what I
have already said will suffice to alert the Senate regarding an all-too-
facile humanitarianism which might easily produce results worse than
those it intends to cure.
(Here Senator Giulio made a motion to reject the Bruno petition with
out further consideration.)
President: Senator Giulio has made the motion to reject this petition.
If someone will second it, we shall put it to a vote.
(Senator Giulio’$ motion was seconded and Professor Bruno’s petition
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33
was rejected by a standing vote. The unsuccessful outcome of this first
petition did not augur well for Don Bosco, but things turned out quite
differently despite Senator Giulio’s opposition, as the record shows.)
Senator Pallavicini: Petition No. 48 is similar in content and purpose
to the one I have already had the honor of submitting to you. The means
it proposes, though, are somewhat different.
The petitioner is a distinguished and zealous priest of this city, the
Reverend John Bosco. He too is solicitous for the welfare of abandoned
boys and society in general. With the approval of both ecclesiastical and
civil authorities, he has for some years dedicated his efforts to gathering
boys between the ages of twelve and twenty on Sundays and holy days.
For example, more than five hundred boys attend his oratory in Valdocco.
Their numbers increased to such an extent that three years ago he had
to open another oratory at Porta Nuova, and recently a third one in
Borgo Vanchiglia. At all these places, whether in the playground or in
the classroom, the boys learn moral principles and respect for authority
and law in accordance with our Faith. Moreover, they are also taught
reading and writing, arithmetic, and the metric system.1 I may also add
that he has even opened a hospice sheltering between twenty and thirty
of the most needy.
This holy undertaking is supported by donations from zealous and
charitable priests and laymen, for the city of Turin is second to none in
generosity toward charitable institutions.
Expenses, however, have increased yearly. The petitioner is burdened
not only with the rental of the buildings, amounting to 2,400 lire, but he
must also provide for the upkeep of the hospice and adjacent chapel as
well as meet the daily expenses necessitated by the extreme poverty of
some of the boys. He finds himself compelled to discontinue this work
since all too frequently he is obliged to appeal to those who have already
come to his assistance on other occasions. Therefore he would like the
Senate to take a benevolent interest in his institute and support it by
adopting relevant resolutions.
The members of my committee did not rely exclusively on the peti
tioner’s report. Even though they already knew of this well-deserving
institute, they sought more information. They were able to verify on the
spot that in addition to practicing their religious duties on Sundays and
1As of January 1, 1850, the metric system had become the exclusive legal sys
tem in Piedmont. In preparation for this development, Don Bosco in 1846 wrote
and published a pertinent booklet. See Vol. II, pp. 374-9. He also began teaching
the metric system in his evening classes. In 1849, to familiarize his pupils with it,
he also wrote and staged a three-act comedy. See Vol. Ill, pp. 420ff. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
holy days, the boys learned drawing, bible history, Italian history, civics,
and physical education.
The founder of these oratories also planned to foster a healthy spirit
of competition by having the boys prepare exhibits on art and industry
and present musical and literary entertainments with prizes awarded to
the best performers. All this could not be carried out for lack of means.
From what I have already said, it is obvious that this institution is
eminently religious, social, and useful. I need not say more. Our city
would suffer very much if such an institute, rather than prospering and
developing as planned by these sincere friends of the people, were to
languish or close down altogether for lack of a helping hand to enable it
to maintain at least the good already accomplished. Our committee would
be at fault and negligent in its duty toward the Senate, which honored it
by entrusting this important task to it, as well as to society, if it did not
propose most unreservedly that this petition be recommended to the
Ministry of the Interior, so that due assistance may be accorded to so
beneficial and deserving an enterprise.
Senator Giulio: To my deep regret I must for the second time perform
an unpleasant duty and dissuade you from pursuing a path to which we
are all sentimentally drawn—the path of legal charity—which I hope the
Senate will not wish to pursue in connection with a petition.
I move once more that this petition be rejected and that my motion be
seconded and voted upon.
Count Sclopis: The considerations advanced for the second time by my
honorable colleague, Senator Giulio, surely touch upon one of the major
issues debated throughout Europe today. This is neither the place nor
the time for such a debate Were we to reject this petition, our decision
would, at the very least, discourage institutes of this sort which (depend
ing on private charity) strive to fill a tragic gap in contemporary society.
Moreover, it seems to me that it is not proper to raise the question of
legal charity here, insofar as only subsidiary assistance is being requested.
When great questions about public charity arose in other countries, I
believe that even those who very rightly opposed it as a matter of prin
ciple, nevertheless admitted that in such instances where private assist
ance was inadequate or impossible, the government, without undertaking
to establish institutions of its own, could very well, indeed even ought to
give temporary supplementary aid.
I consider it an urgent necessity that something be done on behalf of
these boys who, when they will have to leave these oratories (founded
by our fellow citizens), will be almost totally on their own at a difficult
and dangerous age. I am convinced that it is very important that the gov
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A Senate Debate on the Oratory
35
ernment meet its pressing charitable needs, without however committing
itself permanently to any such institutions.
In this present instance, therefore, I invite the government to take the
necessary steps to cope with this grave need. Speaking also on behalf of
my committee (whose members, I am sure, share my opinion), I wish
to declare that it has not been our intention to debate the pros and cons
of public charity. We merely wish to request a subsidy such as those
which the government grants to so many other institutions of public
charity. I shall therefore insist that this petition be forwarded to the Min
istry of the Interior.
This I say with the utmost conviction, because (as I already had the
honor to state in this assembly on another occasion) the municipal coun
cil, after making a survey of conditions among workers, was obliged to
admit great deficiencies in this field. Without compromising the govern
ment into adopting a rigid policy, it is possible to cooperate in keeping
such institutions alive; through other means they may then perhaps be
come more permanently established. The government must come to their
assistance; it will thus remedy a sad situation and lay the foundation for
a better future.
Senator Giulio: I shall reply briefly to Senator Sclopis’ remarks. Gov
ernments are bound to dispense justice, not alms, to citizens. Public funds
belong to the citizens and therefore may not be disposed of except for
reasons of justice. Such considerations, which I consider incontestable,
are sufficient to demonstrate how governments are under no obligation
to come to the assistance of charitable institutions with public funds, no
matter how deserving they are for humanitarian or moral reasons. Gov
ernments have nothing to give except justice for all.
Count Sclopis: The government indeed must be just before all else;
but the government must also be farsighted. The government should not
commit itself to run charitable institutions, although it should help in
emergencies. In such cases a hard and fast line of conduct is not the best.
Such rigidity, especially in our present circumstances, might lead people
to despair concerning the future welfare of many institutions which not
only the voice of charity recommends to us but also that of political fore
sight as well.
Senator Sauli: I might add that such institutions do not merely dis
pense alms, but provide moral and religious training, which, I believe,
is of great concern to the government.
Senator Pallavicini: May I point out that not long ago the Senate
agreed that compulsory education should be provided to vagrant boys
and demonstrated this conviction in a vote to that effect on a bill sub
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
mitted to the Chamber of Deputies. Now what is the petition about which
we have just heard a report? Its purpose is to give an education practi
cally identical to the one that I have already mentioned. If the govern
ment [a short time ago] was willing to institute such a program of educa
tion, it can now very well contribute to a necessary outlay without getting
involved in a debate on the pros and cons of public charity.
Count Sclopis: The government recently did so in a similar case and
earned the gratitude of the entire populace.
President: Two motions have been made: one by the committee which
recommends the petition to the government for a subsidy; the other by
Senator Giulio, who moves that the Senate take a vote on his motion.
This latter motion has precedence.
(Senator Giulio’s motion was rejected.)
President: I now make a motion that we vote on the recommendation
of the committee.
(This motion was adopted, and Don Bosco’s petition was referred by
the Senate to the Minister of the Interior with recommendations for a
subsidy for the upkeep of his institute.)
The approval of this petition by the Senate was of great impor
tance. Thereafter both the hospice and the festive oratory at Val-
docco were extended official consideration by the government. Now
and then the government manifested its approval by praising the
work, granting subsidies, or recommending poor boys to Don Bosco’s
care as to a sure haven where they could become upright citizens,
to their personal advantage as well as that of their families and the
nation.
Even the local antireligious newspapers, echoing the Senate’s
sentiments, wrote articles in praise of Don Bosco. In fact for a while
no one dared to speak disparagingly about him.
While on the one hand Don Bosco had good reason to rejoice
over the outcome of this debate in the Senate, on the other hand
he was saddened by news concerning his archbishop. King Victor
Emmanuel had personally written to the latter telling him that he
should not have returned to his diocese without having been sum
moned, and that since it was known that the archbishop was not in
favor of constitutional government, he was expected to declare in
a pastoral letter his intention of not opposing it in any way. Under
these circumstances, in a letter dated March 4, the archbishop an
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A Senate Debate on the Oratory
37
nounced his imminent return to Turin. Expressing his thanks to the
clergy and the faithful for their expressions of affection, he praised
their constancy in their Catholic Faith and also had some laudatory
words for the House of Savoy. He also declared that all citizens
should obey the Constitution granted by King Charles Albert. Its
first article solemnly declared: “The Roman Catholic and Apostolic
Church is the sole Church of the State.”
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CHAPTER 6
Harassment of the Church
T H E month of March [1850], a month which should
have been spent in devout preparation for Easter,1 was darkened
by some highly disturbing incidents. March 4 was the [second] an
niversary of the proclamation of the Constitution. To solemnize
this event a solemn high Mass and Te Deum were scheduled in the
church of La Gran Madre di Dio [the Great Mother of G o d ]12 in
the presence of the military and civil authorities. In the huge and
magnificent Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, battalions of the National
Guard were lined up as a guard of honor. All the boys’ schools of
the city had reserved places, but the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales
did not make an appearance. Don Bosco was determined to keep
his boys away from any ceremony that had political overtones, for
he realized the potential disastrous consequences involved. The
course of action chosen by Don Bosco was not easy (as Canon
[John Baptist] Anfossi relates), especially between 1850 and 1855,
but Don Bosco always held fast to his policy and managed to steer
a safe course.
On this particular day, the anticlerical fury of the mobs roaming
the streets and squares reached fever pitch. Priests were insulted and
jeers were shouted under the windows of the papal nuncio, Arch
bishop [Anthony B.] Antonucci. Landlords and tenants were forced
to display flags; a “spontaneous” general illumination was achieved
by hurling stones at any darkened windows.
Meanwhile, in Parliament, debate over proposed legislation to
1 Easter fell on March 31 that year. [Editor]
2 This church was built in the style of the Roman Pantheon between 1818 and
1831 to commemorate the return of King Victor Emmanuel I from his exile.
[Editor]
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Harassment of the Church
39
abolish the ecclesiastical court was drawing to a close. The best
Catholic spokesmen of the Chamber of Deputies had fought against
this bill, but the vast majority of the deputies were men without any
faith or religion. When the Catholic position was stated, they re
sponded with outbursts of laughter, boos, and hisses, applauding
instead the vicious diatribes of Angelo Brofferio3 and those of his
ilk. On March 9 the bill passed with one hundred and thirty votes
in favor and twenty-six against. The eloquent protests of James
Cardinal Antonelli, of the nuncio, and of the bishops were of no
avail. Catholic newspapers did not fare any better when they pro
tested against the violation of the public rights of the Church
and demanded observance of the first article of the Constitution.
U Armonia was confiscated and declared guilty of breaking the law,
Lenten preachers were threatened and physically attacked, and the
preacher at St. D alm azzo4 was forced to leave the city. The clergy
was forbidden to present petitions against the passing of this law,
while those in favor of it were openly encouraged. La Gazzetta del
Popolo, the unofficial mouthpiece of Parliament, unchallenged and
in fact imitated by other liberal newspapers, had conducted a savage
campaign of abuse against the senators and deputies who had fought
for the rights of the Church.
This was the atmosphere in Turin when Archbishop [Louis]
Fransoni arrived on March 15 to take up residence again. He paid
a courtesy visit to Victor Emmanuel II, who received him coldly
and somewhat resentfully.
March 28 was Holy Thursday. On that morning Don Bosco said
to Father [John] Giacomelli, “Let’s go to the cathedral and see
what’s happening over there.” They went and were present at the
blessing of the holy oils. The manager of La Campana, a Catholic
newspaper, with a group of husky young men from the Valdocco
Oratory, stood in the square near the archbishop’s coach ready for
action should anyone dare to insult the prelate. Nothing happened,
but on his way home the archbishop was greeted with catcalls and
hisses. He was similarly insulted on Good Friday. But on Holy
Saturday there were no insults as he made his way to and from the
3 A Piedmontese politician and an opponent of Camillo Benso Cavour. [Editor]
* A parish church in Turin. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
royal chapel, where he distributed Easter Communion to the king
and his family.
While this was going on in the heart of the city, in the three ora
tories on the outskirts (Porta Nuova, Borgo Vanchiglia, and Val-
docco) about two thousand youngsters, well-versed in their cate
chism and carefully prepared by a triduum of sermons and a good
confession, were receiving their Easter Communion. For many it
was also their First Holy Communion.
Don Bosco had ordered six thousand cards from the Paravia
Press printed as follows:
THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER IN ORDER TO PRESERVE
THE FRUITS OF YOUR EASTER COMMUNION
Dear boys, if you want long-lasting results from your Easter Holy
Communion, practice these three suggestions. They will fill your heart
with joy and your soul with true happiness.
1. Always keep holy the day of the Lord by attending Mass and lis
tening to the Word of God in sermons and catechetical instructions.
2. Avoid bad companions as you would the plague. Keep away from
boys who blaspheme or take the holy name of God in vain, and who
indulge in unseemly acts or conversation. Avoid also those who speak
disparagingly of our holy Faith, or who criticize its ministers and above
all the Pope, the Vicar of Jesus Christ. Just as only a degenerate son
would criticize his father’s conduct, so only a degenerate Catholic would
criticize the Pope, who is the father of all Christians throughout the
world.
3. Go to confession often. Never let a month go by without making
your confession and also receiving Communion, in accordance with your
confessor’s advice.
After Communion remain in church as long as you can to thank Our
Lord and ask of Him the grace of not dying in mortal sin.
There is only one God; if He is against me, who will save me?
I have only one soul; if I lose it, what will become of me?
One single mortal sin makes me deserve hell; what would become of
me if I should die in such a state?
To my words, dear sons, pay heed.
False is the world;
God is your one true friend in needl
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Harassment of the Church
41
But the boys were not the only ones to benefit from Don Bosco’s
priestly charity; many of their fathers also came to the Oratory to
settle longstanding accounts with God. As Lent progressed, they
noticed how catechism instructions had made their children more
respectful and obedient. On questioning them they had come to
know what Don Bosco was teaching them: obedience and love to
ward their parents, and the boys’ duty to pray for them in gratitude
for all they had done and were doing on their behalf. This discovery
kindled feelings of goodwill and respect for the priest in the parents’
hearts. On the evenings their sons went to confession, they saw them
return so radiant with joy that their prejudices against confession
vanished, and they began to realize that there was joy in a tranquil
conscience. When their sons, following Don Bosco’s promptings,
asked their forgiveness for all the grief they might have caused them
in the past, and promised to obey them in all things in the future,
these parents were gripped by deep remorse, remembering how they
themselves had often failed to give good example to their children.
At Don Bosco’s invitation many fathers accompanied their sons to
the Oratory on the day of their First Holy Communion. Observing
their devout behavior in church and their angelic faces after receiv
ing Holy Communion, they were deeply moved. They envied the
happiness of their sons, and their eyes filled with tears remembering
the time when they too were innocent. That day they kept away
from the tavern; they stayed at home to experience once again the
joys of family life and to share the spiritual happiness of one they
loved. Then they would begin to feel aversion for the kind of life
that had brought unhappiness to their home. A salutary sorrow
forced them to think, a struggle between good and evil arose in their
hearts, and finally the grace of God triumphed in answer to their
sons’ prayers. Then they went to the Oratory chapel to wait for
Don Bosco; others made their way to the sacristy after he had said
Mass or knocked on the door of his room late in the evening for
greater privacy. Don Bosco understood their need at a glance and
received them cheerfully, encouraging them to confide all their
troubles. He assured them that they were talking to a friend who
would not be shocked by anything since he had already heard every
thing. He urged them to overcome their understandable reticence
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
and simply kneel down and make their confession. Afterward, full
of joy, they returned home. From then on happiness reigned in their
families; with their wives and children they would pray, attend
church services, and go to confession and Communion. Often these
fathers would also spend an evening in pleasant relaxation at the
Oratory. The oratories had indeed bestowed great benefits on the
people of Turin.
While Don Bosco’s efforts were rewarded with abundant fruit,
Easter Sunday brought new tribulations to the archbishop. As he
emerged from the main portals of the cathedral and walked between
two lines of carabinieri to his carriage where a whole cavalry squad
ron and a battalion of the National Guard were in attendance, he
was greeted by a storm of catcalls, boos, and threats that drowned
out the acclamations, applause, and other tokens of respect from
the faithful.
Among his courageous supporters, according to Father Felix
Reviglio, was a group of the older and more dependable boys from
the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales. Several hours previously Don
Bosco had sent them to applaud the archbishop since that was all
they could do at that time.
Don Bosco had been apprised that the mob would attempt some
outrage. It was all too true. The rioters surged toward the arch
bishop’s carriage, pounded on the windows with their clenched fists,
and tried to cut the reins of the horses, while the guards looked on
passively. Fortunately, the archbishop was saved by his coachman’s
presence of mind. He simply lashed at the would-be assailants with
his whip and boldly urged his horses forward.
Again pressure was exerted to force Archbishop Fransoni into
further exile. The Senate was debating the question of ecclesiastical
immunity. When a vote was taken on April 8, fifty-one were in
favor of rescinding it, with only twenty-nine opposed. That same
evening and for several succeeding evenings, a mob of political ex
tremists, subsidized by the government, and groups of young hooli
gans paid and rehearsed by agitators roamed wildly through the
streets hurling imprecations at the clergy and shouting “Long live
Siccardi!” 5 They had made a similar demonstration against the
5 As Minister of Justice, Siccardi had sponsored the bill abolishing all ecclesias
tical privileges and the ecclesiastical court. [Editor]
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Harassment of the Church
43
bishop of Chambery on his way to the Senate. The most violent
demonstration was held outside the episcopal palace. Here the mob
shouted, “Down with the archbishop! Down with the episcopal
court! Down with the nuncio!” Hurling stones through the windows,
they then attempted to force their way through the main entrance.
Infantry and cavalry troops finally quelled the savage rioting.
On April 9 the king ratified the law which, among other odious
articles, subjected bishops and priests to the civil courts. In protest
the apostolic nuncio asked for an exit visa, took leave of the king,
and left for Rome on April 12.
The real aim of the anticlericals was to destroy episcopal au
thority and foment rebellion among the clergy. They hoped that
priests and rural pastors would throw off Church discipline and start
forming a civil clergy salaried by and subject to the State. Instead
the Church was to shine in new splendor; new examples of sacrifice,
generosity, and steadfastness flourished among priests and laymen.
But there was some joyful news to temper the grief of Catholics:
Pius IX had returned to Rome.6 After the French recaptured the
city from the revolutionaries and order was restored out of the chaos
fomented by the rebels, the exiled Pope at last decided to return to
his beloved people who were anxiously awaiting him. From Gaeta
he first went to Portici and then to Naples, whence he set out for
Rome on April 4. The triumphant journey lasted eight days. He
set foot in the capital of Christendom on April 12 amid immense
heartfelt rejoicing and enthusiastic acclaim such as no sovereign or
pontiff had ever experienced before. Not only Rome but the whole
world rejoiced. At the Oratory the boys shed tears of joy when Don
Bosco announced this wonderful news to them.
Upon receiving from Rome a detailed account of Pius IX ’s tri
umphal journey, Don Bosco immediately arranged for its pub
lication. L'Armonia meanwhile was printing the article that had
appeared in L'Osservatore Romano. Moreover, at Archbishop
Fransoni’s order, thanksgiving services were held in all the churches
of the archdiocese and also at the Oratory with sincere joy and deep
gratitude.
Not all the favors granted by Divine Providence to save the Pope
6 Pius IX had fled from Rome on the night of November 23, 1848. See Vol. Ill,
pp. 324ff. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
for the Church were known at that time. During Pius IX ’s stay in
Gaeta, a group of Mazzini-inspired anarchists and revolutionaries
in Geneva had plotted the Pope’s assassination by hired killers dis
guised as priests. The Paris police disclosed this plot to the Pied
montese government. An official attached to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, a certain John Baptist Gal, received the dispatches and
passed the information in strictest confidence to Father Joseph
Cafasso.7 Perhaps Don Bosco was also privy to this secret, for in
1890 Gal himself told us of the great trust he had had in Don Bosco
ever since 1841.
Father Cafasso had immediately dispatched the information to
Gaeta and the plot was thwarted.8Nothing ever came to light about
this case until 1898 when John Baptist Gal died, but it is an au
thentic fact documented in the correspondence and diplomatic notes
of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
For all these reasons Don Bosco wanted to give a solemn demon
stration of his love for the Pope. A magnificent ode had been pub
lished in Rome hailing his return. Don Bosco liked it so much that,
after explaining its meaning to his boys, he had them declaim it on
several occasions.9
7 At this time Father Cafasso was rector of the Convitto Ecclesiastico in Turin.
For further information see indexes of Vois. II and III. [Editor]
8 See Corners Nazionale, issues of May 18 and 19, 1898.
» Omitted in this edition. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 7
The Imprisonment of Archbishop Fransoni
JLL E W sorrows were in store for the archbishop of Turin.
On April 15 this intrepid successor of St. Maximus,1 prudently and
courageously carrying out his apostolic ministry, wrote a secret
pastoral letter to the pastors of his diocese. Without mentioning
those who had voted for the Siccardi bill, he asked that the con
tents of the letter be brought to the attention of all the priests of
their parishes. The letter set forth rules regarding how priests should
act under the new law (which could not release them from their
obligations) and how they could go about their duties with a clear
conscience. At the same time, he ordered them not to appear before
any civil court, should they be summoned, without his permission.
The police, suspecting that he would make just such a move, had
instructed the mayors of the towns to be on the lookout. They soon
learned about Archbishop Fransoni’s letter. On April 21, the police
raided the Botta printshop [in Turin], seized all available copies,
and then confiscated all the copies still in the post offices. They even
conducted a meticulous search of the archbishop’s residence. Shortly
afterward Archbishop Fransoni was summoned into court. He re
fused to appear, stating that he would do so only with the Pope’s
permission. The judge did not find this acceptable and sentenced
him in absentia to a fine of five hundred lire and thirty days in jail.
On the feast day of the Holy Shroud, May 4 [1850], at 1 p .m ., the
archbishop was taken to the C itadel2 to serve his prison term. This
1 Maximus was the first known bishop of Turin, then a suffragan see of Milan.
He attended a synod in Milan in 451 and a council at Rome in 465. Many of
his sermons, homilies, and treatises survive. Turin honors him as its patron saint.
His feast is celebrated on June 25. [Editor]
2The Citadel, built by Duke Emmanuel Philibert between 1565 and 1568
according to the plans of the renowned military engineer Francesco Paciotto of
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
caused deep sorrow among the faithful. Many wept bitterly, and
among these were Don Bosco’s boys, who looked lovingly upon the
archbishop as their benefactor and father. Major [Cajetan] Viallardi
could not restrain his tears when he received the prelate as a pris
oner of the Citadel, and the commandant, General Imperor, gave
up his own quarters to him. That same evening, by courtesy of the
commandant, Archbishop Fransoni was allowed to receive a delega
tion of the cathedral chapter expressing its solidarity with him. In
the ensuing days many members of the Turin nobility and clergy
were also allowed to visit him.
Not only was Don Bosco among the first visitors, but he also
arranged for several of his boys to call on the imprisoned arch
bishop. Among these were Felix Reviglio and a companion. When
they returned to the Oratory, they described how, after being led
through two or three courtyards enclosed by high walls which were
policed by sentries and carabinieri, they were finally ushered into
the archbishop’s presence. He graciously accepted their greetings
in Don Bosco’s name, and then presented each of the boys with a
rosary.
A few days later, five more young men from the Oratory visited
him, but [Bartholomew] Bellisio*3 and three others were detained in
the last courtyard, and only one, [Victor] Ritner, a goldsmith, was
allowed to see the archbishop. When he came out, deeply moved,
he distributed blue-beaded rosaries to his companions as gifts from
the archbishop. [Bartholomew] Bellisio, who had come to the O ra
tory that same year, guarded this as a most precious possession. He
was still using it in 1902.
Meanwhile the vicar general had prescribed public prayers in all
the churches of the archdiocese, and demonstrations of affection
and esteem for the archbishop continued.
On May 27, 1850, L ’Armonia began a drive to donate a crozier
to Archbishop Fransoni. Eminent members of the clergy and laity
Urbino, became the first true fortress of Europe. It successfully withstood the
sieges of 1640 and 1706 by the French. It was also used as a maximum security
prison. At present it houses the national museum of artillery. [Editor]
3 A young artist very much attached to the Oratory, which he began frequent
ing from its very beginning. In 1855 he painted a portrait of Mamma Margaret
and made a gift of it to Don Bosco on his name day. He also photographed Don
Bosco in the act of hearing confessions. [Editor]
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The Imprisonment of Archbishop Fransoni
47
enthusiastically welcomed this initiative to the great annoyance of
the anticlericals. When U Armonia from time to time published the
names of donors, the liberal papers reprinted them in handbills and
had street urchins give them out shouting, “Extra! Extra! Read the
list of the idiots!” La Gazzetta del Popolo also launched a vulgar
attack on the promoters of the drive, among whom was Canon
[Lawrence] Gastaldi, but it backfired. More than eight thousand lire
poured in within a very short time. Not only was the crozier pur
chased, but it was a very artistic one. Don Bosco’s name appeared
in the first list of subscribers on June 10 with a donation of five lire.
On Sunday, June 2, after serving his thirty days, Archbishop
Fransoni was released in the early morning hours. He remarked,
“Next time it will be the fortress of Fenestrelle!” After remaining
a few days in Turin, he retired to Pianezza to recover from the
upsetting events of the last month.
Don Bosco visited him there to ascertain what he thought of his
method of running the Oratory, and in particular if it could serve
as a basis for drafting the rules of a religious congregation. He also
hoped to receive encouragement and support. Archbishop Fransoni
approved Don Bosco’s ideas, but then added: “I would like to give
you my support, but as you see, I myself am uncertain about the
future. Do whatever you can; persevere bravely in what you have
begun. I give you all faculties, my blessing, and whatever else I have.
There is only one thing I can’t do, however, and that is free you
from the trials which may come your way.”
During the archbishop’s imprisonment two events had taken
place that had greatly comforted Don Bosco and were to be of
incalculable advantage to souls.
At the beginning of the year, several of the more zealous priests
who attended the weekly spiritual conferences at the Cottolengo
Hospital had formed a society, naming it after St. Vincent de Paul.
Its members were men of great learning and piety: Canon Vogliotti,
Father [John] Borel, Father Louis Anglesio, rector of the Cotto
lengo Hospital, Father Joseph Cafasso, Father [John] Vola, Father
Maria Anthony Durando, superior of the Vincentians, Canon Eu
gene Galletti, Father Francis Barone, professor of church history,
Canon [John Baptist] Bottino, Father [Vincent] Ponzati, Father
Destefanis, Father [John] Cocchis and our own Don Bosco. Father
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48
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Robert Murialdo served as secretary; the meetings were held in the
archdiocesan seminary. These zealous priests discussed ways and
means to more effectively perform their duties and sought to pro
mote vigorous religious activity among the laity. They devoted spe
cial attention to the teaching of catechism in the parish churches
(a practice which at that time was somewhat neglected), especially
in the outskirts of Turin at Borgo San Salvario and Borgo San
Donato. They also provided priests for missions and sent catechists
to the oratories, which they recognized as the great need of the
times. They planted the first seeds of various associations that later
were to mature, combat blasphemy and the desecration of Sundays,
and promote good literature to counter the Waldensian propaganda.
They also started catechism classes in the city prisons and at L a
Generala, a boys’ reformatory.
Don Bosco attended these meetings as regularly as he could. As
our narrative unfolds we shall see how he was among the most
zealous promoters of all the good works that were proposed and
set in motion.
A t the same time Catholic laymen were organizing into societies
which were to support and complement clerical action. One of these
was the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, founded in Turin on May
13, 1850, and modeled on those already organized by [Antoine
Frederic] Ozanam in France in 1833. Count Rocco Bianchi, presi
dent of the first Vincentian society established in Genoa in 1846,
came to Turin on this occasion. He had been very active in promot
ing the Turin branch. He must also be given credit for the establish
ment of other St. Vincent de Paul societies in many parts of Italy
at Don Bosco’s advice and urging.
The inauguration ceremony took place in the sacristy of Holy
Martyrs Church, where the seven founding members assembled.
They were Father [John] Baptist Bruno, pastor of Holy Martyrs
Church, Father Andrew Barrera of the Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine, Marquis Dominic del Carretto of Balestrino, Francis
Louis Rossi, a lawyer, Chevalier Louis Ripa of Meana, a retired
colonel, Guido Goano, an engineer, and Count Rocco Bianchi. Don
Bosco, who had been invited, was seated in the place of honor. The
meeting opened with a prayer and was placed under the patronage
of the Blessed Virgin and the holy martyrs Solutor, Adventor and
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The Imprisonment of Archbishop Fransoni
49
Octavius.4*[Francis] Rossi was elected chairman. Archbishop Louis
Fransoni, Silvio Pellico0 and Don Bosco were the first honorary
members. Don Bosco attended the first meetings and always re
mained an honorary member, friend, and supporter of this society.
It developed slowly but steadily. Its members visited the wretched,
often appalling, hovels of the poor like angels bearing material help
and peace. They also looked after the spiritual welfare of the poor,
giving them religious instruction and helping correct bad marriages.
The members launched their program of charitable works after their
third meeting on May 26, 1850, with a capital of only twenty-four
lire and fifteen centesimi. Their first benefactresses were the devout
and charitable queens Maria Teresa and Maria Adelaide, and
Marchioness Barolo.6
On September 1, 1850, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of
Holy Martyrs Church was affiliated with the Society’s General Coun
cil in Paris. By 1853, there were sixty-three active members and
thirty-one honorary members in Turin; consequently, it became
necessary to split the group and form four different chapters. Count
Charles Cays,7 a very active member, was elected the first chairman
of the local chapter on September 15. In 1856, since there were
already eleven such chapters in Turin and nineteen outside the city,
the General Council in Paris instituted a Superior Council for the
4 Soldiers of the Theban legion. Under Emperor Maximian they suffered
martyrdom in Turin. [Editor]
BSilvio Pellico (1789-1854): Born in Piedmont; spent most of his young man
hood in Milan where, in 1820, he joined the carbonari, a secret society formed
in the early 19th century to promote the independence of Italy. Arrested by the
Austrians who then ruled Lombardy, he was sentenced to twenty years of hard
labor in the Spielberg at Briinn. In 1830 he was pardoned and spent the rest of
his life in Turin. Up to his imprisonment Pellico had been a lukewarm Christian,
but in the distress of prison life he resolved to love God and his fellowmen. In
1832 he wrote the story of his experiences, entitling it Le Mie Prigioni. It was an
account of his sufferings in prison, and it became the most famous book in the
literature of the Risorgimento. The Christian gentleness of this book at first dis
appointed some Italian patriots, but it proved to be more damaging to Austria
than the loss of a battle. He died in 1854. [Editor]
6 Marchioness Juliette Colbert Barolo (1785-1864): Born in Vendee, France,
she had married Marquis Tancredi Falletti of Barolo, Italy. She used her wealth
to build and maintain several charitable institutions in Turin. See Vol. II, pp. 182ff
and passim. [Editor]
7Count Cays made his religious profession in the Salesian Congregation on
December 8, 1877, and was ordained a priest on September 20, 1878. He died at
the Oratory on October 4, 1882. [Editor]
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50
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
whole of Piedmont. Count Cays became its first president and re
mained in office until 1868.
Don Bosco had played a very active part in the foundation of
the first Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Turin; he had also helped
to establish others, and he supported them in many ways, especially
when they encountered strong opposition. He was on very friendly
terms with the members of this charitable association, and he placed
under their guidance youths who had just been released from prison
and whom he had set on the right path. Some members of the
Society of St. Vincent de Paul also joined a legally constituted
society for the supervision and education of youths released from
reformatories.
Don Bosco always recommended that the members of the St. Vin
cent de Paul Society deal in a fatherly manner with the children of
destitute families. The members, in turn, actively supported the
foundation of other oratories and promoted catechism courses and
the general education of the young to the great advantage of both
Church and country. In their fifty years of social and religious work,
about one hundred thousand boys benefited from their paternal
guidance and protection.
Don Bosco continued to attend the annual general assembly of
the society for many years. It was always held with great solemnity
in December, either in Holy Martyrs Church or in the so-called
‘‘Church of the Merchants.” 8 On those occasions he always spoke
to the assembly. Thoroughly acquainted with the spirit of St. Vin
cent de Paul, he cited examples and teachings of the saint. At times
he spoke about the obligation to give alms, the proper manner of
doing so, and the reward promised by Our Lord. On other occa
sions he would dwell on the inefficacy of faith if not joined to good
works, stressing that we should do good while we can. Some of his
exhortations dealt with the necessity of becoming genuine Christians
so that one’s words and actions would always be in accordance
with the teachings of the Gospel. He also spoke on the importance
of being affable and kind when giving spiritual advice. Other ex
hortations concerned the poor they visited and the assistance ren-
8 Located in the same block of Holy Martyrs Church its official name was
“Oratory of the Merchants’ Guild.” Its spiritual activities included the perform
ance of works of charity and attendance at church services. [Editor]
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The Imprisonment of Archbishop Fransoni
51
dered to them. He recommended that the members instill in the
minds of the poor the thought that Divine Providence, when invoked,
will respond at times in a miraculous way; he suggested that they
remind the poor of the infallible promise of the Lord, that he who
suffers patiently with Jesus Christ shall also share His glory with
Him forever. His words had a marvelous effect on his listeners,
whether laymen or ecclesiastics; all looked upon him as a true man
of God, and many of them vied with one another to assist him in
his undertakings.
But a day came when his voice was no longer heard in these
assemblies. During the last few years of his life Don Bosco retired
from this work and was seen there no more. He had accomplished
his mission. The various chapters of the Society of St. Vincent de
Paul were doing very well and he was not needed anymore. In 1900,
for example, there were seventeen chapters in Turin and thirty-one
in the rest of Piedmont. In half a century of activity they had visited
more than forty thousand families and distributed a million and a
half lire in alms. One day Father [John Baptist] Francesia9 asked
Don Bosco why he no longer attended the general assembly, where
he had so many friends. He replied, ‘T am no longer needed there.
If I were to go, it would only be to show my face.” He definitely
shunned applause.
His friends and benefactors, however, never forgot him. On May
6, 1900, four hundred members of the Society of St. Vincent de
Paul, mostly city workers and farmers, gathered at Don Bosco’s
tomb in the Salesian school at Valsalice 10 to commemorate the
golden jubilee of their society in Turin and in Piedmont. Augustine
Cardinal Richelmy celebrated Mass and distributed Holy Com
munion. After the assembly the members sat down to a festive
banquet at which toasts were raised to the memory of Don Bosco.
He must have rejoiced in heaven at being honored by an organiza
tion that was a triumph of Christian charity.
9 An outstanding Salesian of the early years. He died a nonagenarian in 1930.
[Editorj
i0 Just across the Po river on a picturesque hill overlooking Turin. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 8
Don Boscos Mutual Aid Society
^Jl^H E feasts of St. Aloysius and St. John the Baptist were
kept at the Oratory with great solemnity. On the latter occasion1
the playground echoed with songs to Don Bosco which we were
privileged to hear even many years later. Amateurish as the verses
were, we loved them as though they were composed by gifted poets.
Lest they sink into oblivion, we reproduce them here to recall the
quality and warmth of the feelings our former companions had for
their beloved teacher.12
Don Bosco responded to his boys’ gratitude with a fresh proof
of his own love. To gauge its importance properly, we must go back
several years.
In 1847, Turin still had some remnants of the ancient universities
or guilds of arts, trades, and commerce, each with its confraternities
and a priest moderator. The confraternities spiritually assisted their
members by helping them fulfill their religious duties. In temporal
matters they provided adequate apprentice-training, ran employ
ment offices and savings banks, provided help for the sick, aged,
widows, and orphans, loaned money to young married men, warned
the public against swindling artisans and merchants, and supplied
necessary funds for the sacred services in their magnificent chapels.
But the gales of liberalism had penetrated most of these associa
tions early in their history, destroying their religious character and
cutting them off from the jurisdiction of the Church. In many in
stances, members of the same confraternity were apparently split
into two categories: the liberal-minded handled the funds and ad
1Don Bosco’s name day was kept on the feast of St. John the Baptist. See Vol.
II, p. 381. [Editor]
2 In this edition we have placed these verses in Appendix 1. [Editor]
52
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Don Bosco’s Mutual Aid Society
53
ministered the welfare programs, while only the spiritual-minded still
wore the confraternity garb and attended the religious ceremonies.
While these confraternities were deteriorating, other associations
were springing up. Inspired by masonic principles and under cover
of philanthropy, they actually sought to pervert their members’
minds in both political and religious matters.
Ridiculous tales were told against the Catholic Church. Scur
rilous stories about bishops, priests, and monks were made up and
spread far and wide; indeed, no effort was spared to make priests
and religious as unpopular as possible. The smears were so success
ful and they misled and duped so many people that very shortly no
ecclesiastic was any longer safe in the streets of Turin.
One of these associations called itself the “Workers’ Society.”
Several members, on registering, realized that they had stepped into
a trap and managed to free themselves in time, but many were
ensnared and soon lost their Faith. Regrettably, social-minded
Catholics had not yet directed their efforts to win over the workers
by protecting their interests, for up to now the guilds had looked
after them.
After organizing a new confraternity within the St. Aloysius
Sodality, Don Bosco realized that this would not suffice to keep his
young apprentices together. Some material attraction was needed.
Lest his young workers join some liberal, irreligious society, he
resolved to found one that would promote both their material and
spiritual welfare. To this end, he decided to make it mandatory for
prospective applicants to be members of the St. Aloysius Sodality,
which encouraged the reception of the sacraments every two weeks.
He began to discuss his idea with the older boys, explaining the
purpose, advantages, and conditions of the society he planned to
form. With their unanimous approval he proposed that they choose
a committee to launch this project. They agreed.
The society, formally known as the “Mutual Aid Society,” was
officially established at a ceremony held in the Oratory chapel on
July 1 , 1S50. From the start, it was a success, the first seed of count
less other societies or unions of Catholic workers that later appeared
in Italy. We think it worthwhile to reproduce here its regulations
both by way of acknowledgment and to offer a model to anyone
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OP SAINT JO H N BOSCO
wishing to do something similar, with, of course, the modifications
and additions required by the times.3
Organized along these lines, the society splendidly served its
purpose, but it aroused the anger of those who were striving to
poison the minds of the workers and use them for their own ends.
One such instance is described by Joseph Brosio to Father John
B o n etti:4
Opposite the main entrance of our little church in Valdocco, separated
from our playground by a wall, stood a tavern known as “La Giardi-
niera.” It was a hangout for thieves and vagabonds. Here wastrels, drunk
ards, gamblers, wandering musicians, bear tamers and rogues of all kinds
rubbed shoulders with members of the liberal workers’ associations which
had just been founded and whose headquarters were in a basement in
Vicolo Santa Maria. The secret leaders of these associations were a few
Waldensians and certain individuals of highly reprehensible conduct. Al
though in previous years the drinking bouts at La Giardiniera had given
us plenty of trouble, they had never been deliberately engaged in for that
purpose. This year, instead, the wild uproar breaking out during church
services made it clear that they were meant to annoy Don Bosco. Agi
tators paid the rabble to make the Oratory aware of their hostility.
Don Bosco realized that he had to drive that devil’s outpost from Val
docco, a task that would be as difficult as it would be expensive and risky.
It would have been foolhardy to antagonize a rabble ready for violence
if he tried to evict them from the house they considered their own domain.
More than once Don Bosco was given violent evidence of this fact. On
one occasion he was called to the sacristy where several men were wait
ing for him. He went at once, thinking they had come for confession, but
as soon as he entered, the door was slammed shut. Several of the older
boys, among them [Joseph] Buzzetti and [Hyacinth] Amaud, became
suspicious and went into the sanctuary, where they could listen and peek
into the sacristy through a keyhole. The men were talking loudly and
heatedly; it sounded as though they had come to pick a quarrel with Don
Bosco. However, his answers apparently threw them off balance and
made them resort to abusive language. Don Bosco tried to calm them,
but that caused them to become even more excited. Suddenly they
®In this edition we have placed these regulations in Appendix 2. [Editor]
4 Having come to the Oratory as a student in 1855, he became a valuable assist
ant to Don Bosco and a member of the Superior Council of the Salesian Society.
He wrote a history of the first twenty-five years of the Oratory, which has been
a primary source for these Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco. [Editor]
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Don Bosco’s Mutual Aid Society
55
whipped out knives. At that point, the eavesdroppers raised a rumpus and
broke down the door, putting the ruffians to flight.
In the meantime, for unknown reasons some of the older boys who
were members of our Mutual Aid Society had stopped frequenting the
Oratory. Then one day, two well-dressed men stopped me on the street.
They spoke French, which I knew quite well. After a cordial conversa
tion, they offered me a large sum of money, about six hundred lire and
a high paying job, if I would quit the Oratory and take my friends along
with me, for they had been told that I had a great influence over them.
I became very indignant at their offer and curtly replied, “Don Bosco is
like a father to me, and I wouldn’t quit or betray him for all the gold in
the world!” These men, who, as I later discovered, were secret ringleaders
of the workers’ society, did not take offense. They asked me to think it
over; several other times they renewed their offer which I always turned
down. I understood then how bribe money had lured several of my
wretched companions away from the Oratory.
I reported this to Don Bosco and we both decided that it would be
the wiser course to keep it a secret, so as not to arouse the greed of some
who might not be strong enough to resist. At the same time we prayed,
doubled our vigilance, and increased the attractions of the Oratory.
Despite these obstacles, Don Bosco’s Mutual Aid Society con
tinued to grow for years. Some of Turin’s best artists, practicing
Catholics, were admitted by special dispensation so that their ex
ample might inspire the younger members. John Villa,5 invited by
his friend [John] Gravano, joined in 1856. In 1857, the Mutual Aid
Society, while retaining its headquarters at the Oratory, was affili
ated with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for several years.
Two other very serious reasons induced Don Bosco to promote
this type of society for the workers. First of all, he was one of the
few who had understood immediately— and he said so a thousand
times— that the revolutionary movement was not just a passing
storm. Not all its promises to the people were unjust; many of them
filled real needs. The workers demanded equality of rights without
class distinction, more justice, and improvement of living conditions.
Secondly, Don Bosco saw how wealth was becoming the monop
oly of ruthless capitalists. Employers imposed unjust labor contracts
5 A pupil of Don Bosco who began frequenting the Oratory in 1855. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
on individual, defenseless workers, and crudely violated provisions
for the Sunday rest. These abuses were bound to produce disastrous
results; workers lived in misery, lost their faith, and fell prey to
subversive principles.
Hence Don Bosco deemed it necessary for the clergy to draw
closer to the working class to guide it. He could not give his own
Mutual Aid Society the expansion demanded by the needs of the
times, although he planned to build many hospices for young
workers. He could see that in the long run it would become impos
sible for him to manage a mutual aid society, keep track of its
deposits, administer its funds, and distribute sick-benefit payments.
He kept up this project and even made some headway, but even
tually he had to call a halt, particularly since he not only lacked the
support of those who might have helped, but even became a target
for their criticism. Nevertheless, Don Bosco must be given credit
for having blazed a new trail and set a pattern for similar associa
tions of Catholic workers which aimed at bettering their working
conditions, granting their just demands, and shielding them from
the tyranny of revolutionaries. The first Union of Catholic Workers
in Italy was founded in Turin in 1871, thanks to the efforts of a
handful of idealistic young workers. Unfortunately, however, the
secret societies had already made headway among workers and
established mutual aid societies which they exploited for their own
ends. Still, better late than never! These Christian associations multi
plied throughout Piedmont and other parts of Italy. They had priest
moderators and furthered the Catholic cause to Don Bosco’s great
satisfaction. Many of them chose him to be their honorary president.
The spirit of the Lord was making itself felt throughout the world
by setting up new institutions to meet new needs. In Germany
Father [Adolph] Kolping founded the Catholic Young Workmen’s
Society, which now has houses and thousands of members in many
cities. France also provided a noble example. Rich industrialists
were generous in accepting the new concepts of dealing with their
employees to assure them a just wage for their work and free them
from worry for their present and future welfare. Outstanding among
them was Leon Harmel, known as the “workers’ father,” who was
an intimate friend of Don Bosco and shared his feelings on the social
problems of the day.
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CHAPTER 9
A Gift from the Pope
J l\\E S P E C T and love for the priesthood characterized the
conduct at the Oratory, in contrast to the ever increasing hostility
to the Church clearly evident elsewhere. Pope Benedict XIV had
granted several church lands to Piedmont as perpetual vicariates for
a simple fee of two thousand scudi1 to be paid to Rome each June
28th. This pact had been formally approved on January 5, 1740,
and had been observed since that time without incident. In 1850,
however, the Piedmontese government refused to honor this commit
ment, claiming that the State had exclusive legal rights over those
lands.
Despite the injustice of the claim, Pius IX did not lessen his love
for the faithful of Piedmont. That same year he gave Don Bosco’s
boys another reason for rejoicing. It will be recalled that they had
sent him a small offering of thirty-three lire when he was in exile
and that he had set it aside for a particular purpose.i2 During his
stay in Gaeta, Pius IX had mentioned this offering several times,
and he would show it proudly to visitors who came to pay their
respects. One day he sent for James Cardinal Antonelli, and, add
ing to the sum, he instructed him to purchase a good supply of
rosaries. Sixty dozen were immediately acquired and brought to
him. He blessed them and then personally handed the two large
packages to Cardinal Antonelli with the words, “Please have them
sent to Don Bosco’s boys as a token of my fatherly love.” The
cardinal forwarded the parcels to the apostolic nuncio in Turin with
this letter:
i The scudo was a silver coin used in Italy until the 19th century, approxi
mately equivalent to a United States dollar. [Editor]
'■‘■See Vol. Ill, pp. 358ff, 367. [Editor]
57
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Your Excellency:
Portici, April 2, 1850
As a follow-up of my letter to you of May 14 of last year, I am send
ing you, through the papal consul general in Genoa, two parcels of rosa
ries blessed by His Holiness for Don Bosco’s young apprentices.
I would have attended to this wish of the Holy Father sooner, but
other pressing matters prevented me from doing so.
Please see that the gift is duly appreciated inasmuch as it comes from
the Holy Father himself. Please accept my highest regards.
Yours devotedly,
James Cardinal Antonelli
Considering the Pope’s eminent position of reverence and the
countless weighty problems he had to cope with in those days, one
can appreciate the significance of this gesture toward lowly young
sters. Their hearts swelled with joy when Don Bosco announced
that the kindly Pope, before leaving exile, not only had remembered
their little gift but was sending each a present in turn. They could
hardly wait for its arrival.
After much thought, on returning from his spiritual retreat at
St. Ignatius’ Shrine (where the pastor of St. Dalmatius’ Church in
Turin had preached the instructions and the vicar general of Fos-
sano the meditations), Don Bosco decided that the presentation of
the rosaries to the boys should be made in as solemn a manner as
possible so that their minds would be indelibly impressed. The event
was recorded in a booklet later published by Don Bosco.3
On the evening of Sunday, July 21, all the boys of the three ora
tories gathered at their headquarters in Valdocco. The chapel,
adorned as on feast days, was quickly filled to capacity and many
boys had to be content with following the ceremonies from outside.
Joseph Brosio, the bersagliere,4 and his lieutenants kept order. Father
[Andrew] Barrera, of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, de
livered a sermon befitting the occasion. His lucid, dignified style and
3 Breve ragguaglio della festa fattasi net distribute il regalo di Bio IX ai giovani
degli Oratorii di Torino [Brief Account of the Solemn Distribution of the Gift
Sent by Pope Pius IX to the Boys of the Oratories of Turin], Torino, 1850,
Tipografia Eredi Botta.
4 As a soldier he had served in this special corps of the Piedmontese army.
[Editor]
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A Gift from the Pope
59
the warmth with which he spoke of Pius IX held the boys’ attention
and stirred them to the depths of their being. Among other things,
he said: “Do you know, dear boys, why Pius IX sent you this gift?
I will tell you. Pius IX is deeply interested in young people. Before
becoming Pope, he was busily engaged in teaching, educating, and
encouraging young people to lead virtuous, upright lives. He has
given each of you a rosary because, even before becoming a priest,
he was already deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Several times
I myself have seen his extraordinary devotion to the great Mother
of God both in public and private.”
After the sermon and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the
boys filed singly to the altar and received a rosary from Canon
Joseph Ortalda, assisted by Father Simonino and Father Barrera.
The rosaries had red beads strung on steel wire. Even some priests
and other staff members of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales lined
up with the boys; Michael R u a 5 and Ascanio Savio 6 were among
the latter. It was edifying to see the respect with which they all
approached the altar and prided themselves on possessing a gift
from the Vicar of Jesus Christ. Since there were more boys than
rosaries, several hundred more were bought and distributed with
those donated by the Pope so that no one would be disappointed.
After services, all gathered in front of the chapel, and one of the
boys gave the following address on behalf of all his companions.
Reverend Fathers and Distinguished Guests:
Were a prince, a king, or an emperor to show a sign of benevolence
by presenting a gift to one of his subjects, the subject would consider him
self very fortunate indeed.
What can we say when the successor of the Prince of the Apostles,
the head of the Catholic Church, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, notwith
standing his many responsibilities in governing the entire Catholic world,
turns his thoughts to us poor young apprentices? His graciousness is so
boundless that it overwhelms us. We can speak only in words of grati
tude.
If in our nothingness we could convey our sentiments to so kind a
father, we would gather enough courage to give vent to the feelings of
DDon Bosco’s future vicar and successor. [Editor]
0 Don Bosco’s first seminarian. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
our heart and say to him: “Holy Father, we realize the importance and
value of your gift, as well as the obligation of gratitude it imposes on us.”
But how could we ever meet this obligation? With money? Certainly not,
nor would you desire it. Perhaps with an eloquent speech? It would be
beyond our capacity. But we know, Holy Father, what you really want
from us. Your fatherly love made you remember us. As affectionate
sons, we shall reciprocate with all our love for you and for God, whose
representative you are here on earth. Never shall our lips utter a word
displeasing to you, nor shall our hearts ever harbor a thought unworthy
of the goodness of such a loving father.
Your desire that we should keep to the path of virtue inspired you to
remember us. Firmly attached to that divine Faith of which you are the
supreme leader, we assure you that we shall ever uphold it, ready to
forfeit everything, even our lives, rather than cut ourselves off from it
for a single instant.
In your great wisdom you will also understand what we are unable to
express, but now we wish to declare unanimously that we recognize you
as the successor of the Prince of the Apostles, the head of the one true
Church, from which those who break away shall be eternally lost. We
beg Your Holiness to grant us a further favor by imparting your apos
tolic benediction upon us, your humble sons.
Mindful of this red-letter day, we shall ever treasure this beloved gift
of yours. With our dying breath we shall find joy in saying: “The Vicar
of Jesus Christ, the great Piux IX, in a gesture of boundless kindness
gave me this rosary. I shall kiss its crucifix devotedly for the last time,
and then I shall expire in peace.
Reverend Fathers and distinguished guests, we shall be always grate
ful to you before God and men, if you will see to it that these sentiments
of ours are communicated to the Holy Father. Our most cordial and
undying thanks to you.
Then several boys presented a bouquet of flowers, and others
sang a hymn written especially for the occasion.7 Prolonged cries
of “Long live Pius IX! Long live the Vicar of Jesus Christ!” greeted
the song’s end. The applause ceased only when a blast from the
bersagliere’s bugle signaled a military drill. To add variety to the
festive occasion, a mock battle was staged that simulated an attack
upon a fortress surrounded by small mounds representing ramparts
and defenses. The guests were delighted with the display of energy,
7 Omitted in this edition. [Editor]
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A Gift from the Pope
61
resourcefulness, and prompt obedience to the commanders’ orders
shown by both defenders and besiegers. A four-star general who
was present exclaimed, “Don Bosco’s boys would make able de
fenders of their fatherland!”
This celebration did not go unnoticed in Turin. People spoke of
it everywhere, highly praising the kindness of Pius IX. It also in
creased public esteem for the oratories which the Pope had singled
out for his benevolence. The newspapers also commented on the
occasion. On July 26, 1850, L ’Armonia published a fine article
which merits inclusion for the sake of history.
A new act of generosity has confirmed to the world the well-known
and widely acclaimed goodness of heart which characterizes the Vicar
of Jesus Christ. We refer to the gift he sent the youngsters cared for by
Don Bosco’s three oratories in our city. We trust that our readers will
enjoy an account of this event.
Everyone is already aware of a few zealous priests in our midst who
are emulating the example of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Jerome Emi-
liani.8 Their efforts keep off the streets boys who, left to their own de
vices, would otherwise spend their Sundays in idleness or perhaps in evil
pursuits. These priests gather them together in a safe place to teach them
catechism, instruct them in the essential duties of a citizen, and give them
the benefits of wholesome recreation. This charitable undertaking, which
began on a truly modest basis, has been blessed by God and has flour
ished. It is not yet ten years old, and already over a thousand boys have
benefited from it. Since one place was no longer large enough to accom
modate all, two more have been opened in suitable locations of this city.
Unanimously the Senate sent to Parliament a petition requesting official
support for an institute that serves Church and country so well. The city
authorities have established a special committee to study the good being
done and give it assistance.
Lastly, Pius IX, our Supreme Pontiff, who from his exalted office
notices the smaller works of Christian charity no less than the greater
ones, was pleased to bestow his blessing upon this institute and to pro
mote its progress in the following manner.
When he was in exile at Gaeta the faithful followed the example of
the early Christians toward the Prince of the Apostles. They vied with
one another not only in offering prayers to God to alleviate the Pope’s
8 The founder of the Clerks Regular of Somaschi and patron saint of orphans.
[Editor]
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62
THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
sufferings, mitigate the anguish of his exile, and swiftly restore him to
his see, but also in contributing funds, according to their means, in order
to provide him with whatever was necessary to lessen his hardships. The
boys of the three Turin oratories were second to none in this respect.
They presented their offering to Don Bosco (the zealous priest in charge
of these oratories) and asked him to forward it to the Pope through His
Excellency, the papal nuncio.
In their modest but generous offering, Pius IX saw the widow’s mite
of the Gospel and declared that such a gift was too precious to be used
in the same manner as the others; he marked the package and put it
aside as a precious memento. When he came across it in less sorrowful
times, he ordered the purchase of a sufficient quantity of rosaries. After
blessing them personally, he sent them to Don Bosco to be given to the
boys of his three oratories.
The presentation took place last Sunday, July 21, at the main oratory
situated in the Valdocco district.
When all the boys were together in the chapel, Father [Andrew] Bar
rera spoke to them about the precious gift they were about to receive
in his customarily fluent and lucid manner which moves the heart and
enlightens the mind. He began by recalling the biblical story of young
Daniel and his companions who, despite all subtle temptations besetting
them in the court of Babylon, remained steadfast in the faith and law
of their fathers and received from God an earthly reward as a token of
their eternal one. “You have done the same,” Father Barrera told them,
“by your steadfast fidelity to Our Lord and His Vicar through thick and
thin, rejecting the words of both the tempters and the traitors who sought
to undermine your loyalty to God and Church, You have therefore mer
ited this precious reward sent to you by our Redeemer through the hands
of His Vicar.” Elaborating on the significance of this gift, Father Barrera
briefly touched on the ancient Roman usage of crowning with oak leaves
those who had distinguished themselves by some heroic action in behalf
of their fellow citizens, and he explained that, by this gift of a rosary,
Pius IX intended to crown the fortitude they had displayed. He exhorted
them to treasure the gift and to draw inspiration from it in the face of
every struggle for God’s cause. The tiny cross attached to it was to remind
them that only by suffering with Christ would they find the road to the
glory that He has promised.
A brief article such as this cannot do justice to the numerous topics
he expounded on, and especially his favorite theme of devotion to the
Blessed Virgin. In exhorting them to ever greater love for Her, he re
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A Gift from the Pope
63
minded them of the example given by their beloved Pope who from his
earliest years had nourished a most tender devotion to the Mother of
God.
It was a moving sight to watch so many youngsters listen with rapt
attention to this eloquent speaker. He stirred their pure hearts, especially
when, pointing out to them how they should repay this special trait of
benevolence of the Holy Father, he said, “Love is repaid by love. Think
of the love Pius IX has shown you. He has singled you out among so
many of his children scattered throughout the world. In the midst of so
many pressing duties which constantly burden him, he has thought of
you through this gracious gesture. Love him, therefore; love him with
all your hearts! If you are with him, you are with Christ Himself. There
fore, vow fidelity and love to him, unto death!”
Although the boys listened to these words in impressive silence, their
facial expressions and their eyes glistening with tears spoke eloquently
and attested to their great love for the Pope. At the end of the sermon
grateful prayers were offered aloud by all to the Blessed Sacrament for
the Holy Father, as well as for the king and the royal family and their
subjects. After Benediction, the boys walked to the altar to receive their
rosaries. It was a stirring sight to see them kiss their gift repeatedly and
press it to their hearts as they walked away.
When they came out of church, the Oratory guard of honor, which
had maintained order during the ceremony, performed some military
drills. There followed a hymn of thanksgiving to the Pope sung by the
boys and then the air was filled with joyous shouts acclaiming the revered
Vicar of Jesus Christ.
Thus closed a joyous family celebration inspired by the gracious ges
ture of the Father of all the faithful. The many guests who were present
at the ceremony, both priests and laity, rejoiced at seeing the profound
faith of those youngsters—a faith that augured well for the Church. We who
were present seemed to see fulfilled the words of the Psalmist, “Out of
the mouths of babes and sucklings you have fashioned praise because of
your foes, to silence the hostile and the vengeful.” [Ps. 8, 2]
Thus read the article in VArm onia. Shortly afterward Don Bosco,
through [James] Cardinal Antonelli, sent the boys’ thanks and his
own to the Holy Father with an account of the solemn distribution
of the rosaries. The cardinal obliged and was in turn asked by the
Pope to convey to Don Bosco his deep satisfaction. This he did in
the following letter:
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Very Rev. Father:
Rome, September 13, 1850
I told the Holy Father about your letter of August 28 last, in which
you expressed your gratitude and that of your pupils for the Holy Father’s
gift of rosaries that he himself blessed. His Holiness was very gratified
and expresses the wish that the young people under your care advance
in the path of virtue.
He graciously has granted the petition you presented to him and action
is now being taken.®
I received copies of the booklet commemorating the Holy Father’s gift
and I thank you, Let us hope that the Lord, in response to the prayers
offered up continually in the oratories under your direction, will deign to
grant happier days to the Church.
I assure you of my profound esteem and remain,
Affectionately yours,
James Cardinal Antonelli
These words clearly reveal the Pope’s warm love for Don Bosco
and his boys.
And so, even at that time the Church expressed her appreciation
for an undertaking that promised to be eminently beneficial to both
Church and civil society.
8 This petition is particularly important because Don Bosco for the first time
mentions the Salesian Congregation. See Appendix 3. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 10
Anticlerical Demonstrations
O n e day the superior of the Servites and Father Charles
Baima [one of his confreres] paid a visit to Archbishop Fransoni.
“The hydra has been unleashed. Terrible events are in the offing,”
the prelate warned them. “Both the plan and the means are ready.”
Then, alluding to the expulsion of the Jesuits,1 he continued: “Jesus
(the Jesuits) was driven out first; soon it will be the turn of Mary
(the Servites), then of all the other saints (religious orders). As for
myself, I shall have to go into exile. You will see!”
His gloomy forebodings were indeed realized, adding to the sor
row that Don Bosco and his boys already felt because of earlier
events.
Peter De Rossi of Santarosa, Minister of Agriculture and Com
merce, had been among those who had voted for the passage of the
Siccardi Law and had thus incurred excommunication. He was a
member of St. Charles’ parish entrusted to the Servites. Father
Buonfiglio Pittavino was the pastor, and he also held the office of
local superior and provincial. He combined deep goodness with un
swerving fidelity to his sacred duties. De Rossi fell seriously ill at
the end of July and asked for the sacraments. He made his confes
sion, but before giving him Holy Viaticum the pastor asked him to
abjure the harm he had done to the Church. De Rossi at first refused,
only yielding at the end when it was too late. He died on August 5
[1850] without Viaticum.
Relatives, friends, cabinet ministers, senators and representatives
(among them Count Camillo Cavour), journalists, and even news
boys raised a howl of criticism against the alleged intolerance ofi
i See Vol. Ill, pp. 208f. [Editor]
65
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
the pastor and the archbishop, accusing them of having done vio
lence to the conscience of the deceased. A mob of idlers and hired
agitators (nearly all of them exiles from other Italian states) wildly
demonstrated in the city squares and then marched on the Servite
monastery, shouting threats to the pastor and coming very close to
lynching him. Even at the funeral procession they kept up a steady
chorus of threats, drowning the strains of the Miserere with their
shouts and catcalls.
Two days later, on August 7, the government seized the mon
astery. Father Pittavino and all his religious were bundled into
coaches and taken away under carabinieri escort, some to Ales
sandria,2 others to Saluzzo.8
After the Servites it was Archbishop Fransoni’s turn. On the day
of De Rossi’s death, Count Ponza of San Martino, together with
Alfonso La Marmora, Minister of War, called on the archbishop at
Pianezza4 and in the name of the government demanded his resig
nation. The archbishop flatly refused, saying, “I would consider
myself a coward if I were to relinquish my diocese in such a crisis.”
On the following day, August 7, the carabinieri again showed up
and took him as a prisoner to the Fenestrelle fortress,5 high in the
Alpine region, where the winters are long and severe, accompanied
by icy winds, snow, and fog. He was received courteously by the
commandant, Alphonse de Sonnaz, who was nevertheless under
orders to keep him confined to a few rooms under close surveillance.
Suffice it to say that the archbishop was not even allowed to make
his confession to the Capuchin chaplain. Shortly thereafter, Father
William Audisio, renowned for his educational work among the
clergy, was removed as president of the Superga Academy,0 in re
prisal for his articles in VArm onia. Purposely no successor was
named, and the event marked the end of this famous academy. At
the same time, as the result of the Siccardi Law, Archbishop [Alex-
2 A town some fifty-seven miles from Turin. Its population at that time was
about forty thousand. [Editor]
a About fourteen miles from Turin, with a population of fifteen thousand.
[Editor]
4 About eight miles from Turin. [Editor]
e It dates back to the 17th century and is located at an altitude of about 3,500
feet. [Editor]
®Founded in 1833 at King Charles Albert’s request for advanced theological
studies. See Vol. I, p, 212. [Editor]
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Anticlerical Demonstrations
67
ander Dominic Varesini] of Sassari was sentenced to a month’s
imprisonment, which, on account of his poor health, he served in
his own residence, and Archbishop [Emmanuel Marongiu-Nurra]
of Cagliari was stripped of his revenue, driven from the realm, and
forcibly conducted to Civitavecchia.
In Turin some of the people were beside themselves with fear
while others reveled in the insults and slanders of the newspapers.
An abusive ditty mocking Archbishop Fransoni was sung in the
streets by a blind guitarist to the delight of the anticlericals.
On August 12, 1850, the chief of police with twelve carabinieri
searched the premises of the Oblates of Mary in Turin in the vain
hope of finding documents that would compromise the archbishop.
It was assumed that the Oblates had aided and abetted him in his
alleged activity against the State. The usual mob gathered upon
hearing rumors of a conspiracy, and it eventually became so un
manageable that the police and carabinieri had to be increased.
Later the bersaglieri and even National Guard contingents had to
be summoned, but the crowds were not dispersed. By evening the
tumult had assumed such proportions that the demonstrators had
to be restrained by brute force. Finally the chief of police stood in
front of the monastery gate and read a declaration stating that,
despite a most meticulous search, nothing had been found that in
any way incriminated the Oblates. Thereupon the mob dispersed,
but the anticlerical newspapers still reported that there had indeed
been a conspiracy but that the Oblates had managed to destroy all
proofs.
It was on this occasion that, according to Father Reviglio, Don
Bosco wrote a booklet— in reality, a few articles— in defense of
religious congregations. Thanks to the influence he enjoyed among
certain highly-placed government officials, he was able to prevent
the expulsion of the Oblates, warding off, temporarily at least, such
undeserved treatment. It is well known that he had a great affection
for that congregation; several of his boys, inspired by his frequent
praise of its religious, later joined that order.
While taking up the defense of the Oblates, Don Bosco also had
to fend off serious personal attacks. Since he was known as a staunch
supporter of Church rights, the anticlericals, before launching new
attacks on the Church or the Pope, took action to undermine his in
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
fluence. They painted him to the populace as an enemy of the new
institutions, as a priest inAuenced by Jesuit thought, as a fanatical
teacher of bigots, and as a foe of freedom. For good measure they
also charged that he was an accomplice in the archbishop’s reac
tionary activities. In an attempt to remove him from the scene, the
anticlericals planned a hostile demonstration against the Oratory on
August 14 in order to wreck it and drive Don Bosco out of the city.
The plan had been kept secret, but on the scheduled day, Mr. Vol-
potto, the same individual who had been instrumental in the Senate’s
passage of a resolution in favor of Don Bosco,7 came to the Oratory
to warn him of the impending danger and advise him to Aee. Don
Bosco instead called his mother and told her not to forget to prepare
him his supper. “Why tell me that?” Margaret exclaimed. “What
makes you think I won’t?”
“Because,” replied Don Bosco, “I want you to know that no
matter what happens, I’ll be here,”
According to Mr. Volpotto’s warning, a mob was to march on
the Oratory around four o’clock, but no one appeared either that
day or the day after. What had happened? After a noisy demonstra
tion against the Oblates of Mary, the rabble was about to march on
the Oratory when one of them, who knew Don Bosco and had been
befriended by him, stood on a wayside stone and shouted at the top
of his voice, “Listen to me, friends! Some of you want to go down
to Valdocco and heckle Don Bosco. Take my advice. Don’t go! It’s
a weekday, and you won’t And anybody there but Don Bosco and
his old mother and a few poor boys he cares for. Rather than heckle
him, we should shout ‘Long live Don Bosco!’ because he cares for
and helps the sons of the people.”
Another member of the mob rallied to Don Bosco’s support,
shouting, “Don Bosco is not a friend of Austria! He does a great
deal of good. He’s a man of the people! Let’s leave him in peace.
No need to shout for or against him. Let’s go somewhere else!”
These words had the effect of calming the mob. They changed their
plans and decided to demonstrate against the Dominicans and the
Barnabites.
Meanwhile an unexpected embarrassment was in store for Don
TSee p. 12. [Editor]
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Anticlerical Demonstrations
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Bosco. The government, which had seized even the furniture of the
Servite monastery, sent some of it to the Oratory. Some suggested
that he refuse it. Instead, Don Bosco accepted it, without any thanks,
and at once sent word to Father Pittavino, the superior of the Ser-
vites, to claim his property. However, he asked permission to keep
one table which he needed for the boys, and it was gladly given.
Thus the Servites regained their property and Don Bosco, without
doing anything unjust, avoided offending the government with pos
sible serious consequences to himself. This episode was told to
Canon [John Baptist] Anfossi by Father Francis Faccio, a Servite
who had formerly been pastor at St. Charles’ Church in Turin.
Amid the welter of these events— which redounded to the glory
of the clergy, inasmuch as Jesus has taught us that those who suffer
for the sake of justice are blessed— the prestige of the priesthood
was sorely damaged by the condemnation of a certain Father An
thony Grignaschi. Bom in Corconio, on San Giulio Island near Orta
in the diocese of Novara, he had been ordained, and in 1843 he had
been appointed pastor of Cimamulera.8 With fraud and deceit he
had blasphemously spread the notion that he was God manifesting
himself in a new incarnation of Jesus Christ returned to earth to
found a new Church that was to supplant Catholicism. His teach
ings were utterly heretical. He also performed strange, wondrous
feats which could be attributed only to diabolical intervention,
although his disciples hailed them as miracles. He claimed that a
woman named “Lana,” whom he convinced to play the part, was
the Virgin Mary. This shameless creature willingly acted out this
vulgar comedy wearing garments and affecting poses judged proper
to the Blessed Virgin. The apostate priest would set her on a bench
in the middle of the church, with lighted candles at her feet, as
though she were a statue. Simple-minded women who had em
braced this new sect knelt before her and prayed to her.
The chancery sent a priest to investigate the matter. Upon enter
ing the church and seeing the blasphemous veneration accorded to
this hussy, he had to hold himself in check so as not to cause a
scene in church. He went immediately into the sacristy and asked
the sexton, “Is there any special feast today?”
8 A village near Lake Maggiore in the province of Novara. At that time it had
about 460 inhabitants. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
“N o .”
“What kind of M adonna have you got in church?”
“Oh,” exclaimed the sexton, shrugging his shoulders, “do you
mean the red Madonna?”
“What? A red Madonna?”
“Yes, Father Grignaschi’s Madonna.”
When the Bishop of Novara was informed of these sacrilegious
events, he immediately dismissed Father Grignaschi from the parish
and suspended him from his priestly functions. The renegade there
upon went to Turin. While there he called on Don Bosco and ex
pounded his doctrines. Horrified, Don Bosco tried to persuade him
to abandon the evil path on which he had embarked, but all his
offers of help were in vain. Father Grignaschi roamed about several
towns in the province of Casale and finally, with his red M adonna
as housekeeper, settled in a hamlet near Viarigi,9 a small town in
the Asti district. This became his main theater of action for his
shabby tricks and wiles. His amazing new feats fooled even the
pastors and priests of the neighboring villages, perverting the Faith
of a large number of people. He shamefully abused the sacraments,
assertedly gained entrance into houses through locked doors, di
vined hidden thoughts, pretended he had received instructions from
heaven, and in general committed abominable acts. The people
seemed mesmerized. Young and old would set out and walk as
much as twenty and more miles over poor roads, under self-imposed
fastings, just to see him and hear him speak. He received his dis
ciples sitting down. They knelt in his presence, and he would
“absolve” them with the following words, “I, the Lord Jesus Christ,
absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He spread his heretical doctrines
through persons whom he had deceived and trained to feign virtue
and sanctity so that people might regard him as a truly extraordi
nary man, a new savior.
There was indeed a strangely fascinating, mesmerizing power in
his look. People talked about it at great length. A certain B . . .
made light of what he heard about this “spellbinding look” and
decided to call on Father Grignaschi to see for himself. The moment
9 About fifty miles from Turin with a population close to two thousand people.
[Editor]
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Anticlerical Demonstrations
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he entered the house, he was gripped by a mysterious sensation of
horror, and once in the presence of the man, he no sooner met his
gaze than he instantly felt that he was in his power. When the
charlatan said, “I was waiting for you; I knew you would come,”
the once skeptical visitor fell to his knees. From that moment on
he was entirely devoted to him. Father Grignaschi convinced B . . .
that he was actually St. Paul, and that another friend of his was
St. Peter. So B . . . let his beard grow and, together with his com
panion, readily obeyed Grignaschfs orders: long prayers and pen
ances, visits to taverns, kneeling down among the tables and im
ploring people not to offend God by blasphemy, drunkenness or
gambling— things which they would certainly have refused to do
if they had not come under his spell. Father Grignaschi exercised
the same power on all the people of the area almost without excep
tion. Later on, B . . . was unable to explain how all this had come
about. He was a well-to-do man, mature, charitable, and sufficiently
educated. He owed his return to sanity and the true faith to Don
Bosco’s sermons.
Meanwhile the members of this sect went so far in their moral
turpitude that it came to the attention of the district attorney. Gri
gnaschi and thirteen of his principal disciples, including the red
Madonna, were jailed and later tried before the Court of Appeals
in Casale.10 The newspapers of that year are full of details of the
scandal and of the trial.
On July 15, 1850, despite the efforts of Angelo Brofferio, his
defense lawyer, Grignaschi was sentenced to hard labor; his fol
lowers received lighter sentences. Grignaschfs arrest had thrown
the people of Viarigi into an uproar. To maintain order among these
fanatical disciples of his the government had to set up a garrison.
When this proved insufficient, the bishops of Casale and Asti under
took a mission of pacification. Bishop [Philip] Artico of Asti stayed
at Viarigi for fifty days; with his sermons, generous assistance to
the poor, and visits to the sick, he put an end to conflict and scandals,
10 On March 21, 1850 he was found guilty of contempt of religion and of
fraud in claiming supernatural powers, thus inducing gullible people to donate
to him and to his sect large sums of money. Cf. Requisitoria deU’Ufficio Fiscale
Generate di Casale: Sentenzja e atto d’Accusa netta Causa del Regio Fisco di
Viarigi contro il Sac. Grignaschi Francesco Antonio e Suoi Complici. Torino,
Tipografia Fory e Dalmazzo, 1850. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
received many back into the Church, and obtained the withdrawal
of the troops. Peace was thus restored, even if quite a few continued
to persist in their error.
Father Grignaschi meanwhile had been taken to the castle of
Iv re a 11 to serve a seven-year term. As if possessed by a devil, he
perversely insisted that his was a divine mission. The solitude of
the cell must have been a crushing weight to bear. But Don Bosco
did not forget him in his hour of sorrow. Ascanio Savio relates that
Don Bosco, who used to travel to Ivrea two or three times a year,
hastened to visit him. He was able to speak to the poor man on sev
eral occasions and so won his confidence that he finally succeeded
in making him realize the evil he had done to himself and to others
by his scandalous teachings and actions. He also persuaded him to
promise to mend his ways; as a first step he urged him to accept
his punishment with Christian resignation in expiation of his sins.18
Realizing that Father Grignaschi welcomed his visits, Don Bosco
returned on other occasions and also gave him some money. These
visits took place whenever he was in Ivrea preaching missions to
the people or retreats to the seminarians or conducting business with
the bishop concerning the Letture Cattoliche [Catholic Readings]18
or Church matters.
11 Ivrea, a Roman town, is located 34 miles northeast of Turin. One of its land*
marks is the Castello delle Quattro Torri (Castle of the Four Towers) built be
tween 1393 and 1395. At present only three towers remain; in 1876, lightning hit
the northwest tower housing the ammunitions magazine and utterly destroyed it.
At the beginning of the 17th century it was converted into a prison and remains
so to this day; however, there is a movement afoot to convert it into a regional
museum. (Editor]
12 On April 2, 1857, Father Anthony Grignaschi solemnly abjured his errors in
the presence of Bishop James Philip Gentile of Novara, especially delegated by
the Holy See, and some other witnesses. The ceremony took place in the castle of
Ivrea where he was detained. The documents of his abjuration, properly signed
and notarized, were published by L'Armonia of Turin on July 3, 1857. [Editor]
13 A monthly publication started by Don Bosco in 1853. Since 1955 its title
has been Meridiano 12. [Editor]
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C H A P T E R 11
Don Bosco and Count Camillo Cavour
JL I'U R IN G these years [1850-1860] Count Camillo Ca
vour 1 showed great favor to Don Bosco’s oratories. Amazingly
enough Don Bosco had managed to obtain even the support of
eminent persons hostile to the Church, but he had to be constantly
on his guard. With their enticing manners, their generous promises
to help his charitable works, their offers of honorific titles and deco
rations, and their favorable response to his many petitions, they
seemed to pose a threat to his love and loyalty to the Holy See and
his faith. The boys of the Oratory were preferred to others who
belonged to long-established institutes of charity, and they were
chosen to draw the numbers in the State lottery. On alternating
weeks for many years two of the smaller boys, wearing special
insignia, performed this official task and in this way earned a fee
which was given to the Oratory. Unaffected by this favoritism, Don
Bosco continued to uphold the cause of God with heroic fortitude
and with no regard to or fear of what people might say.
Nevertheless, as we have often pointed out, in all these situations
he admirably abided by the norms of Holy Scripture: “When in
vited by a man of influence, keep your distance; then he will urge
you all the more. Be not bold with him lest you be rebuffed, but
keep not too far away lest you be forgotten. Engage not freely in
discussion with him; trust not his many words; for by prolonged
talk he will test you and though smiling he will probe you. Merci
lessly he will make of you a laughingstock, and will not refrain fromi
i Born in Turin on August 10, 1810, Count Camillo Cavour eventually suc
ceeded in bringing about the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy. He
was also one of the most clever and successful statesmen of 19th-century Europe.
[Editor]
73
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
injury or chains. Be on your guard and take care never to accom
pany men of violence.” [Sir. 13, 9-13]
Count Camillo Cavour, a keen judge of men and motives and a
master at turning this knowledge to his own advantage, was a fre
quent visitor at Valdocco, and occasionally he would invite Don
Bosco to his residence for lunch or dinner. Charles Tomatis is our
authority for this. The count liked to hear Don Bosco talk about
festive oratories and he would question him about his projects and
hopes for the future, assuring him of all possible help. Don Bosco
treated him with the respect due his position, alternating between
frankness and circumspection in his answers, but never losing that
great charm which people found irresistible. The count’s kindly in
terest never dimmed, even when he succeeded De Rossi as Minister
of Commerce and later became premier and the real power in the
whole government. “Count Camillo Cavour,” Don Bosco told us
later, “was one of the anticlerical leaders of Piedmont and greatly
harmed the Church, yet he regarded me as a friend. He often advised
me to give legal status to the oratories. One day, urging me to follow
his advice, he even promised me a million lire to further my work.
Not knowing what to make of such an offer or what to say in reply,
I remained silent, smiling to myself. The count continued, “Well,
what do you say to that?” I replied politely that I was sorry that I
could not accept such a generous gift. “Why?” asked the count with
amazement. “Why refuse such a handsome sum when you need
everything and every supporter you can get?”
“Because,” I replied serenely, “what is given to me [by the gov
ernment] today might be taken away tomorrow. You yourself may
be the one to take back what you so generously offer me now.”
Without a sign of resentment, the count changed the subject.
Don Bosco seemed to realize the future of this man who was to
promote the suppression of religious orders and the forcible seizure
of Church property. Thus, Don Bosco’s frankness in so expressing
himself is especially worthy of admiration. He realized clearly that
there might possibly be an ulterior motive in the offer of subsidies
by Cavour and the government that was perhaps part of a plan.
Don Bosco continued:
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Don Bosco and Count Camillo Cavour
75
I was not too keen about sitting at the count’s table, despite his cor
dial invitations; but since I occasionally had important business to discuss
with him, I had to see him either at home or at the ministry. Often, when
he was a cabinet minister, he straightforwardly told me he would refuse
me an audience unless it be at dinner or lunch, and that if I needed a
favor from him, I was to remember that there was always a place at his
table for me. “These are the moments,” he would say, “when we can talk
at leisure. At the office there is too much pressure. We hardly have time
to exchange a few words hastily, almost rudely, and then we must part.”
In this he acted like his brother, Marquis Gustavo. He, too, would listen
to me only at table. I had no alternative but to accept this courteous—
yet for me, burdensome—condition. Once when I called at Count Camil-
lo’s office on an urgent matter, he refused to receive me but had me
ushered into a private waiting room, telling me that he wanted me for
dinner and that if I accepted he would listen to me. He always granted
whatever I had come to ask for.
We have often wondered what pressing matters Don Bosco had
to discuss with Count Camillo. It is probable that he pleaded for
the Oblates of Mary, and we know for certain that through the count
Don Bosco obtained free use of government premises for his first
lottery as well as exemption from postal fees. We do not know of
anything else. Seemingly no subsidies were involved, for no mention
of any has been found in Don Bosco’s papers, nor did he ever speak
of them. Neither could he have been seeking protection from abuse,
for at that time the authorities were definitely in favor of the ora
tories. Inasmuch as Don Bosco did not elaborate on the favors
granted, we may infer that the requests and concessions were
shrouded in secrecy, particularly since there is clear evidence that
he settled matters of great moment in this way with other influential
persons. A question arises in our mind: Was Don Bosco possibly
trying to soften somewhat the rigors of his archbishop’s confine
ment? From time to time, he went to Fenestrelle to preach and visit
the pastor, Father John Baptist Guigas, a friend of his. According
to the testimony of boys from the Oratory, Don Bosco also went to
Fenestrelle in 1850. Our notes, dating back thirty-five years, have
no mention of the day or month. After researching Don Bosco’s trips
of that year and checking on the places from which he posted his
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
mail, we can confidently state that this trip could have taken place
only between the end of August and the beginning of September.
Many years later, when asked why he had gone to Fenestrelle
that year, Don Bosco replied promptly, “I was planning to write a
history of Italy and I wanted to see the mountains where the battle
of Assietta was fought.” 2 Even then we thought this a rather lame
explanation. A trip made solely for this reason was hardly in keep
ing with Don Bosco’s habits, especially at a time when he was beset
on all sides by so many duties. Furthermore his Storia d ’Italia was
not published until 1856. We made no further investigations at that
time, however, for we had no reason to suspect a more important
purpose. But now, recalling the archbishop’s imprisonment in the
grim fortress and Don Bosco’s contacts with the family of Alphonse
de Sonnaz, the commandant, we suggest that there may have been
some connection between this trip and Don Bosco’s words, “He
[Cavour] always granted whatever I had come to ask for.” Would
not Don Bosco try to visit his shepherd in prison or at least send
him some desired information either by word of mouth or in writ
ing through some trustworthy person? This may be sheer specula
tion on our part, but Don Bosco once told us, “No one will ever
know a great many of the things I have done!”
Archbishop Fransoni had been stripped of his revenues and ban
ished from the realm by order of Marquis Massimo d ’Azeglio,3
without even the semblance of a trial. On September 28 [1850],
he was removed from the fortress and escorted through the Alps to
the frontier. The archbishop chose the city of Lyons as his place of
exile. In Lyons civil and military authorities, priests and laymen
vied with each other to honor him. It was there also that an artistic
crozier, the gift of his Piedmontese faithful,4 was presented to him.
Archbishop Fransoni continued to govern his diocese from Lyons as
well as he could until his death. His enemies invented all kinds of
slander to defame him, even accusing him of plotting against the
State, but their efforts bore no fruit. The Pope, the bishops of Pied-
2 A mountain and Alpine pass in the Cotian Alps. Here Charles Emmanuel III
scored an important victory in the War of Austrian Succession. [Editor]
3 Massimo d’Azeglio (1798-1866), politician, writer, and painter was premier
from 1849 to 1852 under Victor Emmanuel II. He was succeeded by Camillo
Cavour. [Editor]
*See p. 461 [Editor]
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Don Bosco and Count Camillo Cavour
11
mont, Savoy, Liguria, and other regions, and Catholics throughout
the world praised his conduct and offered him testimonials of their
highest admiration, often accompanied by rich gifts. Since then he
has been vindicated by history, whose pages will always be a glori
ous tribute to his memory and a mark of infamy to his persecutors.
Though far away, Archbishop Fransoni never ceased to protect
and help the Oratory. Likewise he kept pointing out to Don Bosco
the need to provide for its future. When Father [John] Borel and
Father Robert Murialdo visited him in Lyons, he asked them to
repeat his advice to Don Bosco, In turn, Don Bosco always referred
to him for counsel. Canon [John Baptist] Anfossi also assured us
that he knew without question that Don Bosco visited the arch
bishop in Lyons not long after he took up residence there, thus dis
playing his courage to those who had ordered the archbishop’s
banishment.
Don Bosco’s friendly relations with [Camillo] Cavour came to an
end in 1855, when many religious institutions were suppressed. Per
sonally, however, the count never showed Don Bosco any hostility.
Don Bosco was blessed when Divine Providence opportunely
placed at his side two genuine admirers of the Oratory, both excel
lent Catholics. The first of these was the aforementioned lawyer
John Baptist G a l 5 who at Gioberti’s 6 downfall became Count
Camillo’s personal secretary and until 1861 was in a position to
know all the secret intrigues of politics. Later, he was transferred
to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where he served for ten years,
resigning from public life in 1870. He used to visit his friend, Don
Bosco, several times a year, traveling either from Torgnon, his
native town in the valley of Aosta, or from San Remo where he
spent his winters. The second friend of the Oratory was Chevalier
Cugia Delitala, who succeeded Gal as personal secretary to Cavour
and remained in that position until the latter’s death. We still have
the affectionate and beautiful poems which Delitala used to send
Don Bosco on his name day. Don Bosco had friends everywhere.
5 A learned and devout Catholic. He struck up a warm and lasting friendship
with Don Bosco in 1841. See Vol. Ill, p. 300. [Editor]
6 Father Vincenzo Gioberti (1801-52), philosopher and politician, played an
important part in shaping Italian national consciousness during the Risorgimento.
He was premier of the Piedmontese government from December 1848 to Feb
ruary 1849. [Editor]
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C H A P T E R 12
Two Memorable Events
I n September [1850] Don Bosco arranged for many of
the boys to make a seven-day retreat at the minor seminary in
Giaveno,1 which was normally empty during the summer vacation.
The Oratory boarders and a sizable contingent of boys from the
three festive oratories who had been able to obtain permission from
their families or their employers made the journey on foot. Led by
Father Robert Murialdo, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves as
they hiked to their destination, singing hymns to the Blessed Virgin
and other religious songs. Don Bosco traveled ahead by coach to
make preparations for their lunch at Avigliana;12 accompanying him
were a few boys whose physical condition prevented their attempt
ing the journey on foot. At Avigliana the hikers halted for lunch
on the shores of the beautiful lake. Here they met and struck up a
warm friendship with a zealous, devout priest, Father Victor Alaso-
natti, a close friend of Don Bosco and an enthusiastic admirer of
the Oratory.
Don Bosco had providentially obtained a generous subsidy from
the Society of St. Paul to cover the expenses of the retreat. The
preachers were Canon [Innocent] Arduino, the scholarly and zeal
ous archpriest of the collegiate church of Giaveno, Father [Stephen]
Giorda [pastor at Poirino], and Don Bosco himself. Father Robert
Murialdo, director of the Guardian Angel Oratory, helped with con
1 Twenty miles from Turin. The seminary, built shortly after the Council of
Trent, belonged to the archdiocese of Turin. [Editor]
2 Fifteen miles from Turin, the town has two lakes dominated by the ruins of
the old Arduino-Savoy castle. The larger lake mirrors the shrine of Our Lady
of the Lakes where a fine triptych by Defendente Ferrari and two paintings (the
Crucifixion and St. Francis of Assisi) of the Caravaggio school are preserved.
[Editor]
78
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Two Memorable Events
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fessions. To make the retreat helpful to as many souls as possible,
the inhabitants of the town were also invited to participate, and
many took advantage of the opportunity.
Many years later, Father Michael Rua still spoke feelingly of the
fatherly care Don Bosco showed to him and all the boys on that
occasion, patiently bearing with the youthful thoughtlessness of
many but insisting upon and obtaining silence and attention at the
appointed times.
Don Bosco wrote to Father [John] B orel3 about this retreat in
the following letter:
Giaveno, September 12, 1850
Dear Father:
I am sure you will be glad to know that the spiritual retreat has gotten
off to an excellent start. The overall number is one hundred and thirty;
but we are only one hundred and five at table, because the others are day
retreatants from town and go home for their meals. The pastor preaches
the meditations and Father Giorda handles the instructions. Both have
fully met my expectations and those of the boys.
From four to five the schedule calls for recreation, but today no one
cared to take it. On leaving the chapel all chose to go to the study room.
I would like to give the boys a souvenir of this retreat, and I leave it
to you to supply me with what you think is best—medals, crucifixes, etc.
I forgot to tell you that in my room at the Oratory, under the dresser,
there is a supply of rosaries I bought some time ago. Why don’t we give
them to the boys? Let’s do this, then. Please go to my room and take
one hundred thirty rosaries. With them you will find copies of The Com
panion of Youth with gold-leaf edges. Take twelve, pack them with the
rosaries, and have them sent to me by the Giaveno coach which leaves
Turin daily at four p .m . from the Albergo della Fucina. Please tell my
mother I am feeling much better. Father Murialdo is somewhat hoarse;
Savio 4 has a fever and so has the doorkeeper5 of our Guardian Angel
3 A most zealous priest and the first one to help Don Bosco in the early trying
years of the Oratory. Don Bosco had met him during his seminary days when
Fr. Borel preached a retreat in 1839 in the Chieri seminary. See Vol. I, pp. 341f
and the index of Vol. II. [Editor]
4 There were two Savios: Ascanio, the first Oratory boy to don the cassock,
later became a diocesan priest; his brother, Angelo, one year his junior, who also
made this retreat, remained with Don Bosco. He was ordained a priest and filled
very important positions in the Salesian Society. [Editor]
5 A boy acting as doorkeeper. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Oratory. Everyone else is fine. Please pray that everything goes well.
Regards to Father Pacchiotti,6 Father Bosio,7 and all our other priests at
the Oratory.
I must close now. Please share the contents of this letter with Father
Cafasso. May the Lord accompany you. Dominus det. .. .8
Your friend,
%
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. I forgot a small bundle and a paper-wrapped package in the
kitchen. Please send them up with the rest.
This letter mentioned a recreation period. At such periods, as
well as after dinner and supper, Don Bosco enjoyed talking with
the boys who flocked around him. Joseph Brosio tells us about the
practice.
Don Bosco always had some amusing little story to tell, some new
joke for them to laugh at. He did not take snuff and he forbade his boys 9
to use it, but one day, at the beginning of the retreat, he took a well-
filled snuffbox from his pocket. Immediately all the boys pestered him for
a pinch. Don Bosco answered, “Gladly, if you really need it. I shall give
some to all those who have a snuffbox.” At once some of the grownups,
including John Gilardi [18 years old] and Joseph Randu [45 years old],
held them out. They took snuff for health or out of habit. Don Bosco
filled their snuffboxes and kept them supplied for the rest of the retreat.
His thoughtfulness in even minor matters such as this won him every
body’s heart.
During these recreation periods, however, Don Bosco was mostly
interested in finding out what the boys had learned from the ser
mons. On one occasion, as he was surrounded by many boys, some
of whom were from the local parish, he asked about the topic of
his morning instruction. (It had been scandal) The first boy he
0 Fr. Sebastian Pacchiotti was chaplain at the Rifugio, See Vol. II, p. 242.
[Editor]
7 A fellow seminarian of Don Bosco. See Vol. I, pp. 316, 384. [Editor]
8 Dominus det nobis suam pacem [May God grant us His peace]. Don Bosco
deliberately left out the last three words. The political turmoil of those days
counseled prudfence. [Editor]
8 The age of the youngest was sixteen. See Appendix 3. [Editor]
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Two Memorable Events
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singled out did not know; the second seemed embarrassed, so Don
Bosco questioned a few more. The youngsters scratched their heads
but could give no satisfactory reply. “Oh, my!” exclaimed Don
Bosco. “Was I talking Chinese or were you all asleep?” Then one
of the smaller boys piped up, “I remember, I remember!”
“What do you remember?”
“I remember the monkeys.”
Don Bosco had told th&m a tale. A peddler was going from village
to village trying to sell his wares which he carried in a small display
case strapped to his shoulders. However, night overtook him before
he reached a certain town. It was summer; the pale moon shone
in the sky and the peddler, weary after his long trek, decided to
spend the night under a large tree. He opened his case and, taking
out a white cap, of which he had quite a good supply, he put it on
his head as protection against the evening chill and fell asleep. There
were a number of monkeys up in that tree. The sight of a man sleep
ing with a white cap aroused their instincts. One of them slipped
down very quietly, poked around in the box which had been left
open, pulled out a cap, put it on its head, and climbed the tree
again. The other monkeys did likewise and their mischievousness
ended only when they had emptied the box. The merchant slept
peacefully throughout the night, and so did the monkeys. With white
caps on their heads they were quite a sight! At dawn the merchant
arose and prepared to resume his journey. Imagine his amazement
and grief at seeing that all his caps had been stolen! “I’ve been
robbed ” he cried. “I’m ruined.” But on second thought, realizing
that only the caps were missing, he came to the conclusion that it
could not have been a robbery. “I don’t understand it,” he told him
self. Just then he chanced to glance upward. “Ah,” he cried, “look
at the rascals!” He tried to frighten them into returning his wares
by flinging stones at them, but the monkeys merely leaped lightly
from branch to branch, holding on to their caps. After many use
less efforts, the poor peddler clutched his hair in utter despair and
angrily flung the cap he was wearing to the ground. The monkeys
instantly did likewise and down rained the white caps to the delight
of the harassed peddler.
Don Bosco had drawn the moral that boys behave much in the
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
same way as monkeys. If they see others doing good, they also do it;
if they see someone do evil, they imitate it even more quickly. He
had concluded by stressing the utter need of setting an edifying ex
ample for boys and of keeping them far away from any scandal.
Upon realizing that the boys barely remembered certain points
he had made in his sermons, Don Bosco took great pains thereafter
to intersperse his sermons with concrete examples and parables to
capture their imagination and by this means to enlighten their minds
and stir their hearts. He found this approach very effective.
His preaching was animated with ardent concern for the salva
tion of souls. One day he was so moved by his own words that he
broke into sobs and had to step down from the pulpit. Humbly and
with some embarrassment, he remarked to Ascanio Savio: “I
couldn’t control myself.” But the effect on his young listeners was
beyond words.
In the closing sermon, Don Bosco gave the following souvenir:
“Make the Exercise for a Happy Death every month; make it well;
make it unfailingly well!” The following day, to reward their coop
eration and give them a little relaxation, Don Bosco took the re-
treatants on a hike to St. Michael’s Abbey and Shrine.10 The climb
up the steep mountain road did not seem so arduous, for it was
enlivened by the blaring melodies of the Giaveno town band.
Don Bosco rode on a small donkey and the boys clustered around
it, patting it lovingly. A t intervals they would break out into a
familiar song: “Long live Don Bosco, etc___ ”
Don Bosco introduced a variation in the first verse by singing
“Long live Robert,” thus turning the song to the praise of his fellow
traveler, Father Murialdo. Brief halts were called now and then.
The musicians would then blow their trumpets; their notes, bound
ing from peak to peak, reverberated majestically in the valley below.
Startled birds flitted excitedly from tree to tree, peasants came out
of their cottages to listen, and the tiny donkey, pricking up its ears,
added his off-key braying to the music. It was an unforgettable hike.
10 A massive construction on Mt. Pirchiriano, 2,710 feet above AvigJiana. Built
in 998 it is one of the most important monuments of European Romanesque archi
tecture and an extremely bold engineering feat. It was dedicated to St. Michael
the Archangel. As a seminarian, Don Bosco had hiked to this shrine in October
1840. See Vol, I, p. 368, [Editor]
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Two Memorable Events
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When they reached the abbey, the Rosminian F athers11 gave them
a hearty welcome. Don Bosco was a close friend of theirs and would
act as their host whenever they went to Turin since they had no
house of their own in the town. The boys visited the church and
the ancient abbey while Don Bosco enriched their minds with the
history of the shrine. This was his invariable custom whenever he
would escort his boys to an historic site. After briefing them on its
history he would recall some memorable event. On this occasion
he told them:
This shrine, named after St. Michael, is one of the most famous Ben
edictine abbeys in Piedmont. It began as a simple hermitage around the
year 990, when a saintly hermit named John of Ravenna 12 built it in
honor of St. Michael. A few years later a certain Hugo of Montboissier,
a gentleman of Alvernia, converted it into a magnificent Gothic church
and built a large monastery adjacent to it. Hugo, who built the monas
tery at his own expense in penance for his sins and who made a pilgrim
age to Rome to obtain absolution, entrusted the supervision of the work
to Atvert, the abbot of Lusathe in France. When the work was completed,
Atvert called in the Benedictine monks and they elected him as their first
abbot. Reports of their holiness quickly spread and in a short time the
monastery had three hundred monks. Popes and bishops, kings and dukes
vied with each other in bestowing privileges and endowments on it. Later,
however, the monks lost their primitive fervor and discipline. In 1383
the abbey was placed under the patronage of the counts of Savoy and
thus it remained until the French invasion at the beginning of this cen
tury when the famous abbey was suppressed along with all the others.
Our good sovereigns Charles Felix and Charles Albert restored it from
decay to its present splendor and called in the Rosminian Fathers who
gave you such a cordial reception today. Between this mountain where
we now stand, called Pirchiriano, and the one in front of us, known as
Mount Caprasio, lies a valley slightly over a thousand feet wide. It forms
the lock or gorge of Susa, so called because it bars the way to invaders
across the Alps. This pass is famous in history because Charlemagne, in
order to come to the aid of the Pope 13 in Rome, after negotiating the
11 They had established a community here in 1836 at the invitation of King
Charles Albert and with the approval of Pope Gregory XVI. See Vol. I, p. 368.
[Editor]
12 Giovanni Vincenzo, archbishop of Ravenna. He was a member of the noble
Morosini family of Venice. [Editor]
13 Pope Adrian 1. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
gorge, attacked Desiderius, the Longobard king, from the rear and de
feated him [in 773], thereby ending the reign of the Longobards in Italy.
Although the boys certainly enjoyed learning things which they
had never heard before, another kind of interest began to occupy
their minds toward midday. The morning hike and the bracing
mountain air had stimulated their appetite and they were ravenously
hungry. Thus during the inspection tour of the monastery they could
not help casting furtive, impatient glances in the direction of the
refectory; they could hardly wait for the moment to eat. When at
long last they were summoned, they ate with enormous gusto.
Since they had no other way of repaying the hospitality of their
hosts, the boys regaled them with music and song. The good Ros-
minian Fathers were as delighted as their guests; mingling with
them, they then took them on little side tours to point out other
objects of interest. After a couple of hours they all gathered in
church and sang the Litany of the Blessed Virgin and received
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Afterward the band played
a last piece; it was almost five o’clock when they bid the Rosminian
Fathers a cordial farewell and gratefully started the trek down the
mountain with provisions of bread and fruit for the return journey.
A brief halt was called at San Ambrogio, at the fork of the road.
The band played a lilting tune, there was an exchange of good-byes,
and then they parted as genuine friends, one contingent heading for
Giaveno, the larger one for Turin by way of Rivoli. During the
march they sang, prayed and listened to a string of amusing stories
spun by Don Bosco and Father Murialdo. Recalling the spiritual re
treat just ended, Father Murialdo urged them to recite a Hail Mary
every day for the intention that none of the retreatants would ever
go astray and merit eternal damnation. “What a great joy it will be,”
he told them, “when one day we shall be able to go together on
delightful excursions over the eternal, beautiful hills of heaven!”
They reached Rivoli late in the evening. Most of the boys were
so exhausted that they could hardly take another step. There were
still seven miles to go, but Don Bosco didn’t have the heart to make
them walk any further. He took them to an inn and chartered as
many coaches as he could find. However, there were not enough
coaches to accommodate all of them and about twenty boys had to
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continue on foot. Don Bosco cheered them up and then gave a sum
of money to Brosio, “the bersagliere,” to treat the boys to a hearty
supper before starting on the last lap to Turin.
This incident recalled our dear Lord, who, seeing that the crowds
who had followed him into the desert were fatigued to the point of
exhaustion, cried out as a good father, “I have compassion on the
crowd,” and provided for them lest they faint on the way.
Rested and nourished, the rear guard then set out. Night had
fallen, and to dispel the fears of the more timid youngsters and make
the walk seem shorter, “the bersagliere” picked up two stones from
the road and told the others to do the same. Then he made them
strike them together rhythmically. And so they had-music of a new
sort and sparks to light their way to the Oratory, which they reached
at about eleven o’clock.
On September 21, 1850, Don Bosco compiled a list of the one
hundred boys who had made the spiritual retreat, and sent it on
legal stationery to the directors of the Society of St. Paul who had
offered to defray the retreat expenses. An additional list of nine
names completed the roster. From records in our archives we now
know the names and the age of most of the boys who went to
Giaveno for their retreat.14
We have given a detailed account of this spiritual retreat and trip
because the boys long remembered the experience as one of the
happiest events of their youth; it also provides an admirable illus
tration of how anxious Don Bosco was for his boys to learn that
cheerfulness and serving God go hand in hand.
This excursion also gave some boys a clearer insight into Don
Bosco’s singular virtues. He used to suggest special prayers, or even
vows on occasion, to those who came to him to obtain cures or
other favors from God. Young Felix Reviglio had been suffering for
several months from malaria. It had so undermined his health that
the doctors had declared him to be consumptive. Don Bosco brought
him to Giaveno along with the others. Reviglio himself told us that,
after his confession, Don Bosco suggested that he make a vow to
go to confession every week during the succeeding six months. At
the same time he suggested additional acts of devotion. This advice
14 In this edition we have placed this list in Appendix 4. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
proved more helpful than all the medicines he had been taking, and
in a short time the boy recovered completely.
Another young man, whose name we shall not disclose (he was
one of the oldest at the Oratory— about twenty-seven), also made
this spiritual retreat. One morning he walked into the sacristy just
as Don Bosco was about to go to the altar for Mass. Joseph Brosio,
holding the missal, was ready to serve, when this fellow rudely
snatched it from him and rushed out. Don Bosco, ever prompt to
forgive, saw Brosio flush with anger and he motioned him with a
look to restrain himself. After Mass, he took Brosio aside and said:
“It was good of you to yield. You’ll soon see what kind of fellow
he is!” Unfortunately, Don Bosco had guessed correctly. Shortly
thereafter this young man stopped going to the Oratory; he joined
the Waldensians and became one of the biggest troublemakers at
the La Giardiniera wineshop. He often prowled about the Oratory
to frighten the boys away from Don Bosco. But Don Bosco had
already informed Brosio of the young ruffian’s conduct and asked
him to be on the lookout. One day he showed up at the playground
gate, armed with a long stiletto which he was prepared to use on
anyone trying to bar his way. A young boy ran to call Brosio,
while the rest, greatly terrified, raced to safety. Brosio walked up
to him and asked him to leave, at first gently, and then in sterner
language. Words were of no avail, for the man was drunk and obvi
ously spoiling for a fight; therefore, Brosio wisely withdrew and
watched him from a safe distance. It was not long thereafter that
the ruffian fell into the hands of the law. Don Bosco, called to testify
against him, requested that the charges be dropped. He merely asked
the court that police protection be provided for himself and the boys
of the Oratory. The culprit was subsequently banished from Turin.
Father Michael Rua learned of this incident from the person who
had accompanied Don Bosco to court.
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CHAPTER 13
Apostolic Frankness
j O OME months had passed since Don Bosco proposed a
joint building project at the Oratory to Father Rosmini. To get
things started, on June 20 [1850], Don Bosco had the notary Tur-
vano draw up a deed for the purchase of a triangular-shaped lot,
measuring about 28,800 square feet, which was then used as a
vegetable garden. It belonged to the Turin seminary, to which Don
Bosco paid 7,500 lire. After subsequent business transactions, this
lot now 1 contains the church of Mary Help of Christians, a print
shop, and an adjacent playground.
Meanwhile Father Charles Gilardi wrote to Don Bosco from
Stresa to inform him that Father Rosmini was willing to grant him
a loan. Don Bosco’s reply follows:
Turin, July 13, 1850
Dear Father:
I was very pleased to receive your kind letter informing me of Father
Rosmini’s decision. I was all the more gratified since his offer exceeded
my expectations.
Indeed I accept the loan of twenty thousand lire for the building con
struction we have already discussed. We shall take out a mortgage and
postpone all details of time, place, and persons to a more convenient
date. Since at present I am heavily burdened by rents, I ask you to waive
the interest for three years, by which time I will be moving into the new
building and be at least partly free from some rents. I ask this only as a
favor, not as a condition for the contract, since I gladly accept your offer
and press for no further advantages.
1That is, in 1904, when this volume was first published in Italian. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
I realize that both parties must meet to arrive at a more definite under
standing; therefore, as soon as the plans for the new building are com
pleted, I will personally bring them to Father Rosmini and request his
valued opinion.
Please express my deepest gratitude to your revered superior. Hoping
that the Lord, who permitted negotiations to begin, will allow them to
be brought to a successful conclusion for His greater glory and for the
spiritual advantage of ourselves and of others, I have the honor to remain,
Your most humble friend and servant,
Fr. John Bosco, Leader of the Little Rascals
In his capacity as procurator of the Rosminians, Father Gilardi
sent Don Bosco the following note:
Stresa, July 26, 1850
[No salutation]
Please forgive the delay in replying to your kind letter of July 13. I
must Inform you that my superior, Father Antonio Rosmini, cannot pos
sibly waive the interest for the first three years. He could, however, agree
to a deferment of payment and accept promissory notes.
He was very glad to hear thar you have decided to visit us soon and
hopes that it will be in the very near future, since the loan is practically
waiting for you.
Fr. Charles Gilardi
Don Bosco replied:
Turin, August 27, 1850
Dear Father Charles:
I fear that my delay in visiting Stresa may cause some uncertainty re
garding our agreement. Therefore, I think it advisable to inform you that
my only reason for delaying is that I am still waiting for the completed
plans of the building. Mr. [Frederick] Bocca has assured me that he will
have them ready this week. I hope, therefore, to see you in Stresa next
week. If, however, that should prove impossible, I will not be able to
come until September 16 because on the ninth I am scheduled to start
preaching a spiritual retreat.
I repeat, this is the only reason that I have not yet come to Stresa, as
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Apostolic Frankness
89
I had planned. Please extend ray apologies to Father Rosmini and assure
him that I have not changed my mind.
With the deepest respect, I remain,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
On September 16, 1850, Don Bosco did go to Stresa. It was a
business trip, to be sure, but he also wanted to take a closer look
at the Rosminian rules and at the observance of religious discipline
in the principal house of the congregation which was also the
novitiate.
Arriving at Santhia shortly before midnight, he heard the con
fession of the coachman; then, after passing through Vercelli and
Novara, he got off at Arona [on Lake Maggiore]. Don Bosco had
planned to go to Stresa2 by boat, but at the stagecoach station he
met Marquis Arconati, a friend and benefactor of the Oratory, who
offered to take him there in his own coach so that the trip would be
less fatiguing for him. The marquis also suggested a visit to Ales
sandro Manzoni who was vacationing at nearby Lesa. Don Bosco
gladly accepted the invitation. The horses were harnessed, and after
a short ride they reached their destination. Manzoni received them
very warmly and invited them to lunch with him and some of his
relatives who were staying there. He also showed Don Bosco his
manuscripts which were liberally covered with corrections on every
page. This was Don Bosco’s only meeting with Manzoni, but the
few hours he spent with him were enough to convince him that a
simple style in writing was the result of persevering effort.
In the marquis’ company, Don Bosco reached Stresa and was
warmly welcomed by Father Rosmini and his religious who cher
ished the hope that some day Don Bosco would join them. He stayed
five or six days and had long meetings with Father Rosmini. Among
other things, they discussed the threat to church property. Clearly
the old structure of religious orders could no longer protect collec
tive property from being confiscated by a government. Some way
of insuring the existence of a congregation had to be found so that
its members would retain their inviolable citizenship rights after
2 International tourist center on Lake Maggiore. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
their profession of religious vows. Don Bosco had already solved
the problem in his mind, but Father Rosmini was among the first
to introduce this concept into the rules of an institute. He showed
them to Don Bosco and described their history, the reasons under
lying them, and how approval had been obtained from Rome. In
his congregation each member retained ownership of his possessions
vis-a-vis the civil authority, but could in no way sell, transfer, or
dispose of them without the superior’s consent. Thus the essentials
of the vow of poverty were respected and the dangers of collective
property avoided. At first this solution had seemed so novel that the
Sacred Congregation charged with examining the constitutions had
raised serious objections. However, when it was pointed out that
the essence of the vow depended on interior disposition and that
religious poverty consisted in detachment from wealth, a readiness
to strip oneself of it and the desire to effectively practice poverty,
the approval was granted. Father Rosmini concluded by saying,
“Our congregation will never be suppressed, because there is noth
ing to be gained!”
A noteworthy event occurred at Stresa. A wealthy, cultured lady,
Anne Marie Bolongaro, had given Father Rosmini a beautiful villa
on the shore of Lake Maggiore. Since there was a steady flow of
scholars calling upon him either to make his personal acquaintance
or for reasons of studies, Father Rosmini had this group moved to
the villa so as not to disrupt the novitiate routine. Here, too, he had
facilities for guests.
One day Father Rosmini invited Don Bosco (who was staying
with the other Rosminians) to dinner at the villa with his other
guests. Don Bosco found himself among eminent scholars and phi
losophers from near and far. At table there were some thirty guests,
including Niccolo Tommaseo,3 the poet and novelist Tommaso
Grossi, Ruggiero Bonghi,4 and Carlo Luigi Farini,5 as well as sev-
8 Niccold Tommaseo (1802-74) authored several dictionaries, in addition to
other writings on moral and political philosophy, literary criticism, poetry, biog
raphy, and history, [Editor]
4 Ruggiero Bonghi (1826-95), a writer, political philosopher, and journalist.
He founded La Stampa, the main Turin newspaper. From 1874 to 1876 he was
Minister of Education. [Editor]
5 Carlo Luigi Farini (1812-66), a statesman and historian. In 1850 he wrote
his chief historical work, Lo Stato Romano dal 1815 al 1850. From October 1851
until May 1852 he was Minister of Education in the d’Azeglio cabinet. He became
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Apostolic Frankness
91
eral others who were to play leading roles in the Italian revolutions.
Farini had published his Storia dello Stato Romano [History of the
Roman State] and seemed moderate in his judgments. Don Bosco
had read the book, but he did not know the author personally and
had no idea that he was present at the gathering.
At table, politics and religion were discussed, but the guests’
opinions were somewhat questionable. Nearly all leaned toward
liberalism in the true current sense of the word, criticizing the deci
sions of the Holy See while praising the government of those Italian
states which had illegally, curtailed the rights of the Church. Father
Rosmini did not object to some of the political opinions expressed,
but Don Bosco, who was deeply attached to the Holy See and par
ticularly to the Pope, was deeply annoyed. However, he made no
comment, since he was a guest among allegedly learned people. At
one point the conversation turned to the new relations between
Church and State in Piedmont., Rosmini’s pamphlet, La Costitu-
zione Secondo la Giustizia Sociale [The Constitution in the Light
of Social Justice], which had been published in 1848 and put on the
Index of Forbidden Books, was defended. The opinion was also ex
pressed that the appointment of bishops should be left to committees
composed of the clergy and laity. The discussion became so heated
that soon all the guests were taking part. Don Bosco just sat there
and looked disinterested. At one point, Father Rosmini, motioning
to his guests to lower their voices and then to drop the subject alto
gether, said in a whisper to Bonghi, “Don Bosco is here!” But
Bonghi, with youthful insolence, thinking that Don Bosco could not
hear him, replied, “The fool doesn’t understand a thing!” Don Bosco
pretended not to hear the insult, but Father Rosmini, who disliked
such talk and who appreciated Don Bosco’s worth, felt hurt. Toward
the end of the dinner the talk switched to Farini’s Storia dello Stato
Romano which had just then been published. Father Rosmini, notic
ing that Don Bosco had been silent throughout the meal, now called
on him to express his opinion. Don Bosco gladly seized the oppor
tunity. Without anger but very frankly, amid the general curiosity,
he remarked that Farini’s history did not deserve much praise be-
Minister of the Interior in 1860 and premier in 1862, but resigned this post the
following year. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
cause it contained historical inaccuracies and occasionally smeared
the temporal power of the popes. His remarks showed that he was
well acquainted with Farini’s book. All the guests began to laugh
at the unexpected criticism and nodded in approval, egging him on.
Still unsuspecting, Don Bosco continued his analysis. He was not
one to pussyfoot when the honor of the Church and the Pope was
at stake. Farini, showing no emotion, kept silent while the rest of
the guests were highly amused. We can imagine Don Bosco’s sur
prise when finally someone asked, “Do you know Dr. Farini?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Here he is,” he said and introduced him. Completely undis
mayed, Don Bosco greeted Farini courteously and asked him to
excuse his frankness. Stating that he had no intention of offending
him, he continued his critique and courteously pointed out several
serious mistakes Farini had made in the chapter on Romagna.6
Everyone expected Farini to be resentful and to speak up in angry
rebuttal; instead, he seemed to welcome this sound criticism and
thanked Don Bosco, saying, “It’s obvious that you know the subject
very well and that you are an expert on history; I like your frank
ness. No one has ever yet pointed out these things to me.”
Father Rosmini himself was amazed at Don Bosco’s boldness
and, when they were alone, he exclaimed, “I would not have dared
to say such things to Farini.” Another of the guests, Niccolo Tom-
maseo, also expressed his admiration for Don Bosco. But, anxious
to spend Sunday with his Oratory boys, Don Bosco returned to
Turin by stagecoach at the end of the week.
Toward the end of September he set out for Castelnuovo. We
must not forget that he had worked hard that year with his round-
the-clock Latin lessons to [Joseph] Buzzetti, [Charles] Gastini,
[James] Bellia, and [Felix] Reviglio. Now he took them along to
Becchi7 for the feast of the Holy Rosary which he intended to cele
brate with special solemnity in thanksgiving for the spiritual favors
he had requested and obtained from the Pope.8 He also wanted them
o A papal province in central Italy. In 1831 it rebelled against the Pope and with
'other territories formed the so-called United Italian Provinces. [Editor]
7 Don Bosco’s birthplace, not far from Castelnuovo d’Asti. [Editor]
s A lengthy footnote reporting Don Bosco’s petition to the Holy Father for
some indulgences has been omitted in this edition. [Editor]
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Apostolic Frankness
93
to enjoy a deserved vacation after the intense effort they had put
into their studies. Several other pupils were also taken along.
On his way to and from Becchi, Don Bosco would frequently stop
and chat with the people he met. After inquiring about the crops,
he would always manage to inject some spiritual advice into his
conversation with such remarks as, “How beautiful heaven must be!
But it’s not made for simpletons! Take heart!” Or, “How wonder
ful it will be to see God face to face!” He often asked, “Do you send
your children to catechism class and to the sacraments? Put your
trust in the Blessed Virgin. Shun sin if you want God to bless your
crops!” His conversation was like a sermon, no matter what subject
was being discussed. At Buttigliera everyone still recalls what Don
Bosco said on some occasion or other.
From Becchi he never failed to write to Father John Borel, who
took over the Oratory in his friend’s absence.
Castelnuovo d’Asti, September 30, 1850
Dear Father:
Since Comba9 is coming to Turin on several errands, I am sure you
will be glad to receive some news from us.
In the five days I have been here I believe my health has improved
considerably, though not perhaps in the same measure as in former years.
Senescimus annis 10*[We grow old as the years slip by]. Savio is definitely
over his fever; Reviglio also seems improved; all the others are well, ex
cept for the disturbance of an ever ravenous appetite. But we have good
polenta here.
I am busily correcting a condensation of a history of the House of
Savoy which the Marietti Press plans to reprint.
We did not have much chance to talk before I left, but please be a good
paterfamilias to yours 11 and mine. If you need money, see Father Cafasso
and he will give you what you need.
I think a trip to Castelnuovo would benefit you. It would also do me
good to see you again. If you agree, also invite Father Vola, Father Car-
pano, Father Murialdo (who told me he would be glad to come from
Moncalieri), and Father Ponte. As soon as you know the day and can
9 An eighteen-year-old student. [Editor]
10 From Ovid: Tempora labuntur, tacitisque senescimus annis (Time slips away
and we grow old as the years silently slip by). Fasti 6:771. [Editor]
n Father Borel was chaplain at the Rifugio. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
arrange early train arrival, write to me, and I will send someone to meet
you and perhaps give you a lift to spare you a long walk. “Behold, how
good it is and how pleasant where brethren dwell as one!” [Ps. 132, 1]
Write to me about yourself, the Oratoiy, and the Rifugio. The Lord
be with you. Please remember me to our friends at the Oratory. As ever,
Your friend,
Ft. John Bosco
P.S. The authorization to give Benediction with the Blessed Sacra
ment reached me in ample time. Thank you.
While writing, I received your letter which tells me many things I was
anxious to know about. Please keep an eye on one of our boarders, Joseph
Rossi, the apprentice shoemaker, and on [John] Costantino. I have seen
them roaming the streets of Turin instead of going to work.
Don Bosco had instructed Father Borel to see Father Cafasso
in regard to money matters, but his needs must have been many
since Don Bosco instructed his broker to sell some lots he owned
at Valdocco. In fact, on October 6, 1850, a deed of sale was drawn
up by the notary Turvano, assigning 288 square feet of land to
Michael Nicco for 250 lire, 2,925 square feet to Marianne Franco,
the widow of a man named Audagnotto, for 2,250.62 lire, and about
45 square feet to James Ferrero and Juvenal Mo for 16 lire.
At Castelnuovo Don Bosco first met a local boy named John
Cagliero. The lad, who was then around twelve, was introduced to
him by his pastor, Father Anthony Cinzano, as a prospective can
didate for the Oratory and the priesthood. Cagliero, now a bishop,12
has told us of that first meeting with Don Bosco. “The first impres
sion Don Bosco made on me was that of an outstanding priest, a
fact indicated by the kindly way he received me as well as by the
honor and respect shown him by my pastor, my teachers, and the
other priests. This impression was never erased or dimmed. Rather,
it has grown stronger throughout the years I have lived at his side.
After questioning me, Don Bosco agreed I could enter the Oratory
during the coming year.”
After accepting Cagliero, Don Bosco remained a while longer
12 In 1904 he became an archbishop, and in 1915 was named a cardinal. He
was the first Salesian in the hierarchy. He died on February 28, 1926. [Editor]
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Apostolic Frankness
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at Becchi, taking advantage of the time to close his deal with Father
Rosmini in the following letter:
Castelnuovo d’Asti, October 25, 1850
Very Reverend Father:
Reasons of health prompted me to prolong ray stay in the countryside
for a few weeks. Now, however, I feel fine and hope to return to Turin
tomorrow. In the meantime you may go ahead as regards the loan we
discussed. I think that the guarantee can be either in the form of a mort
gage on the building or by immediate testamentary instructions. I leave
the final decision to you.
I must thank you again most cordially for the warm welcome and
courtesy extended to me during my pleasant stay at Stresa. May the Lord
keep you in good health and make your institute prosper. I am highly
honored to remain,
Your most humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
There was a reply on the following day:
Stresa, October 26, 1850
Rev. and Dear Father John:
I am replying to your welcome letter of October 25 at the request of
my superior, Father Rosmini, who sends you his warmest regards.
He is ready to give necessary instructions on the loan that has been
agreed upon, but he would like you to commission a good architect to
draw the plans of the building you intend to erect and to send a copy to
him for his approval.
To simplify matters, twenty thousand lire will be paid to you in a
lump sum when you sign the guarantee and the receipt. Part of the loan,
if not needed, could be deposited in a savings bank at a rate of interest
possibly higher than what you will pay us. Finally, Father Rosmini would
prefer a guarantee by a mortgage on the land and building to be con
structed, rather than by testament, to avoid paying the 10% inheritance
tax for extraneous legacies, etc-----
Fr. Charles Gilardi
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C H A P T E R 14
Gain and Loss
M I ON BOSCO’S four Latin students1 now seemed ready
for the examination they had to pass for permission to don the
clerical habit. Besides, Don Bosco badly needed their help in the
oratories. He therefore wrote to his archbishop from Castelnuovo
for the requisite authorization. Archbishop Fransoni’s reply follows:
Lyons, October 23, 1850
Dear Don Bosco:
I regret I cannot grant your request to admit Felix Revigiio, James
Bellia, Joseph Buzzetti, and Charles Gastini to an off-schedule examina
tion for permission to don the clerical habit. My predecessor established
the custom of a single examination per year for ail applicants; an ex
ception would undermine this policy. On very rare occasions I have per
mitted a candidate to don the habit first and then take his examination
at the scheduled time. I can do this also for your students, and I sup
pose you will find this satisfactory since in this way you will achieve your
main purpose. Keep this letter as proof of authorization. In the mean
time, please see to it that the candidates diligently continue their studies
so that there may be no doubt as to the outcome of the examination.
Pray for me. With all my heart I am
Your devoted servant,
Louis, Archbishop of Turin
Thankful for the archbishop’s gracious gesture, Don Bosco, on
his return to Turin, resumed his teaching until the end of the year.
1 In late summer 1849 Don Bosco began teaching Latin to four of his young
boarders to prepare them to don the cassock, help him with the other boys, and
possibly become priests. See Vol. III, pp. 385ff, 402f. [Editor]
96
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Gain and Loss
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During the last fourteen months he had daily been giving his stu
dents five or six consecutive hours of class before noon. He thought
it was now time to assign at least a private examination. He gave
this task to Father Chiaves, doctor of theology, and to Father M at
thew Picco, professor of rhetoric. After the examination both ex
pressed amazement at Don Bosco’s ability to train students so thor
oughly in so short a time, and they declared that all four could
unquestionably take their places with other philosophy students.
Don Bosco’s satisfaction with the results was preceded by an
appreciable gain and by a considerable loss. Young Michael Rua,
as we know, had attended the spiritual retreat at Giaveno after grad
uating from the Christian Brothers’ grammar school. During the
year, Brother Michael, his teacher, impressed by Rua’s intelligence,
piety, amiability, prudence, and love of work, had suggested that
he join the order. Rua, who thought highly of his teacher, welcomed
the invitation and replied, “If you teach here next term, I’ll follow
your advice.”
Rua lived in Valdocco, near the Oratory, His father, a vegetable
farmer, was a devout Christian of the old school, and his mother
was as zealous as Mamma Margaret in bringing her children up
properly. Since the Oratory was so near, Michael Rua went there
even on weekdays. When school closed, Don Bosco, aware of the
boy’s potentialities, asked him if he would like to become a priest.
“Oh, yes! Very much!” answered Michael. “Fine!” Don Bosco
commented. “Then get ready for Latin!”
At this point Rua told him about Brother Michael’s proposal and
his own reply. On hearing this, Don Bosco said nothing further, but
his suggestion had obviously made a deep impression on the boy.
Meanwhile Divine Providence was directing events. Brother Michael
was transferred to a distant school; Rua, thus released from his
prior commitment, asked and obtained his parent’s consent to fol
low Don Bosco’s advice. In giving this joyful news to his spiritual
father, Michael showed him all the monthly honor certificates for
conduct and diligence he had earned in 1848-49 and 1849-50. Don
Bosco was so pleased with them that he kept them himself until his
death. They are now in our archives.
During the three-month summer vacation, Don Bosco had Father
[Peter] Merla teach elementary Latin to Michael Rua and two other
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
boys, [John] Ferrero and [Dominic] Marchisio. After the feast of
All Saints, unable to handle the class himself, he sent them to a
private junior high school conducted by Professor Joseph Bon*
zanino who graciously admitted them. The professor had his class
room in a building belonging to the Pellico family, near San Fran
cesco d’Assisi Square, in the very rooms where Silvio Pellico had
written his book Le Mie Prigioni. In the evening Don Bosco
coached his boys in grammar, taught them the metric system, and
had them also do arithmetic problems. While Michael Rua stayed
on for another year as a day student, another classmate, Angelo
Savio, joined him as a boarder. Michael was a diligent student and
made rapid progress, so that at the end of the scholastic year,
1850-51, he passed the examination of the first three years of high
school with honor, much to his teachers’ amazement.
Even at that time Don Bosco used to send Michael with Angelo
Savio and others to his other two oratories at Borgo Vanchiglia
and Porta Nuova to teach catechism, a practice that lasted for sev
eral years.
Don Bosco often called on Professor Bonzanino to check on the
progress of his pupils. One day when Ascanio Savio and Michael
Rua were en route to the St. Aloysius Oratory, Ascanio confided
to his companion, “Don Bosco told me that Professor Bonzanino
spoke of you in glowing terms. He also told me that he has great
plans for you and that some day you’ll be a great help to him.”
Michael Rua never forgot those words. In him Don Bosco had
acquired a prize pupil.
A t about the same time, however, Don Bosco was losing a dear
friend. Canon Lawrence Gastaldi of the St. Lawrence Fathers in
Turin, a great mission preacher, decided to resign his canonry and
devote himself to a more austere life of study and prayer. A great
admirer and disciple of Rosmini whose theories he defended in his
writings, he was strongly drawn to the Institute of Charity. Renounc
ing comforts and honors, he therefore entered the novitiate at
Stresa. Here, however, he gradually changed his philosophical views.
At the termination of his novitiate his superiors relieved him of
teaching philosophy and, at his request, sent him as a missionary to
England. Here he was given permission to write for Italian news
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Gain and Loss
99
papers, provided that he steered clear of philosophical matters. In
fact, the articles he sent to L'Armonia from England dealt exclu
sively with historical events. Zealous and intellectually gifted,
Gastaldi soon became fluent in English and preached Catholicism
to Anglicans for many years.
Yet he never forgot Don Bosco. Before leaving for Stresa and
later for England, he told his mother, “I’m leaving you to follow
my vocation, but you must not grieve. Resign yourself to God’s
will. Consider Don Bosco and his poor boys as sons in my place.
Lavish on them the care you would give me, and you will greatly
please me and find rich merit in the eyes of the Lord.” The mother
followed her son’s advice to the letter. Despite her advanced age,
she hardly let a day pass without going to the Oratory with her
daughter and grandchild. She washed, and mended the boys’ linen
and provided new clothes whenever necessary. To her last days she
remained an outstanding benefactress of Don Bosco.
While Canon Gastaldi was eager for missionary life in England,
Don Bosco with equal zeal was striving to preserve the faith in Italy.
He wrote and published a new booklet, entitled Maniera facile per
imparare la Storia Sacra, ad uso del popolo cristiano [A Popular
Approach to Bible History]. Episodes of the Old and New Testa
ments were condensed in thirty chapters in dialogue form with ques
tions and answers that were brief, clear, and to the point, making
it easier for the reader to remember them. Don Bosco’s Foreword
follows:
This bible history is for the use of the faithful, especially for those who,
because of their work hours or limited education, cannot read more ex
tensive or scholarly works.
Its aim is to show that many truths professed by Catholics and denied
by those outside the Church are contained in the Bible. This booklet is
a condensed version of the bible history which I compiled some time ago
and which is now used in many public schools. In its preparation I tried
my best to follow the outlines of bible history contained in approved
catechisms of different dioceses. I am convinced that our Faith will ben
efit from its use. I hope that all who read this book will endeavor to
encourage its use in schools and families. May God bless all who labor
for the welfare of souls, make them strong, courageous, and steadfast in
the pursuit of truth, and grant them abundant favors for time and eternity.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
In an attempt to convert Jews to the Faith, Don Bosco expounded
the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem and its fulfillment. To
refute Protestant teachings, he discussed the Bible and Tradition as
well as the government and marks of the true Church and of dissi
dent sects. He assigned various dialogues to his boys for recitation
at musico-literary entertainments. Here are a few samples of state
ments contained in the dialogues:
Jesus Christ Himself appointed St. Peter as head of the Church and
His Vicar.
The Apostles and their successors recognized St. Peter as their head.
The popes are the successors of St. Peter and inherit his full authority.
Only the Catholic Church can give us an authentic explanation of the
Bible and of Tradition, for Jesus Christ gave to her, and to no other
Church, the infallible authority for the preservation of the Faith.
The popes have always condemned errors against the Faith, and true
Christians have always respected their pronouncements as utterances of
Jesus Christ Himself.
Jesus Christ promised to assist His Church to the end of time.
The booklet also included a map of the Holy Land. Reprinted
in 1855, it ran through seven more editions. We have lost count of
the number of copies.
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C H A P T E R 15
Mamma Margaret
U o N O R your father and your mother,” the Lord has
said. [Ex. 20, 12] Don Bosco’s love for his parents provided a
wonderful example to the Oratory boys. He had hardly known his
father,1yet he spoke of him often and lovingly and daily prayed for
the repose of his soul. Ever solicitous for his mother, he showed her
the greatest respect and gladdened her old age with filial piety. With
out putting his love for her before his love for God, he helped her
in every way possible, obeyed her, accepted her advice, and never
took an important step without first talking it over with her. It
pleased Don Bosco immensely to see how zealously she cooperated
with him in the boys’ welfare, acting as a mother to all of them.
He always spoke of her with reverence, expressing gratitude for
her untiring self-sacrifice and solicitude in raising him. He espe
cially praised her for having taught him to love and serve God from
his youngest years and for having imbued him with a deep horror
of sin. Even in his last years, Don Bosco recalled his mother with
fond tenderness, filial respect, and deep feeling. Humble as he was,
he delighted in his lowly birth and he always spoke of Mamma
Margaret as being a simple peasant woman. Nevertheless, he always
showed her great respect in the presence of others, regardless of
their social rank or distinction.
He wanted his boys to do likewise. If at times, through thought
lessness or caprice, they were not sufficiently respectful, he would
speak on obedience at the “Good Night,” 2 saying, “I am director
1John Bosco was not quite two when his father died. See Vol. I, pp. 27f.
[Editor]
2 A short talk, immediately after night prayers, giving advice, exhortations, or
occasional suggestions. It is a custom in Salesian houses throughout the world.
For its origin, see Vol. Ill, pp. 88, 142. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
of this house, yet I obey and respect my mother. I expect you to do
likewise!” A t the same time, he reminded them how hard she worked
on their behalf, enumerating all the things she did for them. He
would remind them of their own mothers at home and repeat the
words of Tobias, “Thou shalt honor thy mother all the days of her
life. For thou must be mindful what and how great perils she
suffered for thee in her womb.” (Tob. 4, 3-4)
While Don Bosco never missed a chance to honor her, Mamma
M argaret on her part always rose to the occasion with delightful
affability. Her name day fell in November and the boys kept it affec
tionately.3 The evening before, Don Bosco himself would lead the
boys to the kitchen so that they might present her with a bouquet
of flowers. She would receive her well-wishers with a hearty smile,
listening silently and calmly to the prose and poetry they recited in
her honor. Afterward, she would thank all of them in a few words,
“Well! Well! I thank you even if what I do is hardly worth mention
ing. Don Bosco is the one who does everything. But I am grateful
for your good wishes and the nice things you have said, and if Don
Bosco has no objection, tomorrow Til have something extra for you
at dinner.” With loud hurrahs that made the Oratory shake to the
rafters the boys would then withdraw.
Mamma M argaret’s words clearly showed how much she wanted
to uphold her son before his boys as the one and only authority.
Such humility endeared her to everyone. She was revered by all who
knew her, even by those who met her only briefly at the Oratory.
From the time she arrived at Valdocco, her neighbors, once they got
to know her, never called her by any name save that of “Mamma.”
She treated everyone with gentleness and charity. It made no differ
ence if the caller was a duke, a marquis, a wealthy banker, a cobbler,
or a chimney sweep.
Whenever ladies and gentlemen of the Turin aristocracy or
bishops (all benefactors of the house) came to see Don Bosco, they
never failed to pay their respects to Mamma Margaret, Her genuine
virtue, her simple ways, and her forthright common sense delighted
3 In Italy, as in many other countries, the name day is observed with greater
festivity than the birthday. It is a reminder that at Baptism, a spiritual birthday,
a child is placed under the protection of a saint whose virtues he should imitate.
[Editor]
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them. The Oratory had no waiting room in those days, and if Don
Bosco was out or otherwise occupied, the callers, not wishing to
barge in or wait outside in the open air, would knock at Margaret’s
door, asking, “Mamma, may we come in?” The good woman, seated
amid a few chairs piled high with clothes to be mended, would an
swer affably, “Come right in, gentlemen, and may God bless you.”
She would then clear a place for them and ask them to be seated.
Even when her visitors were the most learned, educated, and prom
inent people of Turin, she never felt abashed or ill at ease in their
company. Sometimes, with touching simplicity, she would say, “If
you’ll allow me, I’ll finish my three Hail Marys. Then I will be all
yours.”
“Do, please do,” the distinguished visitors would say smilingly,
for they had come in just to savor her simplicity. When she was
through with her prayers, Margaret would entertain her visitors.
If the conversation lagged, she would again begin softly to recite
other prayers.
The visitors often spent half an hour, sometimes whole hours,
chatting with her and asking questions. They enjoyed hearing her
opinions and the timely proverbs ever present on her lips. In their
closeness to her they even occasionally consulted her on moral, his
torical, or political questions. Margaret never lost her composure
or betrayed the least confusion, impatience, bashfulness, or embar
rassment. Nor were her answers ever fatuous, presumptuous, or
superficial. Her native common sense and her knowledge of the
catechism often came to her aid. If they ever asked her something
beyond her understanding, she would reply with some quip or
proverb about her own ignorance, or tell about something she had
either seen or heard, or that had happened to her. This pleased her
visitors immensely since they had deliberately steered the conversa
tion to such topics to see how cleverly this simple peasant woman,
with no formal education, would manage to extricate herself. And
Margaret would laugh heartily along with them. We must also re
mark that this good woman could remain even-tempered under all
circumstances, even when laughed at, provoked by disrespectful
words, or thwarted in her plans.
She was deeply and unswervingly grateful to the benefactors of
her son and the Oratory. She wanted to repay their charity, but felt
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
unable to do so adequately. Her words of regret for her inability
to match their acts of kindness were heartfelt. With her gentle man
ners she tried to do all she could to please them. If she thought her
visitors might like some refreshment, she promptly offered them a
cup of coffee. If her guests declined or demurred, she would insist
so engagingly and persuasively that they would finally accept. She
would then be satisfied and happily begin to prepare it.
If priests chanced to drop in around noon, she could think of
nothing nicer than to invite them to lunch, repeating, with her usual
cordiality, “I would have prepared something better if I had known
you were coming, but please stay anyway. My son will be delighted.”
To please her and to have a chance to talk at leisure with Don Bosco,
the priests would occasionally accept. If they were from town, how
ever, they would often go home for another meal, and if from out-
of-town, they might look for a restaurant, for in those days the Ora
tory fare was even more austere than that of monks.
However, Mamma Margaret would prepare some pleasant sur
prise for those whom she regarded as— and who indeed were— the
emissaries of Divine Providence. Whenever she received the first-
fruits of the season from Becchi, or whenever her son Joseph brought
her a rabbit or some venison, she delighted in making a gift of it
to the families of benefactors. Above all, she kept the promise which
she often made to them: “I’ll pray to God that he will repay you on
our behalf and grant you all the blessings you deserve.”
These contacts with upper-class persons in no way altered her
outlook and habits. Taking her cue from the lifelong privations
suffered by Our Lord, she would often say, “I was bom poor and
I want to five and die poor.”
Now and then she would repay a visit and call at the homes of
benefactors, where she was always warmly received. Even on these
occasions she always dressed in peasant’s garb, since she never con
sented to buy or use expensive materials. “These people know I’m
poor,” Mamma Margaret would say, “so they’ll forgive the coarse
ness of my clothes.” Needless to say, though poor and coarse, her
clothes were spotlessly clean.
As time went by, however, her dress, though spotless, would
become faded and be little more than a quiltwork of patches. One
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day Don Bosco suggested, “Mamma, why don’t you buy yourself
another dress? You’ve been wearing that one for years!”
“Well now! What’s wrong with it?”
“What’s wrong with it? It’s not even halfway decent anymore.
It’s terribly shabby. Count [Louis] Giriodi and Marchioness [Mary]
Fassati often call on you and it’s not right to receive them in that
dress. Street sweepers wear better clothes!”
“How do you expect me to buy a new dress without money?”
“True, we have no money, but, rather than see you going about
in rags, we’ll do without wine or a main dish so that you can buy
yourself one.”
“If you think so, we’ll do just that.”
“How much would a dress cost?”
“Twenty lire!”
“Here!”
Margaret took the money and went about her chores. A week
passed, two weeks, a whole month went by, and Margaret was still
wearing the same dress. At last Don Bosco asked, “Mamma, what
about the new dress?”
“Oh yes! You’re right! But how can I buy one if I haven’t got
a penny?”
“What about the twenty lire?”
“Oh, I’ve spent that already. I needed salt, sugar, onions, and
other things. Then I saw a boy who didn’t have shoes, so I just had
to buy him a pair. There was still some change left over, so I bought
a pair of trousers for so-and-so, and a tie for someone else.”
“Well, you did right, I suppose, but I can’t bear to see you dressed
like that. It reflects on me!”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but what can I do?”
“I’ll give you another twenty lire, but this time I must insist that
you spend it on yourself.”
“I promise, if it will make you happy.”
“Here’s the money. But remember, for once I want to see you
in a suitable dress.”
“Don’t worry, son!”
But it was the same thing again; the money went to buy things
for the boys. One day a benefactress gave her a very wide and beau
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
tiful silk mantilla. After examining it carefully, Margaret remarked
to Father Giacomelli’s 4sister: “What shall I do with this rich cloth?
A poor peasant woman like me would look silly dressed in silk! I
don’t want to make a fool of myself!” So, reaching for her scissors,
she cut it into several pieces and made waistcoats for some of the
young boarders.
When Don Bosco began boarding seminarians and priests in the
house, he improved the meals for their sake. Margaret could have
partaken of that food, but instead she chose to continue as before
and have some cold polenta, a pepper or onion, or a few radishes
seasoned with salt. She was perfectly satisfied with this Spartan fare.
“The poor don’t always have food to eat,” she would often say, “but
I have, so I can consider myself quite rich.”
Sometimes a distinguished visitor, perhaps a bishop or a pastor,
would open a rich snuffbox and offer her a pinch of snuff, but she
always refused, with thanks.
“Don’t you think it might do you good, after you sit here hour
after hour working so hard?” the visitor insisted.
“I can’t afford snuff. I have to buy socks for the boys,” she would
reply.
“Well then, I’ll give you the whole thing,” the guest would say,
offering her his snuffbox.
“You’re very kind, but as you know, habits are expensive, and
we’re poor.”
However, despite the great poverty of her home she was scrupu
lously just in giving everyone his due and was always sensitively
alert to everyone’s needs. One day she went shopping for sewing
articles with the young Giacomelli girl at a store opposite the Corpus
Domini Church. On her way back with her purchases, she counted
her change and found an error of three or four lire in her favor.
She was very upset, and when she reached the Oratory she told the
girl, “Please go back to the store at once and see if the clerk made
a mistake, but be sure to talk privately to him and don’t let his boss
hear you.”
The girl did exactly as she was told, and upon finding that indeed
there had been an error, she returned the money. The clerk was*
* Fr. John Giacomelli had been a fellow seminarian of Don Bosco. [Editor]
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amazed and asked for the person who had been so thoughtful as
to send her back.
“Don Bosco’s mother,” the girl replied.
“Well thank her very much for me. I’d have been in trouble if
you had spoken to the boss. He would have fired me at once and
I’d be without a job. Please thank this good lady and tell her that
if she will do her shopping here I’ll give her the best of service.”
All the above we learned from Father Ascanio Savio, Charles
Tomatis, Joseph Buzzetti,5 and, above all, from Don Bosco himself.
5 A Salesian coadjutor brother of the early years. See Vol. II, pp. 72, 236, 240,
396, 411. [Editor}
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CHAPTER 16
Priestly Zeal
J L /O N BOSCO emulated Mamma Margaret’s sterling
virtues and practiced them to a heroic degree. For this reason people
in trouble felt drawn to Don Bosco with a boundless trust. He was
so well-known in Turin for his solicitude toward the sick and dying
that not only boys attending the oratories, but other people as well,
when they were seriously ill, would often send for him to hear their
confession. Their families looked forward to his coming because
they knew he would comfort their loved ones and, if necessary,
gently and reassuringly persuade them to receive Holy Viaticum.
With his living Faith he also saw to it that they received the Anoint
ing of the Sick and the papal blessing, thus preparing them for a
truly Christian death. Father [Michael] Rua stated that his faith and
solicitude were often rewarded by the recovery of the sick person
to whom he had just given the Last Sacraments.
He also had a wonderful way of dispelling the anxieties of some
devout souls who, on the threshold of death, felt great trepidation
about the pains of purgatory. He spoke so convincingly of the value
of merits gained by indulgences, by resignation in their suffering,
by the generous offering of their life to God, and by perfect contri
tion that he filled them with confidence in God’s mercy. In addition
he would assure them that many Masses would be said for them
and that he himself would pray and have others pray for them. If at
times this did not suffice to comfort and reassure them, Don Bosco
in his great charity would assure them that he would take it upon
himself to expiate at least partially whatever was due to Divine
Justice. Once in fact he was afflicted with an agonizing toothache
which gave him no peace day or night for a whole week. When
Father Rua asked him how it had come about, Don Bosco confided
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Priestly Zeal
109
that in order to console a dying man he had promised to take upon
himself the sufferings he would have to undergo in purgatory.
Such goodness and tact in performing his sacred ministry drew
people to call on him when their ailing relatives or friends obsti
nately refused to make, or kept putting off, their reconciliation with
God. They sent for him in preference to any other priest because
they were convinced that he would be able to change the attitude of
the sick person and help him to a peaceful death. To a remarkable
degree Don Bosco possessed what St, Paul called “gifts of healing.”
[1 Cor. 12, 28]
A Turin lawyer who was a parishioner of St. Augustine’s fell sick
one day; shortly thereafter, particularly because of his advanced
age, his condition became critical. The man had lived practically
like an atheist, abhorring anything connected with religion. As soon
as the pastor was apprized of his condition, he called upon him and
did everything possible to arouse some Christian sentiment in him
and induce him to make his confession. All his efforts were in vain;
in fact, he was curtly turned away. Other zealous priests visited him
and tried their best, but again without success, and those who per
sisted were rudely dismissed. The sick man kept repeating that he
would have nothing to do with priests or confession, and he finally
warned his family not to allow any other priest to come near him
for any reason whatsoever.
There was no hope for his conversion; yet, undaunted priestly
charity tried again. Father Robert Murialdo, one of those who had
approached the sick man, came to the Oratory one morning to ask
Don Bosco to attempt to save that soul. Don Bosco willingly prom
ised to do so. After trying in vain to invent some pretext for calling
on the man, he started out for the man’s house, still not knowing
how he would go about it. On his way he stepped inside the church
of Our Lady of Consolation to invoke the Blessed Virgin’s help.
Then he went directly to the lawyer’s home. He walked into the
building and climbed the stairs to the man’s apartment without the
remotest idea of how to introduce himself and wondering about the
reception awaiting him. Unexpectedly a boy who frequented the
Oratory emerged from a corridor. As soon as he saw Don Bosco,
he shouted, “Father! Father! How are you?”
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
“Quite well, thank you,” answered Don Bosco. “Do you live
here?”
“Yes, I do. Come and meet my mother. Mamma, Mamma, Don
Bosco is here!”
Don Bosco followed the boy and was introduced to his mother,
who had opened the door to invite him in.
They sat down and chatted for a while, and then suddenly the
boy said, “Don Bosco, do you know there’s a very sick man in this
building?”
“Oh, yes? How is he?” asked Don Bosco, feigning ignorance.
“Pretty bad! You’d better see him.”
“Fd like to, but would he want to see me? It would be good to
find out first. I don’t want to call on him at the wrong time. Why
don’t you go and ask him? Just tell him this: ‘Don Bosco came to
see my mother. We told him you were sick. If it’s all right with you,
he would like to pay you a visit.’ ”
“I’ll go at once,” said the boy.
He ran to the man’s apartment and through the various rooms
until he reached the lawyer’s bedside. Totally unconcerned about the
members of the household, he said to him, “Mister, Don Bosco paid
a visit to my family, and we told him about you. Before leaving
he would like to say hello to you. Could he drop in? He can give
you his blessing and cure you. I know of lots of people who were
sick and who got well again after Don Bosco blessed them.”
“Who is this Don Bosco?” the old lawyer asked.
"He’s the priest who runs the Oratory in Valdocco,” replied the
boy. "He even takes a lot of poor boys into his house and gives them
food and shelter. He also finds jobs for them.”
“Oh yes, I know who Don Bosco is,” the sick man said. Then,
after a moment’s deliberation, he continued, “All right, tell him to
come.”
The boy ran back immediately to tell Don Bosco, who without
further ado went to the lawyer’s bedside. As soon as the man saw
him, he greeted him graciously: “I’m glad to see you, Don Bosco.
It was kind of you to take this trouble.”
"Oh, it was no trouble at all,” replied Don Bosco. Then laugh
ingly he added: "Tell me. Do I look like an honest fellow?”
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“Oh, I guess I can take a chance on that,” the lawyer answered
smilingly.
“Well then, here is an honest question; What is a strong and
brave man like you doing in bed?”
“Oh, I’m not as I used to be . . . but please sit down.”
“Never mind, I’ll only be here for a few moments.”
“No, no, please sit down or I’ll feel uncomfortable.”
Don Bosco obliged and began chatting with him about politics,
law, medicine, war, and philosophy, steering completely clear of
confession. He never objected to the lawyer’s point of view and so
impressed him with his wide knowledge that at the end the lawyer
remarked in amazement, “You’re like a walking encyclopedia!”
Almost an hour had gone by. Don Bosco rose as if to say good
bye but the man objected, “You’re not leaving yet? Please stay
longer if you can.”
“I have to go home now to take care of a couple of things,” Don
Bosco replied. “I’m sorry I can’t stay ,any longer.”
“Oh, please stay a bit longer.”
“No, I really must go. But if it’s all right with you, I’d like to
drop in again."
“Do, please do!”
The old lawyer grasped Don Bosco’s hand and held it fast. Don
Bosco exhorted him to keep his spirits up, bade him good-bye, and
once more made a move to leave. But the man, without saying a
word, did not let go of his hand and kept looking at him. There
upon Don Bosco smilingly said, “I know what you want.”
“You do? Tell me!”
“You want me to give you my blessing.”
Amazed, the old lawyer exclaimed: “That’s true! But how could
you have guessed? I haven’t been able to stand the sight of a priest
for the past thirty-five years; and now, when for the first time such
a thought comes into my head, you guess it immediately! By all
means, give me your blessing.”
“Gladly; and what shall we ask of God?”
“That I recover.”
“I regret to tell you this, but what if it should have been decided
up there that you have reached the end of the line?”
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
“What makes you think so? The doctors tell me that I’m getting
better, that I’m to take heart because I’ll soon be well again!”
“Well, I also tell you to take heart,” Don Bosco rejoined with
great gentleness, “but your fate has already been decided. You will
not recover. There is nothing I can do to reverse that, but I can give
you my blessing. I will ask the Lord to allow you time to settle
matters with your conscience and to put your soul in the state of
grace so that you may die a holy death!”
These words did not make a great impression on the sick man;
he seemed almost indifferent. Nevertheless, he received the blessing,
and before Don Bosco left, he said with feeling, “Don’t forget to
come and see me again!”
A servant came to the Oratory about four or five hours later and
told Don Bosco that the lawyer wanted very much to see him. It
was now nearly dark, but Don Bosco went anyway. The lawyer
beamed when he saw him and said, “I couldn’t wait to see you again!
This morning you cheered me up, and that did me a lot of good.”
“This morning was nothing; we’ll have even more fun now. But
first let me ask you: Is it true that you serve only the best coffee?
I’d like to verify that rumor!”
“By all means,” the gratified lawyer replied.
Immediately he sent for coffee. Although coffee was more of a
penance than a treat for Don Bosco, he drank it. Then, turning to
the other members of the household, he said, “Would you please
excuse us now? We have something to discuss.”
When he was alone with the patient, Don Bosco sat close to him
and gave him the blessing preparatory to confession.
“The Lord be in your heart and on your lips that you may prop
erly confess all your sins.” But the old lawyer did not understand,
nor did he make the Sign of the Cross. Instead, he asked, “What are
you doing?”
“Nothing; just make the Sign of the Cross.”
“Why?”
“Don’t ask why; just do as I tell you.”
“Are you trying to get me to make my confession?”
“Forget about confession now. Just make the Sign of the Cross.
Don’t tell me that you, a lawyer, don’t even know how!”
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“Of course I know!”
“Let’s see then. Seeing is believing!”
“All right. Look!” And he crossed himself.
Don Bosco then made use of his special gift of insight into the
spiritual condition of penitents.
“Tell m e /’ he went on, “how long is it since you last went to
confession?”
“So you do want me to make my confession!”
“Let’s not talk about that now; leave everything to me. You know
what I promised you, and I mean to keep my word. Just listen. It’s
so many years (and he gave the number) since your last confession,
isn’t it?”
“Yes, but I want you to know I have no intention of making my
confession!”
“Who ever mentioned that?” Don Bosco replied. Meanwhile he
was continuing with the patient’s life story. “During those years
things were going this way and that, weren’t they? And you were
in such and such a condition.” Everything he said was amazingly
exact.
“Precisely. It looks like you know my whole life story!”
“And afterward, when this and that happened, you did such and
such a thing, right?”
“That’s true; and I regret it. I wish I hadn’t done that.”
Thus Don Bosco recited all the man’s sins. As Don Bosco was
laying before him one sin after another, the old lawyer became more
and more moved and remorseful, and he exclaimed, “I regret that.
I’m truly ashamed. I really did a great deal of wrong!” At each ex
pression of repentance, Don Bosco pressed his hand and said, “Take
heart!” These words, however, seemed to intensify the patient’s
remorse, and each time Don Bosco repeated them, the lawyer’s feel
ings were stirred even further and tears would form in his eyes. By
the end of his confession, overcome by sincere remorse, he was cry
ing like a child. After Don Bosco gave him absolution, he exclaimed,
“Don Bosco, you have saved me! I had absolutely no intention of
making a confession, no matter what! There was no idiocy I would
have stopped at rather than yield on this point, but you knew just
how to handle me. You won! My thanks to you. Now I would go
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
to confession a thousand times. My heart is torn by sorrow; yet I
experience a happiness I never tasted before or would have believed
possible. Please bring me Holy Viaticum.”
Just then two or three friends of his who certainly would have
tried to undo Don Bosco’s work knocked at his door. When Don
Bosco heard of their arrival, he asked the sick man, “Should visitors
come, may we say that you are not to be disturbed and ask them to
return tomorrow?”
“Yes, that’s a good idea,” answered the old lawyer.
This was done, and the visitors departed quietly, saying they
would be back the next day. Then Don Bosco left him while he
filled the members of his family with joy by telling them how Don
Bosco had brought him back to God.
Next morning he received Holy Viaticum and the Anointing of
the Sick. When his old irreligious friends were ushered in and in
formed of this, they made fun of him for having yielded to the pres
sures of a priest. But the sick man, to whom Don Bosco had sug
gested what to say in just such a case, firmly replied, “Things look
quite different when one is dying, and soon it will be your turn too.
Death is not the end of everything; there is a hell beyond death, and
I am not such a fool as to jump into it. You can say what you
please; he laughs best who laughs last. You claim not to believe in
it; all right, but there are many people who do. You are not logical
at all! Even if hell were doubtful, wouldn’t it be smarter to play safe?
Why laugh at me? You should be laughed at!”
His friends did not know what to reply to this. After exchanging
a few more words, they left. The patient lasted another week, dur
ing which he received a comforting visit every day from Don Bosco.
He thanked Don Bosco with his dying breath.
On another occasion, a distinguished lady called on Don Bosco
at Valdocco, entreating him to see a man who was critically ill. He
was a prominent politician of high rank in a secret society. He had
steadfastly refused to be visited by a priest, making threats if any
of them would dare to approach his bedside. It was only with the
greatest difficulty that he had been persuaded to admit Don Bosco,
who, full of trust in God and the protection of the Virgin Mary,
went to see him. The moment he was inside the room and had closed
the door, the man summoned all his remaining strength and said
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rudely: “It’s only to please someone I love and respect that I con
sented to let you in. Are you here as a friend or as a priest? I have
no use for any make-believe or tomfoolery. Woe betide you if you
so much as mention the word ‘confession.’ ” So saying, he seized
two pistols which were lying on either side of his pillow, and he
aimed them at Don Bosco, saying, “Remember, the moment you
talk about confession, the first shot will be for you; the second one
will be for me, since I have only a few days left to live anyhow.”
Unperturbed and smiling, Don Bosco told him to relax, since he
had no intention of mentioning confession without his express per
mission. Instead, he asked him about his illness, the doctors’ reports,
and the treatments prescribed.
Don Bosco’s ways were so charming, interesting, and comforting
that he never wearied his listeners; indeed, he could soften even the
most obdurate individuals and evoke a sympathetic and trustful
response. With educated people he followed a special tack which
often was very successful. He would bring the subject around to
some interesting contemporary event, and then compare it with some
episode in the past centering on the life of some unbeliever well-
known for his evil deeds or writings. His presentation of this infor
mation was so made as to elicit questions. In describing how the
person under discussion had died outwardly unrepentant, he would
conclude: “Some say that he was damned; but I don’t agree with
that, and I don’t think it’s justified, because I know that God’s mercy
is infinite, and that He does not reveal His secrets to men.”
Don Bosco had taken this approach with this particular man. Sur
prised and visibly moved, the man exclaimed: “Do you really think
there is hope even for him?”
“And why not?” Briefly and persuasively Don Bosco proved to
him how God readily forgives even the most heinous sins if one is
truly repentant and that the gravest sin of all is to lack confidence
in His mercy.
For a time the man seemed absorbed in thought; then he held
out his hand, saying, “If that’s how it is, please hear my confession!”
Don Bosco prepared him and heard his confession. As soon as
the patient received absolution, he told Don Bosco with tears of joy
that he had never before experienced or believed such happiness
was possible. He willingly complied with all that the Church pre
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OP SAINT JO H N BOSCO
scribed in cases of membership in secret societies. He was then
informed that two grim-looking men had come to see him and stood
waiting in the living room like two prison guards. They were fellow
members of his lodge. The sick man had them brought to his bed
side, and as soon as they appeared, he shouted at them, “I want you
to leave my house at once.”
“You know what the agreement is,” they replied. The man then
pulled one of the pistols out of the bedside table, waved it at the men,
and said, “I had prepared this for a priest, but now it’s for you if you
don’t get out of here right away.”
“In that case, we’ll go,” the intruders answered, casting a threat
ening look at Don Bosco as they hastily made for the door.
Next day Holy Viaticum was brought to the patient. He called in
his family, and after publicly asking their pardon for the scandal
he had given them, he received O ur Lord. Afterward he regained
considerable strength and lived for another two or three months.
He spent this time in prayer, often asking pardon o f those who
came to visit him, and receiving Communion several times, to the
great edification of his immediate family and circle of friends.
This conversion, however, put Don Bosco in a serious predica
ment. Shortly before his death the man had handed over to him the
certificates and insignia of his rank in the lodge and membership
lists which he had until then safely deposited elsewhere. Don Bosco
read the names and was aghast; many of them passed for good
Catholics but later on would play decisive roles in the Italian rev
olutionary uprisings. Among them were priests from other dioceses
who had taken up residence in Turin. Don Bosco immediately sent
for Joseph Buzzetti, whom he greatly trusted, for he had given proof
he could guard a secret. (Up to 1849 Buzzetti had been working as
a bricklayer’s apprentice but he was now finishing his studies and
spent his free time helping Mamma Margaret with the housework
and taking care of the infirmary. He was also Don Bosco’s treasurer,
so to speak. Once Don Bosco, forgetting that he had already given
him a scudo for some purchase, handed him another, but Buzzetti
asked him, “Why two?” His honesty and dependability were prover
bial.) Don Bosco instructed him to make two copies of those docu
ments, burn one of them, and hide the other with the originals in
some place known only to him; Don Bosco himself was not to be
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told of the hiding place. He wanted to play for time while asking
advice from his ecclesiastical superiors. He had thought it best that
a copy, rather than the original, be delivered to the chancery, to
prevent possible reprisals and vexations against the chancery in
those difficult days.
Meanwhile some agents, sent by their leaders, had gone to the
house of the deceased as soon as he had died to appropriate the
compromising documents. After searching in vain for them every
where, they guessed who might have them. They called on Don
Bosco that same day, and at first courteously, but then in sterner
tones, demanded that he hand over the papers. Don Bosco tried to
parry their demands, looking for pretexts to put them off. Finally
he admitted that he had seen the papers but had no idea where they
might be. Fortunately some visitors arrived just at that moment and
he begged to be excused. Muttering threats against him, they left.
He hastened to the chancery for instructions. Just as he had fore
seen, the two men returned a few hours later, this time openly
threatening him. Don Bosco retorted by challenging their right to
papers given him by a friend whose trust he did not feel authorized
to violate. He added that those papers were rather unimportant any
way since they contained only names.
Believing that Don Bosco had not grasped the nature of the
documents, the two men breathed easier. They courteously pointed
out that if those names were ever made public the disclosure could
bring dishonor and harm to the individuals concerned and to their
families.
Don Bosco allowed himself to be persuaded and returned the
original documents. At the same time, taking them up on their own
words, he pointed out to them the evil path upon which they had
ventured and the dangers to their own spiritual welfare and that of
society itself.
They let him talk, stammered some lame excuses, and left. They
returned to the Oratory a third time. After some introductory re
marks they asked him point-blank if he had any copies of the docu
ments. They also let him understand that they had ways and means
of avenging themselves.
Don Bosco replied frankly that he had no copies. It was true;
the only extant copy had been delivered to the chancery. The agents
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
were not satisfied. Since they insisted, Don Bosco admitted that one
copy had been made but had been deliberately burned and that
therefore they had no reason whatsoever for concern. There had
been no fear in his replies.
The two agents were already on their way out when suddenly
they came back into his office and asked him to swear secrecy. Don
Bosco showed himself offended that they would believe him capable
of doing harm to anyone and absolutely refused. He did, however,
promise that no one would ever hear from him anything which
might compromise them. The matter should seemingly have ended
there.
Instead, something happened later which we cannot positively
consider an aftermath of this conversation. One night that same
year, while Don Bosco was walking across a dark stretch of Piazza
Castello, two unidentified men followed him closely and then lunged
at him with drawn daggers. Fortunately, at that very moment a cer
tain Mr. Rolando happened to be passing by with a friend. To him
we owe this account which he gave to Father Michael Rua. Sus
picious about those two men, Mr. Rolando and his friend watched
them. Seeing them attack Don Bosco, they ran to his aid and, bran
dishing their stout walking sticks, put the assailants to flight.
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CHAPTER 17
A Jubilee Mission
J U q iT H each passing day Don Bosco’s life became richer
with new undertakings and merits. Toward the end of 1850 he was
preparing to journey to Milan to preach the jubilee proclaimed by
Pius IX in reparation for the great spiritual harm wrought by parti
san hatreds, wars, and rebellions. The invitation had been extended
by Father Seraphim Allievi, director of the St. Aloysius Oratory
located in Via Santa Cristina. This very successful oratory had been
founded for the purpose of imparting a Christian education to the
poorest and most neglected boys of the city and keeping them off
the streets. Don Bosco was eagerly awaited by Father Blaise Verri
who resided with Father Seraphim. Father Verri was an unassum
ing priest, pious and zealous in preaching and hearing confessions.
He had many priestly and religious vocations to his credit and was
a great friend of Don Bosco whose virtues he knew from personal
experience.1
The invitation had been extended with the full approval of Arch
bishop [Bartholomew Charles] Romilli. Moreover, the pastor of
St. Simplician,12 the parish church of the St. Aloysius Oratory, had
not only approved the idea but had in his turn extended a personal
invitation to Don Bosco in the hope of availing himself of his
priestly ministry for his own parishioners.
Don Bosco gladly agreed to make the trip and took the necessary
steps: permission from his ecclesiastical superior, from the civil au-
1In 1849 Father Verri had been a frequent guest of Don Bosco in Valdocco.
See Vol. Ill, pp. 399ff. [Editor]
2 St. Simplician, as bishop of Milan, was instrumental in the conversion of St.
Augustine. [Editor]
119
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
thorities, and from the Austrian embassy. His passport contains the
following data: age, 35; height, 5'4"; hair, dark brown; forehead,
medium; eyebrows, dark brown; eyes, brown; face, oval; com
plexion, olive; profession, elementary school teacher. Before leav
ing for Milan, however, Don Bosco wanted to give his support to
certain measures that sought to counter false religious teachings.
What God wanted of him had always been clear in his mind ever
since he had started his oratories. Even at that time he had given
much thought to the help that Catholic laymen could give to bishops
and priests, provided that they were trained to participate in the
defense of a Christian society. Many were not to grasp the signifi
cance of this concept until later. He also realized the importance of
an association which would unite his benefactors in the pursuit of
his aims. He was then toying with the idea of starting, on a small
scale and cautiously, an association whose members later were to
be known as “Salesian Cooperators.” The following document de
scribes what Don Bosco had in mind.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Turin, November 17, 1850, 8 P.M.
The abuses of a free press in matters religious and the sacrilegious war
being waged by many apostate Christians against the Church and her
ministers have prompted the undersigned laymen to issue this solemn
declaration. Fearful that the true Faith may be supplanted in Piedmont
by Protestantism, we have, with the approval of five learned priests who
are among the more eminent and zealous members of the clergy in this
capital, adopted the following resolutions:
1. To form a provisional pious union under the patronage of St.
Francis de Sales. This saint has been chosen because of the similarity be
tween present conditions in our country and those in Savoy during his
times. By his enlightened zeal, prudent preaching, and boundless charity,
St. Francis de Sales freed Savoy from the errors of Protestantism.
2. This provisional pious society shall be the nucleus of a larger as
sociation, which, through the contributions of all members and through
all other available lawful means, shall sponsor such educational, moral,
and material undertakings as may be considered most opportune and
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effective in checking the spread of irreligion, and, if possible, in eradicat
ing irreligion wherever it may have already taken root.
3. This provisional union, society, or association, whatever it may
ultimately be called, shall be run by laymen to forestall certain preju
diced persons from calling it, in their modish jargon, “a priestly front.”
Nevertheless, this society will welcome those zealous priests who wish
to favor it with their advice and assistance in keeping with its spirit and
purpose.
4. Since this society is a moral body, those present have agreed to
accept its various responsibilities as follows:
1st Promoter: Joseph Maria Bognier
2nd Promoter: Dominic Roggieri
3rd Promoter: Dominic Donna
4th Promoter: Peter Battistolo
5th Promoter: Leander Bognier
6th Promoter: John Baptist Gilardi
7th Promoter: Amadeus Bosso
Mr. Joseph Bognier shall also act as secretary, and Mr. Dominic
Roggieri as treasurer of the society.
A first contribution of five lire made by those, present was handed over
to the treasurer with the stipulation that it be spent only in conformity
with the society’s rules.
5. All the promoters, with the addition of Mr. Joseph Borel who came
in after the opening of the meeting, pledge themselves to work assidu
ously to enlist as many new members as possible, while taking all due
precautions to exclude non-practicing Catholics, those of dubious ortho
doxy, or the overzealous.
6. Another meeting shall be held next Sunday at a time and place
to be determined and announced by the first promoter. At this meeting
new members will be admitted.
7. During the week Mr. Bognier will submit a copy of this document
to prominent laymen and clergymen considered inclined toward our aims
and will invite them to join. Should they demur, he shall not insist.
Signed by:
Joseph Bognier
Dominic Roggieri
Dominic Donna
John Baptist Gilardi
Leander Bognier
Joseph Borel
Peter Battistolo
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
There followed the signatures of the other members, a list of
voluntary contributions, and this instruction:
INSTRUCTION
Our society should be first presented as something necessary, and then
as something feasible, according to the reaction of the listener. Should
he demur, the matter should be dropped, no matter how good the per
son in question may be. The answers received and the remarks of pro
spective members are to be reported for the information of the society.
If some applicant should wish to remain anonymous, he shall be listed
only under his initial or with the word “benefactor.”
Perhaps three categories of membership could be set up: members,
friends, and benefactors. Members should be told about their monthly
dues of twenty soldi besides the initial offering; all others are free to make
a small voluntary contribution each week.
This matter settled, Don Bosco left Turin on November 28 at
two in the afternoon. Traveling nonstop by way of Novara and
Magenta, he arrived in Milan on the next day at about eleven after
a very uncomfortable journey.
Trouble was still brewing. In the aftermath of the “Cinque
Giornate,” 8Milan still seemed to be hovering over a small volcano.
The liberals and the revolutionaries were still concentrating all their
efforts on Lombardy, waiting for an opportunity to drive the Aus
trians out again. The latter were equally watchful; knowing almost
all the plans and attempts of the revolutionaries, they had redoubled
their vigilance. From time to time mass arrests and the infliction of
harsh penalties for treason sowed terror among the citizenry. The
Austrian police kept a wary eye even on the clergy, fearing that
allusions to the recently-quelled insurrection might be made from
the pulpit. Meanwhile, afraid of government reprisals, pastors hesi
tated to begin missions in preparation for the jubilee, lest the large
gatherings in the churches might occasion political outbursts or
provoke suspicion and repressive measures. Indeed, preachers
mounted pulpits with great trepidation, since any misinterpreted
utterance could easily plunge them into deep trouble.
3 The “Five Days” of March 18*22, 1848, when the Milanese rose in revolt
against the Austrians and drove them out. The effort, however, was premature;
the Austrians returned a few months later. [Editor]
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In Milan Don Bosco was the guest of Father Seraphim Allievi
and Father Blaise Verri. As soon as he arrived, he sent word to the
pastor of St. Simplician that he was ready to start the mission in
the parish church. But the pastor, perhaps at the request of timid
advisers, had changed his mind. He told Don Bosco that it was one
thing to preach privately, so to speak, at the St. Aloysius Oratory,
and quite another to preach to a large congregation in a public
church. He therefore would not permit the mission to begin until
the archbishop had been consulted. “Oh, I’ll see to that immedi
ately!” replied Don Bosco. At once he went to the archbishop’s
residence.
The prelate, who was well-liked at the Viennese court, did not
refuse permission, but he did try to dissuade Don Bosco from his
plans. However, seeing Don Bosco’s fearlessness, he added: “I am
not forbidding you to preach, Father, but remember, you will be
entirely on your own. If you get into trouble, I deny all responsi
bility. You know we are living in dangerous times.”
“Don’t worry,” Don Bosco replied. “I shall preach as they used
to five hundred years ago.”
“Do as you think best,” concluded the archbishop. “If you feel
that bold, go ahead and preach. I am neither ordering you nor
advising you to do so, but I willingly grant you permission. Remem
ber, though, that no matter how prudent you may be, you can never
be prudent enough.”
So Don Bosco began to preach at St. Simplician. At his first
sermon an inquisitive and anxious crowd filled the church. The rev
olutionary fever was at such a high pitch that it seemed impossible
that the subject could be ignored even in a sermon. But what the
crowd expected and what they heard were totally different things.
Don Bosco preached exactly as any preacher would have done cen
turies earlier: his sermon was a frank and solicitous exhortation to
sinners to repent. What he had to say about self-reform he said
clearly, without regard for anyone’s sensibilities. He totally ignored
the ferment that filled the hearts of his listeners and that kept the
government jittery. He avoided comparisons with past happenings,
no matter how ancient, that could even remotely hint at contem
porary events. In a word, Don Bosco conducted himself as if polit
ical troubles did not exist or had never existed. The authorities
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
found no reason for even the slightest objection because all his ser
mons were about death, judgment, hell, heaven, and the manner of
making one’s confession and receiving Holy Communion.
The Milanese were suprised. Don Bosco’s style resembled that of
St. Alphonsus Liguori. We still have Don Bosco’s sermon outlines
written in his own hand; they help us understand how his words
were always so effective. He spoke slowly, letting his words sink
into the hearts of his audience. As a sample, we present the introduc
tion of his sermon on the Last Judgment.
How long, O sinners, will you abuse God’s goodness? How long will
you continue to offend Him? The companions you have scandalized al
ready cry out for vengeance. The cry is taken up by the churches in
which you committed so many acts of irreverence; by the sacraments
that you have profaned by so many sacrileges; by the sun, the moon,
and the stars, all witnesses of your revolt against their Creator; by the
very earth which you have made the theater of your iniquities. The very
angels clamor to avenge your insults against their God. How long will
you abuse the patience of your most merciful Lord? Are you perhaps
unwilling to change your way of life? Do you not tremble before the
sword of heavenly justice, already drawn and ready to strike you down?
Well then, go on blaspheming His holy name, go on speaking ill of our
holy Faith and its ministers, go on speaking evil of your neighbor, in
dulging in obscene conversation, profaning holy days, crucifying our
loving Jesus anew on the hard wood of the cross. Go on, because your
time is running out. Eternity is drawing near; it is imminent; thunderbolts
already flash in the sky, ready to strike you; the tribunal where the Divine
Judge shall sit is being prepared. Do not deceive yourselves; do not hope
for unmerited salvation; the arm of the Lord is already stretched out, and
you have no way to escape it. I await you before the judgment seat where
we must all appear to render a very strict account of our life, of all that
we have done, whether good or bad-----”
Don Bosco’s politics were those of eternity. It was amusing to
watch certain moustached men lurking in various parts of the
church, on the lookout for some utterance against the government.
'Even among them there were some who from time to time could
not refrain from wiping away a tear, terrified at the thought of
Divine Justice and hell.
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While still busy preaching two sermons a day at St. Simplician,
Don Bosco on December 2, the Monday of the first week in Advent,
began preaching a three-day retreat to the several hundred boys
that Father Seraphim had gathered at the St. Aloysius Oratory.
It was only natural that Don Bosco, who had so won the hearts
of his own boys in Valdocco, should become equally beloved by the
youngsters of Milan. We ourselves heard Father Seraphim testify
to this years later.
We still have Don Bosco’s own notes of these sermons to the boys.
His opening talk was a parable. A mother sends her two sons on a
journey and gives each of them a companion. She gives them in
structions on how to safely reach a distant city and bring to their
waiting father a treasure that she entrusts to them. After various
adventures the two boys meet an evil person who tries to induce
them to make light of their mother’s instructions. One boy adheres
to her advice and succeeds; the other disregards it. Don Bosco then
drew a parallel. We are the two sons; the mother is the Church;
our companions, our Guardian Angels; the journey, our life here
on earth; the distant city, heaven; the father awaiting us, God; the
evil person, the devil; the great treasure, our soul. From this funda
mental theme he developed his discussion about the end of man,
the salvation of one’s soul, scandal, death and the uncertainty of
its hour, confession, and paradise.
At the closing of the retreat he gave them substantially the same
parting advice he had given the boys at Giaveno: 4 make the Exer
cise for a Happy Death every month.
Meanwhile, several pastors, encouraged by the fact that his ser
mons at St. Simplician had not only caused no trouble but even
had done great spiritual good, now invited him to preach in their
churches. Don Bosco willingly obliged and preached at Santa Maria
Nuova, at St. Charles, at St. Aloysius, and at St. Eustorgius. Some
days he preached in only one church, at other times even in five
different churches on the same day. Father Louis R occa5 heard this
from his relatives and passed the information on to us.
While he was preaching a triduum in St. Rocco’s church, the
4 See p. 82. [Editor]
5 A distinguished Salesian. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Bamabites (some of whom he had known at M oncalieri6) invited
him to preach a spiritual retreat at Monza, Monza was linked to
Milan by the only railway line in Lombardy. Don Bosco would
leave Milan at 10:30 in the morning, preach at Monza, and by
1 p .m . he was back in Milan.
A vast number of people came to make their confession to him.
One day, as he was on his way to his crowded confessional, a young
man caught hold of his cassock and, pulling him into a pew in the
middle of the church (which was rather dark at the hour because
the drapes were drawn over the windows), said, “Please hear my
confession here!” Don Bosco obliged. At the end of his confession
the young man rose from his knees and said, “You sound exactly
like a priest I used to go to when I was in Turin years ago.”
“What if I were that same priest?” Don Bosco asked.
“You are Don Bosco!” exclaimed the young man, staring at him.
“Indeed I am!” he answered. The young man was so moved at
this unexpected meeting that he broke into tears.
Don Bosco’s mission, far from arousing the animosity of anyone,
won him the goodwill of many Austrian soldiers and officers. He
made good use of what little German he had learned in 1846 7 to
suggest some spiritual thought to them. By now other priests, en
couraged by his example, had resumed preaching, for which the
archbishop later expressed his gratitude to Don Bosco.
After eighteen days in Milan, Don Bosco returned to Turin by
way of Magenta and Novara. As usual, while en route he heard the
confession of the coachman, and, during a stopover, that of a stable-
boy. As was also his custom, he delighted the innkeepers with his
impromptu sermons and invitations to think seriously about the
state of their souls. Michael Rua and Angelo Savio were waiting for
him at the Barriera di Milano depot.
After his return to Turin, his first thought was to thank the
Blessed Virgin for all the graces She had bestowed on the Oratory.
This was a traditional practice, a family custom, so to speak, dating
back to 1842.
6 A small town in the hills overlooking Turin. It is now within the metropolitan
area. [Editor]
7 At that time there were several Germans serving in the Piedmontese army, and
their families resided in Turin. Don Bosco began studying German to provide for
their spiritual needs. See Vol. II, pp. 216f. [Editor]
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Ever since then it was his custom to give a talk to his spiritual sons
on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Originally the talk was
given to the boys, then to the catechists, later on to his young clerics,
and finally to the Salesians, as his congregation developed and each
group gradually acquired more importance. If at times he was pre
vented from doing so on that feast day, unfailingly he would get
around to it before the year was over.
However, during this year [1850], something spectacular had
happened in Italy that served to fan even more in his boys the flames
of love for their heavenly Mother. There was in the church of St.
Clare in Rimini a picture of the Virgin under the title of “Queen
Mother of Mercy.” Three pious women had been kneeling before
it in prayer at dusk on May 11, when to their great wonder they
saw the image move its eyes, at times raising them toward heaven;
a slight change of color was also noticeable on the face of the Vir
gin. The news spread like wildfire, and crowds soon flocked to the
altar. This striking phenomenon continued for nearly eight months
before thousands and thousands of witnesses. The whole city began
to lead a truly Christian life and to receive the sacraments fre
quently. Countless favors were obtained. The findings of a rigorous
diocesan investigation were approved by the Sacred Congregation
of Rites, which also authorized a special Mass and Office. The Pope
donated a golden crown, and in November of that same year the
church, beautifully restored in the form of a Latin cross, was sol
emnly rededicated. This new glory of the Blessed Mother and the
sweet joys of the Christmas festivities brought the year to a close.
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CHAPTER 18
Love of Penance
A L /O N BOSCO’S virtues were as impressive as his under
takings. He patterned his life on that of our Divine Savior, crucify
ing his passions and natural inclinations. This was also the program
of self-denial he held up to his pupils, constantly pointing out to
them that he who wishes to rejoice with Jesus Christ in heaven must
first learn to suffer with Him on earth. He frequently counseled his
boys to practice temperance in eating, drinking, and sleeping lest
they become favorite targets of the devil. He always saw to it that
the food was adequate and wholesome, especially for growing boys,
but he banned all that was merely superfluous. He would not toler
ate complaints about the cook or about the food which he himself
ate; yet, if anyone required special food for his health, Don Bosco
gladly provided it. He exhorted all to avoid gluttony or eating hastily,
reminding them of the maxim, Prima digestio fit in ore [Digestion
starts in your mouth]. Wine 1 was served to the clerics12 in great
moderation, for he believed water to be a far better and healthier
drink. He often stressed temperance in drinking, frequently quot
ing the scriptural warning, “In wine is debauchery.” [Cf. Ephes. 5,
18] He was constantly on the lookout for those who savored the
taste of wine or drank heady wine undiluted on those rare times
it was served (usually on a solemn feast day or when there were
distinguished guests). These were the things he stressed. He also
strongly exhorted his boys never to nap in bed in the afternoon;3
1The common beverage at meals in Italy and other countries. [Editor]
2 Thus were called those who had donned the clerical habit and were studying
for the priesthood. [Editor]
3 A scriptural quotation from the Vulgate ab incursu et demonio meridiano
(Ps. 90, 6) has been omitted because it is no longer apropos in the new Con
fraternity version. [Editor]
128
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he allowed! them a brief rest during the summer months in the study
hall or classroom by letting them lean their arms and head on the
desks for some thirty or forty-five minutes.
Don Bosco used to say, “A boy who is moderate in eating, drink
ing, and sleeping will be upright, diligent, generous, and thoroughly
good, but one who overeats or oversleeps will gradually acquire
every vice. He will become careless, lazy, and restless; everything
will go ill with him. Gluttony has been the ruin of many a boy.
Youth and wine are highly flammable. Wine and chastity can never
go together.”
His words were all the more persuasive because he practiced what
he preached. However, he was so careful to conceal his heroic spirit
of penance that it was not readily noticeable even to the very many
outsiders who had known him for years but were not close to him.
This, of course, is another tribute to his virtue.
Even those who were constantly at his side realized his heroic
selflessness only after long, careful observation, for he was always
jovial and cheerful. From the start of his work with youth to the
end of his life his co-workers were in a position to notice his every
action. Day and night, inside and outside the Oratory, they were
ever present and, at times, importune. They numbered into the
thousands. From many of them we learned what we are about to
narrate. Our main contributors are the following: Joseph Buzzetti
from 1841, Ascanio Savio from 1848, Michael Rua from 1852,
John Cagliero, Francis Cerruti, John Bonetti, and Joachim Berto,
who was his personal private secretary and personal confidant from
1864 to 1888.
From the very beginning of the Oratory there were critics of Don
Bosco who were quick to interpret certain actions of his in an un
favorable light; countless times, however, after an objective analysis,
they had to admit their error. We are indebted to Joseph Brosio for
the following incident which occurred in 1850.
Among the older day boys at the Oratory there were many overly fond
of criticism. They found fault with the most trivial things and gossiped
about them not only among themselves but also with outsiders. Because
of a certain ailment of his, Don Bosco, contrary to practice, ate soup at
supper on fast days. Now one Holy Thursday, after performing the cere
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
mony of the Washing of the Feet, Don Bosco invited the thirteen boys
representing the Apostles to supper. That year I represented St. Paul.
We boys were served a large meatless dish. As usual, Mamma Margaret
brought Don Bosco his bowl of meatless soup. Immediately one of the
boys nudged his companion and said within my bearing, “Look! Don
Bosco is eating soup tonight and it’s a fast day!” I wanted Don Bosco to
give this zealot a good lesson, so I said aloud to Mamma Margaret,
“Mamma! You’ve made a mistake. It’s a fast day and you’ve given Don
Bosco soup. Don’t you know it’s not allowed?” Everybody at the table
smiled. Don Bosco’s mother and her sister4 tried to explain that the
soup was seasoned only with salt and was hardly appetizing. Don Bosco
said nothing. Since I wanted him to speak up, I pretended I was not con
vinced and kept it up. Don Bosco must have guessed what I had in mind.
He pointed out that there could be reasons for being dispensed from the
law. For example, he had a weak stomach and, moreover, had heard
confessions for many hours. He spoke so pathetically about the whole
thing that the boy who had blundered into this criticism could not hold
back his tears. After that I never heard anyone criticize what was done
at the Oratory.
We shall now cite episodes and testimonies on Don Bosco’s
spirit of mortification. They span a number of years.
Our first witness is Ascanio Savio, the first student to don the
clerical habit at the Oratory. He states:
I never saw Don Bosco perform any unusual act of penance. But, in
my opinion, in his ordinary day-to-day life as a priest he appeared to be
extraordinary. I cannot say whether he wore a hair shirt, scourged him
self, or practiced prolonged fasts and other self-denials, but he surely
mortified himself so diligently and constantly in every detail of life, yet
with such ease and delight, as to match the most austere monk or most
rigid penitent. His ailments, his round-the-clock labors, his worries, set
backs, and persecutions were crosses borne patiently every day, indeed
every hour. I am firmly convinced that he spent whole nights in praying,
writing books, studying, attending to his correspondence, and planning
his works in prayerful consultation with God.
4 In 1824 when John Bosco was only nine, his aunt Marianne Occhiena, house
keeper of Father Joseph Lacqua, chaplain at Capriglio, prevailed upon the chaplain
to give free lessons to her young nephew. (See Vol. I, p. 75.) When Father Lacqua
died at a ripe old age, she went to Valdocco to help care for Don Bosco’s young
sters. She remained there until her death in 1857. [Editor]
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Father Michael Rua declared:
Don Bosco once confided to me that up to the age of fifty he had never
slept more than five hours a night, and that once a week he would spend
the entire night at his desk. Until 1866, 1 always saw a light in his room
well after midnight. From 1866 to 1871 he began permitting himself six
hours of sleep, but continued a night’s vigil each week. In summer he
usually rose at three in the morning and retired at 11:30 at night. His
secretary, Father [Joachim] Berto, whose room adjoined Don Bosco’s,
can attest to this. After his illness at Varazze in 1872, he reluctantly faced
up to the fact that henceforth he had to sleep seven hours nightly and
give up his weekly vigil. But this did not prevent him from going back
to his old schedule occasionally.
John B isio5 has told us the following: “From 1864 to 1871 it
was my chore to tidy his room and I often found his bed untouched.
When I chided him for not having gone to bed, his excuse was that
he was behind in his work.”
Even in the harshest winters he always rose with the others, at
5 or 5:30 at the first sound of the house bell. His bed was quite
plain and, almost to the end of his life, stood in the same room
where he received visitors. In the weakness of his last years he re
fused assistance even though he found it hard to dress himself. As
the boys filed into church he was already in his confessional. He
heard confessions every day, before and during the community Mass,
as long as his strength permitted. It was only in the last years of his
life that he prolonged his nightly rest to please his spiritual sons.
If dawn found him still at his desk he would interrupt his work
to go for his boys’ confessions and then return to his desk after Mass.
Unless other more urgent duties intervened, he promptly got down
to the routine work awaiting him with the utmost concentration,
sacrificing everything for his boys. “During the winter months,”
Bisio recalled, “he used to start work without first warming himself.
It was beyond me how he managed to hold a pen in his hand and
write in an ice-cold room. But I never heard him complain either
of the cold or of the heat, nor for that matter of anything else.”
For many years his breakfast consisted of a small cup of coffee
to which he would add a few drops of milk when he did not feel8
8A pupil and later a lifetime Salesian cooperator. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
well. The coffee was not genuine either; it was mixed with chicory
and the brew was hardly a treat. On rare occasions he dunked a
piece of dry bread, but so little as certainly not to be a breach of
even a fast day. Later, he gave this up too. He scrupulously observed
the abstinence prescribed by the Church and fasted every Saturday.
Later, in writing a rule for his Salesians, he transferred the fast to
Fridays.
At noon he would usually be still giving audiences (his greatest
penance, as we shall see) and would consequently arrive very late
in the dining room. On his way he was often buttonholed by people
who wanted to speak to him; at times some would indiscreetly detain
him at length. Don Bosco would listen with admirable patience and
calm and then do his best to satisfy them. If his secretary somewhat
nervously tried to remonstrate with more importunate visitors, Don
Bosco would ask him not to mind but to let everyone see him. He
would grieve if they had to leave unsatisfied.
When he finally got to the dining room, if his usual table com
panions had already left, he would eat surrounded by the boys, who
would crowd and press about him, deafening him with their chatter,
raising dust, and jarring nerves. But he did not mind. In fact he
loved it, so much did he have the welfare of his boys at heart.
Bishop John Cagliero, one of the group, has given us this descrip
tion.
Don Bosco’s meals were always very frugal, if not downright meager. As
a boy I was present at his meals in 1852 and 1853. He ate the same soup
and bread served to us; the main dish which Mamma Margaret prepared
for him generally consisted of vegetables, sometimes mixed with tiny
pieces of meat or an egg; sometimes it was only pumpkin with a little
seasoning. The same dish, warmed up, would be served again at supper
and often for several days in a row; if it happened to be an apple tart,
it might last even as far into the week as Thursday.
Such is the witness of Bishop Cagliero. Don Bosco never fussed
over the meals his mother served him. He had made his own the
maxim of St. Francis de Sales, “Request nothing, refuse nothing/*
as well as St. Paul’s advice, “Eat whatever is set before you.” [1 Cor.
10, 27]
Later on, however, for the sake of those living with him, he added
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fruit or cheese to the fare. In 1855, when several priests took up
residence at the Oratory, an additional dish was served at dinner,
usually some cooked vegetables or salad. If polenta with gravy or
some other condiment was served in place of soup, it was also the
main dish. Moreover, Don Bosco would ask the cook to avoid serv
ing spicy foods, seemingly out of consideration for morality.
Don Bosco generally preferred potatoes, turnips, and vegetables,
provided they were well-cooked, because they were easier for him
to digest, even if tasteless. One of his favorite maxims was, “Man
should eat to live, not live to eat,” Now and then his young clerics
tried to have something more suitable for his health served to him,
but he would always have the prefect6 tell the cook not to do so.
He seemed to be totally indifferent to the quality or seasoning of
foods; the tastier dishes were the ones he least partook of. He was
never heard to complain of food. Occasionally someone would pour
himself some soup from the same tureen out of which Don Bosco
had served himself, only to push it aside in disgust after the first
mouthful while Don Bosco ate without a sign of repugnance. Some
times he was served eggs or other food which was beginning to go
bad, but he ate it without seeming to notice. It was his policy never
to say, “I like this,” or “I don’t like that.” But when the soup hap
pened to be tastier than usual, because of the broth or seasoning,
he was often seen to pour water into it with the excuse that it was
too hot. Even mere bread gave him a chance to practice self-denial
and likewise promote thrift. He formed a kind of club, called “The
Bread Left-Overs Club,” whose members would use up left-overs
before helping themselves to fresh bread. Don Bosco led them by
his example.
He ate so frugally that we were amazed how he could stand his
arduous tasks. He hardly ate enough to keep himself alive. One day
[years later], when we asked him why he had kept such a meager
diet, he humbly replied, “With all my work, especially mental work,
I would never have lasted this long had I done otherwise.” He fol
lowed this regimen until the end of his life. Often he deprived him
self of even this little. Joseph Buzzetti, who took note of even his
most insignificant actions, told us that sometimes, when a guest
6The superior entrusted with the administration of temporal affairs. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
showed up unexpectedly and all portions had already been served,
Don Bosco would deftly and unassumingly give his dish to the guest
as if he had previously decided to pass it up.
In drink, too, Don Bosco was a model of temperance. What little
wine he took for reasons of health, as St. Paul says, was so diluted
with water that it could hardly be called wine any longer. Up to
1858 and even later, his wine cellar was partly stocked with samples
and left-overs from the market which City Hall sent almost weekly
to the Oratory; red and white, sweet and dry, were mixed together;
sometimes even good wine was mixed with sour. Don Bosco drank
the mixture. And yet he came from a region renowned for its excel
lent wines. Often he forgot to drink, taken up by quite different
thoughts, and his table companions would have to pour wine into
his glass. If the wine was good, he then would instantly reach for
water to dilute it and “make it even better,” as he would say. With
a smile he would add, “I’ve renounced the world and the devil, but
not the pwmps.” 7 He drank only one glass at each meal.
Bishop John Bertagna who knew him intimately had this to say:
“Don Bosco was a rare model of temperance; he never indulged his
taste. Indeed I would think that he could have had more regard for
himself and others in this respect.”
Don Bosco longed for the ideal he had conceived. Around 1860
he had to improve the fare for the sake of those living with him.
Then he ate what was set before him without any fuss, but he was
often heard to exclaim: “I had hoped that everyone in my house
would be satisfied with just bread and soup and maybe a dish of
vegetables. I see that I was unrealistic. My ideal was to found a con
gregation which, at my death, would be a model of frugality. Now
I am convinced that it was simply not feasible. Countless reasons
gradually forced me to adopt the fare of other religious orders: soup,
two courses, and dessert. Even the Holy See would have withheld
approval if I had imposed too austere a fare. Yet even now I still
think that one could live as I did in the early days of the Oratory.”
Incredible as it may seem, during the first decade of the Oratory,
according to Father John Turchi, there were people in Turin who
said that Don Bosco only talked of being poor and in truth kept a
7 The pun Don Bosco intended is perfect in the original Italian since the word
pompe means both “pomps” and “pumps." [Editor]
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rather lavish table. Some even went so far as to say— not without
some malice— that “Don Bosco keeps his boys on a lean diet but
takes good care of himself/’ A few decided to find out for them
selves. Father Stellardi was a guest one day at the home of Count
Agliano. A t dinner the conversation eventually turned to the sub
ject of Don Bosco. The priest remarked that Don Bosco’s meals
befitted people who had lots of money. Some guests agreed, but
others did not; while some maintained that Don Bosco’s fare was
frugal, others countered that it was lavish. To end the discussion,
Father Stellardi offered to call on Don Bosco unannounced at meal
time. With some pretext or other he one day appeared at the Ora
tory shortly before noon. After a brief talk with Don Bosco, he
asked if he might stay for lunch since he could not get back to
Superga on time. “You’re welcome!” replied Don Bosco, “but first
let me tell my mother you are doing us this honor, because at the
moment we are in no way prepared to do you justice, nor can we
match your table.”
“Please, don’t. I’ll be quite happy with what’s on the table.”
Don Bosco tried to insist, but Father Stellardi prevailed, and
both went to the dining room. Don Bosco turned to his mother with
the words, “Look, Father Stellardi is our guest today.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I could have prepared some
thing better,” Margaret complained.
“This is the way he wants it,” replied Don Bosco, smiling.
“Right!” said Father Stellardi. “What’s good enough for Don
Bosco is good enough for me.”
“Very well then,” Mamma Margaret replied, and she started to
serve them. The soup was a mixture of rice, chestnuts, and corn
flour. Don Bosco ate with relish, but the guest, after sampling one
spoonful, unobtrusively pushed it aside, saying, “I think I’ll just have
the main dish.”
It was codfish seasoned with cheap olive oil. Don Bosco went on
eating, but as soon as Father Stellardi got a whiff of the oil, he made
a wry face and left his food untouched. The young clerics at the
same table could hardly keep from giggling, and later told us about
it. The second course was a dish of boiled cardoons seasoned with
salt; for dessert there was a slice of fresh cheese. The guest could
not bring himself to eat a thing. As soon as he left the Oratory he
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
went straight to Count Agliano, saying, “For heaven’s sake, give me
something to eat. I’m starved!” Then he told them of his disastrous
experience, to everyone’s amusement. Count Agliano, who knew
Don Bosco, had been laughing all the while, for he had foreseen
the disillusionment of this priest who was something of a gourmet.
Thus Father Stellardi became convinced (and spread the news far
and wide) that Don Bosco’s table was far from lavish.
One day another prominent priest, Father Caesar Ronzini, a
canon of the cathedral, came to the Oratory. He too suspected there
might be some truth in what people said of Don Bosco’s table,
although he did not think it likely. Don Bosco invited him to stay
for lunch. The canon demurred at first, but finally accepted. It was
the usual modest, frugal fare: boiled beef and cabbage. Don Bosco,
however, had served some hors d’oeuvres in honor of his guest. The
canon appreciated the gesture, and upon taking his leave said, “I
had heard that you kept a good table, but now I know that things
are quite different.” Then, with tears in his eyes, he added, “Don
Bosco, I’m glad, very glad!”
Years later, Don Bosco permitted a little more meat to be served
at supper also for the sake of some who were rather sickly. More
over, those who gave all their energy to study and to the hardships
of the priestly ministry, as well as those who came from well-to-do
families to join Don Bosco, needed more meat. Experience dictated
the change. Don Bosco was aware that several priests and laymen
who had come to live with him at the Oratory, after trying it out
for several months, had finally given up because they could not
adapt to such an austere life and had applied to another religious
order. However, the same soup and bread served to the boys con
tinued to be served also to Don Bosco and the other superiors.
Nevertheless, on occasion we heard him deplore the need of serv
ing meat at two meals, because, as he said, it could foment con
cupiscence. At the same time he unwittingly revealed his spirit of
penance by saying that he had always refrained from eating meat
because he feared the rebellion of concupiscence. Then, with an ex
pression of wonderment on his face, he added, “Perhaps others are
not as sensitive as I and don’t have to take the same precautions!”
In reality Don Bosco generally abstained from meat. He even
seemed to have a distaste for it and tried to avoid it by alleging that
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he could not chew properly. But he shied from drawing attention
to himself and occasionally accepted meat if it was offered to him.
On being asked his preference, his stock reply was: “The smallest
piece!” But even then he always left some on his plate. He never
seasoned, even with salt, the little meat he did eat. It was only in
the last years of his life that, under his doctor’s insistent orders, he
ate meat more often than he had previously done.
After lunch he would sometimes doze off for a few minutes at
table, worn out from insomnia or nights spent in writing or wrestling
with diabolic vexations, as he once confided to Bishop Cagliero and
to his intimates. But even during such a brief nap he sat upright in his
armless chair, his head bowed on his chest. Those present would
then tiptoe out of the dining room so as not to awaken him. But not
even once did he go to his room to lie down at this hour, not even
in his last years. The afternoon was the most burdensome part of
his day, for he usually went to town to visit his benefactors, attend
to business, and seek support for his many undertakings. Drowsy
for lack of sleep, he would ask some boy who knew Turin well to
accompany him. He would tell him, “Take me to this or that street,
but look out for me because I may easily doze off and stumble.”
Then leaning on the boy’s arm, he would walk half asleep, as though
the motion of walking and the semblance of sleep could banish the
fatigue of a sleepless night.
Once, after a few sleepless nights, he went out alone and was sur
prised to find himself in the tiny Consolata Square, hardly knowing
where he was and where he wanted to go. A shoemaker, who had
his shop nearby, came up to him and solicitously asked him if any
thing was wrong.
“No,” Don Bosco replied, “but I am very sleepy.”
“Then come to my house; you can nap there and later go about
your business.” Don Bosco accepted the offer, entered the shoe
maker’s tiny shop, sat at a little table, and slept from half past two
to five. Upon awakening he chided the shoemaker for not waking
him up. “Dear Father,” the good man replied, “you looked so worn-
out and you were sleeping so soundly up against that wall that I
felt pity for you, thinking of all the hard work you must have been
doing.”
Sometimes he would suddenly feel faint with fatigue. He would
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
then go into a store and ask the owner for permission to rest there
awhile. If the shopkeeper knew Don Bosco, he would unhesitatingly
offer him a chair. If he was a stranger, Don Bosco would frankly
tell him he was not there to buy anything and would ask, “Would
you kindly let me rest awhile on a chair?” Invariably he was invited
to make himself comfortable and he would doze instantly. Mean
while, customers came and went, rather surprised at seeing a priest
sleeping on the premises. After a few minutes he would feel re
freshed and take his leave after thanking the storekeeper. Invariably
he was also asked, “Excuse me, but what is your name, Father?”
“I am Don Bosco!”
“Why didn’t you tell me? May I offer you a cup of coffee or a
drink?” Such incidents became a favorite topic of conversation
among Turin’s shopkeepers.
Outside of meals, Don Bosco never took any nourishment, except
during the last years of his life when, on his doctor’s orders, he
drank a little vermouth before meals to aid his digestion. The ver
mouth was a gift of Father Carpano’s family. He would never pur
chase it or ask for it when they forgot to give it to him. At this time
he took a cup of camomile tea when it was offered to him during
his long hours in the confessional. During the day, though worn-out
by long audiences and very thirsty because of an oral inflammation,
he never asked even for water; if at times his secretary Father
[Joachim] Berto brought him water out of pity and begged him to
drink at least to please him, Don Bosco would take only a sip or
two with the excuse that more would make him perspire. John Bisio
told us that he never saw him take refreshment. Once on a torridly
hot day, when John brought him a glass of iced lemonade, Don
Bosco refused it graciously, saying, “No, drink it yourself!” He never
kept wine, liqueurs, or cordials in his room. Donations he would
send to the pantry or to the infirmary, or else he would set them
aside as gifts for his benefactors. Now and then he exhorted his
young pupils, clerics, and priests not to keep such beverages inas
much as they were potentially harmful. He never tired of repeating
such exhortations, and he would punish transgressors. When his
hosts pressed him to take a glass of wine, he declined it under the
pretext that it gave him a headache or with some such excuse. He
wanted all afternoon snacks of wine, fruits, or other foods abolished
at the Oratory on the grounds that venter pinguis non gignit mentetn
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tenuem 8 [a full stomach does not produce a keen mindj. He himself
never took a snack either at the Oratory or elsewhere when invited,
whether he was alone or with his boys. If he was alone, which was
seldom the case, he limited himself to useful conversation with his
hosts; if he was with his boys, he was quite happy to see them
treated to refreshments at the host’s pleasure. However, he himself
tasted nothing, alleging that he had to look after them. At most,
yielding to persistent requests, he would take a few drops of wine,
diluted with water, so as not to appear unappreciative. “In all the
years I lived with him,” Father [Michael] Rua recalls, “I remember
having seen him only once eating between meals; it was a bunch of
grapes at vintage time. He did so mainly to please his boys, whom
he had taken on an outing to the countryside for the express purpose
of enjoying the vintage,”
He never talked about food or drink; by word and example he
discouraged his boys from indulging in such talk. He relished
equally his frugal meals at the Oratory and the banquets which he
at times was obliged to attend. It was obvious that he considered
eating a mere necessity. Not even a semblance of self-indulgence
could be seen in him. While eating he also avoided immoderate
haste. His table companions of many years can testify that during
meals he seemed lost in thought, hardly aware of what food was
being served. Sometimes, even if asked a moment after leaving the
table, he did not know whether he had eaten the main dish and
could not tell what it had been.
Don Bosco controlled his sense of taste to such a point that he
had almost deadened it. One evening, at the close of a spiritual re
treat in a village parish, he finished hearing confessions somewhat
later than usual. The pastor and the rest of the household had
already retired. Feeling hungry, Don Bosco went into the kitchen.
By the light of a little lamp he searched to see if they had left him
a bowl of soup, and he spotted a small pot on the stove over the hot
cinders. He took it, found a spoon, and ate what he thought was
some kind of gruel of fine wheat flour. Next morning the house
keeper was quite peeved at not finding the starch which she had
prepared for ironing. Suspicious, the pastor asked Don Bosco about
it and was flabbergasted to discover what had happened. He often
8 Possibly a variation of Erasmus’ Venter obesus non gignit mentem subtilem.
[Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
mentioned this incident later to his friends, citing it as an example
of Don Bosco’s remarkable spirit of mortification.
Far from ever indulging his taste, Don Bosco, like the saints,
seemed to feel a certain repugnance to have to sit down to a meal.
Often he acted as though humiliated. “How demeaning is our need
for food,” he would say. Frequently he repeated, “There are two
things I would like to do without: sleeping and eating.”
Often he had to be reminded of his mealtime; several times he
did not know whether he had lunched or not. This occurred partic
ularly if he went to town in the morning; then he would return at
about two in the afternoon and go straight to his desk. Margaret,
believing he had already lunched, would clear the table and let the
fire go out. Toward four o’clock, he would feel rather weak and
dizzy; his blurred vision would cause him to wonder what had hap
pened. He would pace his room and try to shake off his giddiness,
but feeling still dizzier, he would call his mother.
“Do you need something?” Margaret would ask from the door
way.
“I feel weak; my head’s spinning.”
“Where did you lunch today?”
“What a question! Right here! Don’t you remember?”
“You certainly did not eat here! I’m sure of that!”
“Then where did I have lunch?”
“You didn’t, obviously! Since you weren’t home at noon I kept
the soup hot for you until two o’clock. Then I thought you’d lunched
elsewhere.”
“No wonder I feel so weak!” Don Bosco would reply. Laughing,
Mamma Margaret would then light the fire and get him something.
Father Reviglio, while a pastor in Turin, visited the Oratory one
day just as Don Bosco was dining alone at about five in the after
noon, after many hours at his desk. He was eating some poorly pre
pared beans out of a tin bowl. At this sight the priest felt a pang
at his heart.
At supper he ate even less than at noon, practicing what he rec
ommended to his boys— namely, keeping a light stomach in the
evening.9 Often, especially on Saturdays, on the eve of important
s>In several European countries the main meal is at noon. The evening meal is
taken around eight o’clock. [Editor]
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Love of Penance
141
feast days, and on the occasion of the monthly Exercise for a Happy
Death, he was necessarily late for supper. As long as his mother was
alive, his food was kept warm, and on some rare occasion the fare
would be slightly better than usual. “Once,” Father Ascanio Savio
remembers, “Margaret, noticing her son’s utter exhaustion, beat the
yoke of an egg into the soup she had made for him. But when he
saw that I was also very tired, he insisted on sharing it with me.”
After his mother died, the cook who took over was not that solici
tous. Once he saved Don Bosco some soup cooked four hours pre
viously. Don Bosco ate it uncomplainingly even though it had
turned into an oversalted paste. The main dish, consisting of fried
vegetables or boiled chards, was not only unappetizing but inedible.
It had been overcooked and a crust had formed on the bottom of
the pan. We still recall that, showing himself quite satisfied, he
began breaking the crust, scraping and eating it. Meanwhile he
continued to converse about interesting matters with some of his
young clerics or priests who had stayed up to keep him company,
without hinting in the least to the arduous work he had been doing,
although it was quite visible in his exhausted appearance. They
would have liked to see him take something more appetizing, but
Don Bosco refused preferential treatment. At his order the cook had
already gone to bed and the fire in the kitchen had died out.
If a priest or cleric offered to get him something better suited to
his weak stomach he invariably answered, “The soup which the boys
ate and this dish will be enough for me,” or “If this dish was good
enough for the others, it’s good enough for me.” He adamantly re
fused anything else, despite his long hours in the confessional and
the fact that next day a late Mass and sermon would keep him from
eating anything until eleven or noon.
The last to retire to his room at night, he would first walk through
the dormitories, giving some instructions for the smooth running of
the house, or a talk to his young clerics. When he was finally alone,
he absorbed himself in thoughts of God that left him lost in amaze
ment. He himself told us:
During the years 1850-52, on Saturdays, after my usual work and hear
ing confessions, I would tell amusing stories to the boys who had served
as waiters at supper, or to the young clerics after night prayers. Then,
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
at about eleven, I would go up to my room. Walking along the balcony
I would stop and gaze at the boundless expanse of the firmament. I
would seek out the Great Bear as a point of reference and then gaze at
the moon, the planets, and the stars. While admiring their beauty and
immensity, their number, and the unbelievable distance of each from the
earth, I would become lost in thought. I would start thinking of the
nebulas and beyond, reflecting that even the last particle of a nebula, as
well as each of its millions of stars, could afford a view in all directions
as magnificent as the one we can have here on earth on a clear evening.
I would feel giddy. The universe seemed such an immense, divine achieve
ment overwhelming me and I had to withdraw quickly to my room .. . .
(The boys had been listening with bated breath, wondering what Don
Bosco would say next. After a brief pause, he continued, “and dive into
bed.” The boys laughed at this anticlimax while Don Bosco concluded:)
Only in the darkness of the tiny recess under the blankets did I seem
not so puny and contemptible.
Don Bosco was so impressed by the wonders and expanses of the
heavens that he loved to talk of them with his friends. He enjoyed
dwelling on the fantastic distance of the stars nearest to or farthest
from the earth, yet still visible, and on their immense size. He took
pleasure in calculating the tens of millions of years we would need
to reach certain stars even traveling at the speed of light. “The
human mind is lost and cannot grasp even faintly the immensity of
the universe. How overwhelming the omnipotence of God!”
It was with such sublime thoughts that he would retire to his
room. However, he would still delay his night’s rest until overcome
by exhaustion. Often he would fall on the bed fully dressed and not
awaken until morning. Often, too, he was tormented by insomnia
and spent his few sleeping hours in praying or in mulling over proj
ects and devising ways and means to carry them out.
In his room he conducted himself just as in public. Several times
his secretary, who slept in an adjacent room, hearing cries and fear
ing that Don Bosco might be ill, dashed into his room. He always
found him asleep, lying flat on the bed, his head slightly raised and
his hands clasped on his breast, looking so composed as to resemble
a saint’s body kept in a crystal case for the veneration of the faithful.
We ourselves, along with many others, can testify to this.
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CHAPTER 19
Love of Penance (Continued)
J L ^ o n BOSCO’S bearing always reflected great modesty
and mortification. In kneeling, his body did not sag; when seated,
he never crossed his legs or settled comfortably against the back of
his chair or sofa; if he was not writing, his hands were clasped
against his chest, fingers interlaced. Except when seriously ill, he
would not seek a more comfortable position. When he sat down his
demeanor was so dignified as to evoke respect. Countless times, day
or night, people broke in on him unexpectedly; he was even spied
upon through a crack in the door when he was working alone or
meditating; at all times one had to admire his unsurpassed modesty.
The same held true when he was standing or walking. He never
leaned on anyone’s arm, even when he was very old, unless his weak
ness put him in danger of falling. In that case he would hold on to
someone for support, but only for a few seconds. Only once, after
refusing assistance from his companion who had noticed him pain
fully dragging his feet, did he change his mind and lean on the
proffered arm so as not to fall. But as long as he was able, he clasped
his hands behind his back and maintained his balance by himself.
His behavior was inspired by the virtue of temperance, as is
proven by his frequent exhortations to his boys never to neglect the
chance of practicing little mortifications such as modest posture in
praying, sitting, studying or walking, as well as by his firm lifelong
resolve never to indulge his senses.
When hearing boys’ confessions, he sat on a plain, uncomfortable
chair without resting his back or arms, shielding his and the peni
tent’s face with a white handkerchief. In winter he spent long hours
in this position in an ice-cold spot behind the main altar or in the
sacristy, while in the summer he was nearly suffocated by the crush
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
of so many boys crowding around him. Since he heard the confes
sions of a vast number of day boys, in addition to the young boarders
of the Oratory, it is no wonder that he had also to put up with lice.
But he endured all patiently.
When his priestly ministry brought him to seaside towns, the
mosquitoes stung his face and hands. Those making their confession
would shoo them with their handkerchiefs, but Don Bosco gave the
pests free rein. Later, at supper time, looking at his hands covered
with bites, he would jokingly remark to the superiors of the house,
“How the mosquitoes love me!” One morning he came out of his
room with his face so swollen and bleeding that everybody felt sorry
for him, but he was as cheerful as always.
He endured discomforts of weather without complaint and ex
horted his sons to accept them from the hand of God as an occasion
for merit. He suffered intensely from cold feet, yet never used a
warming pad as a footstool.
Everyone noted his self-control in speech. He always spoke in a
moderate, calm tone of voice, with slow, gentle gravity, avoiding
superfluous words. He abhorred worldly conversation, aggressive
manners, and resentful or heated expressions. He spoke little, but
each word was meaningful and fruitful, instructive and edifying. If
at times he spoke in a lighter vein to hearten others, he did so spar
ingly and always seasoned his conversation with some spiritual
thought. He was cautious in his speech, being careful never to use
caustic or ironic expressions or jokes unbecoming a priest. He could
not stand breaches of charity, and one of his most insistent admoni
tions was to avoid rude words or manners. He did not countenance
backbiting; deftly and unobtrusively he would steer the conversation
to other matters. When necessary he would talk at great length;
otherwise he would refrain, especially since he needed every pre
cious minute to keep up with his many occupations.
Don Bosco was extremely forbearing toward those who opposed
him or treated him unjustly out of ill will or misunderstanding. In
these instances, the harsher and more insolent his opponent, the
gentler and meeker Don Bosco became. Bishop Cagliero recalls the
following incident. “On one occasion a man began arguing with
him angrily and rudely on the stairs. Don Bosco’s affable replies and
courteous manner completely won him over. He calmed down and
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Love of Penance (Continued)
145
apologized for his conduct in the presence of us boys.” If occasion
ally his opponent was not amenable to reason, Don Bosco kept
silent.
He displayed a similar forbearance on receiving insulting letters.
Usually he did not answer them; occasionally he replied in polite
terms. How often he repaid insults with kindness!
To those who could not calmly answer a letter, his advice was,
“Don’t write anything offensive; scripta manent ” He frequently ex
horted his co-workers, “I beg you most earnestly to avoid harsh, cut
ting remarks; treat each other as good brothers.”
On one occasion a priest who was about to publish a book on
education came to him for advice. “One thing I would stress,” Don
Bosco told him; “do not offend charity.” His writings, which were
always smooth and lucid with no trace of bitterness, bear witness to
his self-control.
Don Bosco restrained his natural curiosity to see and know things
which did not directly concern him. Although he had an exquisite
appreciation of art, he never yielded to the temptation to visit monu
ments, palaces, art galleries, and museums. Wherever he might be,
he generally kept his eyes lowered so that he did not notice people
except when they greeted him. It was a sacrifice for him to deny him
self the reading of books which aroused his interest in science, litera
ture, and history. Yet, in order to have more time for the works of
charity entrusted to him by Divine Providence, he nearly always
abstained from such reading unless it was necessary. He rarely read
or had others read the newspapers to him; this he did only when they
contained news of some glorious or sorrowful Church event, or of
some matter that directly concerned his institutes. Now and then,
however, especially in times of great political ferment, he would ask
some of his co-workers to brief him on the principal news of the day.
This he did in order to be able to give advice and to carry on a
meaningful conversation with people with whom his work brought
him into contact. It was obvious, however, that he had no itch for
news. He would not allow into the house any newspaper which was
not sincerely Catholic, and he constantly urged his pupils to curb
idle curiosity and avoid books or newspapers of no particular advan
tage to them.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Due to poor blood circulation caused by his arduous, unremitting
labor, Don Bosco had weak eyes and suffered from migraine head
aches. He could have alleviated this condition with snuff, but this
he never did until his doctor advised it. He had a tiny snuffbox made
of pressboard given to him by some friends, but he either forgot to
take a pinch of tobacco or did so very seldom. More often than not,
he would merely sniff at the tobacco. In company or when travel
ing, he would offer a pinch to those around him, if he thought it
opportune, hoping to start a conversation that might give him an
opening for a good word, especially if they seemed to need it. Thus,
at times his snuffbox became bait to fish souls. On very rare occa
sions he would offer a pinch to some of his boys, saying, “Take
some; it will drive all bad thoughts from your mind.’’ Actually Don
Bosco made so little use of snuff that Father [Mark] Pechenino, his
provider, refilled the box only once a year. If someone offered him
a pinch of snuff, Don Bosco would jokingly dip his little finger into
the box and then sniff his thumb. He advised his boys never to take
snuff except under doctor’s orders. He absolutely forbade smoking.
In fact, he made abstention from smoking a condition for admission
to the Oratory and to the religious congregation he founded.
Don Bosco also refrained from smelling flowers. If a boy offered
him some, he would accept them and show his appreciation. Then,
smilingly, he would lift them to his nose, but instead of inhaling their
fragrance he would breathe upon the flowers, exclaiming, “Oh, what
a lovely scent!” He did'the same if the donor was a benefactor; then,
without delay, he would have the flowers placed on Our Lady’s altar.
Don Bosco loved cleanliness, but he never used scented soap; he
also exhorted his clerics, priests, and co-workers not to use scented
lotions. To him they were worthless articles of vanity.
He did not go bathing, even at the height of the summer, except
a few times under doctor’s orders. He denied himself the simple
pleasure of a stroll, even though a daily walk had been recom
mended to him for his health. Faithful to the resolutions made at
his ordination,1 he left the house only to visit the sick or to seek
assistance for his boys. Sometimes he went out to find some secret
nook where he could work undisturbed on his correspondence and
i See Vol. I, p. 385. [Editor]
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Love of Penance (Continued)
147
on the books he was writing— something which was hardly possible
at the Oratory because of the great numbers of people who wanted
to see him. Whenever he went out, he took one of his co-workers or
boys along, engaging him in useful and instructive conversation as
they walked.
Even when traveling, his mind did not rest. He would proofread
galleys, read -letters, jot down memos for replies, and pray or
meditate.
“One day,” Father [Michael] R ua recalls, “I had to accompany
him by train from Trofarello to Villastellone.2 As we neared the
station, we heard the train whistle signifying its departure. Undis
turbed, Don Bosco took a big notebook from his pocket and started
walking to Villastellone; pencil in hand, he did not raise his eyes
from the pages until we got there. Then he said to me, ‘This was
really a blessing in disguise. Had we gone by train, I might not have
been able to proofread this booklet. Now it’s done and today I can
send it to the printer.’ This was his customary practice when travel
ing. When his failing eyesight made it impossible, more often than
not he would begin an edifying conversation.”
One would think that picnicking with the boys or hiking with
them through the Castelnuovo hills during the early years of the
Oratory must have been a source of great pleasure. It certainly was
for the boys, but not for him. He had to think of everything and
everyone; all the preoccupations, burdens, and responsibilities were
his. But such outings became true apostolic missions both for the
boys and the people of the villages they visited.
He denied himself all kinds of amusement, and never attended
mere public festivities, stage plays, military parades, illuminations,
or solemn receptions for royalty, even though he was very often
invited, indeed begged, to be present. Intent on mortifying his sight,
he never watched fireworks staged for the boys’ entertainment. If he
was outdoors he would not look at them; if indoors, he stayed there.
If the boys called out to him to join them and enjoy the spectacle,
he would excuse himself, saying that the glare from the sputtering
fireworks was bad for his eyes. We recall an evening when we staged
a general illumination of the Oratory. Don Bosco remained stand-
- Two small towns near Turin about four miles apart. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ing for more than an hour near the window so that he would be
seen by the boys, but always facing away from the more attractive
part of the illumination. Sometimes he would attend stage plays
given by the boys, but only to encourage and please them, to induce
them to study, and to prove to them that piety and fun can go hand
in hand. He also attended to entertain and honor his guests, but
never for his own enjoyment. He was generous with praise and
applause, but we noticed that his gaze never focused on the stage
or the actors. Whenever his presence was not required, he preferred
to stay in the privacy of his little room.
Don Bosco fully controlled his passions and emotions, his likes
and dislikes, his feelings of anger and aversion. He subordinated
them to right reason and to the precepts of the Faith, and directed
them to the greater glory of God. This heroic mode of life had be
come so spontaneous and natural to him that it would have been
difficult for him to act otherwise. His intimates, therefore, could not
help but feel the highest admiration for him.
In regard to his occupations, he was never seen to waste even a
single moment. In reply to those who asked him how he stood up
under such a workload, he would say, “Thanks to God, hard work
is for me more of a delight and relaxation than a burden.” We re
member that in 1885 he remained in his room for several weeks to
answer a stack of important letters. He was asked, “How can you
stand it? Don’t you feel bored and in need of fresh air?”
“Not at all!” he replied; “this is what I like best!”
This too was his stock answer whenever people sympathized with
his endless hours in the confessional or his arduous work of preach
ing, organizing lotteries, writing books, and many other activities.
“He found the best joy in suffering,” Father [John] Bonetti wrote.
“It showed in his face. He never shirked a task, no matter how un
inviting or fatiguing it might be. Evidently it would have been more
painful for him to refuse.”
Bishop Cagliero wrote:
All my confreres and I can truthfully state from conviction that Don
Bosco led such a life of penance and self-denial that it is matched only
by those who have attained the highest perfection and sanctity. He kept
his mortifications carefully hidden from others and concealed his fasts
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149
and penances so as to make his virtues appear as those of an ordinary
pious priest. He did not want to frighten us with his penances; he pre
ferred to instill in us courage and hope to be able to imitate him. Know
ing his frail health and concealed indispositions, we were greatly im
pressed by his detachment from all earthly things, his bitter poverty,
especially during the first twenty-five years of the Oratory, his frugal fare,
his renunciation of all amusements, recreation, entertainment, and any
form of relaxation; above all we were impressed by his constant mental
and physical work. All this self-denial came to him so easily and spon
taneously that’we are convinced Don Bosco possessed the virtue of tem
perance to a heroic degree.
We concur with Bishop Cagliero’s appraisal and have reason to
believe that Don Bosco also practiced rextraordinary penances. This
came to our attention one day when he told us that in order to
obtain a very special, badly needed favor from the Lord he had had
to resort to proportionate measures. What these measures were he
refused to divulge despite our questioning.
We cannot refrain from mentioning that although he kept the
most rigid control over his every movement, he would at times lift
his shoulders as though something around his waist was causing him
pain or discomfort. Since he had a very sensitive skin, we are in
clined to think that he probably wore a small hair shirt which he
could have fashioned quite easily so that it would be hardly notice
able. This was our conjecture at that time and we had no reason
to change it in the following thirty years. Once Charles Gastini,®
while making his bed, found, between the sheet and the mattress,
some pieces of iron that Don Bosco had forgotten to remove in his
hurry to get to church. Gastini did not give the matter much thought
at the time. He put those scraps of metal on the bedside table and
let it go at that. The following day and all the rest of the time that
he made Don Bosco’s bed, he never saw them again, nor did Don
Bosco ever say a word about them. Only many years later did
Gastini, upon reflection, surmise their purpose. “On another occa
sion,” relates Bishop Cagliero, “some pebbles and scraps of wood
were found in his bed.” Thus Don Bosco found another way to tor-3
3 One of the pioneers of the Oratory. He entered it at the age of eleven in 1848
at Don Bosco’s invitation. See Vol. Ill, pp. 243ff. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
ment his already exhausted body at night and to make even his brief
rest painful.
So as not to give himself away, Don Bosco took the precaution of
very often making his own bed and cleaning his own room. When
Joseph Brosio surprised him at this chore one day, Don Bosco used
the occasion to draw a useful moral. However, Brosio noticed that
Don Bosco locked his room only when he was cleaning it.
It seems, nevertheless, that Don Bosco reserved his greater aus
terities for his occasional visits to distinguished benefactors. The
vastness of a mansion and the distance between his room and the
family's quarters gave him greater privacy. Ever tranquil and jovial,
he would occasionally accept an invitation to stay at the mansion
of a noble matron. Late one night, probably in 1879, a member of
the family, passing through the hall which led to Don Bosco’s room,
heard a dull, rhythmical noise as if strokes were being administered.
He suspected what it might be, but made no mention of it to anyone.
He determined to watch and noticed that this happened every time
Don Bosco stayed at the house. He was convinced that Don Bosco,
imitating St. Vincent de Paul, used a scourge to obtain graces from
God. Many years later, when he confided his suspicions to several
other people who had been hosts to Don Bosco, he learned that they
too had made the same observation and were likewise convinced
that Don Bosco practiced self-flagellation. Their discretion and
courtesy prevented any mention of this to Don Bosco. He himself
jealously guarded these penances, for he was humble; moreover,
he did not wish his example to be followed by the members of his
future congregation.
He never recommended such practices to his penitents; to them
he represented goodness and compassion. The above-mentioned per
son, who used to go to confession to Don Bosco, once asked his per
mission to practice some corporal penance such as found in the lives
of certain saints. Since he was of a very frail constitution, Don Bosco
refused his request, and when the penitent insisted on some way to
emulate the sufferings of O ur Lord, he replied, “Oh, that is easy!
Just patiently endure cold, heat, sickness, troubles, people, happen
ings, and so forth. There are always plenty of ways to practice
mortification!”
He also forbade his boys to practice undue austerities, remarking
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that the devil himself often suggested such extraordinary penances
to achieve his own purpose. If any boy asked permission to fast for
a length of time, to sleep on the bare ground, or to practice other
physical mortifications, Don Bosco used to commute such a request
into mortification of the eyes, of the tongue, and of the will, or into
the performance of works of mercy. A t most, he would allow his
boys to forego the mid-afternoon snack or a part of breakfast. He
used to tell them over and over again, “My dear children, I don’t
ask you to fast or scourge yourselves. I exhort you to work, work,
work!”
When we realize that his health was chronically poor and that
he endured with saintly fortitude various physical ailments which
constantly tormented him throughout his life, Don Bosco’s incessant,
enterprising, methodical practice of penance appears not only heroic
but superhuman. Ever since the time that he began working for boys,
he sometimes spat blood,4 and this continued at intervals. For this
reason his doctors had insisted on a daily walk as an absolute need.
In 1843 he began to suffer from an inflammation of the eyes caused
by long vigils and round-the-clock reading, writing, and proofread
ing. This ailment grew progressively worse until his right eye became
practically useless.
In 1846 his legs were affected by a slight swelling which increased
considerably in 1853, causing him intense pain that spread as far as
his feet. This ailment so worsened as the years went by that toward
the end of his life he could scarcely walk and had to wear elastic
stockings. Eventually he was no longer able to take off his shoes and
stockings, and someone had to do it for him. Those who performed
this service for him with filial piety were amazed to see how his flesh
swelled over the edge of the shoe and wondered how he could stand
up for so many hours at a time. Don Bosco used to call this painful
trouble “my daily cross.”
At the same time he was frequently afflicted by extremely violent
headaches, so much so that he felt his very skull was being stretched,
as he once described it to Father Rua. Father [Joachim] Berto
noticed that his head actually seemed enlarged. He also suffered
atrocious toothaches, lasting sometimes for weeks, and persistent
* See Vol. II, p. 360. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
insomnia. Finally, palpitation of the heart hampered his breathing;
one of his ribs even seems to have receded under the constant pound
ing of the heart.
During the last fifteen years of his life new ailments were added
to the old. Now and then he had attacks of miliary fever and fre
quent skin rashes. A fleshy growth about the size of a nut had
formed on his sacrum, causing him great pain whenever he sat down
or rested in bed. He never spoke of this affliction to anyone, nor
did he attempt to have this growth removed surgically because of
his Christian sense of modesty. His intimates noticed his discomfort
in sitting down. When they inquired about it, he limited hmself to
saying, “I prefer standing up or walking. I get tired sitting down.”
Nevertheless he continued to use a simple, wooden chair. Then, in
the last five years of his life his enfeebled spine forced him to bend
under the weight of his many afflictions.
’ Despite all these ailments— enough to force a man to openly
avow his infirmity and refrain from all work— Don Bosco never
slowed down in undertaking and completing his astounding activ
ities. Indeed, his courage constantly matched his problems and ail
ments. His slogan was, “Don Bosco does what he can!” And he was
able to do so much that his zealous undertakings spread throughout
the world.
He endured all, without ever complaining of his tribulations or
displaying the slightest sign of impatience. On the contrary, his con
stant cheerfulness gave the impression that he was in good health.
Habitually jovial and smiling, he instilled into those who came to
him courage, cheerfulness, and comfort with his delightful, edify
ing conversations.
Although Don Bosco considered life to be a gift from God and
desired only to work for His greater glory, he joyfully looked for
ward to death, which would open the gates of heaven to him. For
this reason he never prayed for his own recovery but left it to others
to perform this charitable act. The doctors who regularly gave their
services to the Oratory, especially Dr, Gribaudo, a schoolmate of
his, on discovering that he was very run-down and on the verge of
collapse, urged him to take better care of himself. Rarely did he
heed their advice or obey their instructions. He used to object, “I’m
all right. I don’t need all this fuss!” He liked to discuss medicine
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153
with them, so that later they remarked that every time they came to
see Don Bosco they had to submit to an examination.
When stricken by some common illness he did not send for a
doctor unless forced to do so. He would then follow his orders but
seemed wholly indifferent to the outcome. Yet, even in such cases,
against the advice of his doctors he would bravely answer the call
of charity if some task at hand demanded extra effort or a journey.
He would have gladly given his life if the welfare of the Church and
the souls of the faithful so required.
In this chapter we have recorded the testimony of several of our
confreres, anticipating by some years their appearance on the scene
of our narrative. We thought this necessary to acquaint our readers
with Don Bosco’s spirit of penance. This should be kept in mind at
all times as we unfold his life.
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CHAPTER 20
Defending the Faith
^iilAING Charles Albert, as we have previously mentioned,1
had granted religious freedom to the Protestants, apparently with
the sole intention of permitting them to practice their faith openly
without prejudice to the Catholic Church, but such was not their
interpretation. As soon as the decree was promulgated, together
with that of the freedom of the press, they opened an active cam
paign of proselytizing and promoting religious strife by spreading
their errors, especially through polemical books and newspapers
such as La Buona Novella, La Luce Evangelica, and ll Rogantino
Piemontese. These were followed by a flood of booklets promulgat
ing the Protestant interpretation of the Bible. These found their way
into family circles and passed from hand to hand, perverting minds,
corrupting hearts, and undermining beliefs with their poisonous
errors. Concurrently, unscrupulous Waldensians approached the
poor and those in debt with offers of financial aid if they would join
their sect. Unfortunately, some could not resist this temptation.
The newspaper UOpinione supported this heretical propaganda;
its anticlerical staff included Bianchi-Giovini, author of the lurid
and slanderous Storia dei Papi [History of the Popes] and other in
famous works.
We must bear in mind that while the Waldensians were well pre
pared for this aggressive campaign, the Catholics, unfortunately,
were not. Consequently, they could not block it or weaken its disas
trous effects. Until then Catholics had placed their trust in protec
tive civil laws, particularly the first article of the Constitution, which
declared: "The Roman Catholic and Apostolic Faith is the sole
religion of the State.” Now, like soldiers, they were rudely awakened
1See Vol. m , pp. 1901 tEditor]
154
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by trumpet blasts calling them to action. Stumbling into the field of
battle, they found themselves woefully unprepared to face a well-
armed foe. They needed good newspapers with wide circulation,
but had hardly any; they needed low-priced popular booklets, but
had only scholarly works. Not only the young but all the faithful
were the target of the enemies of the Church; consequently, they
were in great danger.
Don Bosco faced this situation with ardent zeal and charity.
Anxious to protect his beloved boys from the rampant errors abroad,
he came to their rescue and in the process saved thousands, indeed
millions of people from spiritual danger. He drew up and published
outlines of Catholic doctrine; he printed leaflets of religious and
moral maxims adapted to the times and spread them abundantly
among young people and adults, especially on retreats, missions,
novenas, triduums, and solemn feast days. Furthermore, in 1851
he prepared a second edition of The Companion of Youth? Its
frontispiece carried a picture of St. Aloysius with the legend: “Come,
O children, offer your innocence to the Divine Heart and I shall pro
tect you,” Don Bosco appended six chapters in the form of dialogue,
entitled The Catholic Religion: Some Basic Points. In it he ex
pounded the thesis that there is but one true Faith, that the Walden-
sian and other Protestant teachings were not of Divine origin, and
that their churches could not claim to be the true Church of Jesus
Christ. Further, he pointed out that the Protestants were cut off
from the source of true life, Our Divine Savior, and that they them
selves admitted that Catholics could be saved and did belong to
the true Church. He also outlined what Jews, Mohammedans, and
Protestants should do to save their souls. In subsequent editions of
The Companion of Youth, he expanded these sound arguments into
ten chapters, with an added explanation of the dogma of papal
infallibility. He made these chapters a permanent part of the book
for the faithful to have at hand at all times. Later, he firmly rejected
a proposal to publish them in a separate booklet, convinced that
nobody would read them if they were not part of the book. “They
must be a vade mecum,” he declared.
Even in its shorter form as published in 1851, this little treatise
2 A prayerbook for boys compiled and published by Don Bosco in 1847. See
Vol. HI, pp. 7-18. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
must have directed a strong counterblow to Protestant proselytizers.
It reached thousands of young people, their main targets, and en
joyed the same success as Don Bosco’s Bible History 3 and Church
History,4 A t its conclusion Don Bosco had written:
All past persecutors of the Church are now no more, but the Church
still lives on. The same fate awaits modem persecutors; they too will
pass on, but the Church of Jesus Christ will always remain, for God has
pledged His word to protect her and be with her forever until the end
of time.
While preparing this second edition, Don Bosco had a very grati
fying experience. One evening, on his way home from the printer’s,
he passed through Porta Palazzo. In the porticoes on the left he
stopped to browse at a bookstall. The bookseller was prompted to
remark that those books were not exactly what Don Bosco might
be looking for since they were Protestant publications. “I can see
they are not for me,” Don Bosco replied, “but on your deathbed
will you be happy to have sold them?” He bid the bookseller “good
night” and went on his way. Curious as to the identity of the priest
the bookseller inquired of the bystanders and was told that it was
Don Bosco. On the following day he called on him. As a result of
their conversation, he handed over all his Protestant books to Don
Bosco and reformed his life.
Don Bosco was certain that the Waldensians were making head
way in various villages. His information came from all kinds of
people who, inexplicably but providentially, felt attracted to him.
Some candidly told him of the activities in Waldensian circles as
well as their plans and mounting success. There were those who
counseled Don Bosco not to give too much importance to these re
ports, but he kept on the alert, gathered information, and passed it
on to the chancery. One of the officials displayed annoyance at the
importance that Don Bosco seemed to give such statements, but he
continued to do his duty, even at the cost of embarrassment.
Among other towns, the Waldensians had unobtrusively pene
trated into Cirie 5 and were proselytizing. On hearing of this, Don
a See Vol. II, pp. 307-12. [Editor]
4 See Vol. II, pp. 257-61; Vol. Ill, pp. 215-222. [Editor]
5 The town was some fourteen miles from Turin; at this time its population was
about 3,600 people. [Editor]
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Bosco again informed the chancery. “Do you mean to say that you
know more than we do?” replied the aforementioned official. “There
are two pastors in Cirie and they are not blind. Do you really believe
we don’t know what goes on? Does light come only from Valdocco?”
Don Bosco said nothing. Shortly thereafter things took such a bad
turn in Cirie that a mission was immediately called to counteract
Waldensian influence and refute its errors. Several other parishes
were also duly warned, thanks primarily to Don Bosco’s vigilance.
In the midst of these new concerns, Don Bosco learned that the
Waldensians intended to build a temple in Turin. His source of
information was a man named Wolff, a repentant fallen-away
Catholic who, through a pecularity of the human heart, felt he had
to reveal all the plans of his coreligionists to Don Bosco. The
Waldensians had requested municipal permission for a building site
near the city park. Since the sect numbered hardly more than two
hundred in Turin, the authorities denied the request even though
it was supported by the Attorney General at the Court of Appeals.
The Waldensians did not give up. On the strength of the royal
decrees of December 17, 1850 and January 17, 1851 which recog
nized their right to build a church of their own, they purchased a
piece of land along Viale del Re, not far from the St. Aloysius Ora
tory. The building department approved their plans for a church
and adjacent buildings, but the municipal authorities, anxious to
uphold their responsibility to the Catholics, stalled for time. How
ever, when the Minister of the Interior, a man named Galvagno,
made it clear that royal decrees were not to be ignored, opposition
to sparing the city such an affront ceased. As the news spread, the
Turinese and all the Catholics in Piedmont were grieved and prayed
to God to spare their capital from such a scandal. The bishops,
acting collectively and officially in the name of the Church, the
Constitution, and the honor of the House of Savoy, sent a joint
letter of protest to the king, citing the penal and civil codes of the
realm. But their protests fell on deaf ears. Construction of the Wal
densian church began immediately. Aid and comfort had been given
to those waging a bitterly fierce war against the Catholic Church.
As soon as Don Bosco learned of these developments, not con
tent with what he had already done to offset the danger, he wrote
and published a pamphlet entitled Warnings to Catholics. We record
here its Foreword.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Catholics, open your eyes! Countless snares are being laid to lure you
from the one, true, holy religion which can be found only in the Church
founded by Jesus Christ.
Our lawful shepherds, the bishops, appointed by God to protect us
from error and to teach us truth, have already repeatedly alerted us to
this danger.
The infallible voice of the Vicar of Jesus Christ has also warned us.
There are evil people who would like to tear your Faith from your hearts.
Such people deceive themselves and others; do not believe them!
United in heart and soul, rally around your shepherds who have always
taught you the truth.
Jesus said to St. Peter: “Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build
My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against her, for I shall
be with her shepherds forever and ever.” [Cf. Matt. 16, 18]
To Peter and to his successors, and to no one else did He say this.
Whoever tells you anything contrary to this is deceiving you. Do not
believe him!
Be firmly convinced of these great truths: where St. Peter’s successor
is, there is the true Church. The only true Faith is the Catholic Faith.
One cannot be a Catholic unless he is united to the Pope.
Our pastors, especially our bishops, unite us to the Pope, and he unites
us with God.
Read the following warnings carefully. If you will carefully imprint
them into your heart, they will protect you from error.
What is briefly expounded here will soon be explained at greater length
in a book.
May Our Merciful Lord imbue all Catholics with such courage and
steadfastness that they will be faithful to the religion in which they were
fortunate to be bom and raised: a steadfastness and courage that will
make us ready for any sacrifice, even death itself, sooner than betray in
word or deed our Faith, the sole true Faith. Without it there is no sal
vation.
This proclamation, addressed no longer only to young people but
to the Piedmontese in general and to the Turinese in particular, was
followed by the little treatise, The Catholic Religion: Some Basic
Points, which had been published shortly before in the second edi
tion of The Companion of Youth. It was a stopgap measure until
the publication of the new book Don Bosco was preparing on the
same subject. The new book, to be entitled The Well-Instructed
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159
Catholic, was to alert Catholics to the danger of heretical deviations,
teach them the more essential doctrines, expose the errors of the
Waldensians, check their evil influence, and thus solidly confirm
Catholics in their faith.
Warnings to Catholics enjoyed a huge success. Two hundred
thousand copies were circulated far and wide in just two years. It
delighted the faithful, but drove the Waldensians to fury. As the
Philistines of old, they had complacently thought that the road lay
clear before them to devastate the fields of the Lord, but a new
Samson had arisen in defense of the people of God to unmask their
intrigues, break their ranks, and rout their armies.
This book and many others that followed from Don Bosco’s pen
showed everyone that the press yielded the most powerful weapon
for defeating the enemies of the Church. This was the path to be
pursued in defense of beleaguered Christian society.
In those years every aspect of Catholicism seemed dormant. It
was Don Bosco’s clarion call that awakened the faithful of Turin
to action. Indefatigable in circulating his latest publication, he sent
one hundred and fifty copies to Father [Felix] Scesa, novice master
at Stresa, with a letter dated March 3, 1851. He also wrote about it
to his [former seminary] professor, Father [John Baptist] Appendini
at Villastellone.
Dearest Father:
I am sending you one hundred copies of Warnings to Catholics. Let
me warn you that if you try to distribute them, you will arouse the anger
of the Gazzetta del Popolo,6 and maybe of others. This booklet, tiny as
it is, is a nuisance to them. They would just love to get their hands on
as many copies as they can and bum them.
Nevertheless, if you will help circulate good books (an excellent work
of mercy) I guarantee you will be protected from their lightning bolts.
Your account stands as follows:
Books already shipped:
100 copies of Warnings to Catholics:
Lire 1.95
5.00
Total: Lire 6.95
6 An anticlerical newspaper founded in 1848. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
I hope to come and see you and will collect then. Love me in the
Lord and let me know if I can help you in anything. I shall be delighted
if I can be of any service. With filial affection I remain,
Your most grateful pupil,
Fr. John Bosco
Leader of the Little Rascals
Unfortunately, the Waldensians had friends among the legislators
who never passed up an opportunity to propose bills and launch
new accusations against the Church. In March Parliament witnessed
a heated debate on the teaching of theology at the university. The
course was charged with antiquated and demoralizing errors. Loud
requests were made for improvement, especially by promoting bibli
cal studies as the Protestants were doing. It was proposed that the
government appoint professors in the schools operated by the bish
ops, that the theology department at the university be freed from
episcopal jurisdiction, and that oratories and confraternities in the
universities and other educational institutions be abolished, leaving
students completely free to be atheists or believers. Count Camillo
Cavour, who had not yet declared himself an anticlerical, spoke
somewhat in favor of episcopal control. Thus, at this time the only
effect of these furious outbursts was a letter from the Minister of
Public Education to the bishops in which he attempted to impose
certain conditions on the teaching of theology. The bishops pro
tested vigorously.
The anticlericals were peeved because all the professors in the
department of theology at the University of Turin, except the pro
fessor of canon law, [Johann Nepomuk] Nuytz, were orthodox.
Nuytz, an obscure lay theologian whose knowledge of history left
much to be desired, had adopted the ideas of Febronius and van
Espen and was a Jansenist. He had been on the faculty for several
years and had purposely been given that post to pervert his young
ecclesiastical students. He championed very grave errors on the
rights of the Church and the State, the sacrament of marriage, and
canonical penalties. Some of his treatises had been condemned by
a papal brief [on August 22, 1851] but the press and the govern
ment supported him. The bishops of the realm appealed to the king
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Defending the Faith
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to end such a scandal, and their protest was partially successful.
Lectures on canon law were suspended and shortly thereafter Nuytz
was replaced by Filiberto Pateri, who was no less a royalist and
opponent of the prerogatives of the Church, although somewhat less
outspoken. Nuytz died in 1876, refusing to recant, without receiv
ing the Last Sacraments.
Meanwhile, in that year [1851] the Minister of Public Education
tried to attract clerical students to the university by urging the
chancery to inform them that in the matter of benefices the govern
ment would continue to give preference to those priests who had
obtained university diplomas. The bishops, however, refused to
allow seminarians to take courses in canon law at the university.
This was not all. Error was to be given not only freedom but
other benefits too. On March 16, 1851, a royal decree reduced the
equestrian order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus, founded by papal
authority and endowed with church property and revenue, to lay
status and abolished the religious profession demanded of its mem
bers and beneficiaries. As a result, honors and revenues could now
also be conferred upon Jews and non-Catholics. We have dwelt in
detail on these matters so that the reader may better appreciate the
struggle in which Don Bosco was engaged.
Meantime, one of Don Bosco’s most ardent wishes was being ful
filled. On February 2, Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin
(which was celebrated that year at the Oratory jointly with the ex
ternal solemnity of St. Francis de Sales), Joseph Buzzetti, Felix
Reviglio, James Bellia, and Charles Gastini donned the clerical
habit.7 The ceremony was performed by Father Joseph Ortalda, a
canon of the cathedral, who on this joyful occasion chose for his
Gospel text: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and for
the rise of many.” [Luke 2, 34] He told the new clerics what their
mission would be if they remained faithful to the grace they had
received.
Overjoyed, Don Bosco was not content with the church ceremony
alone but also gave a special dinner to which he invited Canon
Ortalda, Father Nicco, Canon [Louis] Nasi, and Canon [August]
7 See Chapter 14. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Berta. It was a dinner never to be forgotten. The cooks proved their
skill, for Don Bosco was never niggardly with his friends. None of
the guests, however, were able to eat a meat course or sip the after-
dinner coffee because of a strange mishap in the kitchen. While
Mamma Margaret was busy setting the table, her sister Marianne
(who after the death of Father Joseph Lacqua had come to the
Oratory) had inadvertently cooked the meat in the same pot
Mamma Margaret had used to prepare the coffee. How this mishap
was not discovered in time we cannot explain. As late as 1901
Canon Berta still recalled the inexplicable weird taste of the meat
and the coffee that none of the guests were able to swallow although
they politely refrained from any outward display of disgust. We then
explained the mystery to him to his great amusement. He, in turn,
told us admiringly how Don Bosco had eaten his small portion of
coffee-flavored meat and sipped the greasy coffee as if nothing were
wrong with either.
The very next day after donning the cassock, the four new clerics
started their philosophy courses under Father [Lawrence] Farina
and Father [Joseph] Mottura, with Canon Berta as their mentor.
After a few months Don Bosco had each of them petition the king
for a subsidy, and it was granted.8
Thus Don Bosco could at last entertain the hope that the new
clerics would remain with him, but in spite of all his efforts it did
not turn out that way. As we shall see later, two of them discon
tinued their studies, and the other two, for reasons beyond their
control, had to leave the Oratory to join the diocesan clergy. They
were exemplary priests. [Felix] Reviglio, however, immediately be
came Don Bosco's assistant at the Oratory for both day boys and
boarders until 1857. The other three also were of great assistance
to him in teaching catechism to day boys and boarders, in super
vising them in church and in the playground, and in teaching vocal
music.
Mamma Margaret was thrilled to see so many vocations flourish
about Don Bosco. Although retiring, she was endowed with deep
common sense and she knew what was proper and what was not.
s In this edition we have transferred to Appendix 5 one of the four replies re
ceived. [Editor]
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From the moment Don Bosco had his first clerics and priests sit at
table with him, she refrained from joining them. Don Bosco wished
her to be present on certain occasions, but she always had some ex
cuse. For example, when he sometimes invited some of the better
boys to his table, he insisted that she also join them on the pretext
that her presence in their midst would prevent loud talk, sloppiness,
or other bad table manners. He was particularly insistent on those
occasions when there were strangers as guests. Mamma Margaret
obliged, even if unwillingly, for awhile, but then was seen no more.
“It is no place for me,” she told Don Bosco. “It just doesn’t seem
right for a woman to be there.”
Mamma Margaret had a serene disposition, to be sure, but we
must not imagine that her life at Valdocco was all roses. She loved
order and thrift and would not: countenance waste of things that
had cost work and money. Yet who could prevent very lively young
sters from thoughtlessly and frequently causing considerable dam
age that was bound to distress her?
After one of many such instances, one day in 1851 Mamma M ar
garet went to Don Bosco and said, “Listen, Don Bosco. You can
see it’s impossible for me to keep things in order in the house. Your
boys are up to some new mischief every day. They throw all my
clean linen on the ground when it’s supposed to be drying in the
sun. They trample my vegetables in the garden. They take no care
of their clothes and tear them into tatters beyond mending. They
keep losing handkerchiefs, ties, and socks. They misplace shirts and
underwear and can never find them. They take pots and pans from
the kitchen to play with, and I lose half a day getting them back.
To put it bluntly, they are driving me cra2y. I was much happier
when I sat weaving in the stable without all this bother and anxiety.
I want to go back to Becchi and live out my last few days in peace.”
Don Bosco gazed at her for a moment. Deeply moved, he silently
pointed to the crucifix hanging on the wall. Margaret looked and
her eyes filled with tears. “You’re right!” she exclaimed. “Quite
right!” Without further ado she went back to her chores.
From that moment, she never uttered another word of complaint.
Indeed, after that nothing seemed to upset her. One day a boy was
having a lot of fun frightening the chickens and chasing them
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
through the open meadows. Marianne, M argaret’s sister, yelling at
him for all she was worth to leave them alone, was desperately try
ing to drive them back to the chicken coop. Margaret came out to
see what the shouting was all about and calmly told her sister, “Oh,
don’t get so excited. What can you expect? Don’t you see they just
can’t stay still?”
Of course, some of the Oratory boys were thoughtless. However,
all were very deeply attached to Don Bosco and retained their affec
tion for him even after they returned to their families and pursued
their careers and callings. Among the many proofs of this affection
which we could adduce, we have chosen two letters from one of his
pupils, Anthony Comba.
The first, addressed to Don Bosco, is postmarked Rumilly, Savoy,
February 16, 1851.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to receive one of your longed-for let
ters. How often I recall our dear, happy Oratory! How many times do
I return in thought in one guise or another. Don’t think that I could ever
be so ungrateful as to forget the Oratory so soon. I shall always remem
ber it. Really, the happy days I spent there are indelibly impressed upon
my memory.
I am very glad to hear of my companions’ success in donning the cler
ical habit. With God’s help I hope to do the same in the near future. My
school subjects take much work, but that suits me fine. I’ve managed to
rank second in the class. We have a very fine superior who lived in Rome
a long time; he speaks beautiful Italian and teaches it to us on Fridays.
Sometimes I call on him and converse in this language.9 We’re very good
friends and I’ve chosen him as my confessor. The other teachers are very
good too. We boarders are fifty-seven. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Sundays after lunch we all go out for a walk. I have no more to tell
you, except to ask that you remember me most cordially to your mother,
to your brother Joseph, to Father Grassino, to Savio, Bellia, Buzzetti,
Gastini, Reviglio, Angeleri, Piumatis, Aellisio, Tomatis, Canale, Amaud,
etc., etc. And don’t forget Father Viola, Father Borel, and Father Car-
pano, etc., etc. I’d be very happy to get a letter from my friend Bellia;
please tell him to give me news of Turin and to send me a copy of the
9 At this time in Piedmont the local dialect rather than Italian was commonly
used in conversation. [Editor]
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song E consumato il calice with the first bar of the music. I think Buz-
zetti has a printed copy. When you write [save your money], don’t put
stamps on the envelope.
This warm affection was not short-lived. Much later he wrote
again.
Montauroux, September 11, 18S2
My dear friend and schoolmate Father Rua,
Let me first sincerely thank you and Father Lago 10 for your affec
tionate letter of August 15 last. It pleased us no end. Many, many thanks.
My whole family has recited the prayers you prescribed. Thanks to
Our Eucharistic Lord, to the Blessed Virgin, Help of Christians, and to
the powerful prayers of our ever beloved Father,: Don Bosco, and to
those offered by all of you, dearest friends .and brothers, we were de
lighted to see my dear wife able to attend Mass on the beautiful feast
day of Our Lady’s Nativity. Once, when I was in Savoy, Don Bosco wrote
to me, “Live in the holy fear of God, love me always in the Lord, and
know that if I can ever be of help to you in anything, you will always
find a most affectionate friend in me. Father John Bosco.” I have always
loved our good Don Bosco, I have never forgotten the Oratory or my
dear companions there, and I still fondly recall the little songs of those
happy days long ago.11
Good-bye Father Rua, good-bye my dear companions and friends.
Good-bye.
Ever affectionately yours,
Anthony Comba
We shall now resume the thread of our narrative. In February
Don Bosco obtained another spiritual favor from the Holy Father.
Well aware of the value of indulgences, he fully realized that a
plenary indulgence meant the total remission of temporal penalty.
“Treasure indulgences,” he often told his boys. It was in this spirit
that he petitioned the Pope as follows:
Angelo Lago, a druggist with his own store in a town in Piedmont, having
been influenced by Don Bosco, became a Salesian, studied for the priesthood, and
was ordained at the age of forty-three. He died a saintly death on March 14, 1914.
[Editor]
ii Two songs that were part of the letter have been omitted in this edition.
[Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Most Holy Father:
The Reverend John Bosco and his fellow priests who labor in the
oratories for young workers in the city of Turin humbly request a plenary
indulgence on the last Sunday of each month for all the boys attending
the aforesaid oratories provided they have received the sacraments of
Penance and Holy Eucharist.
For which grace, etc.. . .
[The request was granted.]12
12 In this edition we have omitted the papal rescript. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 21
Purchase of the Pinardi Property
Q f-H E Oratory up to this time was still on leased premises.
Renting the entire Pinardi house1 had been a very wise move on
Don Bosco’s part from a moral standpoint, even though it was ex
pensive, but it did not guarantee the Oratory’s future. The former
tenants were still resentful and loudly protested their eviction, shout
ing to whoever would listen: “For years people used to come to
this place for a little fun in their leisure hours. Isn’t it a shame that
it should have fallen into the hands of an intolerant priest?”
Meanwhile an individual who was eager to return to this old
haunt and restore it as a den of iniquity and a money-making enter
prise offered Mr. [Francis] Pinardi almost double the rent Don Bosco
was paying. But Mr. Pinardi, an honest man, had no intention of
breaking his word. Besides, happy at seeing his house serve a phil
anthropic purpose, he had often offered Don Bosco the option to
buy it. However, either because he overestimated its value or because
he needed the money, he was asking the exorbitant sum of eighty
thousand lire. Whenever he mentioned this figure, Don Bosco would
invariably reply that it was far beyond his means.
“Make me an offer then, and we’ll see!” Pinardi would insist.
“How could I, after such an exorbitant request?”
“Can we make it sixty thousand?”
“Forgive me, but I can’t make an offer.”
“Well, I’ll practically give it away—fifty thousand!”
“Let’s have no hard feelings, but please forget it,” replied Don
Bosco.
At this time a young engineer, [Anthony] Spezia, was living near
1 See Vol. nr, pp. 364f. [Editor]
167
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
the Oratory. Don Bosco ran into him one morning and, struck by
his clean-cut look, stopped to exchange a few words with him and
find out what his job was. “I’ve just received my diploma as an
architect,” replied the young man, “and now I’m looking for work.”
Don Bosco invited him to take a look at the Pinardi house and to
quote a fair price for the building, its adjacent shed, and the sur
rounding lot. The young architect begged to be excused, pleading
inexperience, but in the end he gave in. His quotation, rather high,
ran between twenty-five and thirty thousand lire. When they parted,
Don Bosco said: “I’ll be needing you again; wait and see.” Mr.
Spezia recalled these words when [years later] Don Bosco commis
sioned him to draw up plans for the church of Mary Help of
Christians.
It did not look as though the Pinardi house could be purchased
at that time. There was not even the shadow of a possibility that
Don Bosco could put together such a huge sum; furthermore, neither
he nor his mother had any resources left after having disposed of
all of their property on behalf of the boys. Indeed, in those days
they sometimes could not even afford to buy bread.
But at the beginning of 1851 God showed that He was the master
of all hearts and that He had destined that site for our Oratory. It
was a Sunday afternoon. The boys were in the chapel listening to
Father Borel’s sermon while Don Bosco stood at the playground
gates to hurry the late comers. Suddenly a violent quarrel broke out
in the nearby tavern. In the scuffle an army officer received a blow
on the head and fell to the floor bleeding profusely. At that very
moment Mr. Pinardi showed up, fuming with indignation. He had
often been summoned by the police to give evidence on similar bloody
brawls, and he just could not stand the nuisance and the risk of in
curring the vengeance of the persons involved any longer. Looking
very worried, he went up to Don Bosco and declared: “I’m just fed
up! I’ve decided to put an end to all this. I’ve had enough of brawls
and more brawls.”
“I would like to buy this house,” Don Bosco said, “but you don’t
want to sell. As long as you keep it, the troubles will be yours.”
“I don’t want to sell?” exclaimed Mr. Pinardi. Then, in a tone
that was half-serious, half-joking, he continued, “I have some news
for you. You are going to buy my house!”
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“Easy,” Don Bosco replied. “I ’ll buy it, if the price is right!”
“Of course.”
“Well, let’s hear it.”
“Eighty thousand.”
“I can’t make any counteroffers.”
“Just try.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because what you ask is exorbitant, and I don’t want to offend
you.”
“Make me an offer anyway.”
“Would you really let me have it for what it’s worth?”
“I give you my word.”
“Let’s first shake hands and then I’ll make my offer.”
“How much then?”
“A few months ago,” Don Bosco added, “I had it appraised by
someone who is both your friend and mine. He told me that, as it
stands, the property is not worth more than twenty-six or twenty-
eight thousand lire. I’ll make it thirty for a quick deal.”
“Would you also throw in a five-hundred lire brooch for my
wife?”
“Yes, I’ll make her that present.”
“Will you pay cash?”
“I will pay cash.”
“When shall we draw up the deed?”
“Whenever you like.”
“Within two weeks, in one cash payment.”
“As you say.”
“And a fine of one hundred thousand lire for the one who goes
back on his word.”
“Amen,” Don Bosco said. “And to top it off, if it’s all right with
you, I’ll even give a dinner and you can invite your friends.”
“Even nine or ten?”
“Even nine or ten.” Thus in a matter of minutes the deal was
closed.
Don Bosco was very anxious to buy the house before Mr. Pinardi
might change his mind and sell to a higher bidder. But where was
he to find thirty thousand lire, and in so short a time?
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
He immediately dispatched a letter to Father Rosmini at Stresa.
Very Reverend Father,
Turin, January 7, 1851
1 duly wish to inform you that while the plan for the new building we
talked about was being drawn up, something better showed up.
For personal reasons, the proprietor of the house in which I am now
living has decided to sell. As a result of our discussions we could close
the deal on this property with 28,500 lire. The house has twenty rooms;
the plot of land, entirely enclosed by a wall, measures 27,162 square feet.
May I point out that selling at our leisure what we have already bought
for the new building will bring in no less than thirty thousand lire. Thus
we would merely be exchanging one site for another of equal value and
layout. The two sites are adjacent and both are about the same distance
from downtown.
If you could now loan the sum we have already discussed, you would
be doing something very advantageous to the Oratory. This property
could be paid for in full, and your money would be invested in a mort
gage-free building and plot. We could remodel the building and in doing
so turn part of it into the hospice we talked about.
Father Puecher, Father Scesa, and Father Pauli2 are already fully
acquainted with the place, which is actually the site of the Oratory of St
Francis de Sales for both day boys and boarders. A word from you and
I shall close this deal.
Hoping that you wih go along with me in this enterprise, which I am
sure will be for the greater glory of God, I wish you every blessing from
God. I am honored to be,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Father [Charles] Gilardi promptly replied on behalf of Father
Rosmini.
Stresa, January 10,1851
Very Reverend and dear Don Bosco,
In reply to your letter of January 7, my very reverend superior, Father
Antonio Rosmini, sends you his warmest regards and instructs me to
inform you that if the site and building you now occupy in Valdocco is
on sale and truly free of mortgage or any other lien, he would most gladly
2 Rosminian priests. [Editor]
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Purchase of the Pinardi Property
171
loan you twenty thousand lire at the terras already stipulated. You may
therefore count on this sum which will be paid to you partly in cash and
partly in government bonds. Give the word, and we shall draw up a
contract.
I am glad of this opportunity to wish you and your charitable enter
prises every blessing from the Lord for the New Year just begun and for
many others. Please remember me to your good mother and believe me
to be always,
Your devoted servant,
Fr. Charles Gilardi
Twenty thousand lire, however, was not thirty thousand. Don
Bosco still had to find the balance. God, who never abandons His
servants in need, completed the work He had started. One Sunday
evening Father Joseph Cafasso came to the Oratory. It was rather
unusual for him to come on Sundays since he was always busy in
St. Francis of Assisi Church. He went up to Don Bosco and told
him, “I have some news for you which will surely not displease you.
A good lady, Countess Casazza-Riccardi, has asked me to bring you
ten thousand lire to be spent as you see fit for the glory of God.”
“Thanks be to God,” answered Don Bosco. “This is precisely the
sum I needed.” Then he told him how he had just closed the deal
to purchase the Pinardi house and was now wracking his brains to
find the remainder of the stipulated sum. The two priests could not
but see in this the hand of God. Mr. Pinardi in turn was utterly
amazed when, on January 14, barely one week after the oral agree
ment, Don Bosco went up to him and said, “The money is ready;
draw up the contract.” They agreed on an informal down payment
of two thousand lire the following day while the contract was being
drawn. They also had the dinner as Don Bosco had promised.
Meanwhile Don Bosco lost no time in getting the contract ready.
He also hastened to inform Father Gilardi.
Dear Reverend Father:
Turin, January 15, 1851
After receiving your welcome letter on behalf of your superior, Rev
erend Father Rosmini, I fully investigated the matter of Mr. Pinardi’s
house and found that it is truly free of all mortgages and other liens. I
have therefore drawn up the contract of purchase.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
In drawing up this instrument there will be no other mortgage placed
on the estate save the twenty thousand lire loaned by my benefactor,
Father Rosmini. All that remains is for him to delegate someone to verify
that the estate is truly free of all liens and sign the agreement.
Please convey my sincerest thanks to your reverend superior for all
that he is doing for us. I hope that this act of charity for the greater glory
of God may draw abundant blessings for him and his institute.
Almost daily I spend a little time with our dear Costantino and Nico-
lino.3 Love me in the Lord, and believe me to be with all my heart in
Jesus Christ,
Your grateful servant,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Excuse the hurry. My little rascals are making considerable noise.
Father Charles Gilardi, procurator general of the Rosminian
Fathers, finally came to Turin with the twenty thousand lire. “God
Himself sent this money,” exclaimed Don Bosco. And he said this
with such feeling that Father Gilardi was moved.
The notary’s deed reads as follows:
On February 19, 1851, through the notary Turvano, Francis Pinardi
sells the land and buildings adjoining the property of the Filippi brothers
to the north and east, the Via Giardiniera on the south, and the property
of Mrs. Mary Bellezza on the west to the Reverend Fathers John Bosco,
John Borel, Robert Murialdo, and Joseph Cafasso, for the sum of 28,500
lire:4twenty thousand to be paid by the Reverend Charles Gilardi, repre
senting Father Anthony Rosmini, and the balance by private deed.
Another thirty-five hundred lire were still needed for incidentals.
Commendatore Joseph Cotta, in whose bank the deed was drawn
up, donated the sum. This gentleman was a principal benefactor and
supporter of the Oratory throughout his life.
As we can see, on this occasion Don Bosco received another
proof that Divine Providence favored his work. This imbued him
with a renewed trust and an even firmer conviction that God would
not abandon him in the future. We believe that this trust and con
viction, never failing in the course of nearly fifty years, account in
3 Two Rosminian clerics who were studying in Turin. [Editor]
4 We cannot explain this variance, Don Bosco’s previous offer stood at 30,000 lire.
See p. 169. [Editor]
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the main for Don Bosco’s untiring activity. He may have seemed
somewhat overventuresome at times, but in the light of his success
ful enterprises we must rightfully view him as the man of Providence.
He performed this role with the generous cooperation of many
good Christians. Among these was Father Rosmini, who provided
the greater part of the means necessary for giving the Oratory of
St. Francis de Sales a home of its own. Upon granting the loan at
four percent interest, he had stipulated that the interest was to be
paid upon request, but he never pressed for payment of interest or
amortization. Nevertheless, Don Bosco faithfully met his obligations,
settling accounts every year with Father Gilardi, the Rosminian
procurator. Father Rosmini remained Don Bosco’s friend through
out his life, and so did the priests of his institute. Don Bosco, also
out of gratitude, reciprocated their affection, as we have been able
to see from his letters. We shall quote one of them here because it
sheds light on sermons that Don Bosco delivered during this period.
The letter is addressed to another Rosminian who had been trans
ferred to St. Michael’s Abbey and Shrine.
Dear Father Fradelizio,
January 18, 1851
I admit my negligence; what with many occupations and trips here and
there, and the additional fact that I am a rascal, I have not replied to
your very kind letters. Hence I plead guilty without further excuses and
beg your gracious pardon.
I am sending you the books you requested plus a few other small items
which I think will please the boys who have found a father in you. I also
enclose a statement of expenses on several errands for you in Turin.
I was very sorry to have missed you when you came to Turin; but now
that you are much closer than when you were at Stresa, I hope to see
you here at the headquarters of my little rascals soon, I consider your
transfer a providential act. I am sure it will benefit the population of the
area. Your generous heart can and desires to do good, and the people
will respond.
Give my regards to Father Caesar and to the others I know there. Love
me in the Lord. If there is anything I can do for you, I promise not to be
as neglectful as I have been until now.
Your most affectionate friend,
Fr. John Bosco
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CHAPTER 22
The Man of Divine Providence
T h e purchase and sale of Father Moretta’s ho u se1 and
the acquisition of the Pinardi property and the field which we shall
refer to as the field of Mary, Help of Christians, were for Don Bosco
initial steps in facing a new challenge to which the Lord had sum
moned him.
Contrary to what some shortsighted people believed, Don Bosco
was not working for self-aggrandizement. In a materialistic and
money-oriented century in which economics, machines, and power
ful trusts were all that counted, and amid speculators and bankers,
self-centered people uninterested in or scornful of Divine Provi
dence and preoccupied only with accumulating wealth, their symbol
of power, God raised an extraordinary man— a man without means,
a nobody in the eyes of the world, a financial nonentity unschooled
in business methods. And yet this man would make his undertakings
grow to vast proportions; he would handle huge sums provided by
charity and spend them for the glory of God and the salvation of
souls.
Detached as he was from earthly possessions, Don Bosco valued
money only as a means to an end. Here we should pause and reflect
on Don Bosco’s life as a whole. He was fully aware of the dignity of
his office as steward of Divine Providence, and like a faithful servant
he began to put to work the talents which his Master had allotted
to him. He took as his rule the maxim of St. Ignatius Loyola: “Work
as though the outcome of any undertaking depended entirely upon
your efforts, and at the same time distrust yourself as though every
thing depended entirely on the Lord.” This is the reason why in
i See Vol. ffl, pp. 324, 327f. [Editor]
174
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The Man of Divine Providence
175
countless different ways he appealed to the Christian charity of the
faithful, unmindful of difficulties and sufferings until he had reached
his goal. He never failed because God rewarded his virtue. When
he was without funds, the bank to which he had recourse was that
of Divine Providence. To make himself eligible for its assistance,
he lived in true evangelical poverty and demanded the same of his
pupils. But before launching any project, he always meditated on it
at great length, asked prayers of his boys and other devout souls,
and to his very last day constantly sought advice from prudent
priests, from his immediate ecclesiastical superiors, and from the
Pope himself in order to make sure that he was truly carrying out
the will of God. All of this has been attested to by Father Rua and
others who lived with Don Bosco.
His voluntary poverty, his spirit of prayer, and his sincere humil
ity qualified him for his mission. To this must be added his unswerv
ing confidence in God, as can be gathered from Bishop Cagliero and
Father Rua in the following statement:
Don Bosco used to say, as we often heard him, “God is my Master.
He it is who inspires and sustains my undertakings; I am but His instru
ment. God is bound to avoid cutting a sorry figure. Besides, the Blessed
Virgin is my protectress and my treasurer.”
When means were lacking or other difficulties arose, Don Bosco
looked even more cheerful than usual and told more jokes. If he
appeared to be in a lighter mood it meant that he really had trou
bles. Realizing this to be so, we would do a little probing and learn
of new and serious difficulties that had arisen. Undaunted, he found
courage in St. Paul’s words, “I can do all things in Him who strength
ens me.” [Phil. 4, 13] He was convinced that after putting him to
the test, God would help him as He had done before.
No one ever detected the least sign of vexation or boredom in
him. His round-the-clock worries, day after day, seemed not to
bother him at all; it was as if they were somebody else’s problems.
He never gave himself airs; his demeanor was always humble as if
he were a nobody who had never done anything worth mentioning.
Yet it was not easy to handle all the money which Divine Provi
dence sent to him, because he necessarily had to depend also on the
help of others. He cautiously prepared his plans, carefully selected
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
his assistants, meticulously looked for ways to keep operating costs
as low as possible, and minutely examined contracts (without giving
the appearance of distrust). Once he had chosen an assistant of
proven honesty, he trusted him implicitly, following the example of
the high priest Joiada in the days of King Joas during the restoration
of the Temple: “And they reckoned not with the men that received
the money to distribute it to the workmen; but they bestowed it
faithfully.” [4 Kings 12, 15]
Openhearted and incapable of guile, Don Bosco believed others
to be as honest as himself. Unfamiliar with devious business prac
tices, he was often deceived by false estimates and had to spend
much more than originally planned. Occasionally, especially in the
beginning, his suppliers defrauded him in various ways; now and
then, in straitened circumstances, he was obliged to do business with
unscrupulous people and undersell or overpay. There were frauds
and thefts because Don Bosco could not keep an eye on everything.
This should not cause surprise. Did not Jesus entrust to Judas the
purse containing alms?
As his schools multiplied, Don Bosco sought assistants among
the members of his own congregation and at last found men of
proven honesty. Some of them, however, lacked the necessary busi
ness experience; thus the schools they directed were often without
financial means and Don Bosco could not always support them.
More than once the debts of the Oratory rose perilously, and there
was no money. Still, even when bankruptcy seemed inevitable, Don
Bosco always managed to meet his obligations; his creditors never
lost a penny. He continued to open new schools and provide shelter
and training and all the necessities for an increasing number of boys.
In France, Austria, and England, Don Bosco’s name was sufficient
guarantee for the suppliers of his houses. Mere verbal agreement
or his signature sufficed to qualify him for loans. In [South] America
some banks first granted substantial loans to the local Salesian houses
and then mailed the blank promissory notes to Don Bosco for his
signature!
This continuous, evident miracle went on for almost half a cen
tury. It is obvious that in a materialistic age God had chosen Don
Bosco as tangible proof of what Divine Providence could do for a
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The Man of Divine Providence
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man who, not relying on human resources, put unlimited trust in
God.
As our narrative proceeds we must also bear in mind this aspect
of Don Bosco’s mission. As early as 1851, for example, in talks
with Father Cafasso, Father Borel, and Father Giacomelli, Don
Bosco repeatedly mentioned his intention to commence work within
a short time on a new, vast Oratory. One day early that year, as his
boys crowded around him, he talked to them about the large build
ing that would soon rise in Valdocco, vividly describing the porticoes
enclosing the spacious playground, the solemn liturgical services in
a large church echoing to. the strains of majestic music, and the
people flocking to it. It was as if all these things were actually taking
place before their eyes.
In March [1851] Don Bosco decided to start the construction of
a new chapel that would be more decorous and more adequate to
the increasing number of boys. As has already been narrated,2 the
old chapel had been enlarged by the addition of several small rooms,
but it was still too small and inconvenient. Being two steps below
the ground level, it was often flooded and damp in winter or when
ever it rained. In summer, the low roof and poor ventilation made
the heat unbearable. Hardly a Sunday passed that some boy did
not faint. Thus it was not only desirable but imperative that a new
church be built in the interests of piety, the minimum of comfort,
and health.
But what means could Don Bosco count on, just after having
paid a large sum for the Pinardi building? We shall report here what
Joseph Brosio wrote to Father John Bonetti.
I came to see Don Bosco one weekday and found him in the play
ground reading a letter and looking very pensive. I asked him what was
the matter. He showed me the letter. It was from a supplier who was
threatening to sue him unless he immediately paid about two thousand
lire on an overdue account. I hung my head, thinking how terrible it
would be if Don Bosco had to appear in court and be condemned for in
solvency. I heaved a sigh. But he remarked quite serenely, “Come, come,
Brosio. Don’t take it so hard. Do you really think Divine Providence is
2See Vol. H, pp. 4|6f. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
going to abandon me? Let us pray together, and you’ll see what the
Blessed Virgin can do for the Oratory!” I followed him into the chapel.
As we came out, a gentleman came up to Don Bosco and handed him the
money he so urgently needed. This money, however, was only a stop
gap, for there were many other bills still unpaid, and daily expenses had
to be met.
If the chapel was far too small for so many boys, the living quarters
of the boarders posed the same problem. What could Don Bosco do?
Where could he find the money for so many needs? When I expressed
these worries to him, Don Bosco answered smilingly, “I intend to hold
a lottery in the near future, but I don’t know where or with what. Do
you have any suggestions?”
“Well,” I replied, “you know many rich people. Ask them to donate
prizes. I’ll do the same with several shopkeepers I know. We’ll have a
fine lottery; you’ll see!” We agreed to do just that. However, he did not
disclose to me how he would go about soliciting gifts. The drive for the
church eventually took care of the living quarters and the boys’ support
also. Thus the drive actually fulfilled a triple goal. He made this a prac
tice in the future: he specified a main goal, but he planned it in such a
way as to secure also the means for two other equally important objec
tives. He always succeeded.
At about this time Don Bosco remarked one evening to his
mother, “I think we should build a beautiful church in honor of
St. Francis de Sales.”
“Where will you get the money?” Margaret asked. “We have
already spent all we had on food and clothing for these poor boys.
Before taking on the building of a church, think it over carefully
and ask God to enlighten you.”
“That’s precisely what we’re going to do. Now, if you had any
money, would you give it to me?”
“Of course I would!”
“Well then,” Don Bosco concluded, “God, who is much more
generous and goodhearted than you are, has money all over the
world. And I hope He will give me some when and where it will be
needed for His greater glory.”
Full of confidence in God, Don Bosco one day sent for the archi
tect, a man named [Frederick] Blanchier. He took him to the site
he had chosen for the church and asked him to draw a plan. At
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The Man of Divine Providence
179
about the same time he also asked a contractor, Mr. Frederick
Bocca, if he would undertake the construction.
“Gladly,” Mr. Bocca answered.
“But I must warn you,” added Don Bosco, “that perhaps at times
money may be slow in coming.”
“In that case we’ll slow down the job.”
“Ndt at all. I want the job to proceed quickly. The church should
be ready within a year.”
“Well then, we’ll speed it up,” the contractor rejoined obligingly.
“Good! Then get started,” Don Bosco concluded. “Some money
is ready; Divine Providence will send the rest.”
While he was making these arrangements, Lent was approach
ing. On the last two days of the carnival season,3 the day boys and
the boarders of the Oratory made the Exercise for a Happy Death.
“I remember,” Canon [John Baptist] Anfossi wrote, “how Don Bosco
every year at the close of the carnival season would exhort us to
receive Holy Communion and make a Holy Hour before the Blessed
Sacrament to atone for the sins committed during that season. He
was moved to tears and so moved us too whenever he spoke of the
outrages committed against Our Lord, especially at carnival time.
He exhorted us further to carry out our practices of piety most
devoutly and gain a plenary indulgence, saying, ‘Let us make this
carnival a joyous one also for the poor souls in Purgatory by hasten
ing their entrance into paradise.’ He also urged us not to forget our
benefactors. Consequently we boys felt no desire to go to town to
have fun, even though there were plenty of amusements and the
streets were full of people in fancy costumes. It never occurred to
us to ask permission to go out. But Don Bosco always saw to it that
we had plenty of fun with games and a stage play.”
By March 11 all the Lenten catechism classes were ready. Father
Peter Ponte, director of the St. Aloysius Oratory, was assisted by
a young priest, Father Felix Rossi, Father Leonard Murialdo helped
every Sunday, teaching catechism at the Guardian Angel Oratory
in Borgo Vanchiglia; his cousin, Father Robert Murialdo, later on
became its director. To assist these and other zealous priests, Don
Bosco sent not only his clerics but also his own boys from Valdocco.
3 The carnival season began on the feast of the Epiphany and reached its peak
on the last three days before Ash Wednesday. [Editor3
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
He chose the more reliable and intelligent among them for this task,
which they fulfilled every Sunday throughout the year. In 1851 he
also sent several of them to teach catechism in the parish church of
SS. Simon and Jude, out of deference to the pastor within whose
jurisdiction the Valdocco Oratory was located. Except for a few
brief interruptions, Don Bosco provided this service for many years.
Don Bosco himself stayed at Valdocco but closely supervised the
catechetical instruction in all the oratories, Nicholas Cristino gives
the following account:
I was one of the first to attend the St. Aloysius Oratory, which I fre
quented for several years. Don Bosco used to come many times, either
during Lent or in the course of the year, and was sometimes accompanied
by prominent people of Turin who helped him. He was always received
with great enthusiasm. He would preside at the catechism classes and
at the church services, preaching and arousing the zeal of his co-workers.
I often admired Don Bosco’s sway over all the boys. Occasionally some
hot-tempered boys would start a fight. Don Bosco would come up to
them and calmly say, “Cut it out. Cut it out,” At the same time he would
gently take hold of them by the ears, and immediately peace would be
restored.
Now and then he would reward the more diligent boys by taking them
out for dinner either to Father Vola’s villa in Santa Margherita or to the
good pastor at Sassi [in the outskirts of Turin across the Po River]. Min
gling with the boys, he studied their inclinations, spirit of piety, and con
duct, searching for some sign of a priestly vocation. He thought that I,
among others, might turn out well in this vocation, and he had Father
Peter Ponte teach me Latin. I did not succeed because my elder brother
did not have the patience to wait and see if, as I progressed in my studies,
my vocation would become clearer. I had to discontinue my classes and
learn a trade. But of the many others whom Don Bosco helped, some
became priests and others followed other honorable professions. Every
one loved him; many were grateful to him and often visited him in Val
docco. As for me, ever since he died I visit his tomb in Valsalice every
week.
Don Bosco showed the same solicitude for the Guardian Angel
Oratory in Borgo Vanchiglia.
Since Easter was approaching (in 1851 it fell on April 20),
priests were busy hearing confessions. As in previous years, the
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The Man of Divine Providence
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Capuchin Fathers of the Monte dei Cappuccini and the Oblates of
Our Lady of Consolation were tireless in hearing the boys’ confes
sions at— respectively— the St. Aloysius and the St. Francis de Sales
oratories. The boys who were to make their First Holy Communion
had also learned a special hymn which Don Bosco had taught them
and which he incorporated that same year into The Companion of
Youth.
All diocesan and religious priests were doing their best in the city
and in the provinces, ministering to the spiritual needs of the popula
tion. At the same time they were forming upright and loyal citizens
and bestowing many other moral and material benefits on the people.
The anticlericals, however, were not interested in what was really
good for the people;, on the contrary, they were opposed to the
people’s good, and their greatest wish was to rob religion of all
influence over their lives.
Toward the end of March in Parliament (which now seemed a
stronghold of Protestantism), amid a torrent of anticlerical insults
and abuse, a bill was introduced for reforming the monastic orders.
It would have declared solemn vows before the age of twenty-one
illicit and invalid. It also would have made it mandatory for novices
(men or women) to live away from the monastery or convent for
at least six consecutive months during the two years preceding their
religious profession. Superiors who accepted a religious profession
in violation of this law would be liable to banishment, while the
would-be religious would lose his or her civil rights. As matters
turned out, the bill did not come to the floor for a vote.
Plans for suppressing ecclesiastical benefices and religious orders
had not yet been fully worked out, but in a preliminary move heavy
taxes were levied on them. Although churches were exempted, the
properties of pastors and beneficiaries were hard hit by the new
legislation. On April 15 [1851], King Victor Emmanuel II abro
gated tithes in Sardinia, and on May 23 he sanctioned the law of
mortmain, declaring it applicable to all provinces, municipalities,
and charitable institutes. But while the latter were taxed only one
half of one percent, religious institutions had to pay four percent.
Toward the end of May [1851], Don Bosco began work on the
new church. After demolishing part of the inner wall separating the
two playgrounds, workers began excavating for the foundations,
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
which were laid at the beginning of the summer. Occasionally the
workmen would use blasphemous language. Don Bosco called them
together one day and begged them to refrain from such utterances.
As a reward he promised to treat them to a drink or two at the end
of the week. The workers agreed and loyally kept their word. For
more than a year thereafter Mamma Margaret brought them a small
cask of wine every week. This system worked wonders! It promoted
respect for God, it made friends for Don Bosco, and it quenched
the thirst of hardworking men.
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CHAPTER 23
Raising Funds for a Church
I n preparation for his new church Don Bosco started a
fund-raising program. One of his first appeals was addressed to
Father Rosmini.
Turin, May 28, 1851
Reverend and dear Father:
Your brief stay in Turin afforded me no opportunity to show you the
plans of our new church and the proposed alterations to our residence.
I therefore thought it advisable to get together some ten people experi
enced in such matters and discuss with them the best way to carry out
these two projects.
We carefully studied the plans and their execution* For reasons of
hygiene and economy we decided to start with the church. Since we de
pend entirely on the contributions of the faithful in order to meet our
expenses, I take the liberty of asking your generous assistance. The archi
tect [Frederick Blanchier] has estimated the cost at thirty thousand lire.
We already have half that sum in donated material, money, and labor,
but we still need fifteen thousand lire. Please bear in mind that even the
smallest amount will be gratefully accepted. I would be most happy to
list you among the contributors to the construction of this church dedi
cated to St. Francis de Sales, the first church ever built in Piedmont for
poor and abandoned boys.
As regards the alterations in the residence, we decided to add one story
and thus double the present accommodations. The funds for this project
will come from the sale of a parcel of land1 (some is already sold), the
prospects for which are promising.
I am sure you will continue to lend us a generous hand. I wish to thank
you with all my heart for everything you have done for us, and I pray
the Lord to grant you success in your endeavors for His greater glory.
1 See p. 170. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Please remember me in your fervent prayers. With deep gratitude and
veneration, I remain,
Your most grateful servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Gilardi replied promptly:
Reverend and dear Don Bosco:
Stresa, June 1, 1851
Our revered superior, Father Rosmini, was delighted to receive your
letter of May 28 and to see that God is blessing your untiring efforts by
sending you the necessary means for building a church and enlarging
the building for the scope your inspired charity has destined. He too
would gladly contribute a large donation if his present circumstances and
the heavy expenses incurred during the last few years (still weighing
upon him) did not make it impossible. Nevertheless, if it is agreeable
to you, he will gladly donate a number of his books to you. The proceeds
from their sale would help to defray the building costs. Please let me
know. If this meets with your approval, I shall send them.. . .
Fr. [Charles] Gilardi
Giatefully, Don Bosco replied as follows:
Reverend and dear Father:
Turin, June 4, 1851
Through you I thank your revered superior, Father Rosmini, for his
contribution to our new church whose construction has just started.
Beggars are not choosers, and therefore any donation is gratefully re
ceived. I trust the books may be easily converted into cash. Please let
me know how you plan to send them so that I may be ready to receive
them. It would also be very helpful if you would let me know their list
price.
I was very sorry to hear the news of Father Charles Rusca; I trust
that his sickness will not be “unto death.” [John 11, 4] At any rate I
have already prayed and shall continue to pray that God’s most holy
will be done.
Thanking you with all my heart, I remain,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
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Raising Funds for a Church
185
Meanwhile, as was his practice whenever he was about to start
anything of great importance, Don Bosco decided to pay a visit to
the shrine of Our Lady of Oropa to invoke with all his heart Her
motherly assistance. For this information we are indebted to James
Bellia who gave us the following account.
At my request he came to Pettinengo to close the May devotions. It
was the first time that such a solemn ceremony had been held in our
village. In his sermon Don Bosco, taking his cue from a bouquet of lilies,
roses, violets, and other flowers, invited his hearers to practice the vir
tues these flowers symbolized as a means of pleasing Our Blessed Mother.
He stayed with us for a week, edifying us and hearing several confessions
in our own house.
He then went to Biella. On requesting permission to say Mass in St.
Philip’s Church, he realized he had forgotten his celebret. When asked
whether he knew anyone there who could vouch for him, he gave the
name of Father Goggia whom he knew only by reputation. At that very
moment Father Goggia was entering the sacristy. As soon as the two
priests saw each other they embraced (a thing which Don Bosco did
only on very rare occasions) and called each other by name, although
they had never before met. I was amazed, since no one had even uttered
Don Bosco’s name. With the others present I was privileged to witness
the meeting of two holy men.
From Biella Don Bosco went to Oropa where he celebrated Mass.
The rector invited him to return and stay for a period of three months
as a guest. He suggested that this would give Don Bosco time to write
books; his only obligation would be to say Mass for the pilgrims. The
prospect of a few weeks of peace and prayer before the Sacred Image,
time permitting, appealed to Don Bosco, and he gladly and gratefully
accepted. However, by the time he finally returned to Oropa, there had
been a change in the administration and he could not stay [as originally
agreed].
Thus is the witness of James Bellia. Upon his return from Oropa
Don Bosco quickly went ahead with the plans for the future church
and submitted them to the municipal authorities for approval. Then
he began to solicit a great number of potential contributors, point
ing out to them how a church was badly needed in the Valdocco
district. He also enclosed a blank on which they could list their
donation.2
2 A footnote describing this blank has been omitted in this edition. [Editor!
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
He continued this letter-writing campaign for several months.
Among the replies were those from the bishops of Piedmont, whom
he had earnestly asked to promote subscriptions in their own dio
ceses. All were very sympathetic to his plans but regretted their
inability to contribute financially since they too were meeting sim
ilar difficulties: churches under construction or repair, decline in
contributions, charitable institutions to support in poor dioceses,
etc___ Nevertheless, while assuring him that in due course they
would meet his expectations, some did send a token offering for the
time being and others volunteered to fulfill Mass obligations for him
and donate the stipend.
Particularly noteworthy is the deference that marked their replies.
Bishop [Louis Fantini] of Fossano wrote: “Continue your work with
all possible speed, for Divine Providence will not abandon you. May
our friendship be ever enduring.” Bishop [Constantius Fea] of Alba
wrote: “God will not fail you in the noble task you have undertaken.
I shall invoke His blessing on you.” Bishop [John Anthony Odone]
of Susa replied: “Father Gey has forwarded me your esteemed letter
in which you acquaint me with your plans for a church. You will
thus add to your many undertakings (inspired by the Lord) on
behalf of poor and abandoned youth.” Bishop [John Anthony
Gianotti] of Saluzzo commented: “I cannot do as much as I would
like to. At any rate, here is a proof of my esteem for your holy and
zealous undertaking.” Bishop [Pio Vincent Forzani] of Vigevano
wrote: “Ever engaged as you are in good works, you will store up
yet a new reward and blessing in heaven with the church you have
planned to build for the faithful residing in the area between Borgo
Dora and Martinetto.”
The following letter from Bishop John Thomas [Ghilardi] of
Mondovi seems to embody the sentiments expressed by the other
bishops.
Mondovi, August 12, 1867
Very Reverend Father:
Whenever I hear of you or your zealous undertakings on behalf of
young people, I always thank the Lord for having inspired you with such
zeal for the welfare of souls in these troubled, perverse times. You can
well imagine how gladly I would help you ensure the success of your
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Raising Funds for a Church
187
new undertaking. Unfortunately, I myself have assumed so many obli
gations and incurred so many expenses that for the moment I can con
tribute nothing but my moral support. Just to mention one item, I have
four churches under construction, two of them parish churches. I defi
nitely have to contribute all I can to these projects because they were
begun at my behest and with the promise of my assistance. I will not
speak of the endless number of poor people for whom I must occasion
ally provide food, lodging, and clothing. Lack of money is a general prob
lem, but in my case it is felt even more because I am frequently unable
to meet even the most pressing needs. For these reasons I cannot do any
thing at the moment for your new church. But I shall bear your need in
mind and I hope to satisfy it, if not now, at the first propitious moment.
Further, I shall recommend your cause to devout, charitable persons from
whom I can expect a contribution. What I can do now and gladly do is
extend my most cordial congratulations for the great good you are doing
and ask the good Lord to bless you even more and make your holy enter
prises prosper. Please remember me in your prayers. With the greatest
esteem and regard, I remain
Yours devotedly,
ii{t John Thomas, Bishop
Meanwhile, on June 24, while the boys of Valdocco were cele
brating Don Bosco’s name day, the municipal building commission
approved the plans for the new church of St. Francis de Sales. On
June 30, Deputy Mayor Bursarelli officially notified Don Bosco of
the approval.
The [external] feast of St. Aloysius always followed that of St.
John the Baptist. In preparation for the feast the excavations of the
new church had been covered by wooden planks and a large stand
had been set up for guests in front of the old chapel. The stand and
the playground were adorned with carpets and draperies, while two
rows of banner-topped flagstaffs, draped in gaily-colored cloth, ex
tended from the door of the chapel to the front gate, marking out
the path of the procession.
The bishop of Fossano had been invited to perform this solemn
ceremony, but other engagements forced him to decline. He sent
his apologies to Don Bosco;3 Bishop [Lawrence William Renaldi]
3 A footnote giving the bishop’s reply has been omitted in this edition. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
of Pinerolo took his place. L ’Armonia, in its issue of July 4, 1851,
gave the following account of the celebrations:
The feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga was celebrated most devoutly and
solemnly in the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Turin on Sunday, June
29. Throughout the morning very many went to confession and Com
munion; then, after a moving exhortation, Bishop Renaldi of Pinerolo
administered the sacrament of Confirmation to about four hundred boys
and adults. At this solemn gathering of staunch Christian youths, there
naturally was no lack of youthful voices for responses, recitations, and
songs; the setting was modest, to be sure, but the performance was su
perb. A floating balloon, rockets, and fireworks brought the festivities to
a close. Happiness, joy, and serenity shone on the faces of all the young
sters who were most reluctant to see the day come to a close. It was a
family celebration for more than fifteen hundred boys who hung upon
every word of their loving father while cheering him frequently and rev
erently with one heart and soul. All that was lacking at this magnificent
and solemn feast was a large church; two-thirds of the boys had to follow
the church services from outside because the present chapel was just too
small. However, it seems that Divine Providence is doing something about
a better and larger church.
Wo recall that the cleric [Felix] Reviglio, at Don Bosco’s sugges
tion, had set up on the balcony three barrels of water, each of a
different color, with a small tube leading to an underground con
nection to portable fountains. Toward evening three jets of colored
water suddenly shot up into the air to the great amazement and
delight of the boys. It didn’t take much to make them happy.
Shortly after this celebration Don Bosco went to St. Ignatius’
Shrine above L anzo4 for a spiritual retreat. Father [Lawrence]
Gastaldi gave the instructions and Father Molina the meditations.
Joseph Brosio’s account follows:
It is hard to adequately describe Don Bosco’s solicitude for us. He
was always afraid that his sons might be lacking something or other, or
that they might not be satisfied with what he was doing for them.5 1 knew
Don Bosco for about forty-six years and he was never niggardly with his
boys in any way. His only desire was to see them happy; he always sought
4 See Vol. II, p. 96 and passim. [Editor]
5 A footnote reporting a letter by Don Bosco revealing his fatherly solicitude
for every boy has been transferred to Appendix 6. [Editor]
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Raising Funds for a Church
189
new ways to satisfy their longings or wishes, whenever it was feasible
and proper. I could tell many stories in this connection.
He also constantly exhorted us day boys to make a spiritual retreat
every year if possible or at least to spend one day in putting our souls
in a state of grace such as we would like to be in at the moment of our
death.
Since I very much wanted to go to St. Ignatius’ Shrine for a spiritual
retreat, Don Bosco took me along and made me his companion at meals,
recreation, and walks. We were together nearly all the time. At table he
was always worried that I might not have enough food or drink and he
always saw to it that I had a substantial helping. Sometimes in the eve
ning he would say, “Today you also ate too little. You’re young; eat
more or you will -feel the effects later on.”
After the retreat, we went down to Lanzo to visit the little town and
the surrounding area. As we were standing on a lovely hill overlooking
the valley below, Don Bosco became absorbed in thought for a while. I
was watching him and was rather surprised at this sudden change. After
a long silence he seized my hand and exclaimed: “How wonderful it
would be to have another oratory here! What a fine location for a board
ing school!” Fourteen years later, Don Bosco’s boarding school did in
deed stand on that site.
When we reached Turin he said, “Listen, dear Brosio, if you study,
you could get a diploma and become a teacher.. . . Remember that you
are like a son to me and that as long as Don Bosco has a crust of bread,
he will always share it with you.” He often repeated those words to me.
I could see that he was determined to open both day and resident
schools. One day, therefore, I said to him, “Very well, Don Bosco, I’ll
study to be a teacher.” I did study but soon I wearied of the effort and
went back to my business, without, however, diminishing even slightly
my close friendship with him.
I was also anxious to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Oropa. Unable
to accompany me, Don Bosco gave me a note for the rector, who wel
comed me in the same way as he would a distinguished visitor. I was
assigned a room in the priests’ quarters with a domestic to wait on me.
There were very many indeed, besides me, who on various occasions ex
perienced Don Bosco’s fatherly solicitude.
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CHAPTER 24
Cornerstone Blessing
T H R O U G H O U T June and July Don Bosco had tirelessly
continued to seek funds for the construction of his church. Some
were of the opinion that he was beginning to overdo it and becom
ing importune. However, it should be remembered that he was not
asking for himself; he was always in need and in debt, and further
more it took a heroic spirit of self-denial to accomplish everything
he did.
He was so badly in need of money that on June 18 [1850] he
had to sell a lot to Mr. John Baptist Coriasso for 2,500 lire. Located
near the Moretta house,1 the lot measured about 4,000 square feet
and bordered on the field he had seen in his dreams.2 On that site,
now the main entrance to the Oratory, Mr. Coriasso built a small
house and carpentry shop. After concluding this sale, Don Bosco
sent his friends informal appeals with return subscription blanks.
The following appeal, which was sent to St. Michael’s Abbey, is
presented here as a sample:
July 4, 1851
Dear Father Fradelizio:
Much as I would love to fly to the top of Mount Pirchiriano, I cannot
for lack of time. My main headache right now is the church I am build
ing. Of course, you should feel bound (but not under penalty of mortal
sin) to have a hand in it. How? Neither with bricks, which are too heavy,
nor with money, since the mint is located here in Turin, but with some
lumber for the roof of my church. Please try to enlist also the pastor ot
St. Ambrose Church.8 1 ask all of you to join forces and help me to cover
this building.
1See Vol. n , p. 270; Vol. Ill, pp. 323, 327. [Editor]
2 See Vol. II, pp. 232f, 268, 318. [Editor]
3 It was located at the foot of the mountain. [Editor]
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This letter is not particularly well written, but please consider it as
you would one written by one of my little rascals. You may even give
me a good dressing-down, just as long as you send some lumber.
Please convey my warmest regards to Father Puecher, Father Gagliardi,
Father Costantino, and Father Flecchia.4 Wishing you every good thing
from the Lord, and begging you to remember me in your prayers, I
remain,
Your most grateful servant and friend,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Cleric Nicolini’s examination went very well. He has another
exam on Monday.
Don Bosco did not overlook some very wealthy people who were
not in the habit of contributing to charity. Some did not even bother
to reply, but Don Bosco did not give up and he would write again,
even if with little hope of success. He put his trust in God, remark
ing, “Let’s do everything we can and the Lord in His goodness will
do the rest.” After a lapse of time, he would try again in some other
way.
Shortly after the middle of June he sent a petition to King Victor
Emmanuel II. After gratefully acknowledging his goodwill toward
the Oratory boys, he gave him an account of the new church under
construction and invited him to lay the cornerstone. If this were not
possible, he begged him to follow in his father’s footsteps by con
tinuing his royal benevolence toward the Oratory. Shortly there
after Don Bosco received the following letter from the king’s
secretary:
Turin, July 5, 1851
Very Reverend Father:
Your appeal to His Majesty was duly forwarded to His Excellency
Duke Pasqua, administrator of the royal palace. He has informed us, in
a note dated June 25 last, that your request was presented to the king
for his consideration and that His Majesty was very pleased to know that
you and your fellow workers have gathered boys in the Valdocco Ora
tory to give them a sound religious and moral education.
Because of his many engagements His Majesty will be unable to be
4 Rosminian priests. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
present at the laying of the cornerstone of the new church. He wishes,
however, to further this pious undertaking. As a proof of his favorable
interest he wishes to make it known that at a later date he will give his
contribution.
While I am pleased to inform you of His Majesty’s kindly sentiments
toward your praiseworthy institute and its lofty purpose, I also wish to
add my own personal tribute of praise for your zeal in promoting and
directing this wonderful undertaking. With the most profound esteem,
I remain,
Your devoted servant,
For the Minister
Deandreis, First Secretary
Meanwhile, work was progressing steadily and the foundations
had reached street level. Don Bosco and his fellow priests signed
a petition to the archbishop for permission to bless the cornerstone.
On July 18, Canon Celestine Fissore, on behalf of the exiled Arch
bishop Fransoni, authorized Don Bosco or any other priest dele
gated by him to bless it according to the Roman Ritual. The date
was set for July 20. The more than six hundred Oratory boys, like
so many trumpets, heralded the event to such an extent that on the
evening of that day a vast crowd, such as had never before been
seen there, gathered at the site.
Archbishop Fransoni, who was deeply fond of Don Bosco and
his oratories, would certainly have performed the ceremony himself,
but this dauntless prelate was in exile at Lyons. Canon [Anthony]
Moreno, royal almoner, represented the archbishop and blessed the
cornerstone; Commendatore Joseph Cotta, a friend of the poor and
an outstanding benefactor of Don Bosco, set it in place. A copy of
the minutes of the proceedings was placed inside the cornerstone
with various coins, medals, and other mementos. Then Mayor
J. Bellone poured the first mortar over it.
The dedication address was delivered by the renowned Father
[Andrew] Barrera of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Deeply stirred at the sight of the vast crowd and the large number
of priests and members of the Turin aristocracy crowding around
him, he stepped up to a mound of earth and delivered a magnificent
address.
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Cornerstone Blessing
193
Ladies and gentlemen, the cornerstone which has just been blessed
and laid in the foundations of this church has a twofold significance. It
is like the grain of a mustard seed destined to grow into a mystical tree in
which many boys, like the birds of the air, will find refuge; it symbolizes
also that these oratories, founded on the Christian Faith and charity, will
be unshakable rocks against which the enemies of the Church and the
spirits of darkness will hurl themselves in vain.
The eloquent priest then went on to elaborate on these ideas with
such eloquence that all listened with rapt attention. But the real
highlights of his speech were a simile and a prayer. He compared
the times to a hurricane threatening cities and villages with ruin and
devastation.
As the danger gets closer, all living beings are swept away by fear and
trembling and anxious insecurity. People bolt themselves into their homes;
wild animals flee to their lairs. Birds fly to their nests; they are fortunate
if they rest on hardy, sturdy trees. The times we live in are perilous, es
pecially for inexperienced youth. Before us stands a tree whose roots will
sink deep into the ground and whose trunk will not bend before the raging
winds. Under this tree, within the walls of this sacred building, thousands
of boys will find shelter and protection against the evil sown today by
godless men and venal scribblers; they will find refuge and protection
from poisonous, immoral theories and from the fiery onslaught of ardent,
youthful passions which are further aroused by the bad example and scan
dalous conduct rampant in every class of society. I can already see flocks
of boys rising in flight everywhere like frightened doves, hastening here
to find not only shelter and protection but food for their temporal and
eternal life. My listeners, with your material and moral support may this
tree quickly grow to gigantic heights and spread its branches over the
entire city. May it gather under its shade the many poor boys who, to the
disgrace of our Faith, roam our streets on Sundays, falling into trouble,
dishonoring their families, and undermining the very foundations of civil
society. Today, ladies and gentlemen, no other task is more beneficial to
Church and country; the future of families and nations lies in their young
people; with them they will stand or fall.
In conclusion the orator addressed a prayer to Our Lord that
moved many of his listeners to tears.
O God, Our Savior and Our Lord, You are symbolized in this corner
stone. Take this undertaking under Your omnipotent arm. Bless it, if
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
cursed; defend it, if attacked; love it as the pupil of Your eye, if hated.
It fully deserves Your benevolence, for its purpose is to gather, instruct,
and educate children, who were the joy of Your heart during Your mor
tal life. They are and always will be the object of Your most loving atten
tions as the little lambs of Your flock, the choicest flowers in the garden
of Your Church. May this undertaking forever prosper under Your pro
tection. May its seed, carried by the winds of Your grace, scatter far and
wide. May the very foundations of the world collapse before it fades
away from the face of the earth!
The prayer made a powerful impact on the crowd. Today [forty-
four years later] its thoughts sound prophetic, for their fulfillment is
still marvelously going on.
After Father Moreno signed the document of the cornerstone
blessing, there followed a musico-literary program which was truly
delightful. James Bellia read a speech, several pupils recited brief
poems, and six of the smaller day boys put on a skit, written by Don
Bosco, to accompany the presentation of a bouquet of flowers to
the mayor.5
Everyone was charmed by the self-assurance and candor of these
underprivileged children of the working class. The program ended
with military drills by a group of gymnasts who, under the command
of Joseph Brosio, “the bersagliere,” 6 had maintained order during
the ceremony.
At nightfall all the visitors and day boys left. Don Bosco re
mained alone with his boarders. In their eyes the building of the
church was the greatest project that Don Bosco would ever carry
out in his lifetime. When Felix Reviglio expressed his wonder at the
new church, Don Bosco replied matter-of-factly, “Oh, this is noth
ing. There will be other buildings here and yonder and over there.”
Then he went on to describe what now is a reality. The boys listened
intently and eagerly anticipated the day when his predictions would
come true, although at that time the probability of their fulfillment
was pretty slim.
The church under construction was a source of great enthusiasm
5 Omitted in this edition. [Editor]
6 An infantryman belonging to a special swift corps in the Sardinian and Pied
montese army. [Editor]
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for the day boys too. Quite often they brought their Jewish friends
along. Don Bosco had always shown great kindness toward Jews
during his high school days at C h ieri7 and, as we know, he had
been mainly responsible for the conversions of [his two friends]
Abraham 8 and Jonah.9 He cordially welcomed the newcomers. One
day he entrusted one of these boys to Ascanio Savio for instruction,
and the boy was later baptized. Many others would also have be
come Christians if it had not been for parental opposition. Since
their emancipation they attended public schools and unavoidably
were exposed to religious instruction, which in turn must have
aroused their interest in Christianity. Their parents, however, con
stantly warned them to shun Christians as enemies whom they were
in duty bound to hate; if a Jewish boy showed any inclination to
ward Catholicism, his family would instantly remove him from the
school.
Toward the end of his life Don Bosco gave us more information
on this matter.10 He told us:
I knew many of these boys who were very eager to embrace our Faith.
When their families realized that their children were serious, they began
telling them they were ungrateful, that they were apostates, a disgrace to
their families. They even threatened to disinherit them and drive them
from home if they did not change their mind. I know of some who were
imprisoned in their rooms for a long time to prevent them from becoming
Christians. Such things should not surprise us. Modem Judaism is no
longer the holy law it once was, proclaimed by the prophets and con
firmed by miracles. It has the Bible, but it has greater respect for the
Talmud which inspires hatred of Christians and blasphemes God by in
directly denying His existence.
During my life I have often talked with adult Jews and discussed reli
gion with them. Their ideas of the Messiah were pathetic. They treated
this all-important truth with such cynicism that I became indignant. I
remember asking one person whether he believed in the Messiah, and he
replied, “Money is my Messiah.” Another, in reply to the same question,*
* See Vol. I, p. 231. [Editor]
«See Vol. HI, pp. 180ff. [Editor]
» See Vol. I, pp. 240ff. [Editor]
10The reader should not forget that the sentiments expressed here reflect the
spirit of those days. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
said, “A good dinner is the real Messiah to me.” What can one say to such
people? Most of them are ignorant of their religion, have no interest at
all in the Messiah, and shun instruction.
I remember that the rabbis always avoided this topic. Some of them
knew about Jesus Christ, but they adhered to Judaism out of material
considerations. Recently a Jew received instruction in our Faith and ap
peared very eager for Baptism, but only on condition that several of his
debts be paid. Another assured me that he would have become a Catholic
if it would not have meant being disinherited. A third man, a very learned
rabbi, was ready to be converted if I would guarantee him a livelihood.
Nevertheless, I also found good people among them, honest in their busi
ness dealings and generous to charity, as well as a few who truly lived in
conformity with God’s precepts and appeared to be waiting for the Mes
siah in good faith.
Don Bosco had several Jewish friends, two of whom will figure in
our narrative later on. For the moment, the following story will
suffice. One day, when we were in town with him, a very distin
guished-looking gentleman came up to him respectfully and spoke
in a way that made us assume he was a Catholic. When the stranger
left, Don Bosco said: “Do you see that gentleman? He always talks
to me at length whenever we meet. Guess what! He is a rabbi! He
knows the truth but he will not become a Catholic because he is
afraid of the poverty he may have to face if he were to lose the
substantial living he receives from the synagogue. I have begged him
over and over again to put his faith in Divine Providence, but he
lacks the courage to do so.”
Don Bosco was full of compassion for Jews. He prayed for them
and asked others to do likewise because they were once God’s chosen
people and were destined to come into the true Church before the
end of time. Throughout his life he labored for their eternal salva
tion. He treated them all with great charity and even sheltered them
when necessary. As we have seen, both young and old enjoyed his
solicitude and we shall say more about this fact later on.
Some Jewish boys were accepted at the Oratory and received
instruction and Baptism. For example, on July 17, 1851, Bishop
Louis Calabiana of Casale recommended a young Jewish boy to
Don Bosco’s care. Deangelis by name, but better known as “John
of the Pharisees,” he had been sent to Turin in the hope that he
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could be accepted and instructed at the hospice for catechumens.
This arrangement also aimed at protecting him from the persecution
of his fellow Jews of Casale who were doing everything possible to
hinder his conversion. Contemplating the possibility that the hospice
might not be able to accept the boy, the bishop begged Don Bosco
to take him into the Oratory under his fatherly protection, for a
short time at least, and he promised to pay for the boy’s upkeep.
Don Bosco, as usual, gladly accepted him and was happy to intro
duce him to Jonah of Chieri who had remained his good friend and
who often came to visit him at the Oratory.
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CHAPTER 25
Fostering Vocations
JZMlT the beginning of October, Don Bosco went with sev
eral of his pupils to Becchi for the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
John Cagliero, a young boy and the acknowledged leader in all
games, was anxiously awaiting Don Bosco’s arrival. Once when a
bishop had come to Castelnuovo to administer Confirmation, the
boy, impressed by the prelate’s robes, made himself a paper miter
and cope, fashioned a crazier out of a reed, and then allowed him
self to be lifted from the rungs of a ladder onto his companions’
shoulders. As they carried him around, he imparted his blessing with
serious mien to the applauding throng of his friends.
Father [Anthony] Cinzano, the pastor, was fond of this good-
natured but very lively boy, and he allowed him to come and go
freely at the rectory. He also entrusted small chores to him, espe
cially after Don Bosco had promised to take him to live and study
at the Oratory. It was in the rectory that John Cagliero’s love and
enthusiasm for Don Bosco were born. He himself gave us this
account:I
I was always hearing praises being showered on Don Bosco. My fellow
villagers, and especially my mother, relatives, and friends, kept telling
me that they had sensed something extraordinary in Don Bosco, even as
a young boy, that set him above his companions; they regarded his mod
est, gentle behavior as a reflection of his rare virtues. I had met several
of his schoolmates both from the high school and from the seminary in
Chieri, among them Mr. [Secundus] Matta of Morialdo, Father [Charles!
Allora, and Mr. Musso, a lawyer. They also spoke of Don Bosco with
such veneration and admiration for his goodness and virtue that it was
obvious they regarded him as a model of Christian perfection. Father
Allora later told me and others that when Don Bosco was at Chieri his
198
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schoolmates considered him to be a saint. Whenever Father Cinzano
talked to me about him he used to say, “I always felt that there was some
thing special in Don Bosco; his piety, his cheerfulness, his reserve, his
obedience, and his humility were outstanding. In short, he was extraordi
nary in everything.” When speaking of Don Bosco’s perseverance in his
undertakings, Father Cinzano would remark in a light vein, “Don Bosco,
like all saints, was always individualistic and headstrong.”
As soon as Cagliero heard that Don Bosco had arrived at Becchi,
he hurried th e re 1 to greet him. Don Bosco’s grave, composed, and
modest mien were to the boy clear proofs of the many virtues attrib
uted to him. Before he left, Cagliero had asked a friend of his, six
teen-year-old John Turchi, to accompany him on the trip to meet
Don Bosco. John Turchi, now a literature professor, gave us this
report:
Cagliero told me so many good things about Don Bosco that I decided
to accompany him to Becchi. I was very impressed at the sight of this
priest who seemed so conscious of the sacredness of his ministry and yet
was so affable—a real novelty for me. Right from the start I was im
pressed, and that impression was unforgettable. I was charmed by the
affectionate way he spoke to me and to all the other boys. After ques
tioning me about my studies and the career I planned to follow, he con
cluded his conversation with me by saying, “I know your father, and we
are good friends. Please tell him to visit me tomorrow!” My father did
so, and that was how it was arranged that I was to go to the Oratory in
mid-October.
While there I learned from my schoolmates that Don Bosco had done
things that were quite extraordinary. (I must add that this reputation of
his grew ever more widespread.) I watched him conduct evening classes
and met some of the other teachers, such as Father Chiaves and Mr.
Geninatti.
By now the walls of the new church of St. Francis de Sales were at
window level, and with my companions I helped form a human chain to
pass the bricks all the way up. On Sundays and holy days many boys
from town came to the church services. After church we had a lot of fun
playing and performing military drills, using old rifles without barrels—
a gift of the arsenal.
But what impressed me most about the Oratory was the fervent pietyi
i Becchi was about three miles from Castelnuovo. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
that reigned there. This quite surprised me. I must admit that it was not
until then that I began to understand the real meaning of going to con
fession, We frequented the sacraments not only on Sundays but also on
weekdays. Don Bosco urged us to choose some day during the week for
Communion in such a way that there would be some of us receiving Com
munion every day. Most of us made our confessions to him, although on
Sundays other priests were also available. Many boys had such a delicate
conscience that every day, while Don Bosco vested for Mass, there was
always someone who would confide to him some doubt and seek his
assurance before receiving Communion. Then and afterward there were
always a substantial number of boys whose piety was so genuine and
inspiring that they set the tone for the rest of the boys and spurred them
to greater fervor.
Don Bosco showed great interest in our catechism classes. His talks
about church history were informal, clear, and interesting. Before con
cluding, he would pause to ask some of his listeners to comment on what
he had said or to draw some practical conclusion. In his little talk after
night prayers his recommendations were so appropriate that on my way
to the dormitory I would be tingling with joy. He formed our characters
and inspired us to do good; we followed his instructions joyfully. Every
thing he did was accomplished with gentleness; his orders sounded more
like requests, and we would have made any sacrifice to please him.
Throughout the ten years I spent at the Oratory before my ordination,
things continuously got better and better. I have seen many boarding
schools, but I have never found one where such piety reigned as at the
Oratory. Don Bosco’s benevolence toward me never ceased.
Thus reads the witness of Father John Turchi. On November
1, 1851, Don Bosco accepted another boy whose father had died
only a few days before. His name was John Cagliero; he was to leave
an undying memory in the annals of the Oratory.
That year on All Saints’ Day Don Bosco was expected in Castel-
nuovo to give the sermon commemorating the faithful departed. A
few hours before the services, Cagliero was already in the sacristy,
anxious to earn the right to escort the preacher to the pulpit. He
donned his cassock and surplice and then waited patiently while
his friends went out to meet Don Bosco. When Don Bosco arrived,
he did lead him to the pulpit.
On that occasion Don Bosco delivered a truly unforgettable ser
mon. He told the congregation that on his way to the church he had
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passed by the cemetery and had heard mournful voices calling him
by name. He approached, and from among the monuments he saw
souls rising from their graves, lamenting that they had been for
gotten by their loved ones. A husband, a wife, a son, a friend were
giving him messages for their dear ones in the village, begging them
to try to deliver them from their awful torments. Don Bosco de
scribed the pitiful scene, the sorrowful lamentations, and the recol
lections of the past with such vividness, candor, and sincerity that
the congregation wept. That day they were very generous and con
tributed 150 lire— a relatively large sum— for requiem Masses. To
those who marveled at the fact that his sermons loosened the purse
strings of his listeners, Don Bosco would reply: “In order to induce
people to be generous in almsgiving, one must make them under
stand that this is in their own best interests, spiritual and material.
They must be made to realize that having protectors in heaven is
also good business for their farming. These protectors help ward
off punishments, misfortunes, storms, sicknesses, plant diseases,
droughts, e t c . . . . This is the secret for inducing people to give gen
erously; other approaches will yield little or nothing.”
After he was back in the sacristy, Don Bosco turned to his altar
boy and with a kind smile said to him, “I think you want to tell me
something very important, don’t you?”
“Yes,” replied the boy, blushing fiercely. “I want to tell you some
thing that I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I want to come
to Turin with you to study to become a priest.”
“Very well, you shall come along with me,” Don Bosco said.
“The pastor has already spoken to me about you. Tell your mother
to come to the rectory with you this evening and we’ll settle the
matter.”
As the church bells slowly and mournfully invited the faithful
to pray sorrowfully for the dead, John Cagliero and his mother
knocked at the rectory.
“My good Teresa,” Don Bosco greeted her jokingly, “you’ve
come just in time. I was expecting you. Let’s talk business. Is it
true that you want to sell me your son?”
“Sell him? Good heavens, no!” she exclaimed. “But I’m willing
to give him to you, if it’s all right with you.”
“That’s even better!” replied Don Bosco. “Bundle up his things
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
then. Tomorrow I’ll take him with me, and I will be a father to
him.”
The next morning at dawn John Cagliero was already in the
sacristy ready to serve Don Bosco’s Mass.
It was obvious from the very beginning that he was a boy full
of life. Don Bosco’s trip from Castelnuovo to Turin [about 15 miles]
was usually made on foot. When it was time to go, Don Bosco
turned to him and said, “Well, shall we go?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
“What about your mother?”
“She’s glad that I am with you.”
So they set out. At times Cagliero walked at Don Bosco’s side;
at other times he ran ahead or lingered behind to pluck fruit from
the hedges; then he would race to overtake him or jump over ditches
and run through the fields. From time to time Don Bosco would
question him, and the boy’s replies revealed an admirable candor.
They covered the present, past, and future. He talked about the
things he had done at home and confided his most intimate secrets.
He was so candid that Don Bosco declared he had come to know
him so thoroughly within the space of a few hours that if it had
been a sacramental confession he would only have had to give him
absolution.
John Cagliero reminisced about that trip as follows:
Don Bosco talked to me about nothing else but God and the Blessed
Virgin. He asked me if I frequented the sacraments and if I was devoted
to the Blessed Virgin; he also inquired about other spiritual matters.
Every now and then, laughing, he would urge me to be a good boy.
Finally we reached Turin. I shall always fondly remember the moment
I arrived at the Oratory on the evening of November 2 [1851]. Don
Bosco introduced me to his mother, saying, “Mamma, here is a small boy
from Castelnuovo. He wants to become really good and go to school.”
Mamma Margaret replied, “You’re always bringing in boys when you
know very well that we have no more room.”
“Oh, you’ll find a little corner for him,” replied Don Bosco, smiling.
“In your own room, perhaps,” she replied.
“That won’t be necessary,” continued Don Bosco. “He’s so small he
can sleep in the grissini2 basket. We could hoist it to a beam just like a
- Slender breadsticks about three feet long. [Editor}
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birdcage.” Laughing at the remark, Mamma Margaret left the room to
find a place for me. That night another boy and I slept at the foot of Don
Bosco’s bed.
The next morning I saw how poor this dwelling was. Don Bosco’s room
was quite small with a low ceiling, and our dormitories on the main floor
were narrow and paved with cobblestones. Straw mattresses, sheets, and
blankets were the only furnishings. The kitchen was miserably equipped.
For china and silverware we had only a few tin bowls and spoons. Forks,
knives, and napkins made their appearance only many years later when
some benefactor provided them for us.. Our dining room was a shed; Don
Bosco’s was in a little room near the well. It also doubled as a classroom
and recreation hall. All this helped to keep us in the poor and humble
station into which we had been born.
Don Bosco’s example was an education in itself. He actually enjoyed
waiting on us, tidying up our dormitory, mending and cleaning our
clothes, and performing other services for our benefit. He shared our life
and made us feel that this was not just a boarding school but truly a
family cared for by a tender, loving father whose only concern was our
spiritual and material well-being.
He loved to be just one of us. Because of this, occasionally some of us
would forget the respect due to him. At such times it would be one of
the older boys rather than Don Bosco who would reprimand us, saying:
“Behave yourselves! Don’t you see you’re showing disrespect to Don
Bosco? Don’t take advantage of his goodness! We should be good to him
too!”
Outsiders, drawn by Don Bosco’s fame, often came to visit him. Imag
ine their surprise when they found him sitting on a wooden horse or on
the ground, half-hidden by a crowd of boys. There he was, regaling them
with amusing, instructive anecdotes or playing “hot hands” 3 or a game
of dexterity that consisted in alternately striking first the palms of his
own hands and then those of the other player, left palm against right,
right against left, with increasing speed.
For him the salvation of souls was the only thing that really mattered.
If he noticed that some boy had slipped spiritually, he would take pains
to approach him and whisper a good word; then he would assign someone
to keep an eye on him so as to lead him back to the path of virtue and
strengthen him spiritually. He was convinced that God would help him
educate numberless boys in Christian principles.
3 A game in which one player with his back turned and one hand behind his
back, palm open and outward, would be struck on the hand by another player.
If he guessed who it was that hit him, the latter would take his place. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
I recall how, when I was still a newcomer at the Oratory, he would
often tell us with an air of saintly simplicity that he had asked the Lord
to reserve ten thousand places in heaven for his boys. He assured us that
his request had been granted on condition that we did not offend God.
“My children,” he would say, “jump, run, play, and make all the noise
you want, but avoid sin like the plague and you will surely gain heaven.”
As the number of boys kept increasing, we used to ask him if ten thou
sand places would be enough. He then told us that he had raised his
request on behalf of the many other boys who would be coming later
and who would gain their eternal salvation with God’s help and the pro
tection of the Blessed Virgin.
His words were all the more effective inasmuch as his prophetic spirit
manifested itself in countless circumstances. At the Oratory we were all
convinced that Don Bosco had knowledge of occult things.
Those were the words of Bishop Cagliero. Let us now resume our
narrative. After All Souls’ Day Cagliero began to study Latin under
Professor Bonzanino, together with [John] Turchi, Angelo Savio,
and others. At the same time Michael Rua, at Don Bosco’s request,
was accepted by Father Matthew Picco, a professor of rhetoric and
the humanities, at his private school in a flat near the parish church
of St. Augustine. Young Rua, who still did not board at the Oratory,
became an outstanding student.
Don Bosco himself continued to tutor his pupils in their classical
studies. He was truly gifted in suggesting ways and means for getting
the most out of their study of Latin. “Do you really want to learn
Latin?” Don Bosco would ask them, and Michael Rua in particular.
“Do this: translate a paragraph from a classic author into Italian.
Then, without looking at the original text, put your translation back
into Latin, and then compare. Do this every day for a month. You’ll
be surprised how you’ll begin to depend less and less on your
dictionary.”
While looking after the academic education of his students, Don
Bosco was not neglecting that of his young apprentices who were
learning their trade in various Turin workshops. He not only con
tinued to visit them at work to see if there was any moral danger or
to check on their progress, but he also took the trouble to enter into
formal contracts with their employers and see to it that they were
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kept. We think it worthwhile to reproduce one of these contracts;
not only will it give us an idea of the conditions that prevailed in
those times, but it will also allow us to dispense with future ex
planations.
WORK CONTRACT
Turin, November 1851
This private agreement, drawn up at the Oratory of St. Francis de
Sales between Mr. Charles Aimino and Joseph Bordone, a pupil at the
aforementioned Oratory for whom Mr. Victor Ritner stands guarantee,
may be canceled at the request of one of the contracting parties. It has
been agreed as follows:
1. Mr. Charles Aimino shall accept as apprentice glassblower Joseph
Bordone of Biella, to whom he will teach his trade during the following
three years, ending December 1,1854. In addition, Mr. Aimino obligates
himself to give to the said Bordone all the requisite instruction and in
formation regarding this craft during his apprenticeship, together with
suitable advice concerning his proper conduct, and, if necessary, to cor
rect him verbally and by no other means. He also obligates himself to
employ his apprentice only in tasks connected with his craft, and he shall
avoid taxing the boy beyond his physical capabilities.
2. In order that the apprentice may attend church services, catechism
classes, and other activities of the aforementioned Oratory, the employer
shall not require the apprentice to report to work on Sundays or holy
days. If illness (or some other legitimate reason) should force the ap
prentice to absent himself from work for more than fifteen days per year,
the employer shall be entitled to the same number of extra workdays at
the end of the term of apprenticeship.
3. The employer obligates himself to pay the apprentice, during the
aforementioned period, one lire a day during the first year, one and a half
lire during the second year, and two lire a day during the third year.
Wages are to be paid weekly. (The apprentice is entitled to the custom
ary two-week vacation every year.)
4. The employer agrees to give a written, truthful report on the con
duct of his apprentice at the end of each month on an appropriate form
that will be supplied to him.
5. Joseph Bordone obligates himself to serve his employer throughout
the period of his apprenticeship assiduously and attentively; he promises
to be promptly obedient, respectful, and docile toward him and to behave
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
in a manner befitting a good apprentice. Mr. Victor Ritner, goldsmith,
here present, vouches for him and obligates himself to redress any dam
age caused through the apprentice’s fault.
6. In the event that the apprentice should be expelled from the Ora
tory through his fault (thus ending all relationship with the director of
the aforementioned Oratory), all relations between the director of the
Oratory and the employer shall also cease forthwith; if, however, the
reason for the apprentice’s expulsion from the Oratory is of no particular
concern to the employer, this contract shall still be binding on both em
ployer and employee under the sole guarantee given above.
7. The director of the Oratory promises his assistance in regard to
the good conduct of the apprentice. He will also promptly consider any
complaint by the employer against the apprentice lodging at the Oratory
under his care.
Both the employer and the above-mentioned apprentice promise to
carry out their respective obligations under penalty of indemnity.
Charles Aimino
Joseph Bordone
Father John Baptist Vola
Victor Ritner, Guarantor
Father John Bosco,
Director of the Oratory
The first work contracts were drawn up on plain paper, but the
following year this was done as required by law, as may be seen
from the agreement drawn up between Mr. Joseph Bertolino, master
carpenter, residing in Turin, and the apprentice Joseph Odasso of
Mondovi, under the auspices of the Rev. John Bosco and the guar
antee of the boy’s father, Vincent Odasso, bom in Garessio but
residing in Turin. Two originals were requested for this agreement,
in which the employer specifically pledged himself “to give the
apprentice opportune and salutary advice concerning his moral and
civil conduct as a good father would give to his son; to correct him
kindly when necessary but only by word and never by any physical
ill-treatment.”
It was clearly stipulated that in case of damage by the apprentice
the guarantor was under obligation only if it was culpable damage,
“that is to say, caused by malicious intent and not purely by acci
dent or as the result of lack of skill in his craft.” It was also stipu
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Fostering Vocations
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lated that Don Bosco’s responsibility for the boy’s conduct would
cease from the moment the boy no longer resided at the Oratory.
The agreement, dated February 8, 1852, had the following signa
tures; Joseph Bertolino, Joseph Odasso, Vincent Odasso, and Rev.
John Bosco.
Each of these agreements differed in some respects; duration of
the contract and wages varied according to the age and ability of
the boy and the complexity of the trade he was to learn. But in
reading them we may gauge the difficulties and problems which
frequently cropped up to add to Don Bosco’s burdens; these were
undoubtedly a nuisance and source of worry to him, but never to
such an extent as to ruffle his composure. Often the employers were
too exacting and the boys rather careless, but his love for his fellow-
men found a solution for everything. Whether they were drafted or
simply accepted by him, these agreements clearly reveal his solici
tude for all those entrusted to his care.
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CHAPTER 26
Special Charisms
*-ILLTHOUGH the St. Aloysius Sociality flourished in the
oratories at Porta Nuova and Borgo Vanchiglia, it achieved its best
results at Valdocco where everything centered on Don Bosco. (As
a point of interest, the indulgences granted to those attending the
three oratories were also to apply to all future oratories.) Don Bosco
loved the St. Aloysius Sodality; it was the apple of his eye, and every
year he would give a dinner to all the day boys who were members.
Occasionally he held sodality meetings in the chapel and had a
secretary record the minutes. The outstanding day boys and all the
boarders were members, the latter by the express wish of Don Bosco.
They were very eager to sign up and have the privilege of wearing
the medal of St. Aloysius.
Distinguished Turinese noblemen became honorary members of
the sodality and proudly took part in the festivities, honoring the
saint by joining the procession and wearing their membership medal
on their lapels. The sodality officers, with the assistance of the
“prior,” 1 had to plan the celebration of the feasts of St. Francis de
Sales and of St. Aloysius. At the preparatory novenas the boys sang
the hymn Iste confessor or Infensus hostis; then there followed a
prayer or a short reading from the life of the saint being honored
or from some doctrinal book. On the Sunday before the feast, at
morning and afternoon church services, the boys were exhorted to
approach the sacraments and frequently reminded of the plenary
indulgence they could gain on those days. All these practices were
later incorporated into the regulations of the festive oratories. The
1A lay officer elected for one year. He was responsible for the external solem
nity of feasts and the maintenance of discipline. See Vol. Ill, p. 459. [Editor]
208
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Mutual Aid Society, an extension of the St. Aloysius Sodality,2 also
flourished, and its officers and prominent members were Don Bosco’s
dinner guests annually.
Don Bosco often gathered the most loyal and zealous sodality
members in his room to brief them on the festive oratory and the
hospice. He also showed them how they could assist him through
their brotherly supervision of the boys. In accordance with his aims
he held up the example of St. Aloysius and urged them to imitate
him with the following exhortations:
Remember that St. Aloysius spent several hours a day before the
Blessed Sacrament.
He loved most those who were unkind to him.
As a layman, he volunteered to teach catechism to the uneducated, to
help them reform their lives, and to act as a peacemaker among them.
While teaching the poor of Rome, he used to bring them to a priest so
that they could make their confession and regain God’s grace.
If we cannot teach catechism to poor boys, let us guide them to others
who can. In this way many souls can be saved from the path of perdition
and led to salvation. In return, St. Aloysius will obtain many graces from
God for us.
Needless to say, Don Bosco’s words were particularly effective
because of his personal holiness and the general belief that he pos
sessed special powers. St. Paul tells us, “He who cleaves to the Lord
is one spirit with Him.” (1 Cor. 6, 17) Therefore, we have no rea
son to doubt that such a person could be privy to some of God’s
secrets and occasionally tap His omnipotence. As regards Don
Bosco, it is an incontestable fact that God rewarded him for his
virtue with charisms which not only helped him immensely in seek
ing God’s glory and the salvation of souls but also proved to all his
heavenly mission. He was truly endowed with the gift of prophecy;
he could read hearts and discern hidden and secret things. He also
possessed the gifts of tears, of healing, and of miracles.
Father Ascanio Savio, who lived at the Oratory from 1848 to
1852, and his schoolmate, [Stephen] Vacchetta, assured us that
even in those early days Don Bosco had disclosed that God would
2 See p. 53. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
bless his plans and works and that they would see the Oratory
develop and flourish in a wondrous manner.
Father John Turchi, who came to the Oratory in 1851, also
asserted that Don Bosco had even then envisioned a large building
with vast workshops and a printing plant of his own. This would
enable him to promote God’s glory by spreading religious and moral
books to strengthen the faith of the young and to counteract both
the error of Protestantism and licentious literature.
John Villa began attending the Oratory as a day boy in 1855.
Many of his companions who had been frequenting the festive ora
tory for years confirmed to him the veracity of those predictions
which they themselves had heard. Others added: “To encourage the
members of the St. Aloysius Sodality Don Bosco would often tell
them of a dream in which he had seen the remarkable development
and expansion of the oratories, an implicit allusion to the religious
congregation he would found. Thus he made them understand how
important and widespread the St. Aloysius Sodality would become
in future years. In his humility he spoke of dreams, but deep in
their hearts all the boys sensed that he was making a prophecy. This
belief was further strengthened by his predictions of events which
they themselves saw fulfilled. Father Michael Rua gave us this
report:
I attended the Oratory from 1847 to 1852. From the earliest days I
remember that whenever a member of the St. Aloysius Sodality died, his
death had been predicted by Don Bosco. He never disclosed the boy’s
name, of course, but he would say, “Within fifteen days or a month, a
sodality member will be called to eternity. It may be I or it could be any
one of you. Let us get ready!” A salutary fear kept the boys alert to see
if this prediction would come true. At the time of such predictions some
of the boys he meant were in excellent health, whereas others were per
haps sick, but the striking thing was that they did die within the time
predicted. I personally heard several such announcements, and at other
times was told of them by my companions, but they never failed to come
true. He foretold the death of my own brother and of others as well.
Louis Rua, Michael’s older brother, an exemplary young man,
was an Oratory boy. He died on M arch 29, 1851, at the age of 19.
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We are indebted to Joseph Buzzetti for the description of the fol
lowing event that took place in 1850:
One evening, Don Bosco called some members of the St. Aloysius
Sodality for a special meeting. At its close, as they were about to go
home, Don Bosco said to them, “Count those present. One of you will
be missing at our next meeting.”
They all understood that “will be missing” meant that one of them
would die. Some who were closer to him—among them Michael Rua’s
brother—privately asked Don Bosco who it was going to be. At first Don
Bosco gave an evasive answer, but on being pressed, he said, “His name
begins with B ”
At this frank reply the boys looked at each other in puzzlement. Of
those who had attended the meeting only two had names beginning with
B, and, strangely enough, both boys had the same surname, “Burzio,”
although they were not related. The boys who had pressed Don Bosco
for the name agreed to keep his revelation secret and waited to see what
would happen.
Both Burzios enjoyed excellent health. The younger one was another
St. Aloysius and Don Bosco esteemed him highly. One Sunday, at Don
Bosco’s Mass for the boys, young Burzio was absorbed in prayer; sud
denly, with a painful cry, he collapsed. All thought it was just a fainting
spell. However, Don Bosco was anxious to know why he had cried out,
and the boy told him, “At the Elevation I saw the Host dripping blood.
At the same time I heard an awesome voice saying: ‘This is a symbol of
what sacrileges will do to Our Lord in Piedmont.’ ” Burzio died before
the next sodality meeting.
According to Joseph Buzzetti, similar events had also occurred
during Don Bosco’s chaplaincy at the Rifugio. Father Michael Rua
tells us:
Don Bosco did not only predict deaths; he also foretold many recov
eries, even in the most hopeless cases. I recall that [Louis] Viale, a cleric
schoolmate of mine, fell gravely ill in 1853 and the doctors had given up
any hope of saving him. Don Bosco visited him in the hospital and told
him to pray to a saint, perhaps St. Aloysius. He assured Viale that when
he would see him again in three days he would be sitting up in bed eating
and would soon after leave the hospital. Don Bosco’s prediction came true
in every detail.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
All the boys we have spoken of here belonged to the St, Aloysius
Sodality. Both they and many others recalled that even at that time
Don Bosco possessed the gift of reading hearts. They told of revela
tions made in and out of the confessional and of confidences the
boys later made to each other. Don Bosco had fathomed their most
intimate thoughts, as well as things they had either forgotten or
failed to say in previous confessions. “The intention in the human
heart is like water far below the surface,” we read in the Book of
Proverbs, “but the man of intelligence draws it forth.” (Prov. 20, 5)
The boys were convinced that Don Bosco could see through them.
Some whose conscience was troubled shunned him in the hope this
ruse would hide their sinful life and spiritual misery. One of these
boys, who became a distinguished professor, attested to this, as
follows:
Many, including myself, whose conscience was not at peace with God
had this strange experience: they seemed to be irresistibly kept away from
Don Bosco as he mingled with the boys, but at the same time they felt
the need to go to confession to him as soon as possible. When they did,
they were greatly surprised to hear Don Bosco tell them exactly what sins
they had committed even many years before. Neverthelss, it was a great
relief for them to make their confessions to him, because with his help
they were able to make a clean breast of all their sins and ease their
troubled minds. Others went to him with mixed feelings of trepidation and
joy, only to be assured that they were in the state of grace or that the
confession they were about to make would with Don Bosco’s help be
pleasing to God.
Regarding Don Bosco’s gift of prophecy and his ability to read
hearts, a learned person of distinction has suggested that there was
nothing wondrous about it since Don Bosco was quite intelligent
and thoroughly acquainted with whatever went on in the Oratory.
He also was familiar with the traits and habits of those around him,
and therefore he could quite possibly foresee developments of which
others had no presentiment. His extraordinary insight would thus
enable him to grasp what less experienced minds could not perceive.
We concede that Don Bosco had an extraordinary power of discern
ment, as well as a prodigious ability for remembering names, fea
tures, events, and words. We also concede that it is quite probable
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that he sometimes utilized such knowledge for the spiritual benefit
of others. However, the many extraordinary happenings reported
by both day boys and boarders and those events that we ourselves
witnessed force us to conclude that surely there was a good deal of
the supernatural involved in all this. Since Don Bosco’s natural
talents were entirely and heroically used for the glory of God, it
would be logical for God to reward him with charisms to make his
work even more fruitful. The Gospel seems to bear this out. The
good servant said to his master, “Lord, thy gold piece has earned
ten gold pieces,” and the master replied, “Well done, good servant;
because thou hast been faithful in a very little, thou shalt have au
thority over ten towns. (Luke 19, 16)
Ascanio Savio has left us the following deposition:
It was the common belief at the Oratory that Don Bosco knew the sins
of the boys because he could read them on their foreheads. As a test, a
boy would ask him, “Don Bosco, guess my sins.” In reply, he would some
times whisper confidentially into the ear of the questioner. It was obvious
that his answer was accurate because the boy would become strangely
silent.
One evening, a boy from Vercelli, named Giulio, joined such a group.
“Guess my sins, too,” he asked persistently. Don Bosco bent over and
whispered something into his ear, as he had done to the others. Immedi
ately the boy began to cry, exclaiming, “You’re the priest who preached
the mission in my church.. . . ” That very day the boy had arrived from
a fairly distant town and Don Bosco had never met him before or heard
confessions in his parish church. I am therefore convinced that Don
Bosco read into his innermost being with supernatural intuition. It was
so widely believed that he could read a boy’s sins on his forehead that
several discreetly tried to cover their foreheads when they were in his
presence.
My brother, Father Angelo, told me that one morning at the Oratory,
immediately after rising, Don Bosco wrote several notes to various boys,
my brother among them. I asked him, “Did he reveal your faults?” His
answer was affirmative and implied that they had been well-guarded faults
knowable only by supernatural enlightenment.
There was no deceit in Don Bosco or fear of what people might
say. His utterances were motivated by a sacred duty that became
all the more impelling as the more merciful were God’s designs. The
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
boys were convinced of this. They saw how everything he did and
said was inspired by a calm, prudent, and serene zeal.
His gift of tears was another manifest proof of his closeness to
God and of his tender love for Him. Sometimes Don Bosco would
weep while celebrating Mass, distributing Communion, or blessing
the congregation before dismissal. When he gave the “Good Night”
to his boys, a conference to his co-workers, or brief and effective
admonitions at the close of a spiritual retreat, he often became so
deeply moved that he could not go on, thus also arousing his lis
teners to tears. The same happened when he spoke of sin, scandal,
immodesty, lack of response to O ur Lord’s love, or the danger that
one of his own might lose his soul. But Father John Bonetti tells us
that some boys occasionally saw his face light up in the midst of
his tears. Bishop Cagliero testified as follows: “When Don Bosco
preached on the love of God, the damnation of the soul, the passion
of Our Lord, the Holy Eucharist, a happy death, or the hope of
paradise, my companions and I several times saw him shed tears
of love, sorrow, and joy. He seemed completely absorbed when
speaking of the Blessed Virgin, Her goodness, and Her immaculate
purity.”
This occurred frequently when he preached in public churches.
Father [Felix] Reviglio saw him weep at the shrine of Our Lady of
Consolation in Turin when preaching on the Last Judgment and
describing the separation of the just from the sinners. Father Francis
Dalmazzo often saw him weep, especially when speaking of eternal
life. Hardened sinners among his listeners would be so moved that
they would seek him out after the sermon to make their confession
to him.
We ourselves and thousands of others from the Oratory, as well
as many who knew him in earlier days, witnessed this divine gift
given to Don Bosco.
We have already mentioned his gifts of healing and of miracles,
but what we have said is minor compared to what we still have to
relate. The contents of this chapter are little more than a sketch of
an inexhaustible subject.
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CHAPTER 27
Crisis at the Oratories
VOLUM E X XI of the Geographical, Historical, Statis
tical, and Commercial Dictionary by Goffredo Casalis, published in
1851, has an article entitled “Charitable Institutions,” which is
lavish in its praise of the three oratories founded by Don Bosco in
Turin. The article concludes as follows:
Boys attending these oratories are exposed to an environment that re
fines them and educates their minds and hearts. Within a short time they
acquire good manners, develop a liking for work, and become good
Christians and upright citizens. Such impressive results should certainly
induce the government to give every consideration to an undertaking
which is of great benefit to the poorer class. Many zealous priests have
dedicated themselves to this social work of rescuing from idleness many
boys who would undoubtedly come to a sorry end without their solicitous
care. Here we must also mention the praiseworthy Father [Hyacinth]
Carpano, who plans to open a center for workmen recently released from
hospitals and unable to return immediately to work either because of un
employment conditions or their need for time to convalesce. This project
will become a reality as soon as Father Carpano manages to find the sup
port he confidently expects to receive.
Some may object that we have devoted too much space to these insti
tutions. This is quite opposed to the thinking of those who realize that
public recognition is the sole reward these worthy people receive for their
constant, tireless labors. These priests dedicate their entire lives to the
welfare of the young, and it would be most unjust to deny them the praise
they so eminently deserve.
Let us now resume our narrative. Father Carpano, then, had just
withdrawn, regretfully, from the oratories to which he had been of
such great help and which he had seen come into being and thrive.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
The St. Aloysius Oratory in 1851 was still under the direction of
Father Peter Ponte,1 assisted by Father Charles Morozzo, Father
Ignatius Delmonte, Attorney [Cajetan] Bellingeri, Father [Felix]
Rossi, and Father Berardi. Father Ponte was an excellent priest,
but, too easily influenced by others, he was soon won over by some
catechists who were dissatisfied with Don Bosco’s administration
of the Guardian Angel Oratory at Borgo V anchiglia12 and the St.
Aloysius Oratory at Porta Nuova. They attributed his zeal to ambi
tion and a desire to dominate. This opinion was not shared by all.
Father Leonard Murialdo, for example, declared: “I never thought
that such was his intention. I could not help but admire the success
ful development of the oratories and their good work.”
This successful growth was due to unity of direction which Don
Bosco wanted preserved at all costs. Unfortunately, self-love makes
people partial to themselves and envious of another’s success, espe
cially if that person is their equal. The fact that others admire his
performance humiliates them. [Niccolo] Tommaseo has aptly termed
envy disguised under the guise of zeal as “admiration repressed by
hatred and sadness.”
For this reason Don Bosco’s orders, though couched in respect
ful terms, were often not respectfully received. Steady, vicious criti
cism, although limited to small circles, spread from one oratory to
another. Passion blinded the malcontents and fostered thoughts of
rebellion. Not caring for further aggravation, Don Bosco suffered in
silence, but even his silence was criticized. Nevertheless he was pre
pared to take action should the rebellion rise openly to the surface.
Joseph Brosio described the situation in this way to Father [John]
Bonetti:
One Sunday afternoon, after church services, I did not see Don Bosco
in the playground. Concerned about his unusual absence, I went through
the house looking for him and at last I found him in a room. He looked
very sad, almost on the verge of tears. Seeing him so depressed, I insisted
that he tell me the reason. He had always trusted me, so he finally re
lented and told me that a boy (he revealed his name) had hurt him very
deeply by his outrageous behavior. “I am not disturbed by what he said
1See Vol. Ill, p. 394. [Editor]
2 See Vol. Ill, pp. 392-98. [Editor]
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217
to me personally,” he added. “What distresses me is the thought that this
boy has taken a very bad turn.”
I also felt hurt and immediately prepared to go after that insolent
youth to demand an explanation and make him swallow his insults. But
Don Bosco, noticing my anger, stopped me and said with a smile: “You
want to punish him, and he certainly deserves it, but let’s take our re
venge together. Won’t that be better?”
“Yes, we’ll do it that way,” I answered. At that moment I was too
angry to realize that Don Bosco intended to “avenge” the wrong by for
giving the offender. In fact, he invited me to pray with him for the boy.
I am.sure he must have prayed for me too, because I instantly felt a
change sweep over me. My anger against the boy dissolved so completely
that if he had entered the room at that precise moment, I would have
welcomed him as a close friend.
After our prayer was completed, I told Don Bosco of the radical
change in my feelings. He replied: “Christian revenge consists in for
giving those who offend us and praying for them. Your prayer for that
boy has pleased God. That’s why you feel so full of joy. Always conduct
yourself in this way, and your life will be a very happy one.”
Thus did Don Bosco react when things did not go according to
his wishes. This incident clearly indicates that even at Valdocco
there were some who sided with the dissidents. As the danger of a
split continued to increase, Father Robert Murialdo, Father Tasca,
Father [Francis] Barone, Father [Joseph] Berizzi, Father [John]
Cocchis, and Canon Saccarelli, founder of the Holy Family Institute,
attempted to resolve the difficulty by calling a meeting. Father Ponte
was invited to attend and state his grievances, but he declined. At
this meeting Don Bosco declared himself ready to make concessions
but not to abdicate that authority which was his by right.
A temporary agreement was reached when it was learned that
Marchioness Barolo was looking for a personal chaplain. Don Bosco
suggested to Father Cafasso that the post be offered to Father Ponte,
who was anxious for such an assignment. The marchioness accepted
Father Cafasso’s advice, and so Don Bosco appointed Father [Felix]
Rossi to the St. Aloysius Oratory. Toward mid-October, Marchio
ness Barolo left for Rome with Silvio Pellico and Father Ponte. The
latter, in a letter to Father John Borel, presented his case and com
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
plained of the allegedly intolerable burdens that he had had to
endure.
Father Borel answered Father Ponte promptly and tactfully, care
ful not to offend his sensibilities. The reply throws some light on
the controversy.
Turin, October 23, 1851
Reverend and dear Father Ponte:
Since the welfare of the oratories is very close to our heart, we are
convinced that harmony between all members, regardless of their rank,
is the best policy. Only thus will God be with us! Therefore, with God’s
help, we are determined to promote this concord by closer cooperation
among ourselves and by the removal of any obstacle that may arise.
Concord is impaired when the other oratories are not allowed to use
certain things provided for one oratory. Likewise, it is disturbed when,
in the same oratory, a member reserves some things for his exclusive
use so that no one may use them even when he is absent.
We have therefore agreed that any donation to one oratory must be
regarded as given to all the oratories, and the directors are bound in
conscience to inform the benefactors of this policy of ours.
We have reached this conclusion as a result of your letter and a sub
sequent episode of a similar nature. Since it may happen that, due to
our limited supply of sacred vestments, one of the oratories may need
to borrow them on special occasions, it is only right that the other ora
tories come to its assistance just as we already do with personnel and
other things. In case one of us sees fit to lend an oratory something he
has or to borrow something from others, besides being grateful, he must
promptly return the borrowed goods. This has always been our practice.
Such was the case, for example, with the crib kindly loaned to the St.
Aloysius Oratory.
We must not think that Divine Providence will fail us because we have
adopted this procedure. Indeed, we have reason to hope that it will result
in even greater blessings. By mutual aid we widen the field of our charity,
open new avenues for doing good to the young, share more intimately
in the communion of saints, and strip ourselves of selfishness and pride.
Our charity will then be more genuine inasmuch as it will be untainted by
personal interests. No one has anything to lose, because each oratory,
by sharing its material goods with the others, will in turn be entitled to
the same benefits. Let us be ever grateful to Our Lord for the blessing
of concord. In this spirit let us work on behalf of youth in every part of
the city.
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I am delighted to inform you that the oratories are well cared for and
that our boys, docile and devout, keep coming in droves. Father [Robert]
Murialdo has generously taken over our dear Father Grassino’s post at
Borgo Vanchiglia. Our zealous Father Rossi takes excellent care of the
St. Aloysius Oratory and, up to AH Saints’ Day, will preach the afternoon
instruction while I shall continue to give the morning sermon. Don Bosco
provides the preachers at the St. Francis de Sales Oratory, and when
necessary he substitutes for them.
The new church is now ready for the roof, and before winter sets in
it will be covered.
I have learned that you and the marchioness3 have safely arrived in
Florence, but I am sorry to hear that Mr. Pellico4 found the journey
uncomfortable. Yesterday the Sisters of St. Mary Magdalen 5 again
prayed for the safe return of their foundress and benefactress. I pray
daily to the Lord that he grant her prosperity, health, and happiness. I
have nothing to report regarding the convent or the Rifugio. Everything
seems to be going well. This should reassure the marchioness and con
tribute to her peace of mind.
All the priests, including myself, are well. I am now at home and I
intend to stay here as long as possible to assist these religious communi
ties and to defer to the wishes of the marchioness who is so interested in
them.
I would like to ask you a further favor. Please give me your comments
on what I have told you about the oratories and our policy in running
them. Let me also know what you want done with your belongings which
you left behind.
Please accept my sincere best wishes. I remain,
Your devoted and faithful friend,
Fr. John Borel, Director of the Rifugio
Father Borel received the following reply;
Rome, November 4, 1851
Reverend and dear Father:
I was very pleased to receive your kind, heartwarming letter. I was
longing to hear news of the oratories and was beginning to be worried
about them. Now, thank God, I feel tranquil.
Let me now comment on your letter. I too am worried and desire con
3 Marchioness Barolo. [Editor]
4 See p. 49. [Editor]
5 See Vol. II, p. 185. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
cord among the directors of the oratories. I wholeheartedly wish all dif
ferences of opinion to be resolved so that, united in mind and will, we
may with greater reason expect more abundant help from the Lord and
a greater reward for our labors. I believe that this deplorable discord
resulted from the fact that we have no one in particular to turn to and
from a serious lack of communication among ourselves. This opinion is
also shared by others. If you can do something about this, I am sure all
unrest will vanish.
I cannot renege on the decision I previously revealed to you. I made
this decision only after careful soul-searching and I cannot change it for
any reason. If the things which I left at the St. Aloysius Oratory are in
the way, I’ll remove them as soon as I return to Turin or, if necessary,
before. From now on (should God will that I continue working in behalf
of the oratories) I shall willingly abide by the decision you mentioned—■
namely, that donations made to the director of one oratory shall be con
sidered as made to all. Whenever possible, I shall so inform our bene
factors.
I am very pleased to learn that the St. Aloysius Oratory is thriving,
thanks to your personal efforts and those of our good Father Rossi. For
my part, although physically absent, I am constantly with you in spirit
and I never cease recommending this work to God. Soon, I hope, I will
have an audience with the Holy Father. I shall beg his blessing for the
directors and boys of our oratories.
So far our journey has gone well. The marchioness is in good health
and she was very happy to receive such good news about her institutes.
Mr. Pellico feels much better now. Pray for me and have the boys pray
too. Give my regards to all the priests in the oratories. Hoping to receive
more good news of the oratories, I remain,
Your devoted friend,
Father Peter Ponte
Don Bosco had meanwhile been heartened by an encyclical of
Pius IX, dated November 21, promulgating a Holy Year. It was a
foretaste of greater joy he was to savor on December 8, the first
decennial of his oratory work.
The day before, a Sunday, he reminded the boys of this event
in a moving talk. He would have liked to solemnize the anniversary
with special pomp, but since the new church had not been com
pleted, he contented himself with urging the boys to join him in a
prayer of thanksgiving to the Immaculate Virgin for Her motherly
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protection and with briefly sketching the graces She had bestowed
on them during that decade. He exhorted them to express their filial
gratitude to Her by receiving the sacraments on that day. The re
sponse was gratifying.
The first decade had seen the birth and infancy of the oratories;
the second, which was to witness their growth into adolescence,
was beginning under the auspices of the Heavenly Queen.
This first decade closed with an episode which had prophetic
overtones. It is contained in a glowing tribute to Don Bosco written
by Professor [Joseph] Raineri in 1898:
One Sunday afternoon in 1851 the Oratory held a lottery drawing.
There were many winners and everyone was happy. At the end, Don
Bosco flung caramels in all directions from the balcony to satisfy many
a sweet tooth. Naturally, this bountifulness resulted in more and louder
shouts and cheers. When Don Bosco finally came down into the play
ground he was hoisted on their shoulders and carried in triumph with
wild enthusiasm. One of the boys who was soon to don the clerical habit
said to him, “Don Bosco, how wonderful it would be if you could see
the whole world studded with oratories!” On hearing that remark, Don
Bosco (I seem to see him even now) turned his gaze toward the horizon
majestically and lovingly, and he answered, “Who knows? The day may
come when Oratory boys will really be scattered all over the earth!” He
was so right!
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CHAPTER 28
Plans for a Lottery
J lJ O R several months Don Bosco had untiringly devoted
most of his time and effort to the construction of his new church.
By August the structure was already several feet above ground-level,
but money had almost run out. The thirty-five thousand lire Don
Bosco had managed to raise from a few benefactors had melted
away like snow under the sun, and he was now forced to renew his
appeal. Bishop Peter Losana of Biella was among the first to re
spond. Realizing the benefits afforded by the new church to the
apprentice bricklayers of his own diocese who had found work in
Turin and were frequenting Don Bosco’s oratories, he sent the fol
lowing circular to his pastors:
Biella, September 13, 1851
Reverend and dear Father:
Several years ago Don Bosco, a pious, zealous priest of Turin, was
motivated by true evangelical charity to gather on Sundays boys whom
he found roaming the densely populated neighborhoods between Borgo
Dora and Borgo Martinetto. In a suitable place he provided them with
recreation, religious instruction, and Christian education. His efforts
were so fruitful that the chapel is now no longer adequate to handle the
crowds; at this time it can accommodate but a third of the more than
six hundred boys in attendance. Therefore, Don Bosco has zealously un
dertaken the arduous task of building a more adequate church. This is
the reason for his appeal to the charity of the faithful. He particularly
deserves our help since over a third of the more than six hundred boys
attending the Oratory are from Biella. Several of them also receive free
board, lodging, and clothing, and are taught a trade. We owe Don Bosco
our help not only in charity but also in the name of justice. I therefore
222
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223
urge you to apprise your good parishioners of this worthy cause, par
ticularly those of greater wealth, and to set aside a Sunday for a special
collection for this purpose. Please send the proceeds to the chancery with
appropriate identification.
The children of darkness are working to complete the construction of
a temple for the preaching of heresy and the ruin of souls;1 will the for
tunate children of light fail to build a church where truth may be taught
for their own and their brethren’s salvation?
Therefore, I hope that I can soon make a substantial contribution to
the work of this worthy man of God and thus publicly show the en
lightened and fervent gratitude of our diocese for a project that is so
holy, so beneficial, and so necessary for us in these trying times. With
deepest esteem and warmest affection, I remain,
Your most devoted servant,
l|R John Peter, Bishop
This appeal brought in one thousand lire. It was not much, but
it was followed by a donation from King Victor Emmanuel II who
kept the promise he had made on July 5.2
Economato Generate Regio Apostolico
Reverend Father:
Turin, October 2, 1851
The Royal Secretariat of State for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Grace and
Justice informed this office on September 30 that His Majesty has gra
ciously granted you the sum of ten thousand lire to be paid in install
ments from this office—three thousand lire immediately, the balance in
successive years as such funds become available. This subsidy is being
granted specifically for the construction of a church attached to the
charitable institute you have founded for poor boys in Valdocco for their
religious education and for the support of the most needy ones.
You may claim this subsidy personally or through a properly identified
representative.
Canon Anthony Moreno, Royal Almoner
A few days later Victor Emmanuel II also sent a most welcome
contribution of his own.
1A reference to the Protestant church then under construction in Turin. [Editor]
2 See p. 192. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Sovraintendenza Generate della Lista Civile
Dear Reverend Father:
Turin, October 10, 1851
I am pleased to inform you that on October 5 I had the honor of pre
senting your letter to His Majesty. He graciously wishes to contribute
one thousand lire toward the building of a church adjacent to your in
stitute.
I hasten to inform you of this new token of the king’s generosity.
Please let me know when you wish this subsidy to be made available to
you and indicate to whom disbursement should be made. With great
esteem, I remain,
Your devoted servant,
Marquis Pampara
Still short of funds, Don Bosco did his best to trim expenses.
On October 22, he wrote to the municipal authorities seeking exemp
tion from the payment of shipping and handling fees of the building
permit. The very next day the mayor replied as follows:
Reverend and dear Father:
Turin, October 23, 1851
Since regulations do not permit exemption from the established fees
for the mailing of the building permit which you should have picked up
before beginning the construction of the church, I have arranged for it
to be shipped to you. There will be no charge to you in consideration of
the nature of your work; the fee will be paid from charity funds.
Enclosed please find the permit; it must be retained by the person
supervising the construction. A fine will be imposed if said document
is not available for inspection at the request of authorized municipal
agents.
Wishing you speedy success in your undertaking, I remain with rever
ence and esteem,
G. Bellone, Mayor
When funds continued to lag, Don Bosco sold 2,142 square feet
of land formerly belonging to the seminary to Mr. John Emmanuel
on November 20, 1851, for the sum of 1,573 lire, but this was only
a drop in the bucket. He had to find some other way to raise money.
It was then that he decided to carry out a plan he had toyed with
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Plans for a Lottery
225
in his mind for a long time— namely, a big lottery with prizes pro
vided through the generosity of the faithful. It was a difficult task,
but he had already indirectly paved the way for its success. For a
long time he had untiringly sought help from the civil authorities,
asking with humility but also with the confidence of one working
effectively for the public good. He knocked at every door, entered
every office, spoke with the head of every department, and sent
appeals to city and regional authorities and even to members of the
Royal House. Practically every branch of the government received
his numerous petitions. Often he wrote as many as ten a week, and
generally he received what he requested. Many donations were only
for ten, fifteen, or twenty lire, but he was always courteously re
ceived when he went to collect them.
Success did not come easily; work, vexation, and humiliation
were the price he had to pay. He needed contacts, friends, and influ
ential people to recommend him. He had to write many letters and
make many calls. Each time a new cabinet minister, mayor, prefect,
or departmental head was appointed, Don Bosco had to find some
excuse for calling on him and winning his favor. This involved seek
ing further assistance from friends and benefactors, more letters,
and more calls. He was not primarily concerned with subsidies,
whether large or small; the important thing was that each subsidy
represented official approval of his undertaking. Don Bosco antic
ipated possible hostility in the future, and he wanted to be able to
retort, “You have been helping me so far. Are you now going to
let me down in this undertaking which you once considered in
keeping with the law and deserving of your protection?”
His efforts in regard to the lottery were successful. His first move
was to recruit helpers. Forty-six men— craftsmen, noblemen, and
priests— and eighty-six women of the middle class and nobility
agreed to be sponsors. The most prominent of these were Canon
[Louis] Anglesio, director of the Cottolengo Hospital, and Marchio
ness Mary Fassati, nee De Maistre, lady-in-wating to Queen Maria
Adelaide.
The executive committee was composed of the following men:
Count Caesar Amaud of San Salvatore
Father Peter T. Baricco, deputy mayor
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Cajetan Bellingeri, attorney
Frederick Blanchier, civil engineer
Frederick Bocca, contractor
Father John Borel, rector of the Rifugio
Father John Bosco, director of the Oratory
Amadeus Bossi, merchant
Chevalier Gabriel Cappello (known also as Moncalvo)
Joseph Cotta, senator
Hyacinth Cottin, alderman
Lawrence d’Agliano of Caravonica
Joseph Dupre, alderman
Joseph Gagliardi, novelty dealer
Father Robert Murialdo, court chaplain
Canon Joseph Ortalda, director of the Society for the Propagation of the
Faith
Victor Ritner, goldsmith
Louis Rocca, attorney, alderman
Peter Ropolo, locksmith, alderman
Michael Scanagatti
After complying with all legal requirements to establish such a
committee, Don Bosco addressed a petition to the government for
official approval.
Dear Sir:
Turin, December 1851
To ensure the success of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales (described
in greater detail in the attached memorandum), we, the undersigned,
realizing the inadequacy of the present chapel for the constantly increas
ing number of boys attending the Oratory, have decided to build a larger
church. Thanks to generous donations from a few private sources, con
struction has been courageously begun and brought to the point where
now only the roof remains to be built. Inasmuch as a considerable sum
of money is still needed to complete the church, we, the undersigned,
have decided to appeal to the public at large to donate prizes for a
lottery.
In conformity with the law of February 24, 1820, which was amended
by the royal decree of January 10, 1833, and by the instructions of the
Finance Office of August 24, 1834, we, the undersigned, request official
approval for a planned lottery.
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227
In accordance with the above-cited instructions, we, the undersigned,
are enclosing a circular that briefly describes the history and purpose of
this institute and the procedure to be followed in the obtaining and
awarding of prizes.
All proceeds will be used exclusively to complete the new church;
they shall be deposited with Senator Joseph Cotta, a member of the
executive committee, who will also act as treasurer.
We, the undersigned, will gladly provide further information as re
quired; we also pledge to conform with the aforementioned regulations
of the Finance Office.
Certain that you will grant approval and that it will benefit this insti
tute which, though modest, greatly benefits boys of the working class,
we proffer our sincerest thanks in advance.
(Signatures followed)
The procedure for securing and awarding prizes was as follows:
1. All artifacts and handicrafts, such as embroidery, knitted wear,
pictures, books, draperies, linens, etc., will be gratefully received.
2. A receipt will be issued with a description of each object and the
donor’s name unless anonymity is desired.
3. The number of tickets issued will be set by the value of the prizes
in accordance with the law.
4. The tickets, signed by two committee members, will be sold for
fifty centesimi and be detached from a counterfoil book.
5. The prizes will be on public display for a month, starting in March.
Official notice of the exact date and place will be inserted in the Gaz-
zetta Ufficiale together with the date for the public drawing.
6. The numbers will be drawn one at a time. Should two be acci
dentally drawn together, they will be put back into the urn.
7. As many tickets will be drawn as there are prizes on display. The
first number drawn will win the first prize and so on until all the prizes
have been awarded.
8. The winning numbers will be published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale;
prizes may be claimed three days later.
9. Unclaimed prizes will be held for three months, after which date
they will be considered as donated to the Oratory.
The city Finance Office granted a license on December 9, 1851.
We include herein the official notification:
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
The City of Turin
To the Rev. John Bosco
Director of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales
December 17, 1851
We are forwarding a copy of the Finance Office’s decree authorizing
a lottery on behalf of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales.
Since the decree stipulates that the steering committee o! the lottery
must in all matters act in agreement with the mayor of Turin who is re
sponsible for the enforcement of lottery regulations, you are asked to
kindly forward to his office copies of all papers sent to the Finance Office
so that the required supervision may be set up and everything may pro
ceed in proper order.
I take this opportunity of assuring you of my esteem.
Peter T. Baricco, Deputy Mayor
On December 20, 1851, Don Bosco sent out the lottery appeal
as approved by the Finance Office. It read as follows:
Dear Sir:
Ten years ago a modest charitable institute known as the Oratory of
St. Francis de Sales was opened in this city in the section called Val-
docco. Its sole purpose is the intellectual and moral welfare of boys who,
because of parental neglect, bad companions, and poverty, are likely to
get into trouble. Several people who are interested in the sound educa
tion of the young have been deeply distressed at the increasing number
of boys who idly roam the streets with bad companions and earn their
living by begging or petty larceny, thus burdening society and fomenting
lawlessness. It also grieves them to see many of these boys wasting their
meager wages on Sundays by gambling and drinking. In their desire to
end this evil and its potential dire consequences, these civic-minded citi
zens have opened a center where such boys can easily fulfill their reli
gious duties on Sundays and also receive catechetical instruction, coun
sel, and guidance to help them acquire an honest, Christian way of life.
This center, named the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, was opened
through the contributions of generous citizens who are always ready to
lend a hand when it is a question of aiding the needy. They provided
everything needed for worship, character formation, and relaxation—in
brief, everything to make attendance at the Oratory pleasant and bene
ficial.
Boys responded enthusiastically to the invitation to come to the Ora
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Plans for a Lottery
229
tory on Sundays and holy days, even though the invitation was without
fanfare. Soon the premises had to be enlarged; little by little improve
ments were made as suggested by an ingenious and prudent charity.
Evening classes in reading, writing, arithmetic, and Italian grammar were
held, at first only on Sundays, and later also on weekdays during the
winter. Particular stress was laid on teaching the metric system. All this
has been of great benefit to the boys employed in various arts and crafts.
For the past ten years, zealous priests and laymen have worked hard
and unceasingly to imbue these boys with love for their parents, brotherly
goodwill, respect for authority, gratitude toward their benefactors, and
appreciation of work. Above all else, these priests and laymen have
striven to instruct the boys in their Faith, to rescue them from evil ways,
to inspire them with a holy fear of God, and to accustom them in their
youth to the practice of religion. While there are those who laudably
labor to promote the arts, advance technology, and educate the sons of
the well-to-do in secondary schools and colleges, the modest Oratory of
St. Francis de Sales seeks to impart a religious and civic education to
those who are less favored by fortune, but who have the will and talent
to be of use to themselves, their families, and their country.
Due to the steady increase in the number of boys, the room used as
a chapel is now too small. Lest inadequate facilities hinder the success
of this providential work, the sponsors of this appeal, trusting in the
generosity of their fellow citizens, have decided to build a larger church
and thus ensure the continuation of this institute.
Immediately and unhesitatingly they laid the foundations of this new
church. Donations, gifts, and encouragement poured in from all sides,
and in a few months construction reached the roof level.
Unfortunately, however, funds have run out; the inexhaustible charity
of the general public must now be depended upon to complete this con
struction. For this reason, we, the undersigned sponsors, request your
support and cooperation. The method we suggest has already been suc
cessfully tried by other charitable institutions and should be equally suc
cessful for the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales. Our intention is to hold
a lottery which we, the undersigned, are now organizing in order to raise
sufficient funds to complete the new church. We trust that in view of the
lofty purpose of our appeal you will give us your support.
Any object you would be willing to donate will be gratefully accepted.
Where charity is concerned, every little bit helps; even the most humble
offerings, when put together, may suffice to accomplish the task.
We rely on your generosity, convinced that the idea of contributing to
the sound education of poor and neglected youngsters will certainly induce
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
you to lend a helping hand. May the fact that people from all walks of
life have supported this undertaking and contributed to its development
commend this pious institute to you. We also wish to say that the Sen
ate, after appointing a committee to gather detailed information about
the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, favorably discussed its findings and
then warmly recommended a government subsidy. Finally, we wish to
recall the subsidy granted unanimously by our municipal authorities for
two consecutive years, the singular generosity of their Royal Majesties,
and the special benevolence with which revered prelates and distin
guished laymen have recommended the institute to public charity.
In conclusion, anticipating your generous response, we wish to express
our heartfelt gratitude for your gift, and we ask God to grant you His
blessings.
Yours gratefully,
The Sponsors
Their names and this postscript followed:
For your greater convenience, prizes may be delivered to: Joseph
Gagliardi, hardware store, opposite the basilica; Charles Chiotti, china
and earthenware shop in Via Dora Grossa, opposite Holy Martyrs
Church; Pianca & Serra Shop at 6 Casa Pompa, in the parish of Our
Lady of the Angels; Marietti Press, on the university porticoes.
Don Bosco sent out thousands of copies of this appeal. He also
sanctified the Christmas holidays by inviting people to practice
charity.
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CHAPTER 29
Family Spirit
<I 3 Y the beginning of 1851 the boys no longer had to eat
their meals in scattered locations throughout the house and court
yard; 1 they now could sit at tables under a shed. Moreover, since
they were all growing lads, they were given an extra bun for break
fast. In 1852 Don Bosco discontinued the practice of giving each
boy a twenty-five centesimi allowance12 for bread inasmuch as some
of them were foolishly spending it on candy and then finding them
selves hungry. He also introduced some improvements. The small
earthen bowls were replaced by larger tin bowls, bread was pro
vided from the pantry, and on Thursdays3 and Sundays a second
course was served at the main meal. Soon thereafter either the second
course or fruit became a part of the daily meals. A glass of wine was
also served.
Don Bosco did his best to provide his charges with adequate
nourishment; the food was plain but wholesome and abundant.
Bread and soup were always on hand whenever they wished some.
Furthermore, bread was also distributed in midafternoon as a snack
to discourage them from helping themselves from the refectory.
Don Bosco always ordered the finest bread. When his distin
guished benefactor, Chevalier Joseph Cotta, suggested that he serve
breadsticks, he agreed to try them for a week. However, the boys
did not like them too much, particularly since the breadsticks were
all crust and thus did not satisfy their hunger. Therefore, Don
Bosco discontinued them.
On feast days and special occasions some special treat was added
1See Vol. Ill, pp. 248f. [Editor]
2 Ibid., p. 249. [Editor]
3 A regular school holiday. [Editor]
231
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
at breakfast, as well as small hors d’oeuvres and a glass of a better
wine at dinner. Don Bosco also gave the poorer boys whatever
clothing they needed. Indeed most of the boys were better off at
the Oratory than they would have been in their own homes, and
it cost them nothing.
Don Bosco generally gave preference to the needier and more
abandoned orphans, since they were in greater moral danger. His
heart went out to them. Tearfully he would often exclaim: “I will
make any sacrifice for these poor lads. I would gladly give my life
to save them.” He also exhorted his co-workers to be equally con
siderate toward them.
However, he did require a small fee from those boys whose par
ents were still alive, as well as from those who had inherited some
means or who were looked after by benefactors. He believed that
boys in such circumstances were not entitled to public charity. How
ever, the fees paid by these boys were purely nominal and in no
way covered the costs of their upkeep. Divine Providence made up
the difference, and those boys unquestionably received more than
their money’s worth. Don Bosco often deplored the policy of cer
tain institutions, where destitute boys were treated in a manner far
above their social condition and later on had trouble adapting them
selves to something less than they had become accustomed to.
A t the Oratory there were also boys from rather well-to-do fam
ilies. Their parents had begged Don Bosco to accept them at the
Oratory and were paying a higher fee for better meals. Don Bosco
had them eat with his young clerics so that they might receive good
example. But this arrangement lasted only until he opened other
boarding schools for such boys in I860 and 1863.
However, the most important fact is that among the various
groups living at the Oratory— students and artisans,4 those who
paid and those who did not, young clerics and boys— there reigned
the warmest friendship and good feeling. As a true paterfamilias,
Don Bosco was the bond uniting all their hearts. Solicitous, fair
and cordial with those engaged in even the most menial tasks,
appreciative and generous with praise, solicitous toward the sick
and the needy, he was a born peacemaker in youngsters’ petty quar-
4 This was the name given to the boys learning a trade, to distinguish them
from those taking academic courses; the latter were known as “students.” [Editor]
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Family Spirit
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rels. In such cases he used to say, “The wiser man must share his
wisdom.” He felt uneasy when the boys left the Oratory even if only
for a short time, and he did his utmost to keep them with him dur
ing the summer vacation— even gratis— because he was concerned
about their spiritual welfare, fearing that their wings might turn
into horns.
Notwithstanding the general well-being and happiness of the
boys, thanks to Don Bosco’s care, some griping was unavoidable.
The soup, prepared in large quantity, did not always suit everyone’s
taste, and there were other deficiencies beyond Don Bosco’s control.
Nevertheless, even those who paid fees had an incredibly deep and
abiding affection for the Oratory. Former pupils do not hesitate to
admit this feeling. One of them, Canon [Hyacinth] Ballesio told us:
“The food was nothing to rave about. When we think of how we
ate and slept, we just wonder how we pulled through without harm
and complaint. We were happy because we felt we were loved. We
lived in a wonderful atmosphere and we were totally absorbed in it;
nothing else mattered.”
In this same year [1852] Don Bosco introduced the first formal
regulations. Since at this time there were neither classrooms nor
Workshops at the Oratory, the boys were grouped by dormitories,
each of which had a cleric or a boy as assistant.3 The house rules
were posted on a chart. They read as follows:1
1. Every boy must obey the assistant or his substitute, who are
responsible for order and discipline in the dormitory.
2. Outsiders, even relatives, are not admitted to the dormitories with
out express permission. Likewise, boys belonging to one dormitory may
hot enter another without special permission.
3. Every boy should strive to give his companions good example,
especially by frequenting the sacraments at least twice a month.
4. Every boy must attend to his own personal neatness and that of his
dormitory.
5. After night prayers, all must immediately retire to their dormitory
and not linger in the courtyard; they must observe absolute silence so
as not to disturb the night rest.
5 This term will occur very frequently. It denotes a SaJesian (usually a young
brother) whose duty it is to supervise the boys in practically every activity.
[Editor]
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t h e b io g r a p h ic a l m e m o ir s o f sa in t J o h n bosco
6. In the morning everyone is to dress in strict silence with the great
est modesty.
7. The buying or selling of anything is strictly forbidden; money must
not be kept in one’s possession. It must be deposited with the prefect,
who will credit it to the depositor and draw from it when necessary.
8. It is strictly forbidden to scribble on walls, drive nails into them,
or cause any other damage.
9. All should practice fraternal charity by patiently enduring one
another’s faults and avoiding grave offense.
10. Unseemly conduct or conversation is strictly forbidden,
11. May those observing these rules be blessed by God. Everyone
should bear in mind that one who begins to live as a good Christian in
his youth will continue to do so until his death. God will surely grant
him a long life.
P.S. These rules are to be read to all the boys in the dormitory on the
first Sunday of the month.
Father John Bosco
The original draft of the rules, in which the boys were referred
to as “sons,” was later modified and finally reworded as above.
In those memorable days the boys enjoyed maximum freedom,
as though they were in their own homes. But little by little, as the
need arose, Don Bosco gradually introduced some timely regula
tions. The boys recognized the need for such restrictions and readily
complied with them, but they would not hesitate to express their
displeasure about the conduct of their companions which had made
them necessary. This is the origin of the disciplinary norms em
bodied in the regulations for Salesian houses.
Each dormitory had its own patron saint whose name was written
over the entrance. Every year the boys of that particular dormitory
would celebrate the feast of their patron by receiving the sacra
ments, adorning (with due permission) the picture of the saint with
drapes and candles and honoring him with songs and prayers. For
this act of devotion, to which the superiors were invited, they would
choose an hour of the morning or evening which would least disturb
the general routine of the house. A “prior,” chosen from among
them, would preside, and a cleric or one of the boys would deliver
a sermonette in honor of the saint. Sometimes they would also kiss
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Family Spirit
235
the saint’s relic. This too, among other things, contributed to the
increase of devotion.
The dormitory was regarded as somewhat sacred. Don Bosco
had prescribed that at its entrance (and later also in every study
hall) there should be a small holy water font. There was also a
crucifix, as well as a small altar with a statue of the Madonna. Daily
during the month of May, before retiring, the boys recited short
prayers before the image of the Blessed Virgin which was adorned
with drapes and many lights. These decorations were curtailed in
later years since too many nails were being driven into the walls
to hang the drapes. Sometimes on the feast day of a patron saint
the boys held a small entertainment in his honor in the dormitory
and invited Don Bosco to be present. We discovered (and still
possess) sonnets which were composed and recited in successive
years by the students of the St. Augustine dormitory in honor of the
great bishop of Hippo. The sonnets were dedicated to Don Bosco,
to Father Victor Alasonatti, and to one of their “priors,” John
Berruto.
As for maintaining order, Don Bosco realized the need of a per
manent representative of his authority. Thus in 1852, when he had
to absent himself for a few days, he invited Father [John] Grassino
to stay at the Oratory as he had done in previous years.6
While Don Bosco’s disciplinary norms reflected his zeal and
prudence, his solicitude for his boys was manifest in the letters he
wrote to people who had recommended them.
Father Francis Puecher, a Rosminian, wrote to him one day
from Stresa. After expressing the wish that God would bestow his
blessings on the lottery and conveying Father Lawrence Gastaldi’s
greetings, he recommended a boy on behalf of Father Antonio
Rosmini who also offered to pay the boy’s monthly fee. Don Bosco
replied on February 16, 1852:
On receiving your welcome letter, I sent for the boy C . . . . I was
moved at the mere sight of him. He really looks starved physically and
spiritually, but he seems to be a very fine youngster. I told him to return
next week. I plan to keep him here for a few days on a trial basis but I
9Seep. 11. [EditorJ
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
did not tell him so. I also think he should keep going to school for a
while to discover his calling.. . . In any event, I intend to keep him here,
because he truly is in need.
Shortly thereafter he wrote to Father Charles Gilardi:
Young C . . . . has been exemplary in conduct and piety; he shows a
bent for the priesthood and is one of the top students in third year Latin.
He seems to show great promise for the future, but he is barely fourteen.
We shall have to see how he gets along in his studies.
Another letter was addressed to Count Xavier Collegno:
Dear Sir:
Turin, February 21, 1852
I fully realize the grave need of the boy you have recommended to us,
and I assure you that I shall do everything in my power to help.
Unfortunately, I am running into serious difficulties caused by a lack
of funds and inadequate space, but give me five or six more days and I’ll
find a solution, either by taking him in myself or by finding a place for
him with some reliable person.
My heartfelt thanks for your kind remembrance of me. I ask your
prayers and am honored to remain with the deepest respect,
Your servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Meanwhile the Latin classes were progressing well. Young
Cagliero showed fine aptitude and a very cheerful disposition. He
was always outstanding in competitive games, a champion and
leader in calisthenics and full of initiative.
At first, it seemed impossible to curb his fiery temperament. On
his way to school, especially, he could not bring himself to walk
along with the others. He was the despair of the cleric Rua, who
was in charge of the group. As soon as they were past the Oratory
gates, Cagliero would run to Milano Square to see the charlatans
doing tricks. Yet, when his classmates got to Professor Bonzanino’s
doorstep, Cagliero, drenched in perspiration, would already be
there waiting for them.
Rua invariably asked him, “Why can’t you walk with us?”
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“Because I like it better my way. What’s wrong with going one
way instead of another?”
“How about obedience?”
“Obedience? I’m never late. I am even here ahead of you. I do
my homework and I always know my lessons, so why all the fuss?”
He would not change because he derived so much pleasure from
watching the charlatans. Soon someone suggested to Don Bosco
that perhaps such an undisciplined boy had better be sent back
home, but Don Bosco, who appreciated Cagliero’s genuine qualities,
would not hear of it. The following year, however, Don Bosco
spoke to Cagliero about the virtue of obedience. Thereafter the
boy became more amenable to rules and soon was an example to all.
Don Bosco discovered that Cagliero, among many other talents,
had great aptitude for music. He himself taught him the first rudi
ments and then entrusted him to the cleric Bellia for further in
struction. His aim was to get Cagliero to compose simple melodies
for Mass. He made the young boy apply himself seriously to this
task through a well-tried method which soon was to bear good fruit.
One day a minor crisis arose at the Oratory. The organist was
no longer available. There was no one to take his place on the fol
lowing Sunday, and the church services would obviously not be
nearly as inspiring without music or singing. Cagliero sensed the
predicament and he was determined that the Oratory would not
suffer just because of the absence of one person. He practiced for
endless hours, showing an industry surprising in one of his tender
years. On the following Sunday he was at the harmonium accom
panying the familiar melodies with an unerring hand.
After this success, his passion for music developed to the point
that he spent all his free time at a rickety old piano, pounding away
with such vigor that on one occasion poor Mamma Margaret, who
was not particularly appreciative of his doubtful harmony, nearly
lost her patience and, without really meaning it, picked up a broom
to threaten the young musician whom she loved as a son.
Indeed Mamma Margaret was a mother to all, gentle, loving,
and ever patient. Everything she did manifested her love for Don
Bosco’s poor boys. It often happened that during the winter months
many of them had to work overtime. When she did not see them
at supper and learned the reason, she would exclaim: “Poor boys!
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
I must remember to keep the soup hot for them!” She would then
wait up for them until eleven or even later, by which time she
would often be trembling from the cold. When they wearily came
in, she always managed to add a little something to their supper.
Sometimes a small boy would wander into the kitchen on a Sun
day afternoon after services. “What do you want, little one?” she
would ask.
“A piece of bread, Mamma.”
“Didn’t you eat your afternoon snack?”
“Yes, but I’m still hungry!”
“Poor lad! Here, take this. But don’t tell anyone, or all the others
will come, and then they’ll have bread scattered all over.”
“Don’t worry, Mamma, I won’t tell a soul.”
He would then run into the playground with the bread in his
hand. His friends would immediately gather around him.
“Who gave it to you?”
“Mamma Margaret,” he would reply with a full mouth.
Then all would dash straight for the kitchen, and she could not
refuse them.
When the same boy would again ask for bread on the following
Sunday, Mamma Margaret would chide him: “Last Sunday you
didn’t keep your word and you got me into a fine fix. So I’m not
giving you any today.”
“I couldn’t tell them a lie, could I? They asked me, and I had
to tell them!”
“Well, that’s true too.” And he would get his bread.
Obviously, good boys had winning ways with her. When students
began to board at the Oratory, they would each get a bun for a
snack on returning from classes. Invariably one of them would
take it to Mamma Margaret. “Mamma, is this all?”
“Isn’t it enough?”
“I can’t swallow it,” he would reply, munching away.
“Why not?”
“It’s so dry! It would taste better with a piece of cheese or a slice
of salami.”
“You little glutton! Thank God for such good bread!”
“Oh, Mamma,” the smart youngster would moan pitifully,
“please!”
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She could never resist such a plea.
These two little episodes might seem relatively unimportant, but
they have been included because a spark of love has more personal
meaning for us than a blaze of glory, riches, and wonders; moreover,
these episodes concern two of our companions who later filled posi
tions of great dignity and authority.
From the above, we can also infer what Mamma Margaret did
for those who were lonely or sick. Unsparingly she tried to bring
back a smile to the lips of the former, and she rivaled the most
loving mother in her spirit of sacrifice and assiduous attention for
the latter. She herself suffered if any of them had a headache or
toothache. A t the first symptom of pain, the boys would come run
ning to her, and she would care for them night and day. If she
heard the slightest whimper or cry, she could not rest until they
poured out their sorrow or pain to her. If any boy fell sick, she was
always at his side, nursing him, keeping him company by working
at his bedside, and watching over him when the others went to
sleep.
The following episode is typical of her solicitude. A boy fell sick
with an infectious disease and had to be isolated. Margaret at once
took her place at his side and proved to be a perfect nurse. When
he had to be taken to the hospital, she silently followed the stretcher
down the stairs to the threshold, and when the attendants left the
house she burst into tears.
She was indeed the Oratory’s guardian angel.
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CHAPTER 30
Proselytizing by the Waldensians
T h r o u g h books, periodicals, and lectures the Walden
sians were expanding their proselytizing attempts. As an enticement
they offered a bonus of eighty lire to anyone joining their sect.
Among the boys who had frequented Don Bosco’s oratories were
several who had caused him great sorrow by opposing him on differ
ent issues. Attracted by this offer, they joined the Waldensians.
Naturally they became estranged from their former companions,
and sensing that they would now be looked upon as renegades, they
began showing resentment against them.
One evening around 9 o’clock, [Charles] Tomatis was returning
to the Oratory. As he passed by the Church of Our Lady of Con
solation he noticed two men following him. He quickened his pace
and so did they. Frightened into a run, he managed to reach the
Oratory gate and slam it shut just in time. He immediately reported
the incident to Don Bosco, who took the necessary precautions to
protect his boys.
Joseph Brosio comments:
These defections and betrayals sorely grieved Don Bosco. Once, in
a Sunday sermon, he spoke about the Waldensians and sadly complained
that some boys had allowed themselves to be led astray. He also un
masked the cunning wiles used to lure them to perdition. As was his
custom on occasion, he interrupted his sermon and began to question
some of the boys, that all might better understand what he had been say
ing. This also afforded him the opportunity to present even more clearly
the proofs of certain dogmas denied by the Waldensians, especially that
of the virginity of Mary. He became so impassioned as he developed his
theme that his face became resplendent. I witnessed this myself.
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We also witnessed a similar phenomenon on another occasion,
but we shall speak of that later.
Meanwhile Don Bosco had solicitously begun to work for the
conversion of the Waldensians. He persevered in this task for many
years and was rewarded by a substantial number of conversions
from among apostates and those who had been born in heresy.
He often received visits from those who had been deceived into
renouncing their Faith. He always welcomed them most kindly.
After lucidly explaining the Catholic position, he would point out
how they had been duped. As a result, they would realize the mis
take they had made. But at the same time he would encourage
them never to despair of God’s mercy. He also helped them finan
cially as much as he could, since some of them were in dire need.
He housed some young men in the Oratory to shield them from
error and to instruct them more effectively. Among them were some
needy Waldensian boys whom he converted. He led entire families
back into the fold and also found employment for some of them.
Father Rua is our source of information in this regard.
Some of the Waldensian neophytes came to the Oratory more
for the sake of argument than from a desire to be converted, and
Don Bosco went along with this. Canon [John Baptist] Anfossi
recalls: “I myself was often present at such disputes and greatly
admired the subtle arguments Don Bosco employed. Obviously he
must have prepared himself for this task, but he must also have
had some supernatural assistance. This was particularly evidenced
by the great charity with which he invariably treated these mis
guided people who were not always courteous to him. Don Bosco
regarded kindness as the most indispensable virtue in dealing with
heretics.” And indeed this is true, because when heretics sense that
the opponent’s aim is to prove them wrong, they immediately pre
pare themselves not to discover the truth but to fight it. Heated
polemics shut people’s hearts, whereas affability opens them. St.
Francis de Sales, who was extremely gifted in disputation, won
over more heretics by his gentleness of manner than by his knowl
edge. Weighty arguments without kindness have never converted
anybody. As a matter of fact, several of these misguided people
were won over by Don Bosco and restored to the Church.
The Waldensian pastors soon learned about Don Bosco’s zealous
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
efforts to bring back to the Catholic Church those who had left it.
Some of them sought him out, hoping to confute him and capitalize
on that fact. But they never succeeded, not only because of the
soundness of his arguments but because of his ability to prevent
their jumping from one argument to another— an art at which they
were past masters either because of their ignorance or because by
such tactics no conclusion can ever be reached. Sometimes Don
Bosco, instead of bringing out direct proofs, would ask them ques
tions, especially when the debate was about church history, the
councils, and the Fathers of the Church. Their answers revealed an
appalling ignorance. Don Bosco also knew how to trip even a
learned opponent into statements whose implications led to un
foreseeable, unavoidable, and very embarrassing conclusions. Theirs
was an unenviable experience.
During this year [1852] he was also busy spreading far and wide
a new edition of his pamphlet Warnings to Catholics. Thousands
of copies disseminated in Piedmont and particularly in Turin were
very effective. But while Don Bosco was engaged in fighting heresy
outside Valdocco, the enemy actually reared its ugly head within
the Oratory itself.
Father Vitale Ferrero, a Franciscan at St. Thomas Monastery
in Turin, whose younger brothers frequented the Oratory, became
very friendly with Don Bosco. The friar had so dissembled his true
nature that Don Bosco trusted him and invited him to dinner on
several occasions. As a result, that particular year, 1852, he asked
him to preach on the feast of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint
of the Oratory. The friar spoke to the boys in the Piedmontese
dialect which he knew quite well. He described scenes from the
saint’s life and vividly portrayed how St. Francis, even though phys
ically exhausted, climbed to hilltop villages in order to save souls.
He also added that the saint mended his own clothes, whereas there
were “others” who rode about in coaches and had tailors at their
beck and call. By “others” he meant “bishops.”
Then he narrated a parable about an eagle and a fox. The eagle
was perched on a tree, while the fox, covered with hideous, oozing
sores, moved stealthily below. The fox was trying to hide in the
bushes in order to conceal his sores and infect the other animals.
But the eagle watched every movement the fox made, and cried out
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243
to the other animals, “Watch out for the fox!” To make his point
clear the treacherous preacher concluded: “Children, do you know
whom the eagle stands for? None other than Luther! And the fox?
Yes! You know it! The Catholic Church!”
Don Bosco had been listening intently to every word with mount
ing distress. At this last utterance he walked to the pulpit as the
friar was coming down, seized a fold of his habit, and in a loud
voice, so that all the boys could hear, shouted at him, “You are
unworthy to wear this habit!”
Eventually this unfortunate friar obtained permission from his
superiors to leave the monastery under the pretext that he had to
care for his aged father. However, as soon as he reached home
dressed as a secular priest, he threw his father out of his home, dis
carded his clerical habit, and publicly and formally joined the Wal
densians under the guidance of Amadeus Bert, their pastor. Sent to
London to proselytize among the Italians who lived there, he was
stabbed to death that same year by a fellow countryman.
This wretched monk had infiltrated the Oratory in collusion
with the Waldensians, but he had been rash and imprudent and
had prematurely flung aside his lamb’s clothing. Some boys who
had heard that sermon still recalled every detail of that infamous
parable forty years later, so deep was the impression it had made on
them. In great sorrow Don Bosco later told them how the monk
had apostatized and he exhorted them to pray for him. The only
result of this abortive stratagem was that it increased the boys’
horror of apostasy.
Don Bosco also took advantage of a felicitous event to strengthen
his boys in their character. In 1851 the Pope had proclaimed a
jubilee. After a year, the indulgences could also be gained by those
outside Rome. Father John Borel therefore petitioned the chancery
on behalf of Don Bosco to permit the boys and the staff members
of the oratories to gain the jubilee indulgence by making the pre
scribed visits to their chapels rather than to the other designated
churches. If this was granted, Father Borel wrote, greater spiritual
advantage would be derived. The vicar general, Canon Philip
Ravina, gave his permission on February 2, 1852. All the pre
scribed visits were made processionally, and this custom was fol
lowed in the future.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Inspired by Don Bosco’s sermons, the boys did their utmost to
gain the indulgences. In order to impress these solemn days indel
ibly on their minds, Don Bosco suggested to all the boarders and
also to many day boys that they jot down their resolutions and
either keep them themselves or give them to him. The suggestion
was followed. Many entitled their paper “My Jubilee” while others
headed it with their own names. Many signed their resolutions. One
of them reads: “I am John Baptist Sacco. I shall keep my promise.”
The few papers that have been preserved reveal by their sim
plicity of expression, repetitions, and grammatical errors that the
writers, whether artisans or students, were newcomers.
Here are some examples:
I must shun blasphemers.
I must avoid quarrelsome people and make an effort not to quarrel
anymore.
I must promise not to blaspheme or say bad things anymore.
I must keep away from bad companions.
I promise to be diligent in my duties and more devout in church.
I must approach the sacraments more often.
I must promise to shun people who talk against the Church.
This last phrase crops up in all these papers. Obviously its sub
stance must have been suggested and explained by Don Bosco. We
must say the same about the ideas and the order in which they are
expressed. They are uniform and most likely reflect the order Don
Bosco followed in his sermons. We shall include here a complete
sample, somewhat corrected:
THIS IS THE JUBILEE OF [PETER] ROCCHIETTI
Things To Avoid
1. Bad companions.
2. People who talk against the Catholic Church.
3. Unseemly conversations.
Persons To Imitate
1. St. Aloysius Gonzaga.
2. Those who are very devoted to God and the saints. (I will follow
their good advice.)
3. Those who speak well of our Faith.
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Resolutions
1. I promise not to sin anymore as long as I live.
2. I promise to avoid bad companions, bad talk, and those who have
a habit of blaspheming or using the Lord’s name in vain.
3. I promise not to tell lies for any reason whatsoever and not to blas
pheme or say bad things. I must avoid what is evil.
All this I promise and will observe for the rest of my life.
Peter Rocchietti
This paper— and many others— had been entrusted to Don Bosco
by the boys so that he could remind them if they forgot. Such trust
in their good father was their protection.
Meanwhile the Waldensians, in addition to the church under
construction, opened a school for small girls of well-to-do families,
another for poor children of both sexes, a kindergarten, a hospital,
a welfare center for the poor, and also a vocational school nearby
for young Waldensian apprentices. To oppose these proselytizing
activities which were lavishly supported by English benefactors,
Don Bosco pitted his own beneficent activity at the cost of great
sacrifice. To counterbalance their churches where heresies would
be taught and dogmas denied, Don Bosco erected churches where
truth would be preached and God’s Holy Name glorified. To the
wealth of the bible societies he could counter the modest offerings
inspired by faith and charity.
Meanwhile preparations for the lottery were moving steadily
ahead.
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CHAPTER 31
Launching the Lottery
^-JLT the start of the year 1852 Don Bosco devoted a great
deal of time to the preparations for his lottery. On January 16, he
mailed a reprint of his appeal for prizes to thousands of addresses;
all had to be written by hand. It was the first time that a church
building drive was conducted in this manner, and the response was
eminently successful.
Joseph Brosio wrote: “Don Bosco, who always wanted me to
have a hand in all his undertakings, assigned me several tasks in
connection with the 1852 lottery and, later on, with the one for
the St. Aloysius Oratory. He took me along on visits to wealthy
people and to the sick.”
Meanwhile gifts kept pouring in. Her Majesty, Queen Mary
Adelaide, donated several: a red crystal goblet and lid, a red velvet
pin cushion encased in a miniature bronze easy chair, another of
green velvet encased in ivory, a blue-tinted clear crystal goblet,
and an eight-piece coffee set for two in white porcelain with a flower
pattern in relief. Her Majesty, Queen Dowager Mary Teresa, sent
two bronze vases in gold and silver finish, a small writing desk of
inlaid wood, and twelve other items. Her Royal Highness, the
duchess of Genoa, contributed a bronze paperweight with a group
of three figurines. The court and members of the Turin nobility
graciously donated other gifts. Pope Pius IX and King Victor Em
manuel II manifested their desire to participate.
The flow of gifts increased Don Bosco’s workload. An inventory
had to be kept of the gifts and donors, the prizes had to be num
bered and stored away, and “thank you” letters had to be sent to
the more generous benefactors.
Where to exhibit the prizes posed an urgent problem. The Ora-
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tory, poor and small, was obviously unsuitable for this purpose.
With the consent of the superior of the Dominicans, Don Bosco,
through the good offices of Father Peter Baricco, deputy mayor,
appealed to Marquis Alfonso La Marmora for permission to use
some rooms in the Dominican monastery [which had been seized
by the government]. Father Baricco received the following reply:
Ministry of War
Department of Military Administration
Turin, January 16, 1852
The request of the Reverend Don Bosco, director of the Oratory of
St. Francis de Sales in Valdocco, for permission to use three rooms in
St. Dominic’s Monastery, at present under military administration, for
the display of lottery prizes, whose proceeds will be used for the com
pletion of the new chapel in the aforementioned Oratory, is promptly
granted in view of its philanthropic and charitable purpose. Accordingly,
I have instructed the competent office of the War Ministry to make these
rooms temporarily available to Don Bosco or his deputy.
This information is to be communicated to the lottery’s executive
board and to the Reverend John Bosco.
Alfonso La Marmora, Secretary of State
As prizes kept pouring in, it soon became obvious that even these
three rooms would not be sufficient. Don Bosco therefore wrote to
Father Gazzelli of Rossana, royal almoner, asking him to support
his petition to the king for the use of a large room in one of the
buildings belonging to the crown. Father Gazzelli received the fol
lowing reply:
Sovraintendenza Generale della Lista Civile
Very Reverend and dear Father:
Turin, February 18, 1852
I regret to inform you that the crown buildings have no facilities for
the display of lottery prizes on behalf of the Oratory of St. Francis de
Sales in Valdocco. I do not know what can be done about the petition
submitted by the Reverend John Bosco and endorsed by Your Rever
ence. I suggest the rental of the large hall called “Trincotto” which pres
ently houses the tennis courts near the Dramatic Society.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
The lessee is willing to put this hall at Don Bosco’s disposal for the
whole month of March. However, the hall must be vacated by April 1
and left ready for occupancy (as in the past) by the Fine Arts Academy
for their yearly exhibit.
Please convey my suggestion to Don Bosco. If you think it appro
priate, I shall recommend to His Majesty that he graciously authorize
the payment of such lease. The lessee has also informed me that the
windows of this hall belong to the Fine Arts Academy and that he is not
authorized to put them back in place. I recommend therefore that Don
Bosco be told of this so that proper arrangements can be made.
Awaiting your reply before taking any further action, I remain,
Your devoted servant,
S. M. Pampara
The king authorized a donation of two hundred lire toward the
rental of the hall, but since a one-month lease was not sufficient,
Don Bosco applied to the municipal authorities and they generously
permitted him to use a vast hall behind St. Dominic’s Church. Don
Bosco informed Father Gazzelli of this development by letter, and
he enclosed another petition for the king. Father Gazzelli then for
warded both letters to Marquis Pampara who replied as follows:
Sovraintendenza Generale della Lista Civile
Dear Father:
Turin, March 15, 1852
Since the Reverend John Bosco could not obtain the “Trincotto” hall
to display lottery prizes on behalf of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales
in Valdocco for the reasons listed in his letter of February 25, and since
in the meanwhile he has been able to obtain other premises, His Majesty
(to whom I referred the Reverend Bosco’s petition) has graciously con
sented that the two hundred lire previously earmarked from his private
funds for the lease of the “Trincotto” hall be used instead as the Rever
end Bosco sees fit for the success of this lottery.
I am pleased to inform you that suitable instructions have already
been sent to the proper disbursement office. I remain in deepest esteem,
Your devoted servant,
S. M. Pampara
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Don Bosco cashed the king’s donation and then supervised the
arrangement of properly-decorated tiered stands all around the hall
which the municipal authorities had put at his disposal. The 3,067
prizes, each with the donor’s name, were displayed in this attractive
setting. A 158-page booklet contained the list of prizes and donors,
the first appeal which the committee had addressed to the public,
the rules of the lottery, and the names of the promoters. It was sold
at fifty centesimi a copy in the exhibit hall and in the Marietti and
Paravia bookshops.
Don Bosco had written the following dedication:
TO THE
ILLUSTRIOUS AND WELL-DESERVING GENTLEMEN
AND TO THE
GRACIOUS AND CHARITABLE LADIES
WHO GENEROUSLY DONATED
MANY AND RICH GIFTS TO THIS LOTTERY
FOR FUNDS TO COMPLETE THE CHURCH
FOR THE BOYS’ ORATORY OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
IN VALDOCCO
*****
IN TOKEN OF DEEP GRATITUDE
THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
In the midst of this whirl of activity Don Bosco had also written
to Count Camillo Cavour requesting exemption from postal fees.
The reply came from Marquis Gustavo, the count’s brother:
Reverend Father:
Turin, February 16, 1852
After considering your appeal concerning the lottery for your Oratory,
my brother has asked me to inform you that your request will be granted
as soon as you forward the necessary formal application. Please see that
this is done without delay. To expedite matters, you may show this letter
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
to anyone concerned and assure him that the Minister of Finance has
already given you a definite commitment that the authorization requested
will be granted.
I take this opportunity to express my great esteem and remain,
Your devoted servant,
Gustavo Cavour
Don Bosco sent in the necessary papers and the government ex
empted him from several postal fees. But once everything seemed
to be going smoothly, another obstacle cropped up. According to
law, the number of tickets had to be proportionate to the cash value
of the prizes. The authorities appointed an appraiser, but Don
Bosco thought that his appraisal was far from accurate and he
formally registered a complaint to the Finance Office [probably in
March].
Dear Sir:
On behalf of the executive committee of the lottery for the Oratory
of St. Francis de Sales in Valdocco, the undersigned wishes to inform
you that the committee, although pleased with the promptness with
which your appraiser [Mr. Angelo Olivero] evaluated the articles on dis
play, is nevertheless reluctant to accept his appraisal of objects of art.
These are clearly outside his competence. We object for the following
reasons:
1. Many of the art objects were appraised at less than a fifth of the
value estimated by connoisseurs. This greatly harms an undertaking
which enjoys the patronage of the distinguished members of the com
mittee and of public charity.
2. Several people, on hearing of the low value placed on the objects
donated by them, have stopped contributing further prizes.
3. The appraisal continually hinders and harms the lottery to the
disappointment of the public and to the detriment of its aims.
For the above reasons I respectfully request your consideration for
the success of this undertaking and ask for the appointment of a com
petent person to properly appraise the value of the art prizes while allow
ing Mr. Angelo Olivero to continue to evaluate the. other gifts. If this is
done, the executive committee will eagerly continue to promote the good
of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales and also succeed in putting an end
to the complaints of the public.
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Confident of your benevolent consideration, I am, on behalf of the
committee,
Your humble petitioner,
Rev. John Bosco
Director of the Oratory
of St. Francis de Sales
This petition received the following favorable response:
City of Turin
Finance Office
Turin, March 22, 1852
In response to the petition submitted by the Rev. John Bosco, director
of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, to whom a permit for a lottery
was issued on March 5, this office, authorizes a special appraiser for the
objects of art inasmuch as the previous appraisal by Mr. [Angelo]
Olivero seems to be somewhat too low.
Professor Cusa, secretary of the Albertina Academy, is hereby ap
pointed to appraise the art objects donated for the above-mentioned
lottery. Professor Cusa will carefully appraise each prize, compile an
exact list and make a sworn report to this office.
For the Finance Office
Casimiro Radicati
After all these wranglings, the way was finally clear for the pub
licizing of the lottery. L ’Armonia, in a supplement to its issue of
Sunday, March 21, carried the following article:
Yesterday (March 19) the lottery prizes for the completion of the
church of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Valdocco directed by
Don Bosco were first displayed. The prizes will soon number more than
three thousand. We cannot dwell at length on their value here but shall
limit ourselves to pointing out that many eminent persons have given
their support. Outstanding among them are Her Majesty the Queen, the
Queen Dowager, Duke Pasqua, superintendent of the royal palaces, the
mayor of Turin, and others. Today’s issue of the Gazzetta Piemontese
also has high praise for this charitable undertaking.
Since the second appraisal was acceptable, the lottery’s execu
tive committee redoubled its activity, enthusiastically contributing
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
and soliciting prizes and selling tickets. Soon the number of prizes
rose to 3,251 and an additional list had to be printed. In keeping
with their high value, an issue of one hundred thousand tickets was
authorized. The work involved would have been an exhausting task
had it not been a labor of love. Printing the booklets, the double
numbering of each ticket, separating them from the stubs, stamp
ing them with the Oratory seal and the signatures of two committee
members, keeping track of them, sending out circulars and receipts
for money received— these were endless tasks which did not permit
a moment’s rest. Priests and laymen in every large city and town
of the realm vied with one another to help make the lottery a suc
cess by purchasing tickets themselves or selling them to their friends
and acquaintances and then forwarding the money to Don Bosco.
Senators, deputies, and municipal aldermen also bought tickets.
As though all this work involved no effort at all, Don Bosco
never wearied of including personal letters with the lottery tickets
he sent to more prominent benefactors.
He sent one to Canon Vogliotti [rector of the seminary] through
John Francesia. After reading it, the canon told Francesia: WI had
no intention of accepting these tickets, but Don Bosco has written
such a charming and moving letter that I can’t help but oblige.
Take these fifty lire. But please tell him that it was his charming
letter that won the day.”
Crowds came to see the prizes on display. Moreover, Marquis
Gustavo Cavour promised to visit the display as we can see from
the following letter:
Dear Reverend Father:
Turin, February 22, 1852
Several urgent matters have prevented me from replying sooner to
your welcome note of the 18th. I am glad that the lottery for the holy
and highly meritorious undertaking to which you dedicate so much
energy promises to be a success. I shall not fail to visit the display of
prizes and to purchase tickets, and I hope that your enterprise will greatly
benefit by this expedient. From the very beginning I had thought the
premises at your disposal for this purpose to be hardly suitable, and I am
delighted that the municipal authorities have granted you better ones.
I take this opportunity to assure you of my sincere benevolence.
Your devoted servant,
Gustavo Cavour
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Launching the Lottery
253
The marquis kept his promise. Count Camillo also visited the
display with Count Casimiro Radicati. Don Bosco doffed his biretta
on greeting them at the door and led them on a tour of inspection
of the more valuable prizes.
To prevent burglaries, Don Bosco had asked the cleric [Joseph]
Buzzetti and one of the older boys to sleep there. They were armed
with a small pistol, loaded only with gunpowder, with which to
frighten away burglars, if necessary. One evening early in March
as Buzzetti was loading his pistol at the Oratory before going on
duty, the powder exploded and the wadding stripped his left index
finger to the bone. He was rushed to St. Maurice Hospital, then
located near Porta Palazzo, but his finger had to be amputated.
Released after two or three days, he returned to the Oratory with
his arm in a sling and immediately resumed his routine duties,
which included teaching the boys to sing the antiphons for Sunday
Vespers and helping with the extremely arduous tasks connected
with the lottery. From that year onward, [Joseph] Buzzetti was Don
Bosco’s right hand in all subsequent lotteries, in the organization of
which he acquired great skill and competence.
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CHAPTER 32
Fomenters of Discord
IU L Ih ILE he was busy with the lottery, Don Bosco, with
genuine serenity of soul, concealed a sorrow which, though cruel,
did not slacken his drive in the least. We have already referred to
the misunderstandings arising in 1851 among the clerical personnel
of the oratories.1 At Valdocco, too, there were some who did not
seem to like the way things were done, and they felt slighted be
cause Don Bosco paid no heed to their suggestions or demands.
They outdid each other in sowing discontent among the boys, never
missing an opportunity to cut Don Bosco to pieces. Their leader
was a priest whom we shall call “Father Rodrigo.” He found a ready
audience because “the words of a talebearer are like dainty morsels
that sink into one’s inmost being.” (Prov. 26, 22)
The reader may wonder why Don Bosco tolerated such co
workers. The answer is that they were good and zealous priests, but
passion clouded their intelligence and dimmed their power of rea
soning. It is difficult to believe that they were unaware of Don
Bosco’s many virtues, but even if they had recognized them, it would
have made no difference in their frame of mind. They saw him only
on Sundays when they were busy teaching catechism or supervising
a vast crowd of boys; hence, they had no time to study him in depth.
Besides, Don Bosco was so plain in his speech and manner, and
he gave such scant importance even to the most extraordinary
things he accomplished, that when these co-workers were told of
them, they either saw nothing extraordinary in them or merely re
garded them as exaggerations.
Father Leonard Murialdo, who was not one of the dissidents,
was for many years one of the mainstays of the Guardian Angel
1See Chapter 27. [Editor]
254
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Fomenters of Discord
255
and St. Aloysius oratories, as well as an unswerving and loyal friend
of Don Bosco. Although not very close to him because of the de
mands of his own work during the week, he gave us his opinion
of Don Bosco which he had formed through several years. He
admitted that it took him a long time to really get to know Don
Bosco.
At first I regarded Don Bosco only as a zealous priest, not as a saint.
After a time I began to think he might be such and I increasingly began
to esteem him more highly when his undertakings, revealing him to be
no ordinary man, showed his true worth and forced one to exclaim,
“This the Lord did.” [Ex. 8, 19] In a certain sense, the various things he
accomplished reminded us of Our Lord’s words, “These very works that
I do bear witness to me.” [John 5, 36]
On the other hand, Don Bosco was one of those servants of God
whose sanctity lies in self-sacrifice for God’s glory and the salvation of
souls, in keeping with the motto which, if I am not mistaken, was dear
to St. Joseph Calasanctius: “It is good to pray, but it is better to help
others.” I do not know whether Don Bosco indulged in prolonged prayer
or extraordinary penances, but I do know that for many years he labored
tirelessly and unceasingly for God’s glory with calm and serenity amid
afflictions and oppositions of all kinds, and with results that are nothing
short of prodigious. God does not usually choose evil men or men of
mediocre virtue as His chosen instruments in the great task of sancti
fying souls.
Such is the witness of Father Murialdo. We should not be sur
prised, therefore, if Father Rodrigo and his coterie were unable to
perceive what even the learned and far more spiritually-minded
Father Murialdo himself had not [at first] seen.
Meanwhile, Father [Joseph] Cafasso tried to restore harmony
with the following letter:
Rev. Father Peter Ponte
c/o Marchioness Barolo
Naples
Dear Father Ponte,
Turin, January 6, 1852
I thought I would be able to reply to your welcome letter before you
left Rome, but a long series of chores and problems made this impossible.
I shall come immediately to the point. I urge you to put aside all worry
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
and disquietude regarding the decision you plan to take on the matter
you mention. Your fellow workers are not motivated by preconceived
ideas or animosity toward you, nor do they desire to break with you. On
the contrary, I do know that they look forward to your cooperation as
soon as—God willing, hopefully very soon—you will return to Turin.
Since the items under discussion are yours, you are perfectly free to
make whatever decision you choose, but if you want my opinion, I think
that, as things are now, you would be well advised to put them at the
disposal of the oratories rather than of any individual, reserving how
ever priority rights for yourself as long as you will be able to help in this
blessed work of the Lord. Should you judge otherwise, do what you
think is best and disregard my suggestion.
I again advise you to be cheerful, serene, and tranquil. Crosses there
will always be, but the Lord loves peace and serenity, too.
Please tell the marchioness that, though distant, we can pray for each
other. I remember her in my prayers. My best regards to Mr. Pellico.
With all my heart, I am,
Affectionately yours,
Fr. Joseph Cafasso
But Father Cafasso’s solicitous intervention was not successful.
Something most unpleasant, such as had never before happened nor
was ever to happen again, took place at the Oratory. Father Rod
rigo and his followers secretly plotted, as they themselves admitted,
to destroy the Oratory. As a first step they tried to lure away from
Don Bosco the older boys such as [John] Germane, [Charles]
Gastini, and other Sunday catechists. Joseph Brosio gave us this
account:
One evening after church services we were invited by some of these
dissidents to attend a meeting about a matter concerning our reputation.
Several of the more intelligent and experienced boys suspected a trap
and refused to be present.
The purpose of the meeting was to accuse Don Bosco of having slan
dered and disgraced us in the newspapers by labeling us as thieves and
vagabonds. This charge was a treacherous ruse to hinder—as partially
it did—a work which was prospering with God’s help. When we cate
chists assembled in a room of the ground floor, Father Rodrigo produced
and read aloud Don Bosco’s appeal for the lottery. When he was through
he called our attention to this paragraph: “Several people interested in
the sound education of the young have been deeply distressed by the
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Fomenters of Discord
257
increasing number of boys who idly roam the streets with bad compan
ions and earn their living by begging or petty larceny, thus becoming a
burden to society and fomenting lawlessness.. . . Therefore they opened
a center, etc.”
Most of the catechists were young men from good families; some were
pretty well-off and so were many of the boys who frequented the Oratory.
For obvious reasons, the appeal did not mention them. Father Rodrigo,
instead, drew this perverse conclusion, “It is to you, to you specifically,
that Don Bosco refers, and it is a terrible insult demanding an apology!”
When he was through, most of the young catechists were greatly upset.
I immediately asked for permission to speak, and quiet was restored. In
order to ascertain what these hotheads were after, I could not take the
role of an opponent, so I began to talk in the following vein: “Friends,
I am as much interested as you about our reputations. Nevertheless, let’s
not rush into hasty decisions. First let us discuss what we should do. If
Don Bosco is wrong* admits it, and bows to our wishes, then I suggest
that we forget the whole thing. If, however, he refuses to retract his state
ment, we simply must take action. I can assure you that I am aware of
the respect that is due to me and my family. You will see that I’ll be the
first to stand up and fight for what we value most—the respect of our
fellow citizens.
“Before we take this radical step, however, let us examine the wording
of this appeal calmly to see if it really calls for violent protest. Perhaps
we are being a bit oversensitive. Let us see whether we have really been
offended and dishonored. It seems to me that the interpretation given to
that paragraph is not quite genuine. I believe that if the appeal makes
no distinction between the two categories of boys attending the Oratory,
it must be due to a printer’s error or to the involuntary omission of a
copyist. I think it would be rash and dishonest of me to believe that Don
Bosco has deliberately slurred those whom he loves so dearly.
“Let us see, then, if the matter cannot be settled amicably. I think that
a simple remonstration on our part would be more than sufficient to ob
tain an explanation from Don Bosco, indeed even an apology, if we are
entitled to it. He will be the first to suggest some way of reconciliation:
he will eagerly desire it, and we should not reject it. Thus both he and
we will be spared serious troubles which could cause even greater evils,
particularly to us.”
I stopped talking, feeling that perhaps I had already given in too much
to their blind, blazing resentment. My words were received in glacial
silence; then a murmur of disapproval gradually swelled into an uproar as
though this were a gathering of maniacs. The instigators of this revolt
were quick to exploit such a propitious moment. They had let me talk
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
in favor of peace and harmony in order the better to disguise their own
intentions, test the mood of the boys, and thus ensure their own victory.
After the shouting subsided to some extent, Father Rodrigo rose,
called for silence, and began to speak: “My good friends, I prize your
honor as much as the young man who has just addressed you, but I prize
it in a different way. I want to see you uphold your honor! (Cries of ap
proval) I too, of course, love peace, and I would deserve your contempt
if I were to incite dissension for no reason at all, but who cannot see
ample reason in this instance? Was it perhaps you who provoked Don
Bosco, my good friends, or rather was it not he who tried your patience
to the extreme by his ill-advised appeal? (Further cries of approval)
Brosio suggests that a friendly chat will suffice to make Don Bosco cor
rect the wording of that circular and thus restore your reputation. But
do you know, my good friends, how such friendly negotiations would end
under the circumstances? In a masquerade, in an even more humiliating
farce! You would be reprimanded for having taken part in this discussion
of our rights, and you would be expected to beg for pardon. (Agitation
among the listeners) You would be told to apologize. While your honor
is being trampled upon, are you going to send a committee to present
your apologies? Speak up! Is this what you want?”
There followed a good deal of commotion. It was finally decided that
all present should abruptly quit the Oratory. Thus an open breach was
declared.
Father Rodrigo and his accomplices had hatched their plans
beforehand. Father John Cocchis2 had again taken up his old
project of establishing a Sunday oratory and had sought and
obtained on February 15, 1852, from the municipal authorities
the use of St. M artin’s Church near the city mills for the purpose
of gathering boys on Sunday and holy days.
This little church had been one of the first places to which Don
Bosco had moved his Oratory in his quest for permanent head
quarters.3 It was here that the dissidents set up their center for their
war against Don Bosco. Father Cocchis, who was not sufficiently ac
quainted with the dispute and needed help, accepted their services;
they began to teach catechism on the Sunday following their fateful
meeting.
That same evening three of the more brazen among them called
a See Vol. HI, pp. 319f, 392f. [Editor]
^ See Vol. II, pp. 236(T. [Editor]
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Fomenters of Discord
259
on Don Bosco to dispute the appeal he had written for the lottery.
Joseph Brosio gave us this report:
I was going around the playground teaching a military drill to the
boys when, as I passed near the sacristy, I heard loud talking inside. I
went in to see what was happening. A young man, his features distraught
with anger and contempt, had just finished talking. I stood still and heard
Don Bosco calmly explain that his lottery appeal, without enumerating
the different categories of boys attending the Oratory, had limited itself
to describing in a general way the great majority of boys. Truly the bulk
of the boys attending the Oratory were of the type mentioned in the cir
cular. Consequently (Don Bosco was telling him) young men of good
families who had volunteered to teach catechism had no reason to take
offense at a paragraph which did not concern them in any way. Indeed,
they should be proud to cooperate in a work of this kind.
Don Bosco then cited the names of many boys from excellent families
and of distinguished laymen who came to the Oratory for this purpose.
None of these had taken offense, and"therefore it was absurd to imagine
that he (Don Bosco) coiild have been so stupid as to harm himself by
deliberately and unjustly insulting them.
However, this young man and his two companions, determined as they
were to obtain an apology and blind with anger, could not understand;
in fact, they did not even listen to Don Bosco’s explanation. Instead the
one who acted as spokesman hurled insults at Don Bosco and at all the
Oratory boys, saying that the appeal was a true description of Don Bosco
and his boys, and that he and his friends had done well to withdraw from
such company. They had flung down the gauntlet, so I took it up in the
name of all the other boys who had gathered and were trembling with
rage. I advanced on the rebel spokesman with clenched fists, but Don
Bosco, with the gentleness of a kind father who can pity and forgive,
stopped me. He himself took up the defense of his outraged sons, se
verely reprimanded the young rascal, and threatened to expel him from
the Oratory, Abashed at the turn of events, the young man dropped his
swagger and withdrew with his two companions. It was not long before
he showed his true colors: he fell in with evil company and irretrievably
lost the honor he had so boastfully claimed to possess.
The clerics at the Oratory took no part whatsoever in these dis
putes. Don Bosco said nothing about them. Ascanio Savio stated:
“I never heard Don Bosco say anything disparaging about his
adversaries. Once, when I ventured a few words of criticism, he
instantly and gently corrected me.”
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CHAPTER 33
Fomenters of Discord (Continued)
F a t h e r Rodrigo and his emissaries continued to make
overtures from time to time to the older boys of the Valdocco Ora
tory, inviting them to hikes and free meals. Some responded to their
blandishments; nearly every Sunday a few skipped the Oratory
church services. Father Rodrigo and his coterie were particularly
bent on winning over Brosio, whom they rightly considered Don
Bosco’s right hand. A t first they tried to bribe him to be an informer.
A canon of the cathedral promised him many advantages if he
would enroll at St. Philip Neri’s Oratory. Brosio was seemingly
receptive to the idea but he was actually stalling for time to thwart
their plans and thus always gave evasive answers.
Brosio described their maneuvers as follows:
One Sunday Father Rodrigo asked me to join him the following week
on a hike to the country. I immediately told Don Bosco about it, al
though he had forbidden me to mention these things to him. He allowed
me to go, and I went willingly because I wanted to know what these
people were up to. The following Sunday after Mass, therefore, I met
them at Porta Palazzo, as agreed. All the rebels and their leaders were
waiting for me, although the latter did not really expect me to show up.
When I did, they were overjoyed and made a big fuss over me. Father
Rodrigo exclaimed, “Today we’ll have an even more wonderful time
because our best friend, our ‘bersagliere,’ has joined us.” We then set
out for the Centauro Inn on the road to Milan. When we arrived, we first
had some refreshments, and then at noon we were served a sumptuous
dinner. One could not have wished for more. The wines were excellent
and plentiful. After dinner, we played bocce and other games; then we
sang and drank until evening when we returned to town. When we
reached Porta Palazzo we did not go to Benediction of the Blessed Sac
rament [as was our custom], but went instead to a cafe for an espresso.
260
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261
After agreeing to meet again at St. Martin’s Church on the following
Sunday, we parted.
Instead of going home, I went to the Oratory to report to Don Bosco
and ask him what I should do about next Sunday. After listening to me,
he said I was to go again, and so I did. After Mass we went to the San
Carlo Gallery Cafe at Porta Nuova (now Via Roma) for breakfast.
On these two Sundays the sermons kept advising those in attendance
to quit the Valdocco Oratory, using the dangerous premise that God can
be found everywhere and that one can become a saint in any place if he
really wants to.
In the afternoon I went again to the Oratory and fold Don Bosco that
I had been invited to another big picnic. However, this time Don Bosco
told me to quit them.
Father Rodrigo had given me six silver scudi (thirty lire), hoping to
bind me more closely to his group. I did not want to accept that money,
but he pressed it into my hand and so confused me with reasons that I
did not know what to do. The moment I took the money, however, I
lost my peace of mind and was seized by remorse. I felt that by accepting
money I had betrayed Don Bosco. I therefore immediately got rid of it
by giving it to a poor man for his family. Then I ran to the Oratory to
make a clean breast of everything to Don Bosco. He told me that I could
have kept the money without misgiving, but that I had done a good
thing in giving it to charity.
Father Rodrigo was well supplied with money since very wealthy
people had for some time been giving him donations in the belief
that they were to be used for charity. Piqued as he was at Don
Bosco, Father Rodrigo, by now a well-known figure in town, began
a campaign against him with a zeal worthy of a better cause. He
thus alienated many of Don Bosco’s benefactors.
The following story, related by Father Leonard Murialdo as an
example of Don Bosco’s gentleness and forbearance, probably
belongs to this period. “One day, Don Bosco confided to me that
he had been seriously hurt by backbiters and that he had once felt
constrained to tell the one who was most responsible, ‘Do you
realize the harm you have done me? You have robbed me of all
my benefactors!’ Don Bosco never for a moment doubted that his
Work would prosper and that he would always have benefactors to
help him, but he regretted having lost some of his earliest and
dearest supporters.”
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Archbishop Fransoni, though in exile, rallied to Don Bosco’s
defense when news of the intrigues reached him. He first encour
aged Don Bosco and then strengthened his position by officially
declaring him director of all the oratories he had founded.1
In another decree the archbishop gave also a public testimonial
of appreciation to Father [Robert] Murialdo for his cooperation in
Don Bosco’s work at the Guardian Angel Oratory in Borgo
Vanchiglia.2
It was a crushing defeat for Don Bosco’s adversaries. Every
claim of theirs to authority in the three oratories was now worth
less. We read in the Book of Proverbs: “There are six things the
Lord hates; yes, seven are an abomination to Him . . . the false wit
ness who utters lies and he who sows discord among brothers.
(Prov. 6, 16-19)
Meanwhile, what had become of Don Bosco’s first catechists?
Not daring to break completely with him, they would show up for
a few moments on Sundays and then run off to where Father Rod
rigo awaited them and spend the rest of the day there. One day
Don Bosco gravely said to Charles Gastini: “All abandon me, but
I have God with me, so what should I fear? The work is His, not
mine, and He will see that it continues.”
Don Bosco endured this situation for a few Sundays, but when
he saw the game continued, he decided to end it and dismiss those
who, as the saying goes, tried to run with the hare and hunt with
the hounds. Therefore, one Sunday morning, when they put in their
usual appearance, he called them into his little dining room. They
had just given him a small handbell for summoning the boys to
Mass. Although he sensed that some of them had an ulterior motive
in so doing, he nevertheless thanked them for it, but then he told
them calmly and frankly: “I am not at all satisfied with you. If you
want to quit, do so; if you don’t want to come here, go elsewhere.
I shall train new catechists. I’m quite used to that. I have done it
over and over again. I can do it once more.” After these few words,
Don Bosco calmly looked them individually in the eye and left
them. The misguided catechists returned on the following Sunday
1 See Appendix 7. [Editor]
2 See Appendix 8. [Editor]
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263
and gathered around him, but the usual cordiality was lacking.
After that they did not show up anymore at Valdocco.
In the new Oratory attached to St. Martin’s Church they were
treated to hearty snacks of chicken, salami, sweets, fruit, wine, and
other dainties. But were they really happy? One day one of them
met [John Baptist] Francesia, a friend of his, and said to him, “St.
Martin’s is fine, but something is missing— that something which
made us go more willingly to Valdocco.” That something was
Don Bosco with his fatherly affability and disinterested solicitude.
Eventually these young men, once their groundless resentments
gradually subsided, felt such a strong new affection for Don Bosco
that they came back to him and remained his loyal and staunch
friends throughout his lifetime. Don Bosco, on the other hand,
reciprocated their affection, ever mindful of the valuable service
that they had rendered him and the Oratory as catechists. He
wholly forgot the sorrows and troubles they had caused him when
gripped by the passion pf their cause. In the same way he always
welcomed warmly those who, now well-employed, came back to
visit him and spend a day in his company. To those in need he
generously offered hospitality. Several who were not able to provide
for their families because of limited capabilities found employment
at fair wages in the Oratory workshops.
At the peak of trouble, Brosio, realizing that reconciliation was
not possible, broke off all connection with the ringleaders. We shall
now resume his narrative. He wrote:
The vast majority of the boys, utterly unconcerned with the goings-on
between the dissidents and Don Bosco, were all for him, to the acute an
noyance of Father Rodrigo who now realized that his campaign had
failed.
On his part Don Bosco increased the Oratory’s attraction with new
games, thus thwarting his adversary’s efforts. Inasmuch as the play
ground was not large enough for drills and bocce tournaments, he let us
use the field where the Church of Mary Help of Christians now stands.
To give our battalion more room we even strayed more than once as far
as the Borgo San Donato meadows where, with Don Bosco’s money, I
always bought two big baskets of fruit for my would-be soldiers. Foot
races and drills were the order of the day. I often asked Don Bosco to
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
race with us; he did, and to everyone's amazement he nearly always out
ran all of us.
Meanwhile Don Bosco had hurriedly trained new catechists,
pressed by the fact that some of the recent trouble arose just as
Lenten catechism instructions were about to start. In 1852 Lent
began on February 25, and Easter fell on April 11. Don Bosco
could not divert catechists from the St. Aloysius or the Guardian
Angel oratories which were frequented by about a thousand boys,
some of whom were also being instructed in scholastic subjects.
Of his former catechists at Valdocco only one remained— fourteen-
year-old John Francesia, who at that time did not board there. Don
Bosco therefore called upon John Cagliero and some of his com
panions, as well as the boarders and some clerics. Although they
were mere boys, each of them managed a class of twenty to twenty-
five lively youngsters and performed their job earnestly. Although
several pupils were older than their catechists, the classes were
always orderly. Besides, Don Bosco kept constant watch over them.
He had prescribed that catechism should be taught to the letter,
and he often ran contests with prizes. On Sundays the new cate
chists, with a self-assurance and competence far superior to their
age, supervised the boys at confession, at Mass, at the sermon that
followed, and also at the afternoon church services and recreation.
Often they were also entrusted with distributing breakfast rolls to
the day boys, especially if they had gone to Communion, because
it would have been rather hard for many of them to return home
for breakfast.
Don Bosco was delighted with the splendid work of his new cate
chists, but he never tired of repeating: “For goodness sake, never
leave the boys to themselves; keep an eye on them, always and
everywhere.” To inspire them he reminded them of St. Augustine’s
saying, “If you save a soul, you assure the salvation of your own.”
The Lenten catechism classes, obviously blessed by the Lord,
were now drawing to a close, and the Easter triduum had just
started. A strange episode then took place which indelibly impressed
the boys’ minds, as we gather from Professor Joseph Raineri:
Easter was very close. One evening Don Bosco was speaking on avoid
ing occasions of sin and all dangers. At one point he said, “If you don’t
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Fomenters of Discord (Continued)
265
want to get burned, keep away from fire.” At that very moment, several
matchboxes which a young gardener had bought to take home caught
fire in his pocket. The smoke and crackling sound soon aroused every
one’s attention. Never was any exhortation so promptly followed! We
all laughed heartily and saw how right Don Bosco was. He laughed too,
but his laughter could only be seen; it was never heard.
The other two oratories also yielded gratifying results. There
Don Bosco was represented by zealous priests, especially by Father
[John] Borel, who often went from one oratory to the other teach
ing catechism and preaching with great zeal and efficacy. From
time to time, however, Don Bosco visited the other two oratories,
and the boys there received him with unbounded joy and shouts of
welcome. During these visits he usually preached the sermon; after
ward he always sought a chance to give each boy some friendly and
timely advice as if he had intimately known all of them for a long
time. God blessed his efforts. Many boys, for whom no great future
hopes could be entertained, benefited from their attendance at the
oratory and were later a credit to the Church in various paths of life.
After Easter the new catechists, all members of the St. Aloysius
Sodality, continued their work with increasing zeal on behalf of the
boarders as well. Don Bosco keenly felt that the boys should learn
sacred hymns and Gregorian chant. Therefore, following the cus
tom started the previous year, every Saturday evening was set aside
for learning the antiphons and psalms of the Sunday Vespers. A
catechism class was also held every evening for those boys whose
religious instruction had been particularly deficient, since Don
Bosco wished them to receive First Holy Communion as soon as
possible. “Our Lord should take possession of their hearts before
they become tainted with sin,” he used to say. He prepared them
either in person or through his catechists, who also substituted for
any teacher missing at the evening classes.
The young catechists also helped with the church functions. In
1851 Father Michelangelo Chiatellino had composed a Mass and
had set the Litany of Our Blessed Mother to music, donating the
score to Don Bosco. The catechists eagerly learned and sang both
compositions, teaching them in turn to the new boys who year by
year joined the choir. In addition, the catechists learned to work
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
with each other. Mainly for this reason there was never any serious
breach of discipline. Occasionally some stickler for strict discipline
might raise an objection. At that time there were open fields all
around the Oratory, and some boys would stray as far as the
meadows adjoining the Citadel, about a third of a mile away. But
there was always a catechist among them to tactfully lead them
back like good children to Don Bosco.
The storm that had rocked the Oratory was now over. A Catholic
middle-of-the-road newspaper, La Patria, carried a glowing article
praising Don Bosco’s Storia Sacra. Father [John] Cocchis, who had
been called to direct other foundations, especially the Istituto degli
Artigianelli [The Young Apprentices’ Hospice],3 handed over the
oratory at St. M artin’s Church to Father Peter Ponte when the latter
returned from Rome with Marchioness Barolo. Father Ponte con
tinued to dedicate himself with great zeal to the education of the
young until 1866, when he retired. He then handed over his ora
tory to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which in turn entrusted
its spiritual direction to the rector of the Istituto degli Artigianelli.
Nowadays [1904] this oratory is located across the Dora River on
its own premises and is frequented on Sundays by more than four
hundred boys.
8 See Vol. Ill, p. 393. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 34
A Devastating Disaster
1 3 ISASTER struck Turin in 1852 like a bolt out of the
blue, and it was little short of miraculous that the city did not
become a heap of rubble and a tomb for its citizens.
A gunpowder factory and three warehouses were located near
St. Peter-in-Chains Cemetery in the heart of the Dora district. Sev
eral thousand pounds of gunpowder and small arms munitions were
occasionally stored there, constituting a serious hazard to the dis
trict and the entire city.
On the morning of April 26, at a quarter to twelve, a spark set
off by defective machinery instantly ignited two adjoining sieves.
The fire spread to the bolters, and finally outside where the gun
powder was stored. The flames then shot out at two adjacent pow
der magazines, and in rapid succession they exploded with a terrific
roar heard fifteen miles away.
The impact burst doors and windows and shattered countless
windowpanes. Finally the massive gunpowder factory blew up,
leveling surrounding houses and felling two rows of aged mulberry
trees like twigs. Stones, nails, iron fittings, and flaming rafters
hurtled through the air, striking buildings, falling into the streets
and squares like missiles, and bringing wholesale destruction and
death in their wake. Stones weighing two, three and four hundred
pounds were hurled in all directions for nearly a quarter of a mile.
Twenty-one workers in the gunpowder factory were killed instantly,
either burned or crushed beneath the ruins; thirty-five others were
injured. A dense pall of smoke hung over Turin, blotting out the
sun and filling the city with terror. It seemed as if the end of the
world had come. People screamed, wept, and fled in panic, not
knowing the cause of the disaster. Gradually, as they found out,
267
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
they streamed in droves from the outskirts of the city to the gun
powder plant, only to be driven back by the crowds fleeing that area
in fear of further explosions. Others, however— Don Bosco among
them— bravely joined the soldiers and police who had hastened to
the scene with Mayor Bellone and his councilmen, King Victor
Emmanuel II and his cabinet, and the duke of Genoa.
At the time of the first explosion Don Bosco was in the hall
where the prizes for the above-mentioned lottery were on display.
He quickly ran into the street to find out what had happened. At
that very moment the second blast went off; an instant later, a sack
of oats whizzed by him and crashed to the ground. In a flash, Don
Bosco realized that the gunpowder factory, just a quarter of a mile
from the Oratory, was ablaze. Fearing the worst, he ran there with
out delay. The Oratory was deserted; all the boys, unharmed, had
fled to the nearby fields for safety. Seeing that there was no pos
sible danger, Don Bosco lost no time in running back to the scene
of the disaster to minister to the victims. On the way he met his
mother who tried in vain to stop him. Charles Tomatis also came
running up to him, and Don Bosco told him: “Go back and direct
all the nuns you find in the streets to Piazza Paesana.1 There you
will find a coach that will take them to Marchioness Barolo’s villa
at Moncalieri.”
Tomatis hastened to do his bidding, wondering how Don Bosco
could possibly know what arrangements the marchioness had made
in this emergency. Meanwhile, Don Bosco reached the disaster
area. With great difficulty he made his way through the ruins. It was
a heartrending scene. Torn limbs lay scattered in every direction,
and the moans of victims trapped under the smoking ruins could
still be heard. To make matters worse, there remained the danger
of a third explosion which at any moment could destroy everything
in the vicinity, and beyond. The two magazines which had already
caused death and destruction stored only about six hundred pounds
of gunpowder; a few yards away another one contained over eighty
thousand pounds. Its roof had already been blown off; all the sur
rounding buildings were aflame and sparks were hurtling through
the air. If this volcano erupted, it would completely raze not only
1 It was also called Piazza Susina. In I860 it was renamed Piazza Savoia. [Editorl
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A Devastating Disaster
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the Dora district but half the city as well. That Turin was saved
from such destruction we have to thank the Blessed Virgin Herself,
acting through one of Her devoted servants, whose name we too
should in all justice record for posterity.
Quartermaster Sergeant Paul Sacchi of Voghera, a foreman in
the gunpowder factory, had miraculously escaped injury. He had
been flung to the ground twice by the blasts, but each time, after
invoking the help of the Blessed Virgin, he rose again. He was
covered with bruises, his face and hands scorched, and his ears
bleeding from the shock of the blast. But in the midst of this inde
scribable confusion, while his fellow workers lay either dead or
wounded and desperate shouts and cries filled the air, he displayed
such resourcefulness and courage that human praise is almost
inadequate.
Recovering from the shock, he noticed that although the third
magazine was still standing, a blanket hanging nearby had already
caught fire. Scarcely able to breathe, he nevertheless dashed into
the building, as though driven by superhuman strength, dragged
the blanket outside, and stood there exhausted, calling for help.
Inspired by his brave example several men ran to his aid, followed
shortly afterward by some soldiers and firemen. While the firemen
tried to contain the fire, the soldiers removed the eight hundred
powder kegs stored in the building. No sooner would they bring
out these kegs than the tireless Sacchi would cover them with wet
blankets. The rescue work, which lasted without letup until four
in the afternoon, unquestionably saved the city. Count Charles
Cays was also among the rescuers who helped to remove the
wounded.
We are convinced that Turin was saved by the intervention of
the Blessed Virgin through the heroism of this man who, in that
fateful moment, appealed to Her for help and strength. For the rest
of his life Paul Sacchi knelt every Saturday before the altar of Our
Lady of Consolation to fulfill a vow of thanksgiving, not only be
cause She had saved him, but also because She had enabled him
to save his fellow citizens. His singular experiences during the early
years of his life seemed to portend that Divine Providence was pre
paring him for the noble task of saving Turin.
During the first few days after the catastrophe, this simple, honest
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
man was the object of flattering demonstrations of honor and esteem
on the part of all, but soon he also had to taste the bitter gall of
ingratitude. He had publicly attributed his heroism to the Blessed
Virgin’s intercession by stating repeatedly: “It is not I who saved
Turin, but Our Lady of Consolation!” Immediately the anticlericals
made him a target of sarcastic comments, derision, and slander;
tabloids portrayed him as a hypocrite and religious fanatic. On the
other hand, on the official parade grounds the government solemnly
awarded him the gold medal for valor, the National Guard pinned
a small symbolic wreath on him, and the municipal authorities
made him an honorary citizen of the city of Turin. Furthermore,
a street2 was named after him, and he was awarded an annual pen
sion of 1,200 lire for the rest of his life.
Unaffected by praise or mockery, honors or insults, Paul Sacchi
continued to nourish a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Until
his very last day, May 24, 1884, the feast of Mary, Help of Chris
tians, Paul, now a captain, went to pray long hours daily in the
church of the Nuns of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacra
ment 3 together with another captain who was a friend of his. Since
Archbishop Gastaldi had forbidden anyone with whiskers to serve
at sacred functions, he and his friend shaved them off— no mean
sacrifice for old soldiers.
Let us now return to our narration of the disaster. During the
rescue work Don Bosco had been able to give absolution to a poor
workman who, bruised and battered, had been dug out from under
the ruins just as he was breathing his last. And although Don Bosco
could not take part in the physical work of rescue, he allowed his
hat at least to be put to good service. At the height of the danger,
water was urgently needed to keep the flames from the blankets
covering the powder kegs. In this emergency, Sacchi grabbed Don
Bosco’s hat and used it as a container until pails and water pumps
arrived on the scene. “As recently as 1877,” Father John Bonetti
told us, “this brave man still recalled this episode to our mutual
gratification.”
2 This street, adjacent and parallel to the side entrance of the Porta Nuova
railroad station, intersects a very fashionable boulevard, Corso Vittorio Emanuele
II, which runs in front of this main station. [Editor]
3 Commonly called “Chiesa delie Sacramentine,” at the corner of Via dei Mill®
and Via Belvedere. Its titular is St. Francis de Sales. [Editor]
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In Turin it was common belief that heavenly protection had
spared the city further havoc. The first to feel the effect of this
divine intervention were the patients of the Little House of Divine
Providence, better known as the Cottolengo Hospital. It was quite
close to the powder factory; some buildings were only a stone’s
throw away.4 During the blast, roofs, walls, and ceilings had col
lapsed, furniture and all fixtures had been flung wildly about, doors
had been wrenched from their hinges, and rafters, pieces of wood
and metal, stones, bricks and debris had rained from all directions.
Yet, under this hailstorm of lethal missiles, not one of the thirteen
hundred patients, whether bedridden, blind, lame, mentally ill,
young or old, had suffered a scratch. Many of them faced instant
death as they saw the flash of the awesome scythe above their heads,
but they escaped. Ceilings caved in above the bedridden, but the
debris miraculously fell clear of them. Buckling walls remained
standing until the nearest patients were removed to safety. In the
children’s ward the roof was blown off, causing a veritable shower
of bricks, yet not one fell on the tiny patients. There were more than
twenty patients in the ward for mentally retarded girls. For nearly
three years they had never left the ward until after midday. Yet,
that morning, for no particular reason, they had all moved to an
adjoining room. When the explosion took place, a rafter plunged
through the roof of the ward, bringing down most of the ceiling
along with it and crushing the iron beds; fortunately, all of them
were empty.
Most amazing of all, and clearly demonstrating the visible pro
tection of the Blessed Virgin, was the fact that in the very same
rooms or wards where closets, cupboards, and doors were wrenched
off and overthrown by the violent blast, Her pictures still hung on
the walls. In St, Theresa’s ward, there was a statue of Mary inside
a glass case about six feet above the floor. Both were flung to the
ground, but neither case nor statue suffered the slightest damage.
All the windows in the orphans’ dormitory facing the gunpowder
plant had recently been walled up by bricks; the explosion blew
them all in, except two where pictures of the Blessed Virgin were
hanging. In a connecting underpass there was a niche, nine feet
4 See Vol. II, pp. 5Iff. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
above the floor, containing a wooden statue of the Queen of Heaven.
The shattering blast knocked down the whole wall, yet the statue
was found standing upright on its base amid the ruins as if it had
been lowered gently to the floor. It seemed to have come to life
and descended from the niche to reassure those who were fleeing
through that passageway, begging God’s mercy.
Behind the sanctuary of the private chapel, so very dear to the
Venerable Cottolengo,5 about three hundred pictures of the more
famous M arian shrines of the world, each framed in glass, hung on
the walls. This chapel fronted the gunpowder factory and was com
pletely exposed to the impact of the blast. When the explosion
occurred, it overturned heavy cupboards in an adjoining room
separated by a wall, knocked down part of the ceiling, smashed the
door, and twisted the iron bolt that locked it as if it were a soft wax
candle. But despite this damage, the pictures remained in place,
their glass intact. In the main chapel at a side altar dedicated to
the Holy Rosary there was a niche with a statue of the Blessed
Virgin. Only about eighteen feet away, the great arch supporting
the cupola of the church was split in two; the organ encased under
a stand was overturned and pushed a few feet away; the large frame
with its crystal panes covering the niche was flung open, but the
statue of the Blessed Virgin suffered no harm. Not even the crown
on Her head was disturbed, although one of Her earrings fell off.
But the two incidents which we shall now describe were an even
more eloquent proof of the Blessed Virgin’s powerful protection
on that day. A three-foot-high painting of Our Lady of Consolation
hung (as it still does today) in the lobby of the Cottolengo Hospital
between the two doors leading to the street. The painting, backed
by a thin wood panel and protected by glass, was surrounded by
flowers, votive silver hearts, and other ornaments. People entering
or leaving usually paused before it to recite a Hail Mary. The lobby
led into the courtyard facing the gunpowder factory. With no buffer
in between, the explosion of the two powder magazines was so vio
lent that even the locked doors of the Cottolengo Hospital were
flung open, and more than ten thousand of its windowpanes were
smashed to smithereens and their frames twisted into fantastic
5 Now St. Joseph Cottolengo. He was canonized on April 30, 1934. His feast
falls on April 29. [Editor]
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A Devastating Disaster
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shapes. All along the adjacent Via Dora Grossa as well as along
other streets nearly a mile away, not a single pane remained intact.
Missiles of every description were hurled into the lobby; large heavy
cupboards which stood nearby were overturned. On the wall where
the picture hung, a massive oak door led to the street and was
locked with a heavy iron bolt; this door was torn open and the bolt
split in half. Even the corner of the wall, against which the picture
of the Virgin stood, collapsed. Nevertheless, the picture itself re
mained on the wall, its protecting glass and all its ornaments intact!
The holy image of Mary seemed to be saying to Her terrified chil
dren: “I am here. Do not be afraid. I, your Mother, will protect you.
Do not fear.”
When, a few hours later, a man coming from downtown noticed
the unshattered glass before the picture of Mary while the streets
were littered with glass, he experienced a mysterious tremor within
himself and wept for joy like a small child.
Attempts were made to explain away these happenings but no
one was able to do so convincingly. Even now, after careful reflec
tion, we must still conclude that the almighty hand of God saved
Turin through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
One episode that stands out above all the others and furnishes
clear evidence how the Blessed Virgin protected Turin on that day
of horror is described by the late, lamented Msgr. Louis Anglesio
who at that time was the superior of the Cottolengo Institute, a
post he had been occupying for ten years:
Of all the buildings along either side of the gunpowder factory, the
closest, barely two hundred and fifty feet away, was Nazareth Hall. It
was a modest two-story structure, housing over twenty mentally retarded
patients on the first floor and about thirty chronically ill children, four
to nine years old, on the upper floor. The attic and all the rafters of the
roof were supported by a column that rose in the center of the large
dormitory. Upon this column rested a hollow terracotta pillar which
projected above the roof and served as a chimney for a heater.
Atop this pillar stood a hollow, three-foot statue of the Immaculate
Virgin, made of scagliola, the head bearing a crown of twelve stars. Our
Lady seemed to stand there to shield and guard the Little House, or even
to give orders to nature itself in order to restrain this calamity. The two
powder magazines blew up one after the other with hardly any interval
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
between the blasts. In the wake of the double explosion, objects of every
description and size rained from all sides. Many of them struck Nazareth
Hall, and they also left their mark on the terracotta pillar, but the statue
of the Virgin was barely pushed one inch from its base. It stood un
scathed and intact with its crown still on its head; however, before the
explosion it had faced inward, but now it was turned in the direction of
the powder factory. How could anyone fail to acknowledge, hail, and
thank the Virgin as a faithful guardian and loving protectress? The roof
below the statue was almost entirely shattered. The ceiling caved in after
the rafters collapsed, dragging along the roof shingles and crashing into
the room where the children were either lying in their cots and cradles,
or were sitting or standing. It was unrealistic to hope that anyone in that
room could escape death. Indeed, this was the terrifying thought that
gripped everyone. But when nuns and rescuers arrived on the scene, they
were amazed. Our Heavenly Mother had watched over these innocent
creatures; not one had received so much as a scratch. At the first ex
plosion the more agile children had raced out of the room; the others,
who were not so fleet of foot or who were bedridden, somehow were
spared any harm whatsoever. One cradle with a child in it was over
turned, but the cradle actually shielded him from the debris which other
wise would have crushed him. Amid all the cries and lamentations, it
was deeply moving to hear those innocent children repeat: “Forgive us,
Holy Virgin, forgive us; we’ll be good from now on!” 6
These events, especially the one involving that fragile terracotta
pillar, were so exceptional and contrary to all physical laws that
even non-Catholics who came out of curiosity to observe the results
considered them miraculous. The following day, a disreputable char
acter was wandering about in the vicinity blaspheming God for this
disaster. When he took a look at the fragile statue still standing
intact he fell silent. He stared at it for a long time and then re
marked: “What the devil is this? This just can’t be!” We feel sorry
for the poor wretch. The devil would not only have shattered the
picture of the Virgin, but would have overthrown the Holy Virgin
Herself from Her heavenly throne, had it been in his power to do so.
Without doubt the frail statue, intact in the midst of ruins, was a
6 Luigi Anglesio, Le meravigUe della Divina Provvidenza nella Piccolo sua Casa,
ecc. per I’intercessione della SS. Vergine, Torino, Marietti, 1877 [The Miracles
of Divine Providence in Its Little House, etc., through the Intercession of the Holy
Virgin, Turin, Marietti, 1877].
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visible token of Mary’s invisible presence, as She lovingly watched
over Her children and over the city of Turin to save it from total
destruction.
Nor did the Blessed Virgin limit Herself to showing through the
above-mentioned incidents that She watched over the city as a
whole; She also gave proof of Her motherly solicitude for religious
houses exposed to serious dangers. In the three institutions founded
by Marchioness B arolo7 there were about five hundred nuns and
girls. Not one was even slightly hurt, although the missiles rain
ing on them left deep scars on the north wall of St. Philomena’s
Hospital; a' two-hundred-pound stone even fell on the convent
grounds without doing damage. Today [1904] one can still view a
closet full of stones, twisted iron bolts, and similar items which
rained upon the courtyard and into rooms and corridors of the
building itself. In the infirmary there were two sick nuns who had
been bedridden for a long time. At about eleven that morning they
had asked to be taken out into the garden for a breath of fresh air
and, unexpectedly, the mother superior had consented. Hardly had
they been moved when an enormous rafter crashed through the
roof and flattened the two empty beds. Also, as the nuns wondered
if they would be forced to flee from their enclosure and seek a safer
refuge elsewhere, they saw a white dove fly to the top of the cross
on the roof of their convent. They considered this to be a happy
omen and said: “If the dove flies away, we shall go too; if not, we’ll
stay.” The dove remained there until four in the afternoon, when
official word came that the danger had passed.
Meanwhile, what had happened at the Oratory? A burning rafter,
about twenty feet long, fell just a few feet from Don Bosco’s rickety
little house. It would certainly have crushed it and burned it to the
ground had not Divine Providence disposed otherwise. The new
church was still roofless and the scaffolding had just been removed.
The blast could have collapsed or at least weakened it. Luckily,
even though it was soon to be blessed, Divine Providence had
ordained that it should still be without doors or windows; thus it
offered less resistance to the blast and suffered no damage whatso
ever. The walls of the house, however, developed dangerous cracks.
t See Vol. II, pp. 182ff. [Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
Needless to say, not a single pane remained in the windows; the
windows that were closed were slammed so violently against the
wall that several were a total loss. One of the chapel doors on the
north side had not been opened for several months because its lock
was rusty and the humidity had warped the wood. The blast solved
the problem. The door was not only opened but wrenched off its
hinges and hurled into the middle of the chapel. The same thing
happened to another door in a small ground-floor room known as
the cellar. Here too the door was ripped off its hinges, and for the
next few days the boys could have had free access to the wine, had
there been any.
Another rather extraordinary incident is the one we are about to
relate. Among the boarders was a 13-year-old boy named Gabriel
Fassio, a blacksmith apprentice, of excellent character and exem
plary piety. Don Bosco, who greatly esteemed him, often cited him
as a model to the others, occasionally remarking: “Oh, how good
he is!” Don Bosco had also predicted that Fassio would shortly die.
A year before the fatal explosion the boy fell ill and soon was at
the point of death. He had already received the Last Sacraments
when one day, as though inspired from above, he kept saying: “Woe
to Turin! Woe to Turin!” Several schoolmates of his who were at
his bedside asked him: “Why do you say that?”
“Because something terrible is going to happen to Turin.”
“What do you mean?”
“A terrible quake.”
“When?”
“Next year on April 26. Woe to Turin at that time!”
“What should we do?”
“Pray to St. Aloysius and ask him to protect the Oratory and
everyone in it.”
Shortly thereafter Fassio died a saintly death in the Cottolengo
Hospital. In view of his outstanding virtues and the inspired tone
accompanying his warning, he deeply impressed the Oratory boys
and they followed his advice. At their request, a Pater, Ave, and
Gloria in honor of St. Aloysius were added to the usual morning and
night prayers, together with the invocation: A b omni malo, libera
nos, Domine [From all evils, deliver us, O Lord], a practice still in
force in our houses today [1904]. L ’Armonia happened to mention
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this fact, and the anticlerical press immediately aired the opinion
that priests must have started the conflagration, a villainous ac
cusation which under certain circumstances could have provoked a
bloodthirsty lust for revenge.
The explosion caused tremendous property damage. Many build
ings had been so badly hit that they had to be demolished. The
government appointed a special commission to assess the losses and
granted a subsidy to the needier landlords for repairs to their build
ings. The commission also inspected Don Bosco’s Oratory and
granted him a three-hundred-lire subsidy. Another two hundred lire
were awarded to him by the Chamber of Deputies.8
There is one further fact that we must mention. In the wake of
the second explosion and with the likelihood of a third, many resi
dents near the Oratory, even those who could hardly walk, sought
refuge in a field near the Oratory, almost opposite the church under
construction. Here some meditated on the power, justice, and mercy
of God; others asked His pardon and promised to lead a better life;
still others called upon the saints in heaven. All, without exception,
expressed great confidence in the protection of the Blessed Virgin,
recalling how in former times She had mercifully protected the city.
They invoked Her now in this moment of disaster, reciting the
rosary and filling the air with hymns in Her praise. It is gratifying
to know that this field later became the shrine of Mary Help of
Christians. To this shrine flock the afflicted and the sorrowful to
seek and obtain Her help and consolation.
During this emergency Don Bosco also gave shelter and comfort
to many terror-stricken youngsters from other institutions, as for
hours and hours carts kept lugging away the powder kegs. When
night came, Don Bosco called all the boys around him. They were
still afraid of some new disaster during the night, but Don Bosco
exhorted them not to worry, to be calm, and to trust in God. He
was so convincing that they finally went to bed fully reassured.
We can find the reason for such confident assurance in a picture
of the Immaculate Virgin, bearing the inscription “Help of Chris
tians, pray for us,” which hung in his room, and which we preserve
as a relic.
8 A footnote containing the official notice of this subsidy has been omitted in
this edition. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA IN T JO H N BOSCO
As a remembrance of this event Don Bosco had five thousand
copies of a beautiful picture printed by the Doyen Press, and he
distributed them to the boys at the end of June. The background
shows the city of Turin and the explosion of the powder factory.
Our Lady of Consolation, whose shrine is visible amid the other
buildings, is seen sitting on clouds amid angels. The foreground
shows boys kneeling or standing, with hands joined or outstretched
imploringly toward the Blessed Virgin; a priest is pointing to Her
with his right hand, while his left rests on the shoulder of a child
who is looking ecstatically at the Madonna. The holy picture bears
two inscriptions. The first reads: “When in danger or in need, have
recourse to Mary.” The second states:
“Saved from frightful dangers,
Prostrate at Thy feet,
We give thanks to Thee, O Blessed Virgin!”
***
The Boys of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales
To Our Lady of Consolation
However, Don Bosco was not entirely satisfied with this gift. He
wanted to express his gratitude by an act of singular generosity.
On Tuesday, May 11, 1852, U Armonia carried the following news
item:
At its May 6 meeting, the executive committee of the lottery for the
building fund of the church of St. Francis de Sales, now under construc
tion in Valdocco for the religious and moral education of boys, has re
solved to assign half of the profits, as permitted by law, to the Cottolengo
Hospital.
The committee is convinced that only heavenly protection explains the
fact that this new construction, despite its proximity to the scene of the
recent disaster in the Dora district, suffered no damage whatsoever.
Therefore, not knowing a better way, the committee chose to express its
gratitude to Divine Providence by coming to the assistance of that won
derful institution called “The Little House of Divine Providence” which
suffered such great damage.
A twofold purpose will thus be served by those generous and chari
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279
table persons wishing to contribute other prizes to the already rich col
lection, or to purchase the tickets still available: first, the welfare of
poor boys who will receive a Christian education in the new church, and,
secondly, the assistance to an institution which in its origin and expan
sion is in itself a miracle of Divine Providence.
The prizes will be on display daily from 10 a.m . to 6 p .m . in the same
hall in Via della Basilica No. 3, second floor. The public drawing is
scheduled for the beginning of June.
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CHAPTER 35
A Student Recital
jt^ H E IR miraculous escape from harm at the explosion
of the gunpowder factory kindled an even greater love for the
Blessed Virgin among Don Bosco’s pupils. Devotions in Her honor
had always been held daily during the month of May in the Oratory
chapel; Saturdays, in particular, were marked by a short reading
extolling Her glories, or by a brief sermon. In May of this year
[1852], the month of flowers, the custom was started in all the
dormitories of offering Her daily spiritual flowers. Every evening
Don Bosco would suggest a small act of homage and a short prayer
to be offered to Her on the following day.
His love of the Blessed Virgin made him ever grateful toward
those benefactors who zealously promoted devotion to Mary. As an
indication of th's fact we cite here a letter of his to Bishop [John
Peter] Losana of Biella:
Turin, May 4, 1852
Your Excellency:
I am most grateful to Divine Providence for having inspired you to
become an outstanding benefactor of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales.
I wish to express my thanks to you for having recommended the con
struction of my [new] church to the charity of your flock in your pastoral
letter of September 13.
I also wish to acknowledge receipt of the sum of 1,000 lire; this
prompt and generous response to your appeal clearly shows that your
flock realizes the need to safeguard the faith and morals of our youth.
You have good reason to rejoice, dear bishop, for this help given to
the young people of Turin, and all the more so since your generosity also
benefits quite a number of boys from your own diocese who for reasons
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of employment spend several months in this capital1 and come to this
Oratory for recreation, instruction, and church services on Sundays and
holy days.
Your Excellency is aware that, despite the generous contributions of
charitable people, my building fund is depleted. However, Divine Provi
dence mercifully came to my aid through a lottery. From the very begin
ning, it was well received; prominent people zealously gave their whole
hearted support. Thanks to them, we have received more than 3,100
prizes; both in quantity and quality they surpassed my fondest expecta
tions. I hope for similar success in the sale of tickets; this and only this
will enable us to finish the construction of the church.
In any event, I now feel much more confident, and am happy to in
form you that construction is proceeding in earnest. God willing, we shall
bless this new church and start holding services on June 20, a day sacred
to Our Lady of Consolation, thus filling an urgent need.
Your Excellency may imagine the: joy and consolation with which I
am looking forward to this solemn, longed-for day. I can think of no
better way to express my gratitude to you and your diocese for your
generous support of the lottery than by warmly welcoming the boys of
your diocese to the Oratory, I assure you I will do my utmost for their
intellectual and moral education.
I will also add my prayers to the prayers of those boys whom, so to
speak, Divine Providence will entrust to me, and I will constantly ask
God to shed abundant blessings on you and on all who in any way
cooperate in this work of charity. I beg Your Excellency to continue your
benevolence toward the Oratory. I ask your blessing on our new church,
our lottery, and all our boys. I ask your blessing on me too; I feel I need
your blessing more than anyone else.
Again, please accept my sincerest gratitude and deepest respect.
Your most humble servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Work on the lottery never slackened. With admirable zeal the
bishops of Piedmont gave the project their enthusiastic support, as
can be clearly seen from the following [extracts of] letters that indi
vidual bishops wrote to Don Bosco.
1 At this time Turin was the capital of the kingdom of Sardinia. From 1860 to
1865 it became the capital of Italy. During that year the seat of government was
removed to Florence. {Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
Alba, May 2, 1852
I shall try to dispose of the two hundred tickets you sent me. If I don’t
succeed, as I fear, 1 shall return the balance to you together with the
proceeds. You will receive everything in good time before the 20th of
this month. Remember me in your prayers. God bless your undertakings.
£< C. M. V., Bishop
Saluzzo, May 4, 1852
It certainly was a good idea to send me three hundred tickets. I had
been trying to get some for a long time but I did not know where to turn.
I shall keep one hundred myself and do my best to dispose of the bal
ance. I will promptly send you the money, and perhaps at that time I’ll
ask you for more tickets.
Should I have occasion to come to Turin, I trust you will kindly allow
me to see the church under construction and your Oratory at Valdocco,
as well as the other oratories you mention but which I have never seen.
Meanwhile, may God grant you the abundant blessings which your
undertakings fully deserve.
Yours devotedly,
i£i John [Anthony Gianotti], Archbishop
Vigevano, May 21, 1852
I received your kind letter of May 13 and the enclosed three hundred
lottery tickets. Please charge 150 lire to my account. I shall forward the
money as soon as possible.
May the Lord bless your efforts to build a house of worship to Him.
Please accept, etc.
Pius Vincent [Forzani], Bishop
Acqui, May 24, 1852
I received your package of two hundred lottery tickets, together with
your kind note of May 21. Although it is impossible to dispose of the
tickets here inasmuch as general economic conditions are constantly
worsening, nevertheless, as the building of a new church is at stake, 1
shall keep them all and shall remit 100 lire next week.
Modesto [Contratto], O.F.M.C., Bishop
Mondovi, June 7, 1852
I received the two hundred tickets you so kindly sent me. However,
since a similar number reached me but a short time ago, I have little hope
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A Student Recital
283
of being able to dispose of them all, even though I will keep a consider-
able number myself. Of course, I shall make every effort, but, as I said, I
do not expect the results to match my efforts. If such is the case, l shall
return the unsold tickets well in advance of the deadline. Please remember
me in your prayers.
iji John Thomas [Ghilardi], Bishop
Fossano, May 28, 1852
Besides the hundred tickets I had purchased myself, I have also re
ceived those you sent me by coach. I have already distributed them
to several people and shall do everything I can to promote this project.
I, too, deeply regret that I could not attend the recitation given by
your boys. I hope to do so on some other occasion.
Pray to God for me that my health will be restored. Please continue
your friendship toward me.
Louis [Fantini], Bishop
The recitation referred to by the bishop of Fossano had been
held at the Oratory [on May 16], Don Bosco had sent the following
invitation to benefactors and other prominent people:
Dear Friend,
Turin, May 14, 1852
Your interest in the welfare of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales
prompts me to send you this invitation. Please honor us by your presence
this coming Sunday, May 16, from 2 to 5 p .m .
The students frequenting our evening classes will give a demonstration
of what they have learned. There will be nothing spectacular, but never
theless it will be sufficient to show you that they have put their heart and
soul into their work.
The demonstration will consist of:
1. Reading and writing, elementary arithmetic, the metric system,
Italian grammar, vocal and instrumental music.
2. Elementary biblical geography, New Testament history, vocal and
instrumental music.
3. Two dialogues: Touring the Holy Land and The Boy Who Didn’t
Win a Prize.
Prose and poetry selections will be presented between numbers.
I hope you will be able to accept this invitation. I welcome the oppor-
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
tunity to thank you again for all you have done and, I hope, will con
tinue to do on behalf of my boys.
Your grateful servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Distinguished educators— among whom was Father [Ferrante]
A p o rti2— several aldermen, patricians, other prominent citizens,
and Bishop [Louis] Calabiana of Casale graced the occasion with
their presence. All were visibly impressed with the forthright, flaw
less responses and the musical numbers presented by these young
apprentices. They proved that a keen mind may often be concealed
under callous hands and a rustic exterior. Their answers to the
rather difficult questions moved the delighted audience to frequent
and prolonged applause. The guests had come to the Oratory ex
pecting to witness a recital by children; instead they saw sturdy
young men who, unlike many others of their peers, spent their free
time in completing their education.
It certainly is no simple matter to channel youth’s natural inclina
tion for fun into serious, painstaking duty. But what may be diffi
cult to modern secular educators is a simple task for a Catholic
priest inspired by Christian charity. When several hundred young
men give up amusements to listen to a good priest, it is natural to
ask: “Why?” The answer is: “Because they love their spiritual
father.” This love originated and grew in response to his love for
them. Their reciprocal love was a natural outcome of their love
for Jesus Christ.3
Father Aporti— a senator of the realm— was so pleased with
their prompt and exact answers that he rated their performance on
a par with that of full-time students. At the end of the recitation
the boys were rewarded not only with applause but with various
useful prizes donated by benefactors.
What made this recitation particularly memorable was a long
poem in Piedmontese dialect.4 Don Bosco had composed it and had
then coached a young boy to recite it in order to dispel charges
that the Oratory meddled in politics.
2At this time Father Ferrante Aporti (1791-1858) was one of the foremost
educators in Italy. See Vol. II, pp. 148f, 165fft 171f, 31 If. [Editor]
3 See L'Armonia, Tuesday, May 18, 1852.
4 Omitted in this edition. [Editor]
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A noble lady who had been unable to attend expressed her re
grets to Don Bosco in the following letter:
Very Reverend Father:
Chieri, May 23, 1852
I did not receive your kind invitation until yesterday evening due to
my doorman’s negligence. I regret it all the more since I may have
seemed not only impolite but ungrateful in not attending this very inter
esting public recitation and in failing to express my thanks to you. Please
forgive this involuntary slight, and permit me to hope that on some
future occasion I may be allowed to admire the results of your holy un
dertakings.
I hope you will be pleased to read the enclosed article in which a
young lawyer, at present here in exile,5 wishes to make known to all Italy
that by the grace of God we now have in our midst another St. Joseph
Calasanctius, another St. Vincent de Paul. Indeed, when a priest carries
out the teaching of the Gospel, he earns the esteem and respect of all,
even of those who care little for religion but who would take an interest
in it if more priests would follow in the footsteps of Our Savior.
Once again let me thank you for the honor of receiving an invitation
in spite of my unimportance.
With the deepest respect and veneration, I remain,
Vour grateful and devoted servant,
Octavia Masino-Borghese
Although the criticism of the clergy in this letter is unjustified,
we have included it here because its praise of Don Bosco was truly
justified. It also throws additional light on the spirit and opinions
current in those days and on the fact that political exiles felt they
owed the Oratory a debt of gratitude.
BInsurrections against Austrian rule in Lombardy and Veneto in 1848-49 re
sulted in the banishment of many patriots. Most of them hocked to Piedmont.
[Editor]
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CHAPTER 36
Love of Neighbor
f i l l V ERT not your face from the poor. [Sir. 4, 4] Thus
will you be like a son to the Most High and He will be more
tender to you than a mother.” [Sir. 4, 10]
This exhortation and promise of the Holy Spirit enkindled an
ever greater fervor in Don Bosco’s charity toward his neighbor.
He sheltered countless boys without any charge. He accepted any
orphan who asked to be added as yet another son to the Oratory
family. He took in many boys at the urgings of benefactors and
relatives who promised to pay a minimum monthly fee. A t times
such promises were not kept, but Don Bosco still kept the boys
there if their conduct was satisfactory. He also provided shoes,
clothes, food, and the opportunity to learn a trade to many boys
attending the festive oratory.
Father Rua recalls that, poor as Don Bosco was, his generosity
also extended to adults who were complete strangers to him. “His
charity was all-embracing,” Bishop Cagliero declared. “He was
open to the sorrows of others and full of compassion for the poor
and unfortunate. His loving concern for them was one of his most
characteristic traits throughout his whole life. This is all the more
remarkable if one considers the calamitous times in which he lived.
He took in many people who were completely indigent, either per
manently or until they could find a job; others he tried to place in
some other charitable institution.”
He never turned the poor away. Father [John Baptist] P ian o 1
recalled: “As a theology student in Turin I was with Don Bosco
1 Assistant pastor and Jater pastor of the Gran Madre di Dio Church in Turin.
This church, completed in 1831 to commemorate the reestablishment of the Court
of Savoy in Turin, is modeled after the Pantheon of Rome. [Editor]
286
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Love of Neighbor
287
one day when we met a beggar. As was frequently the case, Don
Bosco did not have any money with him, and he turned to me. I
took out my wallet. When he saw I had a two-lire bill, he asked me
to give it to the beggar, promising to pay me back. A few months
later he reminded me about this incident and tried to pay me back,
but I refused. I was only too happy to share in his charities.”
Father [Francis] D alm azzo23wrote: “Several times I saw Don
Bosco hand out very substantial alms, especially to people who had
fallen on hard times, or to women in moral danger. I recall having
seen him give scudi, twenty-lire bills, and even, on three occasions,
hundred-lire bills. This happened especially when the people con
cerned were repentant apostates, now totally indigent, or destitute
non-Catholics entering the Church.”
Father [Joachim] Berto® added: “One day in 1874 I was with
Don Bosco when a beggar approached. There had been quite a few
before him. Don Bosco asked me for some change, but I had none
on hand. When I ventured to remark that there were far too many
beggars on the streets and that we could not possibly satisfy them
all, he replied: ‘Don’t you know that it is written: “Give and it shall
be given to you”?’ ” [Luke 6, 38]
Don Bosco simply could not ignore anyone in need, and he
would always do his utmost to lighten the burden of the persons
involved. One day, while passing through a main street in Turin
with Father Rua and Father Dalmazzo, he saw a boy pulling an
overloaded cart. The lad was obviously unequal to the task, and
was crying in frustration. Don Bosco unobtrusively left his two com
panions. Soon, to their amazement, they saw him pushing the cart
for a considerable distance.
Don Bosco saw in his fellow beings the image of their Creator,
and he did not differentiate between rich and poor on the material
or spiritual level. He paid no heed to error, guilt, enmity, ingrati
tude, difference of opinion, or political affiliation. He was not
prompted by likes or dislikes. Indeed, if he was partial to anyone,
it was to the most destitute. He had always helped them generously
2A pupil at the Oratory, he later was ordained a priest and appointed rector of
the Catanzaro diocesan seminary. [Editor]
3 He entered the Oratory as a student in 1862. He then became a Saiesian and
the secretary of Don Bosco. [Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
even before opening his hospice, as Father [Felix] Reviglio told us.
From 1849 to 1860 his charity was lavished upon yet another cate
gory of people, the political refugees who had come to Piedmont
from different parts of Italy, especially from Veneto and Lombardy,
to escape persecution.
The first among these was a notary from Pavia who had seriously
compromised himself by his political views and who now was forced
to earn a living as a street entertainer in Turin’s Piazza San Carlo.
He had trained quite a few canaries to perform in a surprising man
ner. He would place them on a table; at his signal one of the birds
would begin to twitter, while the others kept silent. Then he would
make two of the birds engage in a contest; it was amazing to see
both birds make prodigious efforts to outdo each other. At times
all the canaries warbled together in a chorus; then there would
follow a solo, another chorus, and finally a duet. The concert would
end with a grand finale with all the birds joining in. A vast crowd
would watch this performance and admire these canaries who were
so responsive to their trainer.
One particularly charming and amusing show is well remem
bered. Two canaries would engage in a mock duel. It was intrigu
ing to watch them raise the tiny cardboard sword attached to one
of their claws to strike their opponent. One canary, pretending to be
wounded, would limp and stagger around as the other tried to press
the attack. At last the assailant would raise its claw and strike a
second blow. The vanquished bird would then collapse and remain
perfectly still as if dead. Thereupon the other canaries, trilling in a
mournful key, would all approach and encircle the victim. After
a while they would grasp him with their beaks and drag him to a
small mound in the middle of the table. With their beaks they would
then pull a small piece of paper over him like a funeral pall and
cover him with some hay. The “dead” canary would never stir.
After thus burying their companion, the canaries would run to the
edge of the table with much shaking of their heads, trilling slowly
and intermittently in sorrow and grief. Now and then they would
lift their heads and look toward the grave; then sadly they would
twitter a funeral chant. At a certain point the “dead” bird would
shake off the paper and hay, jump to its feet, and begin a lively
song. At this signal, all the other canaries would run over to him
and join in a festive chorus.
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Anyone who had not actually seen the performance would not
have believed it possible that someone could train a family of
canaries so well. Don Bosco had heard about this performance.
One day, therefore, as he was passing through Piazza San Carlo
with some boys on his way to the St. Aloysius Oratory at Porta
Nuova, he stopped to see the act for himself. Something very
strange then happened. Usually the canaries became frightened
when any spectator approached too close, but they were not in the
least afraid as Don Bosco came toward them. They perched on his
shoulders, arms, and hands and allowed him to caress them. He
soon became friends with their trainer, who confided to him how
he had first tried to train several other kinds of birds before finally
finding canaries the most responsive. This was Don Bosco’s way of
winning friends: showing a sincere interest in their achievements.
The notary called many times on Don Bosco at Valdocco. On
his part, Don Bosco invited him to make his Easter duty and send
his young son to the festive oratory. The notary was very happy
with his new trade and with his friendship with Don Bosco, until
human malice and envy brought sorrow to his life.
One morning he found all his canaries dead. Some evil person
had smothered them in their cage. Don Bosco offered to help this
unlucky man by boarding his son at the Oratory at a reduced rate.
Often the boy would remark to Don Bosco: “My father worked so
hard to train those canaries! You have no idea how much he
suffered because of that spiteful deed.”
Another political refugee who experienced Don Bosco’s charity
was a man whose fame would spread far and wide. In 1852 [Mar
quis Massimo] d'Azeglio and [Count Camillo] Cavour had not yet
shown the great concern for political refugees that they would even
tually manifest. Francesco C rispi4 had been invited to write for the
Risorgimento, a moderate semiofficial newspaper that had a sizable
number of Catholics among its readers, but Crispi had emphatically
refused. Later on, however, when he applied for the position of
municipal secretary at Verolengo,5 his application was rejected.
Crispi then experienced stark misery. One day in Turin he stopped
4An Italian statesman (1819-1901), born in Sicily, he led the insurrection which
broke out on that island in 1848. Upon the restoration of the Bourbon government
in 1849 he was compelled to flee to Piedmont. Eventually he became premier of
Italy from 1887 to 1891 and from 1893 to 1895, [Editor]
5 A small town near Turin. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
as a group of boys, accompanied by Don Bosco, passed by. Don
Bosco, noticing the man’s haggard face and his half-starved condi
tion, invited him to come along to the Oratory, where he fed him.
During the next six or seven weeks he often had Crispi as a guest
at his table and discussed with him his own plans for the education
of youth. Don Bosco could see that this indigent refugee, despite
the ups-and-downs of his political career, still felt the influence of
his early Catholic training.
Crispi had rented a small room near Our Lady of Consolation
Church. Don Bosco had [Francis] Bargetti of Castelnuovo [then a
young man at the Oratory] bring him food; he also helped Crispi
with money. On another occasion, noticing that Crispi’s shoes were
quite worn out, Don Bosco had a new pair delivered to him. Crispi
also went to confession to Don Bosco and many times spent his
Sundays at the Oratory, thus having an opportunity to observe
Christian faith and charity in action. He benefited by this experi
ence, and he never forgot it, although for many years he gave no
sign of acknowledgment. When bis political fortunes took a turn
for the better, Crispi returned to Turin and rented an elegant apart
ment. A lady who had helped him in his days of misery called on
him to offer her congratulations, but he pretended not to know her.
Don Bosco, an experienced and just appraiser of human nature,
wisely refrained from calling on him at this time.
Another man to whom we shall refer by his initial, “M ,” received
free room and board at the Oratory when he was destitute. How
ever, some people never mend their ways because their hearts are
already too hardened to respond to the healing influence of reli
gion. This man showed young Francesia [a boy at that time] a book
of his own memoirs containing some unedifying and erotic episodes.
Francesia reported this to Don Bosco who immediately took steps
to prevent all contact between “M” and the boys. Don Bosco, how
ever, could not find it in his heart to turn him out into the street;
in 1853 he rented and moved him into two rooms at the Albergo
della Giardiniera.6 The man belonged to a secret society and later
became a well-paid writer on the editorial staff of V Opinions. He
was also seriously suspected of being an informer. One day, “M”
Vol. 11, pp. 336, 401, 421. [Editor]
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291
and a friend of his met Francesia, who by this time had already
donned the cassock. Nodding toward Francesia, “M” remarked to
his friend with an important air: “Here is one of the future hopes
of our country!” Hopefully, perhaps, he had intended to give Fran
cesia a patriotic education with his memoirs! This episode shows us
how Don Bosco continued to extend Christian charity to this man
once the danger of scandal had been removed.
There was yet a fourth exile for whose story we are indebted
to our confrere, Father [Angelo] Caimo. A well-known college pro
fessor had related the following story to him :
I was studying in Turin and deeply in debt. I did not know to whom
I could turn for help. I went to the Oratory, explained my situation to
Don Bosco, and begged him to help me, adding that in exchange I would
do some teaching to his boys. Don Bosco received me with more than
fatherly kindness, and helped me as much as he could, assuring me that
I was welcome at the Oratory if I could adapt myself to the regular
routine like everyone else. As you know, my religious and political opin
ions were, and still are, diametrically opposed to Don Bosco’s. My up
bringing rebelled against the idea; I simply could not accept that condi
tion. However, I was fully convinced that Don Bosco was an extraordi
nary man, a shrewd and profound judge of men, and a genuine and gifted
educator. I am still of this opinion and am not afraid to admit it. I con
sider Don Bosco my benefactor, and I do not hesitate to assert that he
is an outstanding Italian and a saintly priest.
We could say, therefore, that Don Bosco’s charity resembled the
charity of Our Heavenly Father who causes the sun to rise and the
rain to fall on the just and sinners alike.
We must add that there were also many political exiles who
were a source of great comfort to him, as, for example, Father
Zattini, a learned professor of philosophy who had been condemned
for insurrection and hung in effigy in Brescia.7 During his stay at
the Oratory he never discussed politics and willingly agreed to teach
reading and writing to the day pupils. He was a model of humility
and piety.
11n 1849 Brescia (52 miles east of Milan) was the only Lombard town to rally
to the aid of King Charles Albert (see Vot. Ill, p. 358), but it was captured by the
Austrians after ten days of obstinate street fighting ( March 23-April 1). Its heroic
resistance earned for the town the name of “Lionessa d’ltalia” (the Lioness of
Italy). [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
The talented young musician, Jerome Suttil, whose unguarded
remarks had set the police of Venice 8 on his trail, also sought
refuge at the Oratory. He took a liking to Don Bosco and for many
years delighted the boys at the Oratory with his Venetian ballads.
Later he went to France; on his return he again settled at the
Oratory, and there he ended his days. He was deeply religious to
the last. We will pass over other names.
Don Bosco also had a special gift for telling a true indigent from
an impostor. Late one night he was walking through a dimly lit
street in Rome when a woman approached him, holding in her
arms what appeared to be a child wrapped in a blanket. Plaintively
she begged pity on a poor mother in dire need. Don Bosco ignored
her and kept walking. We who were at his side, moved by the
woman’s pitiful insistence, suggested that he give her something.
We were quite surprised when Don Bosco, whose eyesight was quite
poor, raising his voice, replied: “But don’t you realize that this
woman is trying to fool us? That bundle is not a child; it’s only a
doll.” At these words the woman hastily retreated.
Except for obvious cases of fraud, Don Bosco was always gen
erous toward the poor. We know for a fact that every year his
charities amounted to several thousand lire, either by actual alms
or in cancelled debts. He was generous not only to the poor but also to
those who had means, especially country folk who came to the city
for business or work, assisting them in various ways and helping
them to fulfill their religious duties on Sundays and holy days re
gardless of their state in life.
Among the several available testimonies in this respect we have
chosen that of the shopkeeper John Filippello of Castelnuovo, in
which he also gives us a graphic sketch of those years.
Frequently my business took me to Turin and occasionally I called on
Don Bosco at Valdocco. I noticed that the number of boys was increas
ing every year. One day I met Don Bosco near the royal palace. It was
a Friday, and he insisted that I have dinner with him at the Oratory be
cause he feared that in a restaurant even meatless dishes might have
been prepared with meat fats. While on our way, Don Bosco stopped
8 An insurrection against Austrian rule in 1848 established a provisional re
publican government. In August, 1849, however, Austria recaptured the city.
[Editor]
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293
many times to talk with all sorts of people. He apologized for these
delays, When we reached the Oratory, all the boys crowded around to
kiss his hand with such obvious reverence and affection that I was deeply
moved. I spent the night at the Oratory; the next morning I saw them all
go to Don Bosco’s Mass. I was happy to join them in the old chapel. What
I saw convinced me that the boys were really good. However, I also felt
that many of them could have come to a bad end if they had not been
sheltered at the Oratory.
Helping young people grow up as good Christians was Don
Bosco’s most cherished reward, and God repaid him abundantly
in this way.
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CHAPTER 37
Preparations for a
New Religious Congregation
J L /'O N BOSCO, meanwhile, was not losing sight of the
religious congregation that he was destined to found. Often, over
the years, when pleasantly conversing with some boys or young
clerics grouped around him, he would sit on the ground, Indian
style, and the others would follow suit. He would then shape his
handkerchief into a ball and toss it from one hand to the other.
As the boys watched silently, he would suddenly exclaim: “If I had
twelve boys as manageable as this handkerchief, I would spread
our Faith not only throughout Europe, but far, far into the remotest
lands.” He would not add another word. Father [John Baptist]
Piano, at present [1904] pastor of the Gran Madre di Dio Church
in Turin, heard him say these words in 1857, when he was still
a boy.
Moreover, in his sermons, conferences, or informal talks Don
Bosco tried to instill in his boys love for a life totally dedicated to
God and to the salvation of souls. Occasionally he would speak
about the advantages of community life, such as freedom from
worry for the future or the daily necessities of life, thanks to the
protection by Divine Providence of those who served God. But his
approach to this topic was always indirect; he would not specifi
cally allude to the religious life. At times he would recount some
edifying episode in the lives of saints who had consecrated their
lives to God in monasteries, but he did so in such a way as to
make the religious life attractive and to impress upon them that
it was a state of perfection; however, he never appeared to promote
vocations. AH he asked of his pupils was that they help him. Cap
italizing on their love for him, he often expressed the desire to have
294
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them always at his side, to always be able to lead them to heaven,
and to enjoy eternal bliss with them forever.
Sometimes he made puzzling remarks to excite a boy’s curiosity:
“Will you do something for me? How about a confession of your
future life?”
To another he would say: “How is everything? Are you all
right? Don’t you think you should prepare yourself to make a gen
eral confession of your future life?” What he was driving at espe
cially was their priestly vocation and the importance of thinking
about it seriously and constantly.
Now and then he would ask a boy: “Will you let me behead
you? I really wish you would!” To him that symbolized perfect
obedience, whose advantages and merits he would often describe
without, however, specifically pointing out in what state of life this
virtue could especially be practiced.
Don Bosco had resolved not to demand from his boys anything
more than could be expected of any good Christian for the salva
tion of his soul. Thus he never talked to them about regular medita
tions or prolonged spiritual retreats. Already at that time he had
taught them other practices of piety so effectively that some of his
boys attained the highest degree of perfection. He would have jeop
ardized his whole plan if he had introduced at the Oratory practices
suggestive of the religious life. Nevertheless, in the course of our
narrative we shall see how, gradually yet imperceptibly, he moved
toward his goal to place the Salesian society on a par with all other
religious congregations.
Don Bosco worked tirelessly toward this end, but he never once
uttered the word “congregation” until he had carefully prepared the
terrain over a period of fourteen years. He realized that if he were
to unveil his plan, even slightly, many would implacably oppose
him: not only the anticlericals, but also bishops, pastors, the boys’
parents, and even the boys themselves. His fears were well grounded;
subsequent events proved him to be correct. Many who formerly
had greatly admired and hailed him as a great and holy man later
rebelled and denounced him as a fanatic, a stubborn and proud
priest, a sower of discord, and an unruly subject who wanted to be
supreme in his own domain. This also was part of God’s plan.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
To overcome these anticipated difficulties Don Bosco continued
to strive in every possible way to bind the boys more closely to him.
For this reason, from time to time he spoke about himself and what
the Lord did through him, told them certain dreams whose fulfill
ment they could verify, hinted at some special mission entrusted to
him on behalf of boys, and insistently pointed out that the Oratory
was under the special protection of the Blessed Virgin. He did all
this to make them understand what a privilege it would be for them
to offer their help in a place so dear to Our Lady. He took pains,
however, to dispel any notion of self-praise. Therefore, when now
and then he talked about the pioneer days of the Oratory, he would
remark: “Sometimes I talk about things that happened in the early
years of the Oratory, and therefore I cannot help speaking also of
myself. I think I can truly say that it is good to reminisce because
all these things clearly show the power of God. I don’t think there
is any self-pride in all this; none at all, thank God. These tales are
very enlightening; they teach us that God achieved great results
through a worthless instrument. I want this to be known so that we
may all lift up our thoughts to God and thank Him for all He willed
to do on our behalf.”
Don Bosco set a fine example by thanking God incessantly, not
only for the favors already granted him, but also for the future ones
he knew lay in store for him. It should suffice merely to recall what
we have already said on this score.
In 1846 and 1849, when Don Bosco conferred with Father
[Sebastian] P acchiotti1 and the other priests at the Rifugio or with
Father [John] C occhis123and others about ways and means of giving
the festive oratory a permanent footing, he always overcame their
objections by assuring them that in due time young clerics and
priests, all his own, would rally to his aid and bring his undertak
ings to completion. In those years, several fellow priests who once
seemed so interested in the work of the oratories gradually deserted
him, seemingly disproving his prophecy; to them it brought a wry
smile.8 Yet the first of these young clerics soon arrived on the scene,
1 See Vol. II, pp. 189, 226, 265, 389. [Editor]
2 See Vol. Ill, pp. 319ff. [Editor]
3 See Vol. II, pp. 322ff. [Editor]
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just as he had foretold. They were well known and well liked by
all because, publicly and privately, they helped their companions,
supervised their recreation, taught evening classes, and catechized
the festive oratory boys. On Sundays they scouted the meadows,
rounded up the boys they found playing there, and led them to the
oratories. These young clerics also found jobs for unemployed
youngsters and visited them when they were ill in accordance with
Don Bosco’s instructions. At the same time, they continued their
own studies.
In 1852 Father [Sebastian] Pacchiotti was preaching the novena
in honor of the Holy Spirit at the Oratory. The boys were very
fond of him. On Pentecost Sunday, after the sermon, they accom
panied him to a room on the ground floor for some refreshments.
In that room there were eight of these young clerics. When Don
Bosco came in, Father Pacchiotti patted him lightly on the shoul
der and, deeply moved, said to him: “Now I believe what you said
about clerics and priests of your own.” On another occasion, when
construction of a residence at the Oratory was well under way, he
said: “Now I believe that you will have a church and a house.”
Several of those who had formerly called Don Bosco a madman
came to preach in St. Francis de Sales Church and could not help
but recall that what they had considered utterly impossible was
now a reality. Yet what they saw then was only a modest beginning,
a fraction of what was later to develop.
Don Bosco took great pains to prepare some of the more promis
ing and religious-minded boys for that longed-for day by gradually
getting them used to practices common to religious orders. There
fore, he would occasionally call them aside for a special talk. One
of those present was the deacon Joachim Guanti who was then
teaching Latin.
On one such occasion (it was June 5, 1852) Don Bosco sug
gested that they each choose a secret monitor among themselves
whose duty would be to point out in a gentle way to the one who
had chosen him any fault he might have noticed. Michael Rua, for
example, chose [Felix] Reviglio, and he assured us that his friend’s
opportune admonitions were very beneficial to him. Rua made a
note of this conference on a postcard, which read as follows:
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
On the evening of Saturday, June 5, 1852, Don Bosco, [Joachim]
Guanti, [James] Bellia, [Joseph] Buzzetti, Gianinati, Angelo Savio,
Stephen Savio, [Secundus] Marchisio, [John] Turchi, [Peter] Rocchietti,
[John Baptist] Francesia, Francis Bosco, [John] Cagliero, [John] Ger-
mano, and [Michael] Rua gathered for a conference, during which they
resolved to recite the Seven Joys of Mary every Sunday until the first
Saturday of May the following year. At that time we shall see how each
of us carried out this resolution; may Jesus and Mary help us all to be
come saints.
The undisclosed intention of these prayers was that the Salesian
Society might come into being. All those present at that conference
faithfully carried out what Don Bosco had suggested, fully con
vinced that it would really benefit them.
Meanwhile work on the church of St. Francis de Sales was pro
gressing so rapidly that the structure was completed in June, 1852.
Dr. Francis Vallauri, his wife, and their son, Father Peter, con
tributed the main altar. Commendatore Joseph Dupre agreed to
pay for the decoration of a side altar dedicated to St. Aloysius
Gonzaga, and he also donated a marble altar. Marquis Dominic
and Marchioness Maria Fassati paid for the second side altar dedi
cated to Our Lady and for the beautiful statue that adorned it.
Mr. Michael Scanagatti contributed some handsome candlesticks;
Father Joseph Cafasso donated the pulpit, while yet another bene
factor gave the choir loft to which a small organ was later added.
Don Bosco’s untiring efforts and zeal were matched by the gen
erosity of a charity-minded public, or, rather, by Divine Providence
which never abandoned him.
On April 7 [1852], Celestine Fissore, the pro-vicar general, au
thorized Don Bosco to bless the new tabernacle; on Sunday eve
ning, May 22, Father [Augustine] Gattino, the pastor of SS. Simon
and Jude, blessed the new church bell which had been installed in
the tower alongside the church.
In order to have the church blessed with the greatest possible
solemnity Don Bosco wanted a bishop to perform the task. He first
invited the archbishop of Vercelli. Unsuccessful in this quest, he
then approached the bishop of Ivrea, with whom he was discussing
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a society for circulating good books among the people. Both had
to decline his invitation for the reasons set forth below:
Reverend and dear Father:
Vercelli, June 8, 1852
I would love to be with you and your many boys on the occasion of
the blessing of the church of St. Francis de Sales, for which this capital
is greatly indebted to you.
Unfortunately, I am nearly 72 years old and racked by coughing spells
and those sundry ailments which are inseparable companions of old age.
I am unable, therefore, to accept your gracious invitation which I greatly
appreciate. I am sure you will understand.
With the deepest respect, I am,
Yours devotedly,
% Alexander [d’Angennes], Archbishop
Very Reverend Father:
Ivrea, June 12, 1852
I would be most happy to take part in the ceremonies for the blessing
of the new church that you and your cooperators have zealously erected.
Indeed, I would be delighted to pay tribute to you and to your zealous
undertakings, and also to congratulate Dr. Vallauri, whom I greatly es
teem, on his appointment as “prior” 4 of this solemn event.
Unfortunately I cannot come. On that same day I have to administer
Confirmation; the following day is my name day and I am invited to the
minor seminary for a little celebration; then comes the anniversary of
my Baptism. On these occasions I would rather stay at home. Besides,
those are also the days when our seminarians will take their final exami
nations in theology and philosophy. I am indeed sorry, but I just cannot
come.
I would very much like to read your pamphlet Warnings to Catholics.5
I also received a note from my secretary regarding the two Philadel-
phias.6 I talked with several priests not of this diocese regarding our cir
culating library, and everyone agrees that it would fill an urgent need
and be a great success.
4 An honorary title bestowed on prominent benefactors. They usually recipro
cated by having a small party for the boys. [Editor]
s See pp. 157 ff. 242. [Editor]
6 Probably some geographical information in connection with a biblical publica
tion. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
I sincerely hope and pray to the Lord that the blessing ceremonies will
spread joy and be spiritually fruitful. I shall be with you in spirit.
With the greatest esteem, I remain,
Yours devotedly,
* Louis [Moreno], Bishop
After receiving these replies, Don Bosco presented the following
request to the chancery:
Very Reverend Vicar:
The new church of St. Francis de Sales at the Valdocco Oratory is
now ready for worship. The undersigned, Father John Bosco, requests
your permission to transfer the church services from the present chapel
to this new church and convert the present chapel to some other use.
I also invite you to bless the new church or to delegate someone to
do so.
Fr. John Bosco
The chancery promptly replied:
Turin, June 19, 1852
The pastor of SS. Simon and Jude has been delegated to bless the new
church of St. Francis de Sales according to the Roman Ritual.
After the blessing, church services may be held with all the privileges
previously granted. The former chapel may be converted to other use.
Philip Ravina, Vicar General
T. G. Caviassi, Secretary
Don Bosco then sent the following invitation to his benefactors:
Oratory of St. Francis de Sales
Dear Friend:
June 16, 1852
This coming Sunday, June 20, will be a day of great joy for me, and,
I believe, for you too. This day will see our aspirations and expectations
fulfilled by the blessing of the new church of St. Francis de Sales, for
which you have shown such commendable charity and zeal in many
ways.
Although the interior is not yet finished, it is suitable for the solemn
blessing and the celebration of services. An urgent need will thus be
filled.
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The dedication ceremonies will start at 8:30 in the morning. After the
blessing, Mass will follow, at which some of the boys will receive Com
munion. The Mass will be offered for the intentions of all benefactors of
the Oratory. After Mass there will be the dedication sermon. The cere
monies will close with Benediction. At 3:30 in the afternoon there will
be the chanting of Vespers, the usual catechetical instruction, and Bene
diction.
Upon leaving the church, please go to the old chapel for an oppor
tunity to meet our other benefactors. This is an occasion of mutual joy
in the Lord who has so generously helped us to bring this project of His
to completion.
There will be a seat reserved for you so that you may attend the sacred
ceremony in comfort. I am eager to show you every consideration on
that day as you so well deserve. If, however, I should unwittingly fail in
something, please be indulgent and attribute this to my multiplicity of
chores, and not to any lack of good will.
Bring along any friends who, to your knowledge, have contributed to
this pious undertaking in some way or other. Let us all be one in ex
periencing this joy, in giving glory to God, and in partaking of the spir
itual benefits that will derive from this celebration.
I hope you will continue your benevolence to this Oratory. I wish to
thank you with all my heart, and I assure you that I shall deem it a great
honor to be of service to you.
Your most grateful servant,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco also sent an invitation to the mayor of Turin. The
latter would gladly have accepted if previous engagements had not
made it impossible, as he graciously explained in a letter of June 18
revealing his deeply religious spirit and the great esteem he felt for
the Oratory:
Reverend and dear Father:
I was very pleased to receive your gracious invitation, and deeply re
gret that a previous engagement will keep me from attending the dedi
cation services. On [Sunday, June 20] the feast of Our Lady of Conso
lation, I am duty-bound to attend the morning church services with the
municipal council; in the afternoon I must be present at a meeting of
the Congregation of Charity in Reaglie. I am delighted to hear of the
progress of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales which you so zealously
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
established to give our young apprentices a thorough Christian and civic
education.
With the deepest respect, I am,
Yours devotedly,
G. Bellone, Mayor
The deputy mayor was also unable to attend for the same reason.
Turin, June 17, 1852
On Sunday, June 20, at 9 a.m ,, I shall have to attend Mass with the
municipal council in Our Lady of Consolation Church. For this reason,
I deeply regret that I will be unable to be present at the ceremony to
which you so graciously invited me in your letter of June 16.
Nonetheless, I expect to be able to call at the Oratory at 3:30 and
take part in the ensuing gathering in the old chapel after settling some
pressing matters here at the office and completing some domestic duties
at home.
My colleagues, rather than myself, are entitled to this gracious invita
tion because I realize that not only have I contributed least of all to this
charitable undertaking, but I am far below those who did the least I
am on a par with the others only in rejoicing that this undertaking suc
ceeded, and in my sincere esteem for you, the organizer of it all. As a
citizen and as a Christian, I wish to express my respect, gratitude, and
earnest good will for all the good you are accomplishing with God’s
guidance and protection.
[Hyacinth] Cottin, Deputy Mayor
The renowned naturalist and archeologist [G. T.] Baruffi also
wrote to Don Bosco on this occasion.
Reverend and dear Father:
Turin, June 18, 1852
Many cordial thanks for your courteous invitation. Unfortunately, I
shall be out of town this Sunday.
Nevertheless, I heartily endorse this holy undertaking and pray for
God’s continued blessings on you so that you may see the completion of
your noble and evangelical aspirations.
Your zealous efforts and incessant sacrifices on behalf of poor, neg
lected boys in order to lead them back to the path of virtue and provide
them with material and spiritual nourishment will never be forgotten by
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the Turinese and all who know of and can appreciate your endeavors.
Please accept my respectful and cordial good wishes for your own
well-being so that the Oratory you have founded may continue to grow
and yield those fruits which society and the Church await from its estab
lishment.
I am glad of this opportunity to express once more my esteem for you.
Your devoted and most grateful servant,
G. T. Baruffi
Although Don Bosco was terribly overworked he still found time
to invoke his muse and compose a simple but charming ode for the
occasion. It was set to music and taught to the boys. Don Bosco
prefaced it with the introduction that follows and had several thou
sand copies printed:
On the occasion of the blessing of the new church of St. Francis de
Sales, the Oratory boys, overjoyed, wish to express their sincere grati
tude to their benefactors with this song.7
As the preparations for this festive occasion progressed, all the
boys at the Oratory, whether day students or boarders, were brim
ming with joy. It reached its peak on June 14.®
Professor [Joseph] Raineri, who frequented the Oratory from
1846 to 1853, recalls the following incident:
It was a Sunday afternoon; Don Bosco, in his usual inimitable and
gifted way, was telling us the story of how the young shepherd David
became king. He ended with the words: “So, lo and behold, the shepherd
was now king!” We all responded instantly; “Long live Don Bosco, our
king!” Thereupon the tallest and strongest boys lifted him on their shoul
ders and carried him in triumph around the playground while the rest
of us followed, singing the song we had been learning for the dedication
ceremonies of the following Sunday. We enjoyed it immensely and per
haps he did too. We did what ancient people used to do after they chose
a leader: they carried him high on their shields. Indeed, Don Bosco was
our leader, our king! His teachings were golden; good for all, they were
ideally suited for the young. I think it quite proper to mention a few:
“Act today in such a way that you need not blush tomorrow.”
7 In this edition we have transferred this ode to Appendix 9. [Editor]
8Judging by what follows, it must have been June 13; June 14 fell on Monday.
[Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
“Do not put off till tomorrow the good you can do today. You may
not have a tomorrow.”
“Let us strive to fare well in this life and in the next.”
“Be slow to pass judgment.”
“Do you want your companions to respect you? Always think well of
everyone, and be ready to help others. Do this and you will be happy.”
After the church services Don Bosco usually made his way through
the crowds of boys, all busily playing. They were of widely different
ages, temperament, habits, social status, and education. Don Bosco was
alert to each one’s individual temperament, ready with the right word
for each, a word that would encourage us and make us happy. He seemed
to read into our souls, and each of us thought: “Don Bosco really cares
for me!” And indeed he did! How consoling it is to reminisce about our
boyhood years!
Bishop Cagliero added:
At night Don Bosco himself would accompany the day students up to
the city limits9 to make sure that they would go home in groups without
wandering about. As the boys passed by the Rondo, where executions
by hanging were then held publicly, they often remarked: “Don Bosco
loves us so much that even if we were about to be hanged, he’d find a
way to save us!”
This was also confirmed by Father [Felix] Reviglio.
9 The Oratory was surrounded by open fields. [Editor]
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C H A P T E R 38
The Fulfillment of a Dream
3 - HE solemn blessing of the new church was set for
June 20 [1852], the third Sunday after Pentecost. This was a very
important date in Turin because it was the feast of Our Lady of
Consolation.1All essential work had been completed and all appur
tenances for the blessing and sacred services were ready. We shall
pass over many details of that memorable occasion, truly a red-
letter day for the Oratory. A tall arch stood at the entrance to the
playground, bearing in giant characters this inscription:
May This Red-Letter Day
Ever Be Remembered!
At dawn groups of boys were already making their way through
the neighboring fields and meadows, singing verses12 written by Don
Bosco for the occasion.
The pastor of SS. Simon and Jude, Father Augustine Gattino,
blessed the church and then celebrated the first Mass during which
he delivered an inspiring address.
The festivities reached their peak in the late afternoon. The new
church was literally packed. In his sermon, among other things,
Don Bosco pointed out the wonderful transformation that very spot
had undergone: a playground had become a place for prayer; pro
fane songs had given way to sacred hymns; a rowdy tavern and a
1 Our Lady of Consolation (La Consolata) was the Madonna of the Turinese.
The church, erected by the city in the piazza of the same name in thanksgiving
for graces received, is formed by the union of the two churches of St. Andrea and
La Consolata; both were built by Guarino Guarini (1624-83) and enlarged and
decorated several times. [Editor]
2 In this edition we have transferred these verses to Appendix 10. [Editor]
305
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
den of iniquity had been converted into a place where love of God
and holy joy reigned. He exhorted the boys to honor that hallowed
spot ever afterward by unfailing and constant observance of their
religious duties. Lastly, inviting them to reflect that a church is an
image of the soul, which is appropriately called a “temple of the
Holy Spirit,” he exhorted them to keep their souls sinless so that
the Lord might be pleased to take up His abode therein and make
them worthy to enter one day into the great temple of heaven and
there to enjoy eternal bliss.
A unit of die National Guard was also present, both to maintain
order (quite a task, considering the large crowd) and to add to the
solemnity. Their volley at the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
was very impressive. Vying with them was the Oratory guard of
honor sporting dummy rifles.
All in all the celebration was a great success. The religious-
minded experienced great consolation and the worldly-minded felt
great admiration. That same evening, after the church services, the
executive committee of the lottery, several priests, some prominent
laymen, and many others who had had a hand in the construction
of the new church gathered in the old chapel for refreshments pro
vided by benefactors. Don Bosco expressed his gratitude to them
in a short speech. He touched upon all that had been accomplished,
mentioned their solicitude and contributions to the success of the
undertaking, and with great satisfaction he pointed out how all their
efforts had been crowned that morning with the blessing of the
sacred building. He added that since he could not recompense them
individually for their sacrifices, he and the boys of the Oratory
would pray to God to bless them abundantly in this life and grant
them eternal glory in the next. The Oratory choirboys then sang a
delightful motet composed by the renowned Joseph Blanch!. One
of them, 15-year-old Secundus Pettiva, won thunderous applause
for his stirring solo.
In this setting, Don Bosco, beaming with joy, looked like David,
the prophet of old, who sang and played devoutly among his people
while the A rk of the Lord was being borne through their midst.
Then, on behalf of Don Bosco, his co-workers, and all the Oratory
boys, a boy declaimed the ode Don Bosco had written for this occa-
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The Fulfillment of a Dream
307
sion,3to the great delight of the audience. A brilliant display of fire-
works made and directed by Father Chiaves 4closed the celebration.
This solemn event, its noble purpose, and the order that marked
the proceedings seemed so significant to La Patria, a contemporary
political newspaper, that it gave a detailed account of the celebra
tion. We report it here in full, both to complete our description and
to indicate what political-minded men of those days thought of the
Oratory.
We consider ourselves very fortunate at the start of our journalistic
career to have the opportunity to write about a local undertaking which
successfully manages to be interesting, even though not of earthshaking
importance. We are very happy, indeed, to brush aside the usual news
items that deal with the shortcomings of society and our political con
cerns in order to delve into a subject which arouses the sympathy of all.
If we have a heart, how can we withhold our good will from a gen
erous soul who is as zealous as a philanthropist, as persevering as an
apostle, and as unwavering as a true Christian? We speak of a man who,
sacrificing the best years of his life and overcoming countless obstacles
by sheer will power, firmness, and patience, has succeeded after long and
difficult years in accomplishing a task which puts him on a par with such
giants of charity as Epee,5 Assarotti,6 and Cottolengo.7
If we bear in mind that the undertakings of these giants had humble
beginnings, we will easily see that Don Bosco’s works are the equal of
theirs, and that the great good he has already done justifies our rating
him on a par with the heroes of charity we have just mentioned. We do
not intend to dwell now on the difficulties which he encountered; rather,
we wish to mention the overall assistance which came to the aid of this
tireless laborer of the Lord’s vineyard despite the political turmoil of
these unsettled times when not only the purses but even the hearts of
men are shrinking. It is not our intention either to enumerate those who
joined forces with Don Bosco and helped him with untiring zeal, al
3 See Appendix 8. [Editor]
4 A diocesan priest who for several years had been helping Don Bosco on Sun
days and holy days. See Vol. II, p. 336. [Editor]
8 Charles-Michel de I’Epee (1712-1789) is famous for his work on behalf of the
deaf and dumb. [Editor]
8 Ottavio Giovanni Battista Assarotti (1753-1829), a Genoese educator and a
Piarist, founded the first institution in Italy for deaf-mutes. [Editor]
7In 1832 Joseph Benedict Cottolengo (1786-1842), now a saint, opened La
Piccola Casa della Divina Prowidenza in Turin, a vast institution which at the
present time provides for more than 7,000 patients. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
though we shall refer briefly to the myriad forms in which our city re
vealed its inexhaustible charity. Rich and poor, great and small, young
and old—all vied with one another in supporting this holy undertaking
in a spirit of true socialism, the only form that is just and feasible because
it springs from a holy and admirable principle—namely, that of giving
according to one’s ability: the artist with a painting and the merchant
with his wares.
The prizes for the lottery on behalf of the Oratory are the result of
amusements, excursions, and toys sacrificed on behalf of the poor. Over
and above this, women, ever in the forefront of charity, have contrib
uted to this work an inexhaustible goodness; this is their most precious
trait and a far nobler form of charity than the prosaic giving of money,
which is better suited to men who by nature are less sensitive and refined.
We use the word “prosaic” in the sense that the provider of the mate
rial means for a task of this kind, compared to the one who starts it and
brings it to a successful conclusion, is like a soldier compared to a gen
eral. In no way, however, do we intend to belittle the act of giving. The
undertaking which Don Bosco has placed under the patronage of St.
Francis de Sales is a great one and worthy of our consideration. To safe
guard boys from the dangers of idleness on Sundays and to keep them
occupied in holy and wholesome activities is so sublime an endeavor
that we think it best to describe it as he himself related to us in his simple
but impressive manner.
With deep distress he saw many young apprentices squander on Sun
days their meager, hard-earned wages in drinking and gambling. Anxious
to eradicate this evil that could result in dire consequences, he decided
to open a center where they could gather,.fulfill their religious duties,
and, at the same time, receive education, guidance, and advice for lead
ing an honest Christian life.
This undertaking which Don Bosco described so simply had its offi
cial start yesterday with the blessing of the church of St. Francis de Sales
at Valdocco. Appropriately, the sacred edifice is simple and plain since
it depends on public generosity, but its naves are full of youngsters whose
Faith is the most beautiful ornament of the house of God. Yesterday they
flocked there in vast numbers, under a beautiful sky. The sun’s rays
seemed like so many blessings to those whose hearts thrilled with serene
and devout joy. Everything seemed to contribute to make that day unfor
gettable in the memory of everyone present: unforgettable for those who
have been rescued from the dangers of the streets and who owe their
gratitude; unforgettable for those who supported the undertaking and
received the tribute of this gratitude.
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The Fulfillment of a Dream
309
The religious ceremony showed a solemnity befitting the occasion.
[Father Augustine Gattino], pastor of SS. Simon and Jude, a scholarly
priest and a credit to the local clergy, delivered a stirring sermon in
which he stressed the essential features of a church: a house of God and
a house of prayer. His solid presentation, stripped of the trappings of
artificial eloquence, brought home to the congregation the sanctity of our
Faith and its superiority over the beliefs of other people. We felt our
selves carried back in time to the days when the faithful gathered to
gether under the immense temple of the sky, or within the bowels of the
earth, to listen to the words of that same God who died that we might
be saved.
After the religious ceremony, all the members of the organizing com
mittee gathered in an adjacent room to exchange their impressions of
this wonderful event; while there, a boys’ choir entertained them fault
lessly. A unit of the National Guard added solemnity with its presence.
All honor is due this fledgling institute which eminently deserves the
gratitude of our government and graciously opens its gates to the people
on these occasions of mutual rejoicing. The Oratory is now on a firm
footing; Don Bosco’s goal has been realized.
We say this with a certain hesitancy, however, for fear that our gen
erous citizens may slacken their efforts. This newborn institute still needs
a great deal of assistance. Our city expects great things from it and hopes
that similar ones may rise in other parts of the realm. We have been un
able to disguise our joy at the news of the blessing of this new church,
but we would not wish our words to dampen the zeal of our fellow citi
zens in the erroneous belief that their help is no longer needed.
Don Bosco has undertaken a noble task and pursued it with great per
severance and skill. We trust that the people of Turin, fully appreciating
these efforts to protect youths from pitfalls which they have neither the
experience nor the knowledge to avoid, will continue to respond with
such generosity as befits their reputation.8
8 La Patria, June 21, 1852.
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C H A P T E R 39
Eucharistic Piety
f ^ O M E time after the blessing of the church of St. Francis
de Sales, Don Bosco made slight additions1 to the regulations of
the festive oratory 2 by spelling out in greater detail the duties of
some staff members. These changes throw additional light on the
procedures followed in those days. For example, the boys attended
only one Mass; before Mass, the boarders recited and sang Matins
of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin.
There were also changes affecting the Pinardi house. Successively
the old chapel was turned into a dormitory, a classroom, and a
general study hall for the students.3 Since all knowledge proceeds
from God, Don Bosco even at that time wanted them to recite the
prayer “Come, Holy Spirit,” a Hail Mary, and the invocation “Seat
of Wisdom, pray for us” before starting their homework and lessons.
During the last quarter hour of this study period before supper
some pages of an edifying book were read aloud, a custom that
prevailed for many years. Whenever he was able to do so, Don
Bosco used the same study hall as the boys; there he wrote and
pondered his writings.
With his unreserved devotion to the Faith Don Bosco made his
new church the center of his affections. He requested and obtained
permission to keep the Blessed Sacrament permanently in it. It was
with great joy and fervor that he gave this news to his boys. There
after, whenever he had a moment’s respite he paid a visit to adore
the Divine Savior; then he seemed more a seraph than a man.
1 For these additions see Appendix 11. [Editor]
2 See Vol. ID, p. 441. [Editor]
s These were the boys talcing academic subjects. They were called “students” to
distinguish them from those learning a trade who were known as “artisans.” [Editor]
310
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Divine worship was his very life. He was very insistent about the
cleanliness and proper condition of the sacred vessels and vestments
and about the lamp before the Blessed Sacrament always being lit.
He took pride in the cleanliness of the House of God and joyfully
removed cobwebs, swept the church, dusted the altar, and washed
the predella. All these tasks he had previously done in his seminary
days in Chieri when he had been appointed sacristan.4
Poor as he was, Don Bosco succeeded in his dreams of building
majestic churches in which the maximum decorum was observed
and the greatest cleanliness maintained, even in the sacristy. He also
saw to it that his churches were properly ornamented.
Don Bosco took great pains to ensure the devout behavior of the
boys during worship, and their making the Sign of the Cross and
genuflections correctly. He did not tolerate irreverence for the holy
place or for the sacred mysteries; he insistently recommended that
all seriously reflect on Our Lord’s presence in the tabernacle. He
was deeply distressed when he saw or heard of someone showing
disrespect, and he never hesitated to call it to that person’s atten
tion, even if he was a perfect stranger. He scrupulously obeyed all
the directives of his diocesan superior regarding divine worship. On
the days when greater solemnities were observed he did not want
professional singers or singers of lukewarm faith invited to support
the choir, because generally they did not show the proper reverence
for the Blessed Sacrament. Whenever he passed in front of a church,
or even several of them in close proximity, he removed his hat;
when he was bedridden, he often made the Sign of the Cross and
turned toward the church in an act of adoration. He urged his fel
low priests to recite the Divine Office before the Blessed Sacrament.
It grieved him to think that in many places Jesus was little honored.
He endeavored to find devout and charitable persons who would
help in the construction and maintenance of poor churches and
chapels in mission lands, and he would provide them with sacred
vessels and other appurtenances.
We do not recall ever having seen Don Bosco sit down in church,
except during a sermon. There was no affectation in his demeanor.
He would kneel upright, his whole body motionless, his hands
4 See V ol. I, pp. 33 9 f. [E ditor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
clasped and resting lightly on the kneeler or against his chest, his
head slightly bowed, his eyes steady, his countenance radiant. Noth
ing around him could ever distract him from his spiritual concen
tration. Those who observed him, inspired by his demeanor which
reflected such Faith and charity in the presence of his Divine Savior,
were inspired to pray with the same fervor themselves.
Vocal music at the Oratory served the purpose of enhancing the
liturgy. At times Don Bosco delighted in taking it upon himself to
teach the boys a sacred hymn, although he could have assigned this
task to others. To promote vocal music he even sought special in
dulgences from Pius IX for teachers and pupils. He showed himself
particularly pleased when the boys sang Gregorian chant faultlessly.
Don Bosco placed very great importance on religious festivities.
To the very last years of his life, he reserved to himself the celebra
tion of the Christmas Midnight Mass; the joy that radiated from
his countenance enkindled the most intense devotion in others. Like
wise, he performed all the Holy Week services with a recollection
and fervor that inspired the congregation. Beforehand, moreover,
he enjoyed briefing the boys about these sacred rites. The source of
this information is John Villa, who began frequenting the Oratory
in 1855.
Don Bosco never omitted the liturgical blessings of candles,
throats, ashes, olive branches, and palms. He also directed that the
Forty Hours’ devotion be held every year at the Oratory, and that
during those three days a small group of artisans and students with
clerics and priests take turns during the adoration; he himself took
his turn with the others. During that period the church was also
open to the public. As long as his health permitted, Don Bosco
always participated with his boys in the procession with the Blessed
Sacrament at the cathedral on the feast of Corpus Christi. The
following Sunday he would send them to their parish churches
and even to other churches to enhance the solemnity of the local
procession.
Although Don Bosco usually officiated at many liturgical serv
ices at the Oratory, he did not disdain fulfilling minor offices. On
one occasion, when he invited a canon to give Benediction, he him
self acted as thurifer. If he chanced to pass by a church and heard
the bell calling for a server, he immediately went to the sacristy and
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Eucharistic Piety
313
served the Mass. Several times in various boarding schools he him
self performed the office of acolyte.
He would not, however, invite anyone superior to him in rank
to perform a minor office even if the latter shared his own senti
ments in such matters. If the need arose, he usually managed to
solve the problem with the utmost tact.
We are indebted to Father James Bellia for the following inci
dent:
On the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, around 1851, I happened
to be in Via Dora Grossa with Father Cafasso and Don Bosco. Suddenly,
Don Bosco struck his hand against his forehead and exclaimed: “Oh,
my! I forgot to send four clerics to serve Benediction at the Depository
of the Society of St. Paul.”
“We can still do something about it,” Father Cafasso exclaimed. “Why
can’t we go? Three is better than none!”
It was no sooner said than done. We were not too far away, so we
turned back and arrived just as the priest was going to the altar with
only the thurifer. Each of us grasped a torch and took our places in the
sanctuary: Father Cafasso on the right, Don Bosco on the left, and my
self in the middle. Afterward, Father [John] Giacomelli, the rector, pro
fusely thanked Father Cafasso for his gracious assistance, but he replied
that even the lowliest office in the House of God was always a privilege.
What a lesson to dignity-conscious young clerics!
The spirit of Faith with which Don Bosco was imbued even with
regard to minor liturgical offices gives us a clue to the fervor with
which he performed the higher ones. His grave, absorbed, and
devout bearing when celebrating Mass and his exactness in every
detail greatly edified worshipers. He pronounced the prayers of the
Mass that are to be said aloud with great devotion and in a very
clear voice so that all could hear. Following the instructions of
Pope Benedict XIV, he never took longer than half an hour or less
than twenty minutes to say Mass, and he also reminded his fellow
priests about these directives. In keeping with the spirit of the
Church and the custom of primitive Christianity he preferred to
give Communion during Mass rather than before or after. He
always cherished the privilege of distributing Holy Communion,
and as he did so he would pronounce the accompanying words
With great reverence.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Don Bosco never neglected to celebrate Mass except for very
grave reasons. If he had to set out on a journey early in the morn
ing, he would either curtail his sleep and say his Mass at an earlier
hour, or he would postpone its celebration until he arrived at his
destination; the hour or personal inconvenience was of no concern
to him. Occasionally, as he said Mass, his face would be bathed
in tears; at times he seemed to be in ecstasy or experiencing extraor
dinary spiritual gratification. It also happened that once, after the
Elevation, he looked so ecstatic that he appeared to be seeing Our
Lord Himself. While pronouncing the words of the Consecration,
his face would often change color and take on a saintly aspect.
Nevertheless, he always acted in a natural and calm manner, and
without affectation, never permitting anything extraordinary to
affect his demeanor, especially when he was celebrating Mass in a
public church. But both in Turin and elsewhere, the faithful eagerly
flocked in great numbers to assist at his Mass and gain the support
of his prayers when they had foreknowledge of the time that he
would be offering the Holy Sacrifice.5 Those who were privileged
to have a private chapel considered themselves fortunate if they
could have him celebrate Mass in their home.
He spoke very frequently about the importance of the Holy
Sacrifice. He also prescribed that the members of his congregation
should attend daily Mass. He counseled others to do likewise, recall
ing to them St. Augustine’s assertion that whoever would attend
Mass regularly and devoutly would not die in the state of sin.
To those who asked him how this or that grace might be obtained,
his suggestion was to assist at a Mass offered for their intention and
to receive Communion frequently. He would also tell them that the
Lord would listen to them with particular attention if they prayed
devoutly at the moment of the Elevation.
He was always very exact in recording Mass intentions, and he
scrupulously fulfilled this obligation of justice. Years later, he often
found himself surrounded by many people offering him alms for
Masses. Lest some omission might inadvertently occur, he arranged
for a daily Mass to be celebrated for just such an eventuality.
Undoubtedly this zealous interest on his part to preclude the
5 See Vol. I, p. 387. [Editor]
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Eucharistic Piety
315
possibility of some person being deprived of spiritual favors to
which he was entitled had its source in his constant meditation on
the sublime act he was to perform every morning. Every once in a
while he used to go to the church of St. Francis of Assisi and pray
at the side altar where he had celebrated his first Mass,6 there
renewing the resolutions he had made on that solemn day.7 He
always carried with him the booklet containing the rubrics of the
Mass, consulting it often so that he would not forget even the most
minute ones. This was the spirit in which he trained his priests.
Marquis Scarampi once told Bishop Cagliero: “I like to attend
Mass at the Oratory because Don Bosco’s young priests celebrate
Mass as if they were experienced old priests; in other churches
I see old priests say Mass like inexperienced youngsters.” During
the spiritual retreats, Don Bosco exhorted his priests to serve each
other’s Masses and in a gentle manner to point out to each other
any fault they might unwittingly have fallen into by force of habit.
He himself used to observe his priests and correct them even in the
smallest details, and he urged them to reciprocate.
He always was careful to recite the prescribed prayers before
Mass and to offer his thanksgiving immediately after its conclusion
unless he was prevented by some emergency. In such instances, he
sacrificed his own spiritual satisfaction for his love of neighbor,
However, Father Ascanio Savio used to assert his conviction that
Don Bosco, in these circumstances, would later pour out his entire
heart to God, whether in his room or in church. He also made sure
that his priests fulfilled this duty. As a remote preparation he him
self observed and required others to observe strict silence in church
and even in the sacristy, as is still the custom. If it was necessary
to speak about spiritual matters there, he would do so, but in a
low voice, and he would express his disapproval if someone did
otherwise.
“When we were still fellow seminarians,” Father [John] Gia-
comelli recalled, “he explained to me the meaning of the letters
‘S. T.’ often seen in ancient cloisters. They mean ‘silentium tene’
[observe silence]. He also required absolute silence to be maintained
« See Vol. I, p. 386. [Editor]
7 Ibid., p. 385. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
from after night prayers until the conclusion of Mass the following
morning. We met him several times early in the morning as he left
his room to go to church. At such moments he would smile at us
and allow us to greet him by kissing his hand, but he would not
say a word, so absorbed was he in his preparation for Mass.”
He wanted the altar boys to serve Mass flawlessly and he always
cherished the privilege of training them himself. In 1902 several
aged men of Sassi8 told Father [John] Garino how Don Bosco had
taught them to serve Mass when, as a convalescent guest of their
pastor, he had spent a couple of weeks there.® To promote interest
in the liturgy, Don Bosco established the regulation that on Thurs
days the clerics should learn how to serve solemn high Mass and
that every evening students and artisans be taught the ceremonies
of low Mass and the distinct pronunciation of the responses. If any
one served his Mass less than perfectly, Don Bosco would point out
the mistake to him in a kindly manner as soon as he returned to
the sacristy; he would then encourage the server to correct his flaw
by promising him a nice present. Unfailingly, though, he was always
courteous and tactful in correcting them. For example, an altar boy
was in the habit of slurring his responses. After returning to the
sacristy and removing the sacred vestments, Don Bosco whispered
to him: “You’re always too hungry!”
“What do you mean?”
“You bite off the responses!”
The boy did not reply, but that day he practiced pronouncing
distinctly the words he was accustomed to slur. After serving Don
Bosco’s Mass again the following day, he asked: “Well, am I still
too hungry?”
“Not so much anymore,” replied Don Bosco.
“On another occasion,” Father [Dominic] Milanesio 10 told us,
“Don Bosco pointed out to his altar boy a mistake he had made.
The boy, who was very lively and outspoken, rejoined: ‘You made
one too!’ and then explained what he meant. Inadvertently (a very
rare occurrence for him) Don Bosco had blessed the water at the
8 At this time a suburb of Turin at the foot of the Superga hills. [Editor]
9 See Vol. II, pp. 351ff. [Editor]
10 He made his perpetual vows as a Salesian in 1872 and a few years later volun
teered to serve as a missionary to Patagonia, where he achieved outstanding success.
[Editor]
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Eucharistic Piety
317
Offertory in a requiem Mass. Amiably, and with great humility,
Don Bosco replied: ‘Oh, well! I guess we’re both in the same boat;
we sure can mess things up!’ ”
We must not fail to mention that Don Bosco was the apostle of
frequent Communion and of daily visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
When he preached on Our Lord’s love for us, he would often weep
and bring tears to the eyes of his hearers. Even during recreation
time, if the conversation turned to the subject of the Holy Eucharist,
he would beam with holy ardor. He frequently said to the boys:
“My dear boys, love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with all your
heart, and you shall be truly happy!” His words made the boys more
convinced than ever of the truth of the real presence of Jesus Christ.
He was truly happy when he succeeded in having a goodly number
of communicants every day. He exhorted young and old alike to
shun sin in order to be able to receive daily with their confessor’s
approval. He himself never hesitated to give such permission to
anyone who had the necessary dispositions. However, when he
spoke of sacrilegious Communion to the Oratory boys, he did it
in such terms that their blood ran cold, so horrified were they at
his words. When Father [John] Giacomelli once hinted to Don
Bosco that perhaps he was too easy in permitting boys to receive
Communion, Don Bosco reminded him that the Council of Trent
had declared it to be the wish of the Church that at every Mass
there be at least some communicants.
To promote frequent Communion Don Bosco founded associa
tions and sodalities, and he urged their members to receive fre
quently, especially on the occasion of triduums, novenas, and reli
gious festivities. He also published and distributed thousands of
pamphlets at popular prices or even gratis, and he exhorted his boys
to read them. He was also tireless in hearing confessions and in
preparing his boys with the greatest care for their First Holy Com
munion; he was anxious that this sublime act be given the greatest
importance and that it be performed with veiy special solemnity.
These boys’ Communions must truly have pleased the Lord.
Often, when giving the “Good Night” to the boys, Don Bosco
urged them to say a prayer and if possible to receive Communion
on the following day with great Faith because he needed special
graces on behalf of the house. Many times, too, on the following
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS O F SAINT JO H N BOSCO
evening, he would tell them that the Lord had heard their prayers.
He used to say that all the good he and his co-workers accom
plished, the favors Our Lady granted him, and the financial assist
ance his benefactors gave him were due to the prayers and Com
munions of his boys. He never claimed credit for anything. How
often we heard him exclaim: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but
to Your name give glory.” [Ps. 113B, 1] Another favorite phrase
of his was: “Divine Providence sent us this or that help.”
Finally, we must point out how great was his spirit of union with
God, even in the so-called exterior life. Considering his prodigious
activity in the field of charity and in his priestly ministry, we might
suppose that he was primarily a man wholly taken up with projects
and their execution, and thus with little time for prayer except the
required minimum.
“This was not so,” Professor [Francis] Maranzana, his pupil,
declared to us. “I always saw him so deeply recollected, so serene
and tranquil, that he seemed to me to be continually absorbed in
contemplating heavenly things. True, he was on this earth to do
good, but his spirit was in heaven. Jesus Christ lived in him.”
His secretaries always saw him begin his work with a fervent
prayer. As long as his health permitted, he said his night prayers
with the boys, kneeling upright on the bare floor of the portico;
if he noticed any boy making the Sign of the Cross carelessly, he
never failed to correct him. He was equally devout in saying grace
before and after meals.
“Many times,” Father Rua wrote, “I came upon him absorbed
in prayer during his brief moments of respite. Once he confided to
a confrere who was very close to him: “Sometimes I cannot be
present at the [community] spiritual reading. To make up for it,
before going to bed I kneel down and read or reflect on some verses
of the Imitation of Christ ”
Thus, united in heart and mind with the Blessed Sacrament,
Don Bosco lived a life of incessant prayer.
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CHAPTER 40
A Solemn Celebration
J_1LT the Oratory [in the month of June] a number of
festivities occurred in rapid succession. The feast of St. John the
Baptist1 with its traditional bonfire in Piazza Castello (a custom
observed that year for the last time) was soon followed by the feast
of St. Aloysius whose external solemnity was held on June 29. Don
Bosco had dedicated an altar to this saint in his newly blessed
church. “In preparation for St. Aloysius’ feast day,” Father Ascanio
Savio wrote, “Don Bosco constantly spoke to the boys of this saint’s
purity, holding him up to them as a model. From his words we
could sense that the purity of his own soul matched that of St.
Aloysius. I recall that often he himself would intone the hymn to
this saint to express his deep devotion.”
Joseph Brosio recorded an excellent detailed description of these
festivities:
This year [1852] the celebration topped all others. The church was
decorated inside and out, while numerous lighted candles on the main
altar and the two side altars cast a celestial glow. More than three hun
dred boys received Communion at the Mass which was celebrated by a
bishop whose name I do not now recall; this was a very large number,
considering that there had already been two general Communions dur
ing the previous weeks. Over eight hundred boys were treated to a good
breakfast. We also held a solemn procession in which many guests took
part. During the services, I occasionally received an assignment to take
up the collection, and about eighty lire was given into my basket.
1The titular of the Turin cathedral. At Baptism Don Bosco had received the
name of the Apostle John, but the Oratory boys, believing his patron to be John
the Baptist, began to observe his name day on this occasion. See Vol. II, p. 381.
[Editor]
319
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
To keep order among the crowds my splendid army2 with its wooden
rifles and lone bugle had the support of a contingent of the National
Guard in dress uniform, with drums. Their commanding officer was Mr.
Dasso, a good friend of ours and a dealer in notions. None of the present,
past3 or future schools or oratories ever had or will have more fun than
we did on that afternoon—simple fun, to be sure, but spiced with such
joy and cordiality as to make us of one heart and one soul. We had sack
races, juggling acts, military drills, and calisthenics. The fountains in the
playground spurted multicolored jets, and balloons floated gaily above
the crowd.
Under a tent there was a refreshment counter well supplied with cara
mels, assorted candies, fruit, soft drinks, beer, etc.
There were also vendors who had small carts, piled high with tempting
things to eat, conveniently located throughout the playground. Count
[Charles Albert] Cays, Baron Bianco of Barbania, Chevalier Mark
Gonella, Chevalier [Joseph] Dupre, Count Agliano, Marquis Gustavo
Cavour, Count [Francis] Viancino, Father [Hyacinth] Carpano, Father
Chiaves, Father Robert Murialdo, Father [John] Borel, Father [John]
Vola, Father [Francis] Marengo, Father [John] Giacomelli, Father
[Peter] Merla and Father [Joseph] Trivero, chaplain of SS. Maurice and
Lazarus Basilica, and also an [unnamed] army general—all vied with one
another for the privilege of treating the boys. With money supplied by
Don Bosco and some gentlemen, I distributed about ten lire’s worth of
candy. All these treats were over and above what had already been given
to all the boys. Don Bosco did not taste a single piece of candy. I offered
him one to relieve his throat which was parched by the sweltering heat,
but he broke it in two and gave half to a boy. He always thought of us,
and seldom of himself.
A triumphal arch, made of branches, had been erected in the middle
of the meadow near the shed which had been leased to Mr. Visca.4 When
night came it was bathed in light. The festivities ended with a brilliant dis
play of fireworks and lusty shouts of “Long live Don Bosco!” Amazingly,
there was not the least squabble among the more than one thousand boys
gathered there, three hundred of whom, at least, were twenty years old
or more. The greatest concord reigned among them.
2 Joseph Brosio had served in the Bersaglieri Corps of the Piedmontese army.
To attract boys to the Oratory at a time when Piedmont was greatly stirred by the
concept of wars of liberation, Brosio had organized a mock army among the boys.
See Vol. Ill, pp. 309ff. [Editor]
a Obviously Brosio wrote this description many yeais after the events here
described. [Editor]
* See Vol. II, p. 418. [Editor]
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Nevertheless, just as something usually occurs in all human
events to cast a pall over the happiest moments, so it was on this
occasion. The celebrations began on a comic note, but ended on
a sorrowful one.
That morning (as Don Bosco had arranged) hot chocolate,
coffee, milk, and pastries for some twenty people were delivered
by a cafe in Piazza della Consolata, with the compliments of
Chevalier Joseph Cotta, “prior” of the feast. The delivery boy left
the order in the place appointed and went to Mass. After Mass,
those invited for breakfast found the pots almost empty and only
a few pastries left. There was some commotion as some laughed
and others worried about the choirboys being deprived of their
breakfast.' There was nothing else to do but send for more, which
Don Bosco did as soon as he came in from church and realized
the situation. The owner of the cafe was annoyed, but he refilled
the order. Meanwhile, someone rushed in to tell Don Bosco that
a day pupil, a boy named Vilietti, had been seen lying in a nearby
field, obviously very sick. Don Bosco hastened to the spot and found
him in a ditch.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I feel terrible; I want to go to confession!”
“What’s the trouble? A n upset stomach?”
“No, not that.”
“Tell me the truth. It is something you ate?”
“I only ate a little of the food in the sacristy.”
It was a masterpiece of understatement. In his anxiety not to be
caught red-handed, he had wolfed down enough food to satisfy
ten persons!
Don Bosco smiled and helped him to his feet. The boy then
started to go home, but before he reached his destination he became
very sick to his stomach. To make matters worse, all around him
there were open fields with very few trees to hide behind, and
people kept coming into that area from all directions, while hun
dreds of Oratory boys were watching him from afar and having a
good laugh at the consequences of his gluttony. Eventually he was
helped home and was sick for several days. Afterward he rarely
came to the Oratory because everyone used to tease him about the
incident. Prior to his disgrace he had been a catechist, sacristan,
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA IN T JO H N BOSCO
choirboy, and handyman, enjoying the confidence of his superiors.
His downfall was all the greater since previously he had basked in
the admiration and envy of his companions. They now nicknamed
him “Hot Chocolate” and taunted him whenever he was around.
The other incident occurred in the evening. John Chiesa, another
boy, was milling through the crowd selling Roman candles from
a basket hanging from a strap about his neck. When ignited and
hurled into the air, these fireworks added color and sound to the
festivity. Unfortunately, some sparks from one of them, which a
boy standing nearby was holding carelessly in his hand, fell into
the basket. The resulting flames spread quickly to Chiesa’s clothes.
With all his clothes afire, he flung the basket away, ran to a nearby
canal, and dove in. Later he was taken to the hospital with such
severe burns that the doctors feared he might die that same night.
He was in such critical condition that a convalescent patient had
to vacate his bed to make room for Chiesa.
Don Bosco went to see him at once and gave him his blessing.
The boy eventually recovered. When the scabs peeled off along with
the skin from his face, they looked like a mask. Fortunately, his
eyes had not suffered the slightest damage.
These festivities had not interfered with the routine work of the
lottery. Thousands of circulars announcing that the drawing would
take place on June 20 were soon followed by others containing the
news that it had been postponed until July 12.
The bishops were continuing to give the lottery their support, as
is evidenced by the following [extracts from their] letters:
Nizza, June 22, 1852
I sincerely endorse your praiseworthy and edifying zeal in building a
church most fittingly dedicated to St. Francis de Sales, the most powerful
protector of our country, and the liberator of a large part of Savoy from
the scourge of heresy which at this very moment seems about to infest
our native Piedmont. May your piety receive proper acknowledgment.
I am sure you will encounter many obstacles before completing this
noble undertaking, but Our Lord, who never fails those who put their
entire confidence in Him, will not deny you His support and consolation.
Meanwhile, I welcome the two hundred tickets which you sent me,
and I shall endeavor to dispose of them among my flock. A messenger
of mine will soon remit what is due. Keep up the good work you have
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begun so well. The Lord will bless it in a special manner since it is so
timely. Please accept my most cordial congratulations.
iji Dominic [Galvano], Bishop
Aosta, June 28, 1852 5
I received your letter with the hundred lottery tickets. I shall try my
best to distribute them. At any rate, I am setting aside fifty lire for them
now. I am glad that your church is finished and that Mass is already
being celebrated in it. This must be a source of great satisfaction to you
and all right-minded people. Providence has blessed your work and re
warded your efforts.
I am sincerely grateful to you for what you have already done, for
what you are doing, and for what you will do in the future on behalf of
my poor flock.
Andrew [Jourdain], Bishop
Gozzano, July 9, 1852
A few days ago I asked for a report from the person I had entrusted
with the selling of your lottery tickets. I found out that only about a
dozen had been sold, the alleged reason being that other tickets had
already been mailed to prospective buyers.
Since the date of the drawing is approaching, I thought I would not
delay this report any longer. Inasmuch as many boys from this diocese,
as you yourself mentioned, will frequent the church you so zealously
erected, I shall purchase another hundred tickets in addition to the hun
dred I have already taken.
I shall mail you a money order tomorrow.
Philip [Gentile], Bishop of Novara
Ventimiglia, July 10, 1852
Together with your kind letter of June 9 last, I received the two hun
dred tickets you sent me for distribution in my diocese. I commend the
excellent work you have undertaken in these difficult times, and I am
happy to inform you that I have been able to dispose of all of the above-
mentioned tickets. As soon as I receive the returns, I shall forward one
lump sum to you or entrust it to whomever you designate.
If any prizes are won by those who purchased tickets through me,
5 This letter has been translated from the Italian version of the original French.
[Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M E M O IR S OE SA IN T JO H N BOSCO
please ship them in one single package with proper identification so that
I may give them to the winners immediately.
Lawrence [Biale], Bishop
The bishops did not limit their assistance to letters and offerings;
they also honored Don Bosco’s humble dwelling with their presence.
Charles Tomatis remembers the day when Bishop [Louis] Fantini
of Fossano paid a visit there. Don Bosco welcomed him joyously;
to honor him he had Charles Gastini, who had a beautiful voice,
sing a few stanzas of a song which Don Bosco had composed in
honor of the prelate.
Bishop [John] Losana of Biella visited the Oratory a few Sun
days after the solemn blessing of the church. He delivered a stirring
sermon, motivated also by the fact that hundreds of those boys in
the congregation were young bricklayer apprentices from his own
Biella. He expressed his thanks to Divine Providence and to Don
Bosco, exhorting his young flock to frequent the Oratory which he
hailed as their shield and protector against dangers to their Faith
and morals. He concluded his sermon with these words: “It is not
only here that Don Bosco has been called to build a church. He
must build another at Porta Nuova near Corso del Re, near the
temple of the followers of Luther, Calvin, and Peter Waldo.8 This
is necessary; God wills it and Don Bosco will do it.” In this state
ment he proved himself a prophet.7
Meanwhile all the lottery tickets had been shipped out. People
even offered as much as five lire for a single ticket [instead of the
original price of half a lire] but were unable to obtain any since
the unsold ones had not yet been returned. At last the public draw
ing took place at the City Hall. It suffices to read the minutes of
that occasion to get an idea of the detailed organization that was
required.8 W hat with thank-you letters, lists of winners and prizes,
the mailing of prizes, and personal replies to requests for informa-
« Peter Waldo, a rich merchant of Lyons, in 1176 shocked by the sudden
death of a friend, abandoned the world and dedicated himself to preaching evan
gelical poverty. His doctrinal errors resulted in excommunication from the Catholic
Church for him and his followers, [Editor]
7 Don Bosco purchased land for this church on November 29, 1869, The laying
of the cornerstone took place on August 12, 1878, The church, dedicated to St.
John the Evangelist, was solemnly consecrated on October 28, 1882. [Editor]
8 See Appendix 12. [Editor]
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tion, explanations or complaints, the lottery necessitated a great
deal of toil and care on Don Bosco’s part.
Many winners generously donated their prizes to the new church.
Expenditures had been considerable and many tickets had been
lost; the returns amounted to seventy-four thousand tickets6 or
thirty-seven thousand lire— a tidy sum. Don Bosco kept his prom
ise 10 and generously shared the proceeds with the Cottolengo Hos
pital in the person of Canon Louis Anglesio,
A few days later, Don Bosco informed Archbishop Louis Fran-
soni [in exile at Lyons] of the solemn blessing of St. Francis de
Sales Church. The archbishop’s reply shows how pleased he was
and also reveals his appreciation and paternal affection for the
Oratory.
My dear Don Bosco:
Lyons, July 29, 1852
I can well imagine that your new church has only the bare essentials,
but it is beyond me how it could have been constructed and put into
service in only eleven months. This is quite an achievement. All praise
to God for having inspired you to build it and for granting you the grace
to complete it on behalf of so many boys who eagerly flock to its doors.
I am sorry that you were unable to get returns on all one hundred
thousand tickets. After deducting expenses from the proceeds of the
seventy-four thousand that were sold, you will still be far from your goal
of thirty-two thousand lire for your building fund, especially since you
have generously given half the proceeds to the Cottolengo Hospital. Both
your Oratory and this institution, so near to each other, are a visible
demonstration of God’s Providence.
I don’t know yet whether any of my hundred tickets has won a prize.
In the prize list you sent me I noticed several choice items, but my poor
luck is usually limited to some fire screen or napkin ring. I wish it were
otherwise so that I could donate it to your church.
May all your oratories continue to prosper.
With all trust in our merciful Lord, I remain, with the most cordial
affection,
Your devoted and affectionate servant,
Louis [Fransoni], Archbishop of Turin
9 Out of a total of 100,000 at fifty centesimi each. See MB 363. [Editor]
See p. 278. [Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
This welcome letter reached Don Bosco when he returned from
his spiritual retreat at St. Ignatius’ Shrine 11 with Father Cafasso.
The customary four retreats had been cut down to two in 1852,
one for priests and one for laymen, since the Society of St. Paul
no longer subsidized them— a victory for the enemies of good.
For several centuries the Society of St. Paul had done splendid
work in preserving unity and purity of Faith among the people and
in helping the needy. Anticlericals, eager to have a hand in the
administration of its funds (then exceeding more than six million
lire), insidiously began a smear campaign against its board of direc
tors, all men of great integrity who were devoted to the Church.
On the basis of a law of 1848, the mayor of Turin and his council
took over the administration of this charitable institute. Further
more, a royal decree ruled that the new board of directors was to
consist of twenty-five appointees of City Hall and fifteen other
members elected within the Society of St. Paul, a flagrant violation
of the will of the founders. The members of the Society protested,
objecting to the demands of City Hall and the royal decree; they
argued that they should at least be permitted to have equal repre
sentation on the board of directors, but to no avail. Their request
was turned down. On January 17,1852, the president of the Society
of St. Paul had to hand over all the official records of the Society
to a government official.
11 See Vol. II, p. 96 and passim. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 41
Plans for a New Building
I m m e d i a t e l y after his return from Lanzo Don Bosco
proceeded to put a new plan into effect. While the new church of
St. Francis de Sales was large enough for all the boys who came
on Sundays and holy days from every section of the city, and while
the former chapel was quite suitable for the day and evening classes
frequented by several hundred boys of various ages and levels of
instruction, the boarding facilities were very inadequate. Every day
some needy boy knocked at Don Bosco’s door in search of a home,
but the few small rooms were already filled to overflowing, espe
cially because some of them had been extensively damaged in the
gunpowder factory explosion. After pondering the matter at length,
Don Bosco remarked one day: “We have provided a house for the
Lord; it’s time that we prepared one for His children. Let’s get
started.”
Plans were drawn up for a three-story building and basement to
rise on the site of the present Pinardi house and to extend as far as
the Filippi house. The plans also called for two rows of rooms fac
ing each other and separated by a narrow corridor on each floor.
At the point where the new building met the Filippi house, a wing
parallel to the church of St. Francis de Sales, and extending as far
as the church did, was to have three rooms in a single row on each
floor. This involved cutting off a small area of the playground on
the east side. By rural standards this construction could have been
considered a large undertaking. In addition, plans called for attics,
pillar-supported porticoes on the ground floor, and an adequate car
riageway for access to the strip of land behind the house. To the
right of this carriageway was the only interior staircase, going up
to the upper floors and balconies, and down to the basement where
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TH E BIOG RAPH ICAL M EM O IR S O F SA IN T JO H N BOSCO
the kitchen, pantries, and dining rooms were to be located. Another
staircase in the belfry of the church gave access to the corridors,
the attic, and two rooms above the sacristy and Our Lady’s side
altar. Balconies with iron railings were to run along the entire
length of the two upper stories, at the front and back of the house,
thus providing an additional entrance into the rooms, each of which
had a window. The main body of the house was about 131 feet
long and 38 feet wide; the east wing was roughly 41 feet long,
20 wide, and 53 high.
Far from being luxurious, the building lacked even essential com
forts. The clerics and even the boys— John Cagliero in particular—
pointed out to Don Bosco that the corridors were too narrow and
dark, that the staircases and doors were not wide enough for a boys’
school, and that the dormitories located in the attics would be quite
uncomfortable because of their low ceilings. Don Bosco’s routine
reply to these objections was: “Let’s be satisfied with a little. Let’s
forget about appearances and conveniences and we shall earn the
favor and help of Divine Providence.” He also told them that pre
cisely because the new building was unattractive and uncomfortable
it would be safe from requisition by the civil and military author
ities, should they need it some day, and thus the boys would not be
driven away from it.
Subsequent events, a few years later, proved him to be right. In
1859, after the battle of Solferino,1 the Turin municipal authorities
asked Don Bosco, as a patriotic gesture, to turn his new building
over to them as an emergency hospital. Don Bosco agreed, but
when the inspectors found that the staircases, corridors, and doors
were too narrow, they thanked him but declined his offer.
A problem had to be solved: the existing Pinardi house could
not be demolished to make way for the new construction because
there were no other sleeping quarters. Don Bosco therefore decided
to build the eastern section of the new building first, starting from
the interior staircase. He began work that summer, shortly after the
blessing of the new church. Once started, work progressed at a
rapid pace. Upon seeing the size and speed of the construction,
1 At Solferino, on the hills to the south of Lake Garda, the French and Pied
montese forces won a signal victory over the Austrians on June 24, 1859. There
were heavy casualties on both sides. [Editor]
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people unfamiliar with the ways and means of Divine Providence
would ask: “But where will Don Bosco find the money to keep pace
with the construction?” This same question would be repeated time
and again in the future at every new undertaking of Don Bosco,
but invariably he would reply: “Divine Providence will send it to
me. The Lord knows our needs and He will help us.”
At the beginning of September when the work was well advanced,
Don Bosco took more than fifty Oratory boys to the Giaveno semi
nary for a spiritual retreat. Some of them were boarders and the
rest day boys. They went by coach up to Rivoli and walked the rest
of the way,2 passing through Avigliana. We will not go into details,
but will merely recall [John] Cagliero’s and [John] Turchi’s state
ments that all the boys were greatly impressed by the sermons of
Canon [Innocent] Arduino and Don Bosco, and that among the
apprentices frequenting the Oratory there were some who were truly
exemplary. One of them was Joseph Morello. He came to the Ora
tory on Sundays and holy days, remaining to watch the games but
rarely joining in them. When everyone was busy playing, Morello
would quietly steal into the church where, undisturbed, he would
pray for the souls in purgatory, adore the Blessed Sacrament, recite
five decades of the rosary, and make the Stations of the Cross.
Despite his precautions to avoid attracting attention, several equally
religious-minded companions took notice of him and followed his
example, thus starting the entirely optional Oratory custom of recit
ing five decades of the rosary after Benediction.
Don Bosco once had this to say about Morello:
One evening at dusk I was on my way home along the boulevard3
that leads from the Po to Porta Palazzo. At a certain point I overtook a
boy who was carrying a long, heavy wooden shaft with several iron
spikes driven into it. He seemed to be groaning under its weight and
muttering something.
“Poor boy,” I said to myself. “He must be tired out!”
As I drew near, I noticed that he would bow his head from time to
time as we do when reciting the Glory be or some other prayer. Then it
dawned on me that he was praying. It was Morello.
“Joseph,” I said to him, “you look very tired!”
2About twelve miles. [Editor]
3 The present Corso Regina Margherita. [Editor]
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“Not really; I’ve been on an errand for my boss. I had to pick up a
cylinder at the repair shop.”
“You seemed to be muttering. Are you mad at someone?”
“Oh, no! This morning I couldn’t go to Mass, and I didn’t say my
rosary. I had a chance now and so I began saying it. Besides, today is
Tuesday, a special day for me! An aunt of mine who was very fond of
me and helped me a lot died on a Tuesday. Since I can’t do anything
else for her in return, every Tuesday I recite five decades of the rosary
for the happy repose of her soul.
Let us now resume our narrative. Two things occurred at this
spiritual retreat that made it memorable. The first had to do with
Morello. Again we quote Don Bosco:
At the beginning of every sermon Morello would stand in a comer of
the church as though waiting to see what the preacher would talk about.
I noticed that at times he would move up closer to the preacher, while
at other times he would leave the church hurriedly. Since this happened
repeatedly, I wanted to know why.
“Joseph,” I asked him one day, “what’s all this moving about in
church? Why don’t you sit with the others instead of standing in the
back?”
“I do that so I won’t cause any disturbance,” he answered.
“What disturbance?” I asked.
“Well,” he continued, “if the preacher talks about mortal sin, I just
can’t stand it. It hurts me so much I have to leave the church or I’ll start
crying.”
His reply made me understand why even at the Oratory he would
sometimes leave the church suddenly and occasionally utter a cry or
make strange gestures. From then on, whenever I saw him in the con
gregation during a sermon, I took care to speak moderately; it was
enough for me to pronounce the words “mortal sin” with just a little
stress to make him jump up from his pew and run out. That is why he
usually stood near the door during sermons.
He had such a warm, affectionate heart that he was greatly affected
when anyone discussed spiritual matters. He was deeply moved at the
mere mention of heaven, of God’s love, or of His goodness. Once when
he and the other boys were around me, I said to him: “Joseph, what a
grand time we’ll have together one day in heaven, provided that you
remain good! We shall be with God always, enjoying and loving Him
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tor all eternity!” I had spoken almost casually but it made such a vivid
impression on him that he suddenly grew pale and would have certainly
fallen to the ground in a dead faint if his companions had not supported
him.
The second remarkable event was Don Bosco’s sermon on chas
tity. Bishop Cagliero reported it as follows:
During the spiritual retreat at the Giaveno seminary in the summer of
1852, Don Bosco spoke on chastity with such ardor and holy rapture
that we all were moved to tears and we resolved to preserve this beauti
ful virtue until death. Placing myself under his spiritual direction, I found
him to be not only a guide but a father most solicitous for our spiritual
welfare and most eager to instill a great and pure love of chastity in our
hearts.
He was so delicate in this matter that although he spoke to us fre
quently he shied away from talking about impurity. As a matter of fact,
in the course of several years I never heard him speak on that subject,
leaving it to Father [John] Borel, Canon Borsarelli, or the other priests
who helped him. He preferred to dwell on the virtue of chastity, calling
it the loveliest flower of paradise, one that we should cultivate in our
young hearts, a pure lily whose immaculate candor would make us akin
to the angels. His beautiful imagery inflamed us with love for this pre
cious virtue. When he spoke of it his countenance radiated holy joy, his
silvery voice sounded warm and convincing, and his eyes glistened with
tears for fear that we might dim its luster even if only by unseemly
thoughts or words.
We boys loved him as a father and our dealings with him were always
marked by filial trust and familiarity; nevertheless, our respect and ven
eration for him was so great that we observed an almost religious de
meanor in his presence; we were fully conscious of the saintliness of
his life.
On the return trip from Giaveno, Don Bosco took the boys to
visit the shrine at Trana, a custom he followed in succeeding years.
When he was back in Turin, he learned that one of his students,
Bartholomew Bellisio, who was taking courses at the Fine Arts
school, had been called up for military service despite Don Bosco’s
attempts to have him exempted for family reasons. It was Don
Bosco’s habit to go to the assistance of his boys whenever possible,
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and so he now wrote to Bellisio, who was spending his summer
vacation at Cherasco, in reply to one of his letters:
My dear Bellisio:
I received your welcome letter. Although I admire and commend your
resolution to resign yourself to God’s Will calling you to military service,
I still thought it advisable to recommend your case once more to Father
Lunel, your good benefactor, urging him to make another attempt.
You should also ask him to do so again. Meanwhile, keep praying to
the Blessed Virgin that in all things God’s Will be done.
May the Lord be with you always. I remain,
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. Your many friends wish to be remembered to you.
Bellisio reported to the barracks in the Turin Citadel. When
night came, after the bugle blew taps, he heard a subdued murmur
near him. The soldier in the next bunk— a practicing Catholic, as
Bellisio soon discovered— was saying his prayers. Within a short
time Bellisio discovered a few others; together they formed a living
rosary, each choosing a day for himself during the month to recite
it. His turn fell on the 23rd of the month. Two soldiers of his group
secured a waterproof snuffbox and filled it with holy water from
the neighboring church for use when secretly4 making the Sign of
the Cross. Thanks to Don Bosco’s intervention, Bellisio was honor
ably discharged after eight months. Of him Don Bosco used to say:
“I defy any of you boys to find one single fault in Bellisio!”
We are indebted to Bellisio for the painting portraying Don
Bosco in the act of hearing confessions. He used a photograph as
his model. In 1855 he also painted a portrait of Mamma Margaret
and gave it to Don Bosco on his name day. Without it, future gen
erations would not know what our dear M amma Margaret looked
like.
We have mentioned Bellisio because he is one of the older pupils
who supplied a mine of information to Father [John] Bonetti for
4 In those days, when anticlericalism was the official government policy, the
outward display of one’s religious beliefs would have occasioned endless scorn and
harassment. [Editor]
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his history of the first twenty-five years of the Oratory, and also
because the letter we have reproduced above is one of the first
written by Don Bosco to one of his boys. Bellisio sent it to us
together with this letter:
Cherasco, March 4, 1891
Reverend and dear Father,
In the Bollettino Salesiano you requested that anyone possessing any
letter or other writing by Don Bosco should send it to you for possible
use in the proceedings for the cause of beatification of our beloved and
revered Don Bosco.
Since I have one, I hasten to send it to you. It has no date because,
if I remember rightly, it perhaps was enclosed with another letter ad
dressed to my great benefactor, Father Lunel [count of Cortemiglia],
who in April, 1850, placed me in the Oratory. Checking the time when
I was drafted for military service, I must conclude that this letter was
written in the summer of 1852. It has grown yellow with age, although
I have guarded it jealously as one of my most valued possessions.
I have already given a written report on Don Bosco’s relationship with
me and with others during the more than six years I spent with him.
That was in answer to a circular sent to all the alumni requesting them
to report whatever they had seen, heard, and experienced in their con
tacts with Don Bosco. My report should be on file in the Oratory ar
chives. Since the circular stated that all manuscripts by Don Bosco would
be returned, I would appreciate having my letter back again. I shall
treasure it even more now in view of his expected beatification. I am
very proud to have enjoyed his benevolence and help. What I do regret
very much is my inability to contribute to the maintenance and growth
of his enterprises. Straitened circumstances, caused by sickness and other
difficulties, limit my response to your appeals to offering prayers to God
that he will grant us more propitious times.
My most cordial respects to you and to the superior general, Father
Michael Rua.
Your most humble subject in Don Bosco,
Bartholomew Bellisio
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CHAPTER 42
Vacations at Becchi
V / 'N September 22 [1852], Michael Rua entered the Ora
tory of St. Francis de Sales as a resident student after consulting
Father Cafasso, as Don Bosco had suggested. The great affection
Rua had felt for Don Bosco the very first time he had met h im 1
kept increasing as, with the passing of time, he was better able to
appreciate Don Bosco’s saintliness and achievements. The day after
his arrival at the Oratory Rua, went to Becchi with Don Bosco,
Mamma Margaret, and twenty-six other boys. Here he had an
opportunity to see the great esteem Margaret enjoyed in her own
tiny hamlet and in Castelnuovo as well. This esteem was also en
joyed by her family and relatives, not only because of their own
personal worth but also because their social condition had not been
affected by Don Bosco’s success and therefore could not arouse
envy.
Don Bosco’s relatives were extremely poor. Although he was in
tensely devoted to them, he never gave them financial assistance
because he judged, quite rightly, that the donations he received
were exclusively for his boys. He considered himself to be an admin
istrator of the goods of Providence, and therefore accountable to
God. He cherished the poverty of his relatives, delighted in speak
ing about it, and openly expressed his belief that if they lived de
tached from worldly goods they would more surely gain the king
dom of heaven as Our Lord promised.
On the other hand, his brother Joseph never asked Don Bosco
for anything, even when he was in straitened circumstances. He
had done much to help Don Bosco pursue his studies for the priest-
1 See V ol. II, pp. 247f. [Editor]
334
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hood and had even relinquished his own share of their estate to
provide him with the required ecclesiastical patrimony prior to
receiving major orders.2 For this reason among many others Don
Bosco was very close to his older brother and shared with him
both sorrows and joys. Truly they were one in heart and soul.
Since he lived on his farm at Becchi, Joseph obviously could not
see Mamma Margaret too often, but he never failed to visit her
several times a year when he came to Turin. On those occasions
he stayed at the Oratory as long as he could in order to enjoy the
company of Don Bosco and Mamma Margaret, and they were
equally delighted to see him. Margaret had every reason to also be
proud of this son. Joseph was a genuine Christian, a devoted spouse
and father, and a good-hearted and generous man. Although he had
a family of his own, he nevertheless looked upon the Oratory boys
as his sons, and every year he provided them with produce from
his own farm. Moreover, at harvest time he would solicit similar
contributions from relatives and friends. He was so successful in
pleading for Don Bosco’s boys that every fall he was able to send
them several cartloads of walnuts, wheat, potatoes, and grapes.
One day he came to Turin to buy two calves at the Moncalieri
market, but he stopped first at the Oratory to see his brother. When
he saw that the boys were in dire need of life’s essentials and heard
that pressing debts had to be paid that same day, he said to Don
Bosco: “Look! I was planning to spend three hundred lire at the
market, but I see that you need this money more than I do. Take it.”
Deeply moved, Don Bosco remarked: “But what about your
self?”
“I’ll buy the calves some other time.”
“Maybe it would be better if you just lend me the money. I’ll
pay it back as soon as possible.”
“That’s a laugh! You’ll never be able to do that; you’re always
in debt. No, no, forget about it! I’m giving it to you and that’s that.
I’ll manage somehow. Don’t worry!”
The Oratory boys were so fond of Joseph that whenever he
showed up they all ran to him with the joy and affection of children
welcoming their own father. They respectfully called him “Signor
2 See V o l. I, p. 366. [Editor]
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T H E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA IN T JO H N BOSCO
Giuseppe.” He looked very much like Don Bosco and was about
the same height. Don Bosco always treated him with unfailing
deference, particularly when distinguished visitors were present.
Now and then he would invite him to say a few words to the boys
from the rostrum where he generally gave the “Good Night” after
night prayers. We assume that Joseph, a simple farmer, may have
been a little reluctant at first to do so, but nevertheless he would
oblige by giving the boys some sound advice in the Piedmontese
dialect. Father John Garino was present on one occasion in 1858
when Joseph addressed the boys.
Joseph’s house at Becchi was always open to Don Bosco and
his boys, and every year, in groups of thirty, fifty, or even a hundred,
they spent a short vacation there. Joseph looked forward to their
annual visit and did all he could to make their stay pleasant. Those
who were visiting for the first time were so charmed by his kind
ness and affability that they immediately made friends with him.
He never accepted any reimbursement for his hospitality, although
he did benefit by some alterations made to the building. For ex
ample, a spacious dormitory had to be constructed on the top floor
to accommodate the boys who came there from the Oratory for the
feast of the Holy Rosary. This addition, of course, made the house
relatively large, even though it still remained unpretentious. How
ever, Don Bosco made no alterations or improvements on the exist
ing rooms. After the house was enlarged, the number of vacation
ing boys increased, and Joseph was always equal to the task, even
to the extent of keeping an eye on them. Since they stayed from
fifteen to twenty days, he watched over them so that the inevitable
scatterbrains among them would not trespass on the neighboring
fields and thus cause justified complaints. The boys, with rare excep
tions, obeyed him.
One Sunday morning he came across a boy in the playground
and reprimanded him for having sneaked into the vineyards. The
boy tried to deny it, but Joseph cut him short with the comment:
“Can’t you see that the prickles still clinging to your trousers give
you away?”
With Joseph around to watch the boys Don Bosco felt tranquil
and could find the time to prepare his novena sermons for the feast
of the Holy Rosary. However, while caring for the boys who were
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with him, he did not forget those who were in Turin with Father
Borel, as the following letter to the cleric Joseph Buzzetti3 shows:
My dear Buzzetti,
Castelnuovo d’Asti, September 29,1852
Please take care of a few things for me before leaving Turin.
1. Ask John Ferrero if he would like to come along with you. Pay his
train fare, and Pettiva’s, too.4
2. Bring a bottle of Mass wine with you.
3. Also, bring six pairs of spats, one pair of pants, a jacket, and
three pairs of socks. If the bundle is too heavy, you can give it to our
friend, Minin, or to the driver of the coach.
4. Give Mr. [Joseph] Gagliardi5 my regards and tell him that I am
counting on him to help out at the Oratory, especially on Sundays. Tell
Joseph Marchisio that 1 am depending on him to supervise the boys in
the playground and in church. Ask Am'aud to lend a hand in the singing.
Tell Fumero 6 1 did what he asked me to do.
5. Give Father Borel my best wishes and tell him that if he will take
the time to pay us a visit, we will be delighted, and he will also have an
opportunity thereby to exercise his priestly ministry.
Everyone here is fine, but we have been cooped up indoors because
of the rain. The church is always crowded. Deo gratias. Remember me
to all the boys.
Believe me to be
Yours in the Lord,
Don Bosco
On Sunday, October 3 [1852], the feast of Our Lady of the
Rosary, two boys donned the clerical habit to the great joy of Don
Bosco and of all their companions. Father [Anthony] Cinzano, the
pastor, celebrated the solemn high Mass in the Becchi chapel and
performed the investiture ceremony. He blessed the two cassocks,
and then he and Father John Bertagna assisted Joseph Rocchietti
3 He had been among the first Latin students of Don Bosco. He donned the
clerical habit on February 2, 1852 (see p. 161), but due to the loss of his left
index finger a month later, he became unqualified for priestly ordination and
eventually had to drop his studies for the priesthood. As a coadjutor brother he
was a godsend to Don Bosco. [Editor]
4 Two Oratory boys. [Editor]
5A dealer in novelties who afforded great help to Don Bosco. [Editor]
8Three older boys who acted as subassistants at the Oratory on Sundays. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
and Michael Rua respectively in donning them. At the dinner table,
Father Cinzano turned to Don Bosco and exclaimed: “Do you re
member what you said to me when you yourself were still a cleric?
You said: ‘One day I’ll have clerics, priests, students and artisans,
choirboys, and a beautiful church!’ I used to tell you that you were
crazy! Now I see that you really knew what you were talking about!”
He then invited the entire group to have dinner with him at
Castelnuovo.7 John Cagliero acted as the unofficial host. Mr. John
Germano, a notary, wrote to us in 1887:
I still recall the first time I met Bishop Cagliero. He was just a boy.
Don Bosco came with twenty-six youngsters to Castelnuovo to have din
ner with the pastor. An enormous polenta (for which I was mostly re
sponsible) fed everyone. Afterward, young Cagliero generously took us
down to visit the pastor’s wine cellar and treated us to samples of various
wines, including Mass wine, just as if he owned the place.8 I shall never
forget Cagliero’s youthful exuberance.
After a wonderful day with Father Cinzano, Don Bosco made
preparations to return to the Oratory with the boys and the two
new clerics in whom he had placed great hopes. Rua fully met his
expectations. He dedicated himself to the mission the Lord had
entrusted to Don Bosco. He will always be remembered as a holy
man, unassuming but intellectually gifted, indefatigable, and able
to master the skills necessary for his office. Don Bosco’s dream s9
were beginning to come true. A t last he could say: “This cleric is
mine.” Several times he paid Rua this glowing tribute: “If God had
said to me: ‘Choose a boy endowed with all the virtues and talents
you would like him to have, and I will give him to you,’ I would
never have imagined anyone as gifted as Father Rua.”
Joseph Rocchietti also was a very intelligent youth of impeccable
character; he likewise yearned to dedicate himself entirely to the
Oratory, but his poor health failed him.
When Don Bosco returned to Turin from Castelnuovo he found
the following letter from the Royal Secretariat of the Grand Master
of the Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus:
7This became an annual custom. See Vol. Ill, p. 315. [Editor]
8 See p. 198. [Editor]
* See Vol. II, pp. 190f, 232If; Vol. Ill, pp. 25ff. [Editor]
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Turin, October 11, 1852
His Majesty has taken notice of the charitable and noble purpose of
your oratories on behalf of the poor and abandoned youth of this capital,
of your untiring zeal, and of the moral benefits accruing to the boys who
frequent them. His Majesty is therefore pleased to take your petition into
consideration and assist your excellent institute by granting it a subsidy
of three hundred lire for the current year. This sum shall be paid to
you by the Treasury of the Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus.
I take this opportunity to convey to you also my great personal esteem.
[Louis] Cibrario, Senator of the Realm
First Secretary to His Majesty
on behalf of the Order
Don Bosco thanked Count Cibrario who at that time was also
preparing to honor Don Bosco by having the king confer on him
the Cross of the Knights of SS. Maurice and Lazarus in recogni
tion of his merits. Though always tactfully observing protocol in
his relations with his benefactors and other eminent persons and
taking care to address them by their proper titles, Don Bosco him
self had no desire for worldly honors. For that reason, when a
gentleman called on Don Bosco one morning while he was with
Francesia and Cagliero and presented him with a packet containing
the cross of the order and a scroll signed by the king, Don Bosco
did not open it in their presence. From the seals and the feel of it
he had surmised its contents. Later he called on Count Cibrario at
the order’s headquarters to thank him for the honor he had received,
but then he gently and tactfully tried to make him understand that
he had no desire for such recognition. “If this is being done out of
regard for my humble person,” he said, “I do not know what merits
single me out for this honor, and although I am grateful, I cannot
accept it. If, instead, the government means to express its apprecia
tion, approval, and support of my oratories for the poor abandoned
boys of Turin, I accept it gratefully, but with the request that the
title of chevalier be withdrawn and a subsidy for my boys sub
stituted in its place.”
When Count Cibrario insisted that he accept, Don Bosco, hint
ing at his many debts, replied jokingly: “My dear count, if I had
the cross and the title of chevalier, people would think that Don
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Bosco no longer needs help; besides, I already have enough crosses
— too many, in fact. I’d sooner you gave me some money to feed
my orphans.”
The count was finally persuaded. The Gazzetta Ufficiale did not
report the honor, and Don Bosco’s point of view was well received
at court. The Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus then granted him
an annual subsidy of five hundred lire. It was paid to him regularly
until 1885; in 1886 it was reduced to three hundred lire, and in
1887 still further to only one hundred and fifty lire because of lack
of funds caused by diminished revenue on real estate holdings of
the order. This subsidy lasted until 1894, six years after Don Bosco’s
death. Don Bosco never wore the decoration he had received, nor
did he ever make the slightest allusion to it.
His charming humility so endeared him to Count Cibrario that
their cordial friendship continued for the next twenty-five years.
[Back in 1848] Don Bosco, in Father Borel’s company, had called
on Gioberti [in Turin] and registered his objections to some of
Gioberti’s statements in his book 11 Gesuita Moderno.10 On that
occasion Gioberti had replied in self-defense: “What do you know
about politics and its intrigues, or about the true causes underlying
so many events, confined as you are to your little corner down there
in Valdocco?” Count Cibrario, on the contrary, was of the opinion
that in Valdocco he could learn something. Bishop Cagliero de
clared that the count would often call on Don Bosco and converse
for hours as he puffed on his huge pipe. The count helped Don
Bosco immensely. As first secretary of the Order of SS. Maurice
and Lazarus, he had control over the bestowal of decorations, and
he gladly secured the king’s approval to confer them on those whom
Don Bosco recommended as deserving of this honor for their many
charitable contributions. This turned out to be a wonderful device
for loosening the purse strings of wealthy people who were willing
to pay any price to gratify their vanity while helping a good cause.
Don Bosco was also blessed with the faculty of selecting the most
propitious moment to offer a chevalier’s cross to a creditor, if he
was willing to reduce or cancel what Don Bosco owed him. Some
times a generous benefactor would receive a decoration out of the
10 See V o l. I l l , pp. 3 0 If. See a lso pp. 163 and 2 1 9 . [Editor]
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blue to his great surprise and delight. On these occasions Don
Bosco would usually invite the benefactor to dinner. When the
dessert was being served, Don Bosco would address a few warm
words to him as he was breaking the pleasant news, and then he
would pin on him the chevalier’s cross amid the music of the band
and the applause of the other guests. The many decorations Don
Bosco secured through Count Cibrario either earned large dona
tions to the Oratory or rewarded valuable services already rendered
to it. Around 1875 we heard from Count Cibrario himself how
happy he was at having been able to help Don Bosco by this means.
He also added that when foreign visitors, who yearned for some
decoration, applied to him, he would gratify their wish upon pay
ment of a substantial sum, which he then handed over to Don Bosco.
God was indeed assisting Don Bosco with powerful friends in the
government.
Don Bosco, however, was quite discreet; he never pestered his
influential friends, and above all he never forgot his own station
and their sensibilities. Bishop Cagliero stated:I
I remember that when I was still a young boy at the Oratory, I was
surprised at the respectful, reverent, and humble manner in which Don
Bosco, a priest, called on certain laymen or received them. My surprise
ceased when I found out that these were persons in authority—cabinet
ministers, prefects, magistrates, mayors, aldermen, superintendents of
schools, or their secretaries. Besides, as a matter of principle, Don Bosco
always showed respect in word and deed to civil authority, no matter
in whom it was vested, even when such authority was hostile to him,
because it stemmed from God. I often heard him say: “Obey your su
periors and be subject to them.” [Heb. 13, 17] At other times he would
remark: “Many people [in authority] oppose us, persecute us, and would
even like to destroy us, but we must be patient. As long as their com
mands are not against our conscience, let us obey them, but when the
case is otherwise, let us always uphold the rights of God and of the
Church, for these are superior to all earthly authority.”
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CHAPTER 43
Unexpected Defections
-IL#' ON BOSCO had just gained two new clerics [Michael
Rua and Joseph Rocchietti],1 but unfortunately he was to lose four.
Poor health forced Charles Gastini to put aside his cassock. [Two
others left him to join a religious congregation, and a fourth was
railroaded into the diocesan seminary.] The second and third men
tioned above, attracted by the fervent religious spirit of the Oblates
of Mary and convinced that this was their vocation, decided at
about the same time to join this congregation. When they consulted
Don Bosco on this matter, he first praised their intentions, but he
then told them that God was not calling them there. They never
theless persisted in their intent. Father Rua is a witness to what we
are about to relate, and the story clearly shows that Don Bosco had
clear knowledge of their future. “One morning,” Charles Tomatis
wrote to us, “Ascanio Savio, an outstanding student and an excel
lent young cleric much admired by his companions, disappeared
from the Oratory. We later heard that he had joined the Oblates of
Mary at Our Lady of Consolation in Turin.”
Upon bidding him farewell, Don Bosco had told him: “I wish
you well, but you will not stay there long!” This warning was pro
phetic. A few years later, afflicted by extremely severe headaches
and in danger of a stroke, he was obliged to leave the Order. After
his recovery he became a leading theologian in the archdiocese.
Father Savio himself confirmed this story when he came to the
Oratory to lecture on moral theology to Don Bosco’s priests.
Shortly thereafter the cleric Stephen Vacchetta decided to follow
Savio’s example. Don Bosco’s parting words to him were: “I wish
1 See pp. 337 f. [Editor]
342
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you well too, since you also want to go, but though you are not
suffering mental disorders at the moment, you will soon be so
afflicted.” AH wrapped up in his plans, the boy paid no heed to
those words; he entered the novitiate and made his religious profes
sion. Eventually he became insane and had to be confined to an
asylum. Even after extensive treatment he remained a burden to
his congregation; he was barely able to teach some catechism to
children. We gathered this information from Father Paul Albera 2
who met him at St. Pons in Nice after Don Bosco’s death. Don
Bosco’s predictions had been fulfilled.
We shall speak of the fourth cleric at greater length as an illus
tration of the difficulties frequently encountered by boys who
wanted to join Don Bosco’s ranks. Father [Augustine] Gattino,
pastor of SS. Simon and Jude (within :whose territorial limits the
Oratory was located), demanded that more clerics from the Oratory
should be at his beck and call whenever he needed them. With this
in mind he went to the chancery to complain. Canon Vogliotti’s
reply was: “Please try to understand that Don Bosco brought up
his clerics himself, and it is only right that he should use them to
look after the crowd of boys he has at Valdocco. If you want to
have clerics at your beck and call, do likewise.”
This reply so nettled Father Gattino that he began to investigate
the social and economic status of the Oratory clerics. He thus dis
covered that a young cleric, G., came from a well-do-do family;
his father, a master builder, did not have to depend on others for
his son’s education. Father Gattino therefore concluded that Don
Bosco had not “brought up” this cleric. His conclusion was errone
ous because, as a matter of fact, it was Don Bosco who had taught
him Latin and secured authorization from Archbishop Fransoni to
permit him to don the clerical habit. Moreover the young cleric was
an ardent supporter of Don Bosco whose trust he enjoyed and who
had arranged for him to study philosophy. He spent all his time
at the Oratory and only went home at night; his father paid for his
board, and the young cleric was quite happy with this arrangement.
Regrettably, one day someone approached his father to persuade
2 Father Paul Albera (1845-1921) entered the Oratory in the fall of 1858,
donned the clerical habit in 1861, and made his religious vows in 1862. He became
Don Bosco’s second successor in 1910 and remained in office until his death, [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
him to remove his son from the Oratory on the grounds that if he
remained with Don Bosco he would have no future in his priestly
career. This meddler also stressed that, intelligent as the boy was,
he could be a great success only if he completed his studies in the
archdiocesan seminary.
The cleric’s father was an honest man and quite friendly with
Don Bosco who liked to call him “father.” He had carried out the
first alterations at the Oratory, and when the time came for build
ing the church of St. Francis de Sales he had entered into partner
ship with [Frederick] Bocca, the building contractor. Seeing how
ever that Don Bosco’s interests were jeopardized, he informed Don
Bosco of this fact and then withdrew from the partnership. The
architect had prepared the design of the church without remunera
tion, but the man Don Bosco had appointed to supervise the faith
ful execution of the contract perhaps was protecting the contractor’s
interests rather than Don Bosco’s.
The above-mentioned sly insinuations had stirred the good man’s
pride about his son, but, prudent as he was, he decided to consult
with the rector of the archdiocesan seminary at Chieri. The latter
told him that in the seminary the boy would certainly have a greater
opportunity to prepare for a successful ecclesiastical career. Further,
the rector declared that since he, the father, was in charge of all
masonry work in the seminary, it was hardly justifiable that his
cleric son should attend any other school. Besides, very likely the
boy could be enrolled at the seminary at half the fee and perhaps
even gratis.
The good man was won over completely. He returned home and
then went to the Oratory by coach to pick up his son. He sent for
him and told him: “Get your hat and come with me.” Entirely in
the dark about his father’s intentions, the young man obeyed and
soon found himself being driven directly to the Chieri seminary.
This abrupt withdrawal was a painful blow for Don Bosco. The
young cleric was dear to him; he had acted as his secretary, and
it was to him that Don Bosco had dictated his first writings. He
had also placed great hopes in him, and a few months before his
sudden withdrawal he had given him a breviary and a copy of
Rebaudengo’s Institutiones.
On the other hand, G., accustomed to the routine of the Oratory,
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was unhappy with the change. Don Bosco went to visit him several
times. As was his policy, he did not try to dissuade him from the
new life that had been forced upon him. Rather he encouraged him
to persevere and to leave his future in the hands of Divine Provi
dence. As Don Bosco’s conciliatory spirit was well known at the
seminary, the rector allowed him to take the young cleric to town
and also, on one occasion, to dinner at Canon Cottolengo’s. Don
Bosco’s visits greatly comforted the young seminarian, but they also
filled him with nostalgia for his vanished ideals. Gradually his
health was undermined and he had to return home. There he was
ordered to keep away from the Oratory, and even forbidden to go
to Don Bosco for confession. He then began to frequent the shrine
of Our Lady of Consolation, and gradually he became charmed by
the peaceful atmosphere of the Oblates’ monastery. Thinking that
perhaps this was his vocation, the young man sought Don Bosco’s
advice, but he frankly replied: “Your vocation is to be with Don
Bosco!” He then told him how he himself [in the matter of voca
tion] had abided by Father Cafasso’s advice. Don Bosco exhorted
the cleric to be patient and to wait, pointing out again that what
he wanted so badly now was not the best thing for him. However,
the young cleric yielded to the advice of others and applied to the
Oblates of Mary for admission. His father somewhat reluctantly
gave his consent.
Before leaving to enter the novitiate at Nice, G. went to say
good-bye to Don Bosco, who once again told him: “If that’s what
you want, go ahead, but let me tell you that your mind will suffer
as a result of your decision, and you will not be able to persevere
in the life you have chosen.”
When the cleric was about to make his religious profession, he
wrote to Don Bosco to ask his advice once again, and received
this reply: “You will accomplish some good, but this decision is not
what God wants of you.” He made his perpetual vows, but was
soon seized by scruples and by such a mania for perfection that
he nearly went insane. For this reason, and also for family reasons,
after ten years as an Oblate, following the advice of Father [Vin
cent] Berchialla3 (whose secretary he was), he requested and was
3 Later archbishop of Cagliari. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
granted a dispensation from his vows. Once in Turin he recovered
completely and recognized his cure to be a signal favor from God.
Don Bosco had been right again. Father G. often remarked: “He
who acts on his own in the matter of vocation is highly imprudent.”
His greatest wish now was to return to the Oratory, but it was no
longer possible, since Archbishop Fransoni had made it a policy
not to accept former religious into his archdiocese. To help him in
his dilemma Don Bosco recommended Father G. to the bishop of
Biella who accepted him on condition that he remain with him.
After many years passed with a resultant change in diocesan
policies, Father G., who still loved the Oratory, again felt a desire
to be with Don Bosco and enter his religious congregation. He
wrote to Don Bosco about this wish and received this reply: “You
are welcome, but wait until the Lord calls your father to eternity.”
His father, who was nearly eighty years old, had suffered many mis
fortunes and needed his priestly son at his side.
This story provides an excellent illustration of the solicitude of
Don Bosco even for those who, either of their own free choice or
under compulsion, had forsaken him when he needed them most.
He could not help being deeply disappointed at their desertion
because he appreciated their sterling qualities; nevertheless, he
turned these losses into gain in terms of his growth in humility.
When Ascanio Savio left, Father [John] Giacomelli heard Don
Bosco exclaim: “Worthless is the help of men” [Ps. 59, 14], thereby
intimating that he should trust more in God than in men. But then,
in his usual unruffled manner, Don Bosco immediately commenced
the task of choosing new pupils to train.
In October [1852] the boarders at the Oratory numbered thirty-
six, including the diocesan seminarians who now occupied part of
the dwelling.4 From Don Bosco’s records we shall mention a few
who should not be forgotten. The roster of 1851 included Giolitti,
Calamaro, and Peter Gurgo; in 1852 we find Francis Mattone,
Bonino, Bernard Savio of Castelnuovo d’Asti, John Turco of Mon
tafia, Bartholomew Fusero of Caramagna, John Benovia, Victor
4 After the closing of the archdiocesan seminary in 1848 (see Vol. Ill, p. 210),
Don Bosco opened a temporary seminary at the Oratory. For the next twenty years
it functioned as a seminary for the archdiocese and for the whole of Piedmont.
See Vol. Ill, pp. 428ff. [Editor]
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Turvano, Bertagna, Fontana, and John Baptist Bonone. Nearly all
of them attended Professor Bonzanino’s private school, together
with John Baptist Francesia who was then beginning the study of
Latin. Francesia had just started boarding at the Oratory, although
he had been frequenting it for a considerable period of time as a
day student.
Among the boarders admitted in 1852 one merits special men
tion. During the previous year his father had ignored the wise advice
of prudent friends to place the boy at the Oratory. Instead, he had
sent him to one of those fashionable boarding schools with a reputa
tion for academic excellence but with rather poor religious forma
tion— a school where there was little time for prayer, no kneeling,
no daily Mass, and no reception of the sacraments except at Easter.
Since the boy, who was gentle and pliable, was deprived of spiritual
means, he gradually fell in with bad companions, began to read
immoral books, became bored with studies and religion, and failed
his examinations.
When the boy came home for his summer vacation, his father
was greatly disturbed, for he realized the blunder he had made in
entrusting his son to secular educators. The boy, who used to be
very obedient, was now unruly, insolent, irresponsible, and irreli
gious. Punishments and reprimands proved to be of no avail. His
father thought about putting him in a reformatory, but was reluc
tant to do so. The boy still greatly loved his mother who had died
only a short while before, and despite the change in his character,
he still said a prayer every night for the repose of her soul before
going to bed. By now his father was convinced of the absolute
necessity of a religious education for his young son, and he decided
to make one last attempt to salvage the damage. It was nearly the
end of October; he had to find another boarding school for his son.
To win him over he stopped reprimanding him, bought him the
presents he liked, and one day took him out for an enjoyable out
ing. That evening he had a chat with him and gradually led the
conversation to the subject of the last moments of life of the boy’s
mother. At these recollections, the boy broke into tears. His father
then disclosed to him that one of his mother’s fondest hopes was
for him to attend the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales. When asked
what he thought of the idea, the boy unhesitatingly replied: “If
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
that’s what mother wished, I want it too. I’d do anything to please
her.” His father was overjoyed at this reaction, and he considered it
to be truly heaven-inspired. To avert any possibility that the boy
might change his mind, he took him to the Oratory the very next
day to register him.
Don Bosco was taken aback at first when he saw the boy, whose
name was John. He was wearing a custom-tailored suit and a Cala
brese hat over fastidiously parted hair; a glittering watch chain hung
from his waistcoat, and a slender cane completed his dandified
appearance. Everything about him revealed inordinate vanity. The
father quickly agreed to the Oratory’s admission requirements, and
then, with the excuse of having to attend to some business, he left
the boy alone with Don Bosco. Adapting himself to the situation,
Don Bosco steered his conversation to topics that appealed to the
boy: outings, races, calisthenics, fencing, singing, and music, the
mere mention of which excited the frivolous boy’s interest. His
father returned to pick him up, and as soon as they were alone he
asked his son: “Well, what do you think of the place? Do you like
it? How did Don Bosco strike you?”
“I like the place a lot, and Don Bosco seems all right, b u t . ..
“But what? Tell me; we still have time to change our plans.”
“I like him all right, but he’s a priest. That’s what spoils it.”
“Never mind that. Just look at his personal qualities. You like
him, don’t you?”
“Yes, but staying with a priest means praying and having to go
to confession and Communion. From some of the things he said,
he sounded almost as though he knew too much about m e . . . .
Well, I promised I’d go there and I’ll keep my word. I’ll give it a
try.”
When John entered the Oratory a few days later, his father
thought it advisable to brief Don Bosco on the boy’s background
and on his still intense love for his deceased mother. In a short
while John began to enjoy good friends, competition in studies,
music, recitations, and dramatics. Away from bad companions and
unwholesome reading, he soon forgot the dissipated life he had led
the previous year. His mother’s admonition— “Avoid idleness and
bad companions”— often returned to his mind; gradually he also
resumed his former practices of piety. However, he could not bring
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himself to go to confession, even though two months had elapsed
since his arrival and there had been novenas as well as solemn feast
days on which all the other pupils had received the sacraments.
One evening, therefore, Don Bosco called him to his room. Mind
ful of how much John treasured his mother’s memory, he began by
asking him: “Do you know whose anniversary it is tomorrow?”
“Of course I do. It’s the anniversary of my mother’s death. What
I wouldn’t give to be able to see her again and talk to her.”
“Would you do something that would please her and would also
help you a lot?”
“Of course!” '
“If you really mean it, then go to Holy Communion tomorrow
and offer it for the repose of her soul. This would be a great help
to her if she should still be suffering in purgatory.”
“I’d do it gladly, but before going to Communion, I’d have to
go to confession.. . . Oh, well, if that would please my mother, I’ll
do it; in fact, if it’s all right with you, I’ll do it right now.”
Things had turned out just the way Don Bosco had hoped. He
praised the boy’s resolve, gave him time for his emotions to subside,
and then prepared him for confession. It was a consoling experience
for both. On the following day, John received Communion and
prayed at length for his mother’s eternal repose.
From that day on he was truly a source of great satisfaction to
Don Bosco. One day he rid himself of some immoral books by
bringing them to Don Bosco. “Please burn these,” he said. “I do
not want to go to hell on account of them.” He also destroyed some
letters that contained bad advice from former companions by tear
ing them into pieces.
He then began to apply himself diligently to his studies. In order
not to forget his mother’s admonition, “Avoid idleness and bad
companions,” he wrote it on the cover of all his books. On New
Year’s Day he wrote a fine letter to his father, who was filled with
joy at the wonderful change in his son. His good conduct con
tinued throughout his stay at the Oratory.
Remembering that at home there were many immoral books and
magazines, John did not rest until he succeeded in persuading his
father to get rid of them. He wrote to him, cajoled him, and made
promises until he attained his goal. He also scored another victory.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
For trivial reasons John’s father did not observe the Friday absti
nence. By word and example, by narrating timely incidents, and
by begging him, John was finally able to persuade him to keep the
precepts of the Church.
This is but one of the countless examples of similar transforma
tions achieved by Don Bosco.
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CHAPTER 44
A Harrowing Night
T.JL H E construction of the new building was progressing
at a rapid tempo, and Don Bosco capitalized on the opportunity to
effect a moral reform of the construction crew. For several months
the men and their young apprentices, during their lunch break, had
joined the Oratory boys as they gathered around Don Bosco to listen
to his vast repertoire of stories and anecdotes. As though unaware
of the workmen’s presence, Don Bosco, while ostensibly directing
his remarks, humorous sallies or exhortations to the boys, would
skillfully but concisely tell them why they should lead a Christian
life and avoid sin and its punishment. He also spoke about the con
soling effects of a good confession, the terrifying meaning of eter
nity, and the danger everyone faces of being suddenly summoned
before God’s judgment seat. Don Bosco’s remarks so impressed the
construction crew that most of them went to confession. There were
a few, however, who quite clearly showed that they did not wish
to be reminded of certain truths. One of them interrupted Don
Bosco one day and in an icy tone of voice told him: “I know very
well what you’re driving at. You won’t catch me!” Joseph Buzzetti,
then a cleric, was present at this incident and felt sorry for the poor
fellow. Don Bosco ignored the remark.
Toward the end of October Canon Lawrence G astaldi1 arrived
from Stresa to pay a visit to Don Bosco. They talked at great length
about the future of the Oratory. The canon was so greatly concerned
that after returning to Stresa he wrote to Don Bosco about a doubt
that had arisen in his mind regarding Don Bosco’s legal title to the
Pinardi estate. Don Bosco replied as follows:
1The future archbishop of Turin. At this time, and until he became an arch
bishop in 1871, he was a close friend of Don Bosco. See Vol. Ill, pp. 40611. [Editor)
351
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS O F SAINT JO H N BOSCO
My dear Canon:
Turin, November 24, 1852
Here is how I stand in reference to my legal rights. I own this land
and therefore I also own any building that I choose to erect on these
premises. To be doubly sure of this, I have channeled all contributions,
including the lottery donations, into the church building fund. However,
for the construction of this building, I am depending on the income made
a few years ago from the sale of a small house2 as well as from a re
cently sold adjacent lot.3 Several prominent lawyers I have consulted
assure me that the government can claim no right whatever to this prop
erty as long as I live. But what would happen at my death? This is the
crux of the problem. In view of present-day circumstances it seems that
the only way to retain title to this property is to jointly purchase it with
Father [John] Borel, Father [Robert] Murialdo and Father [Joseph]
Cafasso and to make a will providing that at the death of one of the
signatories the property would pass on to the three survivors who would
certainly then be free to enter into partnership with a fourth party. Natu
rally, succession fees will have to be paid on behalf of the deceased
partner.
According to several lawyers that I trust, this is the only way to solve
this problem. As for the new purchase,4 1 shall leave matters entirely up
to Father Rosmini and will do whatever he, in his wisdom, will suggest.
I shall make every effort, feeble though it may be, to cooperate in what
ever will redound to the greater glory of God and to the salvation of
souls.
Please give my kindest regards to Father Rosmini and pray for me.
May God bless you.
Your friend and servant,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. While I am writing, your mother is in the sewing room cleaning
and mending clothes; her presence has turned it into a little paradise.5
This letter clearly shows that Don Bosco had no doubts about
the legal stability of his new building. He had not the least reason*
*See Vol. Ill, p. 328. [Editor]
3 See p. 190, [Editor]
4 See p. 438. Probably Canon Gastaldi, on behalf of his superior, had broached
the matter of a Rosminian foundation in Turin. [Editor]
c Ever since the beginning of the Oratory, Canon Gastaldi’s mother had gone to
the aid of Mamma Margaret. See p, 99. See also Vol. II, p. 414; Vol. Ill, pp. I78f,
[Editor]
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to suspect that during those very days he would undergo an un
expected and harrowing experience. On Saturday, November 20,
part of the eastern end of the third floor of the building under con
struction collapsed when the scaffolding supporting it caved in.
Three workmen were seriously injured, one of them critically. Every
one was filled with consternation and fear, but not Don Bosco. In
those anguished moments, when his grief was all the more intense
because of the injured workmen, he lifted his eyes to heaven with
resignation and uttered words that were familiar to him: “God’s
will be done! God knows best!” The need to start the evening classes
for young workers made him take this setback in stride. Undismayed
by the damage, he ordered the rebuilding of that section without
delay.
Unfortunately, a still greater loss was in store for him and his
generous benefactors. Only the roof now remained to be completed.
Girders and lintels were in place and tiles -were neatly piled near at
hand when all work was halted by a violent rainstorm that lasted
several days and nights. The downpour lashed the girders and lintels
and softened and washed away the fresh and perhaps poor-quality
mortar; as a result the walls remained standing like naked piles of
bricks and stones.
On December 1 [1852], several hundred day boys were attend
ing their usual evening classes at the Oratory, When the sessions
ended around nine o’clock, the day boys lingered for a while (as
they always did) to chat with the boarders and amuse themselves
by racing through the empty rooms of the new building. Don Bosco
had clearly forbidden them to do so, fearing that they might slip
and hurt themselves now that everything had been soaked by the
rain. But on that particular evening, unmindful of his warning, the
boys ran up and down the stepladders and chased each other over
the scaffolding, while others played on the ground below amid the
rotting sodden planks and rafters. Eventually, all the day boys went
home.
Shortly after eleven, while Don Bosco and all the boarders were
fast asleep, a frightful crash that continued to grow more thunder
ous in intensity made them jump out of their beds. Part of the
southern wall of the new building had collapsed. The impact of
falling bricks and stones shook the old building which was located
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
just a few feet away. It was a terrible catastrophe, but also a clear
manifestation of God’s mercy watching over the safety of Don Bosco
and his boys. If the wall had collapsed two hours earlier, who knows
how many victims would have been crushed beneath it?
Don Bosco’s mother heard the ear-splitting noise just as she was
about to retire, and she rushed out of her room in tears, fearing
with good reason that her son might be buried beneath the ruins.
“Don Bosco, Don Bosco, get out; save yourself,” she cried out at
the top of her voice. She ran to his room and pounded on the door,
but there was no answer. She tried to open the door but was unable
to do so. Then she noticed that a huge stone had fallen through
the ceiling of the room, leaving a gaping hole through which the
rain was pouring. Hoping to find a duplicate key to open Don
Bosco’s room, she rushed downstairs to the kitchen.
The cleric Michael Rua, already awakened by the noise, heard
Mamma Margaret’s shouts, but at first he was unable to identify
their source. As soon as he recognized Mamma Margaret’s voice,
he quickly dressed and ran to her aid, fearing that someone might
have been seriously hurt.
Meanwhile, the terrified boys had leaped out of their beds, some
in underpants, some in their shirts. In the midst of the confusion,
unaware of what had happened, they wrapped themselves in sheets
and blankets and rushed pell-mell out of their dormitories through
the ground-floor exits. Some ran toward the outer gate, others fled
into the church and sought refuge near some altar, and still others
crouched under the nearby trees or huddled together in the middle
of the playground. It was indeed a piteous sight to see about fifty
terrified boys running around in search of shelter from the lashing
rain. In the darkness of the night some were sobbing and others
were screaming; a few bumped into benches or tripped and fell into
the mud or in a puddle. Rafters, tiles, and other construction mate
rial littered the ground and left no doubt as to what had happened,
But where was Don Bosco? The boys were still calling for him
and Mamma Margaret was just rushing back with a key to his room
when they heard the familiar sound of a small bell, A moment later
a light appeared at the far end of the balcony. It was Don Bosco
calmly coming out of his room and down the stairs to inspect the
damage. A t the sound of the first crash, half-awake, he had cocked
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an ear and then heard what sounded, to his surprise, like the crack
of thunder. But since no lightning followed, he realized the nature
of the trouble and the danger he was in since his room was very
close to the new building. He got up, but in the total darkness he
could not immediately find matches to light his lamp or even to
get to the door.
As soon as the boys saw him, all of them started shouting: “Don
Bosco is safe! He’s safe!” Heedless of the mud and the debris scat
tered about them, they ran up to him, bombarding him with ques
tions such as: “Don Bosco, didn’t you hear the wall crashing and
your mother calling you? Are you sad? Are you hurt? Why didn’t
you leave your room at once?” Others told him: “Don Bosco, look
at us! Aren’t we a mess?” They all tried to outtalk each other, tell
ing him how smart they had been in that emergency and describing
their prowess and acrobatics in the dark. Don Bosco listened to
them sympathetically and spoke comforting words. He had first in
quired if anyone had been hurt, and when he learned that there
were no casualties, he was so relieved that he began to joke with
them; he teased them about their grotesque attire, laughed off the
scare they had had, and even urged them to play around a bit. His
calm and humor helped to banish all fear from their minds. He
then led them all into the dining room and entertained them by
describing to them the troubles the Oratory had already endured
as a result of harassment and forced wanderings, and how it had
nevertheless flourished and prospered. Exhorting them to trust fully
in Divine Providence, he concluded by saying: “Now, in thanks
giving for having been spared all physical harm, let us recite the
Litany of the Blessed Virgin.” Full of gratitude, they all fell to their
knees.
However, despite his calm demeanor, Don Bosco was seriously
concerned. What was he to do next? It was a miserably cold night,
and the rain continued to fall in torrents. For some time, though,
no sinister rumblings had been heard. Don Bosco reasoned that
whatever was shaky had already collapsed. He had also noticed
that the dormitories had apparently not suffered serious damage.
It was already past midnight. Anxious for everyone to get some
rest, Don Bosco told the boys: “Now go back to bed and don’t be
afraid; the danger is over. Let’s do this: very carefully move your
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S O F SAINT JO H N BOSCO
cots into the sacristy and into the dining room,1’ The boys imme
diately scattered, and in less than fifteen minutes, with the skill and
dispatch of disciplined soldiers, they had moved twenty cots to new
temporary quarters.
Throughout the emergency Mamma Margaret displayed exem
plary courage. Like a selfless mother exclusively concerned with
the safety of her children, she kept all the boys away from the
danger zone, directed them to this or that room, and kept watch
until dawn, moving fearlessly from one part of the house to another.
Don Bosco, her worthy son, was also equal to the occasion. To
ensure the safety of the boys he placed himself in danger several
times by checking potential danger spots in the faulty structure.
By her pleas Mamma Margaret finally persuaded him to give up
his inspection tour and return into the house, just as the boys were
getting ready to go to bed. They were turning the pockets of their
clothes inside out, checking to see if they had lost anything in the
hurried move to new quarters. An amusing incident provided some
fun for all. One of the boys, a certain Innocent Brunengo, was a
tailor’s apprentice. When the crash had awakened him, he had
jumped out of bed like everyone else and rushed from the build
ing, forgetting under his pillow the bun for his breakfast, (Since
many of the boys had to be at their jobs in town before dawn, a bun
was given to them at bedtime.) When he later returned to the
dormitory to move his cot to other quarters, he did not notice that
in the process his bun dropped to the floor. When he realized that
he had lost his bun, he retraced his steps, ignoring his companions’
warnings not to do so. When he finally found his treasured bun,
he hobbled back as quickly as his lame leg would permit, shouting
triumphantly: “Success, success! My breakfast is safe! Don Bosco,
my breakfast is safe!” The laughter this remark provoked was a
tonic to everyone, and the incident itself made history. As long as
Brunengo remained at the Oratory, he was habitually greeted with
the words “Success, success!” and then teased a little about his
prowess in rescuing his breakfast.
By now it was already after one in the morning and Don Bosco
was anxious to get the boys to bed. He set the example by saying
a brief prayer and then retiring to his room which potentially was
still the most in danger. Soon all stretched out on their cots and
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tried to resume their interrupted sleep; a few, however, decided to
remain in church and pray. Michael Rua and two other clerics also
retired to their quarters when their help was no longer needed.
Strangely enough, three clerics— [Louis] Viale, [Felix] Reviglio,
and Stephen Vacchetta— whose rooms were on the upper story,
slept like logs throughout. We are indebted to Stephen Vacchetta
for a detailed description of this unusual episode in a letter he wrote
to [James] Bellia who was then attending the Chieri seminary. The
letter, now in our possession, is dated December 25, 1852. A por
tion of it is recorded here:
The clerics Danussi, [Joseph] Buzzetti, and [Michael] Rua came into
my room while I was fast asleep and awakened me with their loud
laughter. I asked them whether the bell for rising had already rung. I
certainly had not heard it. At this Danussi laughed even louder, “Good
heavens!” he exclaimed. “Didn’t you hear the crash of the new building?”
“I heard nothing!” I replied. Then I added: “If it did crash, it’s a
good thing. The contractors will have to start all over again. This is
providential. Our Lord wants the Oratory to be built on strong founda
tions, not on sand. He made the building fall—or rather, he allowed it
to collapse—because of its poor construction. This is a godsend. Our
Lord knows that Don Bosco is too good and that some people try to
take advantage of him, and so in His Divine Providence He let this
happen.” With this we ended our conversation.
The boys were in bed, but they did not get much sleep judging by
what everyone had to say the next morning about the bricks, stones,
rafters, and planks that kept tumbling down throughout the night.
At five most of the boys were already up to inspect the damage.
Then about half an hour later, the northern wing suddenly crumbled.
It crashed against the central portion of the building which was higher,
and both sections fell with thunderous noise. The impact was such that
the adjoining building shook for several seconds. Those who were still
asleep sprang to their feet, dressed in record time, and rushed down to
see what had happened.
Thus read Vacchetta’s letter in part. Don Bosco was already in
church at this time. As always, he put himself completely in God’s
hands, and thus he was unruffled by this new disaster. He gathered
the boys in church to thank God for having again spared them and
then celebrated Mass. Afterward, as the boys flocked around him,
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he smilingly remarked: “The devil played a trick on me again. He’s
mad because he doesn’t want me to put up a new building and have
more boys, but we shall do it in spite of him!” Then he added: “The
devil gave us a good kick, but don’t worry; the Lord is stronger,
and the devil will not succeed in his attempts.”
Soon the playground was filled with people who were drawn
there by curiosity. Shortly afterward the mayor arrived by coach
with two municipal engineers. As the mayor comforted Don Bosco,
assuring him that the damage would not hinder the expansion of
the Oratory, the two engineers immediately began to investigate
the extent and causes of the disaster. As we have already mentioned,
the new building adjoined the low-roofed old Pinardi house. A tall,
heavy pillar of the new building, dislodged from its base, was now
leaning perilously above Don Bosco’s room. After studying the situa
tion carefully, the engineer, pointing to Don Bosco’s quarters, asked
him: “Who slept there last night?”
“About thirty of us did,” Don Bosco replied. The engineer then
took Don Bosco’s arm and commented: “You and your boys should
thank the Blessed Virgin; you’ve every good reason to do so. The
way that pillar is leaning defies every law of gravity. It’s a miracle
you were not crushed.” He then gave orders for its demolition. Cau
tiously, workmen ran heavy ropes around it to support its weight;
then, standing on the scaffolds, they began demolishing it piece by
piece, thereby saving the old building from disaster.
There was yet another sign of heaven’s manifest protection. It
was now eight o’clock. The only section of the new building that
was still intact was the wall overlooking the courtyard on the south
with its arcades and pillars. While the members of the municipal
commission, together with Don Bosco and several boys (including
[John] Cagliero, [John] Turchi, [Charles] Tomatis, and [Hyacinth]
A rnaud), were standing there, staring at and deploring the enor
mous damage, one of the boys noticed that the pillars were sway
ing, and he shouted: “Watch out!” Immediately all ran from the
area toward the center of the playground. As they were doing so,
the wall came thundering down with an awesome din; rafters,
bricks, and stones fell in a wide radius. Everyone was aghast. The
impact made the ground tremble like an earthquake, and more
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people came running from all sides. For an instant the stunned
Don Bosco grew pale, but he immediately regained his calm. Turn
ing to one of the bystanders, Mr. Duina, he remarked with a smile:
“We’ve been playing bricks!” He was alluding to the popular chil
dren’s game of placing a row of bricks in a standing position and
then knocking one down, thus causing a chain reaction. This disaster
made such an impression on the Oratory boys that, for the next
several months, any sudden noise, such as the rumble of a passing
cart or the emptying of a basketful of bricks, made them jumpy
and nervous.
Don Bosco bore this crushing setback with his customary Chris
tian fortitude and resignation to the inscrutable designs of God. He
never uttered a word of complaint, nor did he appear sad, despond
ent, worried, or alarmed. On the contrary, he continued to reassure
his pupils by his calm demeanor and soothing words. Speaking to
all of them, he said: “ ‘The Lord gave and the Lord has taken
away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ [Job 1, 21] Let us accept
everything as it comes from His hand, and we can be sure that the
Lord will greatly appreciate our resignation.” He also used to re
peat: “Yes, we must truly be very grateful to Our Lord and to the
Blessed Virgin. No matter how trying the evils that oppress man
kind, we can always see in them the merciful and providential hand
of God. He is there to temper our misfortunes.” Another of his fre
quent sayings, which he used to apply to himself, was: “Let nothing
dismay you; he who possesses God possesses everything. The Lord
is master of this house; I am His humble servant. Whatever pleases
Him must also please me.”
The following letter to the pastor of Capriglio clearly shows
Don Bosco’s great serenity:
Turin, December 6, 1852
Very Reverend and dear Father,
I have already spoken to Chevalier Curtine, First Officer of the Order
of SS. Maurice and La2arus, and found him very favorably disposed
toward you.7 Act as if you knew nothing about it and, leaving me out
6The native village of Mamma Margaret. See Vol. I, p. 11. [Editor]
7The pastor was probably seeking a title of honor for some worthy person.
[Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
entirely, write again to the above-mentioned chevalier and to Count
[LouisJ Cibrario. I hope this procedure will bring results. As the saying
goes, repetita iuvant.
I am teaching a Greek class here, and I need some books on the sub-
ject; at the moment they are at my house at Becchi. I would be indebted
to you if you sent someone, Father Duino perhaps, to pick up these
books and ship them to me as soon as possible, thus saving me a little
expense.
I have had a misfortune; the new building under construction (already
at roof level) has collapsed almost entirely. There were no fatalities, but
three workmen were seriously injured. The scare and consternation
almost sent your poor Don Bosco to his grave. The Lord’s will be done!
Love me in the Lord, give my best regards to your curate, and please
let me know if I can do anything for you. As always,
Your friend,
Fr. John Bosco
In addition to the material damage, the collapse of the new build
ing caused other discomforts as well. It was late in the season; there
was no time to repair, let alone complete the construction. Roofing
the eastern wing which was still standing proved a particularly diffi
cult job, and Don Bosco was faced with the additional problem of
coping with completely inadequate space. But charity is industrious,
and so was Don Bosco’s. After reinforcing the walls of the former
chapel, he converted it into a dormitory, and he then moved the
day and evening classes to the new church after first taking meas
ures to properly safeguard the respect due to the Blessed Sacrament.
Thus the church of St. Francis de Sales was used for worship every
morning and all day on Sundays, while the rest of the time it served
as a school. Classes were held in the apse, in the sanctuary, in the
side chapels, and in the nave. A certain amount of confusion was
unavoidable, but the arrangements were so unusual and pioneer
like that the boys delighted in them even though there was no heat
ing system.
Don Bosco had always endeavored to accept adversities with a
smile and to look for the comical side of things. If he had to intro
duce changes in routine, he always did so with a certain air of
gaiety that seemed to guarantee that it would be all for the better.
By this method the boys always gladly welcomed any new arrange
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ment, no matter how unusual or inconvenient it might be. Follow
ing his example, they too formed the habit of looking for the funny
side of things in their misfortunes. Once this disaster and its fright
ening aspect became a thing of the past, Charles Tomatis, who had
a natural bent for humor, preserved its memory for history with a
poem in Piedmontese that drew much laughter on the stage of the
Oratory theater.
The poem, published in the Bollettino Salesiano, was translated
into Italian by Father John Baptist Francesia for the enjoyment of
a wider audience.8
8 In this edition we have transferred this poem to Appendix 13. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 45
A New Undertaking
J V J lEANWHILE, intrigues and hostilities against the
Church were continuing without letup.1 On November 4 [1852],
Count Camillo Cavour was appointed Prime Minister, In August
he had gone to London for consultation with Lords [Henry J.
Temple] Palmerston, [John] Russell, and [William E.] Gladstone,
all three vying to surpass one another in their hostility to the Cath
olic Church and in their support of revolutionary wars. Cavour
then went to Paris for a lengthy parley with the president of the
Republic, Louis Bonaparte, who on December 1 was to be pro
claimed emperor under the name of Napoleon III. The outcome
of the parley was an agreement on the unification of Italy and a
common policy as regards the “Roman Question.” Needless to say,
the anticlericals in Europe were pressing Cavour to wage a holy
war against the Pope.
In Piedmont the struggle against God’s laws continued unabated.
On July 5 [1852], the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill on civil
marriage by a margin of 94 to 34. Innumerable petitions opposing
this bill had poured into Parliament notwithstanding the obstruc
tive tactics of the government, but they were ignored. In a counter
attack measure, the clergy was even accused of using fraud, chican
ery, and pressure to deceive the people as to the true intentions of
the lawmakers. In the diocese of Ivrea three pastors were imprisoned
and several laymen who had written pamphlets on the anti-Catholic
nature of that bill were brought to trial and dismissed from office.
Even though the Pope himself wrote to King Victor Emmanuel II
restating the Catholic doctrine on marriage, and despite the fact
1 See Chapters 6, 7, 10, 11. [Editor]
362
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A New Undertaking
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that the bishops of the Piedmontese provinces had voiced their
opposition and threatened canonical penalties against those attempt
ing a civil marriage, the bill was brought to the floor. But Our Lady
of Consolation [the Madonna of Turin] did not permit the passage
of such an impious law. On December 20 [1852], despite Count
Camillo Cavour’s vigorous support of the bill, the Senate rejected
its first article by a margin of 39 to 28; on December 22, a royal
decree shelved the bill. Grateful to their Madonna, the people of
Turin expressed their thanks by rebuilding the facade of the shrine
at a cost of sixty thousand lire.
Meanwhile, the Waldensians in Turin were continuing their
proselytizing. Several times they also attempted to engage Don
Bosco in debate, as he himself told us:
In 1852, a well-known Waldensian minister came to the Oratory.
After introducing himself, he showed me a book, saying: “Here the
infamies of the Catholic Church are fully exposed.” It was a book by
[C. L.] Trivier abounding in lies and calumnies. When I asked him to
cite me a few of the alleged infamies, he answered: “Isn’t it an infamy
for the Pope to demand worship as if he were God or even greater?
Isn’t it an infamy to adore saints and images? Isn’t it an infamy to forbid
people to read the Gospel?”
On hearing these wild accusations, I calmly asked him to show me
any decree of either Pope, bishop, council or Father of the Church
wherein even a single phrase sanctioned any such abuse. After all, the
burden of proof rested with him, the accuser.
He turned over page after page, scanning the chapters and paragraphs,
but he could not find what he wanted. Finally he said: “I’ll come back
with all the necessary proof and documentation.”
“Please do,” I told him, “and take all the time you need. If you can
prove what you assert, I shall believe you; otherwise-----”
“Otherwise what?”
“Otherwise I shall have every good reason to say that Waldensians
are liars.”
The minister left. I waited for him to return, but I never saw him
again.
However, Don Bosco was not satisfied with merely confounding
someone in a dispute. Pondering over the unjust methods, slanders,
and iniquitous distortions of demagogues, revolutionaries, and
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
Waldensians in their smear campaign against the teachings and
the rights of the Catholic Church, he conceived new undertakings,
even greater than those already launched, and whose wholesome
influence would gradually amaze the world. “The path of the just
is like shining light, that grows in brilliance till perfect day.” [Prov.
4, 19]
As early as 1850, Don Bosco had planned to stem the rising tide
of heretical publications with a series of popular booklets entitled
Letture Cattoliche [Catholic Readings].8 The idea was entirely his
own, but as it was his habit not to undertake anything without first
praying, consulting with persons in authority, and pondering the
pros and cons of his projects, he had been slow in coming to a
decision. Now, however, he definitively made up his mind; nothing
would deter him from this task. Ever devoted and deferential to
ward his ordinary, he submitted the draft of a subscription plan to
Archbishop Louis Fransoni [in exile] at Lyons. The archbishop not
only approved the plan, but highly commended it.
The site of the headquarters of this new publication was to be in
Turin. However, Don Bosco was not in a position to shoulder the
burden and responsibilities of an enterprise of this magnitude all
by himself; he had to find other people with similar interests in such
a venture, and at the same time avert the possibility that they might
jealously resent his leadership and only with reluctance resign them
selves to the fact that his prestige would be enhanced at their ex
pense. Under such circumstances Don Bosco had to efface himself
and diplomatically submit a proposal as though emanating from
someone else or deftly lead wealthy and influential people to adopt
his own ideas and supporting arguments and vigorously promote
them. In following this course of action, Don Bosco had to make
an act of humility for the sake of God’s glory, but the Lord re
warded him. In 1850 Don Bosco had already discussed with Bishop
[Louis] Moreno of Ivrea this publishing venture whose aim was to
openly counteract Waldensian propaganda. Bishop Moreno now
approved Don Bosco’s plan enthusiastically and became his most
powerful and zealous ally.
Of course, such a publication meant additional work for Don
a See Vol. Ill, p. 380. [Editor]
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A New Undertaking
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Bosco. His zeal for the defense of the Faith gave him the strength
to spend entire nights expounding in a simple, popular style the
doctrines attacked by the Waldensians and refuting their errors by
arguments easily understood even by the most uneducated people.
His ability to find the time for such a bewildering number of tasks
was due to a secret he had learned from Father Cafasso. In the
1
following memorandum about his spiritual director, Don Bosco
unwittingly painted his own portrait. He wrote:
Father Cafasso’s first secret [for his prodigious activity] was his con
stant serenity. He had adopted as his own St. Teresa’s motto: “Let noth
ing upset you!” With a gentleness characteristic of saintly souls he would
briskly attend to wearisome, difficult, and thorny matters. No matter how
many and how serious the problems, Father Cafasso, a truly great and
noble spirit, was never flustered. His wonderful serenity of spirit enabled
him to attend to a variety of matters calmly and efficiently.
His second secret was his great experience, acquired through many
years of nurturing his patience and trust in God. This experience, coupled
with his prudence and his constant study of human nature, had made
him familiar with the knottiest problems. He had an answer to all doubts,
difficulties, and baffling questions. If one put a query to him, he grasped
it instantly; then, after momentarily raising his mind to God, he would
give a prompt and clear-cut answer that not even a lengthy study could
have improved upon.
Father Cafasso’s third secret for being able to cope successfully with
so many different activities was his meticulous and constant use of time.
During the thirty and more years I knew him, I never recall seeing him
once in what appeared to be an idle moment. As soon as one job was
done, he turned to another. His schedule did not include recreation,
leisure-time activities, or futile conversation. If he would occasionally
take part in the pastimes of his student-priests, it was only in order to
please them; for him such participation was nothing but a duty. When
he felt tired, he sought relaxation in some other task: from preaching
he switched to praying, from writing to visiting the sick or hearing con
fessions in the city jails or churches.
Another of his secrets was his temperance; perhaps a better descrip
tion would be his spirit of penance. Even as a boy he had been sparing
in his consumption of food and drink. Consequently, shortly after meals
he could devote himself to intellectual tasks. When at times he was urged
to pay more attention to his health, he would reply: “We shall rest in
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
heaven! Whenever I think of heaven, I no longer feel tired.” Another
favorite saying of his was: “Man’s lot on this earth is truly wretched.
If only he could do without food and sleep, then he could work full
time for heaven.” One day he reproached a sacristan for having over
slept. He told him: “One period of sleep is enough for a man dedicated
to God’s service. As soon as he wakes up, he should rise, no matter what
the hour!” This must have been Father Cafasso’s self-rule.
Without question, the days of Father Cafasso and of Don Bosco
were crammed with sufficient work to keep five or ten hard-work
ing and skillful men busy from morning to night. The ability to
handle such a workload was the reward for a life of unceasing self-
denial in the service of God’s glory. Don Bosco never discussed
the matter, but we find it in the biography of General Gaston de
Sonis,8 a man of God who experienced this great truth: “The Lord
multiplies the time for those who serve Him.”
Let us now resume our narrative. Don Bosco had placed his
Letture Catioliche under the protection of the Blessed Virgin. Re
calling that he had a standing invitation 34 from the rector of the
Oropa Shrine,5 he went there in July, intending to remain awhile
and complete some writings. However, he found a new administra
tion in charge there, and the welcome was not as warm as he had
reason to expect. The following incident probably occurred on that
particular occasion. Don Bosco arrived there with Father [Felix]
Golzio.6 Eager to write a short history of the shrine, Don Bosco
3 Louis-Gaston de Sonis was bora at Pointe-k-Pitre (island of Guadeloupe) in
1825 and died in Paris in 1887. He served in the French army in Algeria, Italy,
Morocco and Germany. When the French government ordered the expulsion of
religious from their houses, he protested by resigning his post of commandant at
Rennes, Chateauroux. His life of great faith and sincere dedication to God and
Country is aptly summarized by the inscription on his tomb: Miles Christi (A
Soldier of Christ). [Editor]
4 See p. 185. [Editor]
6 A famous and imposing Marian shrine in Piedmont, dating from 369. Eight
miles from Biella, it is situated on a promontory that is about 4,260 feet high.
According to legend, St. Eusebius, the first bishop of Vercelli, built the original
chapel and enshrined in it Our Lady’s statue carved by St. Luke. The twelve
chapels, all richly decorated, illustrate the life of the Blessed Virgin. The shrine
also has a valuable collection of works of art and ex-votoes. [Editor]
6 This priest had been a former assistant to Father Louis Guala, the founder of
the Convitto Ecclesiastico in Turin, and to Father Cafasso, his successor. After
the latter’s death, Father Golzio became rector of the Convitto and Don Bosco’s
confessor. See Vol. XI, p. 109. [Editor]
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asked Canon Bernardine Pezzia for a few documents, but the canon
refused on the grounds that all information about it had already
been published. Don Bosco then requested hospitality for himself
and his companion. Instead of lodging them in the quarters reserved
for the clergy, the official in charge of accommodations gave them
rooms in the section assigned to lay pilgrims. Don Bosco and Father
Golzio accepted this lack of courtesy without complaint and re
mained there a couple of days to increase their devotion. Don
Bosco then went to St. Ignatius* Shrine, and from there he mailed
the manuscript copy of 7/ Cattolico Provveduto [a prayerbook for
adults] to Bishop Moreno for approval. The publication of Letture
Cattoliche was indeed about to start. The bishop of Ivrea replied
as follows:
Albiano, August 4, 1852
I received your very welcome letter at the shrine of Piova where I too
was making my spiritual retreat. Many thanks for all the kind remarks
in your letter. I am glad to hear that your church is already in such
good shape, and I assure you that I shall be delighted to see it on my
next visit to Turin.
I was very pleased to look over your manuscript, and I return it with
some revisions and minor additions which I think might be introduced.
None of them are of any great importance, and I leave it up to you
entirely to make use of them or not. I would be very interested to know
what changes you have in mind for our monthly Letture Cattoliche.
This project is very dear to my heart, and I urge you to give it your
greatest care. I have already enlisted the aid of several zealous persons,
and some have even given me signed blank checks to use for expenses.
Please accept my thanks and also those of our lawyer and of Father
Gallenga7 for your very lovely poem to commemorate the blessing of
your new church.
i£i Louis [Moreno], Bishop of Ivrea
A few days later the bishop again wrote to Don Bosco:
Ivrea, August 16, 1852
Mr. Matthew Rho, director of the Army Library and undersecretary
at the War Ministry, wrote me on the 9th of this month to inform me
that the book II Soldato Cristiano [The Christian Soldier] would go to
7 The bishop's secretary and a close friend of Don Bosco. [Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
press this week. Before replying to him and taking any action on the
matter, I need to know if this is the same book whose translation Father
[Francis] Valinotti sent me. I understand that this translation was started
under your supervision.
The need for a good press is constantly increasing, so let us get started
on our Letture Cattoliche. Please send me (through my messenger)
information about the changes you hinted might be needed.
With the greatest esteem, etc.,
)J< Louis [Moreno], Bishop of Ivrea
Don Bosco sent word to the bishop that soon he would be going
to Ivrea to seek his advice in regard to the subject matter, the selec
tion of titles, and the publication schedule. But when he delayed
the promised visit, he received another letter from the bishop.
Ivrea, September 4, 1852
I am impatiently waiting for your promised visit. I hope that we shall
be able to reach a decision on this publication.
I shall say no more for the moment. If you would like—or perhaps
I should say, if you would be able—to preach the spiritual retreat to
the Sisters of Charity here at Ivrea, bring your manuscripts with you.
I remain, etc.,
iff Louis [Moreno], Bishop of Ivrea
When he had finished preaching the spiritual retreat at Giaveno,
Don Bosco went to Ivrea to see the bishop, receive his instructions,
and come to a decision in regard to the launching of the Letture
Cattoliche.
After making final decisions on those matters which he had re
served for himself, Bishop Moreno notified Don Bosco of them:
Ivrea, December 13, 1852
Everything is now ready to begin publication of the Letture Cattoliche.
I therefore urge you to iron out details with Canon [Francis] Valinotti
Mail your decisions to me as soon as possible so that we may go to press
and spread the booklets far and wide. It would be better still if either
one of you could come up and inform me of them in person.
We must seek the help of a third party, lay or ecclesiastic. I assume
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A New Undertaking
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that you have completed your additions to your Warnings to Catholics 8
and that you have been able to speak with all the people with whom you
wished to confer, since by now all of them should have returned from
vacation. Unfortunately, Waldensian propaganda is growing bolder and
bolder. Let us match it with Catholic propaganda.
I was very sorry to hear that part of your new building collapsed. I
hope to have news from you soon, for I am afraid you must have had
serious trouble as a result.
Pray for me and ask others to pray. With great esteem, I remain,
iji Louis [Moreno], Bishop of Ivrea
D on Bosco sent him all the requested information. He then
performed an act of obedience to the supreme authority of the
Church as regards the reading of heretical books. He already was
allowed to read and keep certain specified books, but this was a
limited concession. Since he had to refute Protestant writers, he
needed unlimited authorization, which he sought and obtained.9
He also received the greatest possible consolation and reward from
Rome that he could have possibly desired— the genuine signature
of Pius IX at the foot of another petition by Don Bosco that would
usually have been signed by a secretary. By this thoughtful gesture
the Pope had wished to give him an extraordinary token of his
affection. We cannot adequately express how greatly D on Bosco
appreciated the Pope’s personal signature on communications, and
with what respect and joy he received them, as we ourselves wit
nessed on several occasions. D on B osco’s petition was as follows:
Most Holy Father:
The Rev. John Bosco, director of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales,
prostrate at the feet of Your Holiness, humbly implores you to renew
the authorization to administer Holy Communion at the Christmas Mid
night Mass as he has been doing for several years. He assures Your
Holiness that this favor would be of great spiritual benefit and encourage
ment to the boys attending the function. Humbly prostrate, he hopes
that this favor may be granted.
The petitioner
8 See pp. 157ff. [Editor]
®In this edition we have placed Don Bosco’s petition and the Holy See’s reply
in Appendix 14. [Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
The petition was returned with the following addition:
Rome, December 16, 1852
Pro gratia ad triennium. [Granted as requested for three years.]
PIUS PP. IX
Thus ended the year 1852 with its joys and sorrows. It had been
a memorable year, especially because of the faith of the people of
Turin in their Madonna, Our Lady of Consolation.
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CHAPTER 46
A New Undertaking (Continued)
£ J L s the year 1853 began, everything was ready for the
publication of the Letture Cattoliche [Catholic Readings]. Don
Bosco had succeeded in forming a scholarly editorial staff of priests
and laymen, and he was now quite busy announcing this new pub
lication in villages and towns, meeting with influential people,
establishing subscription centers, preparing and mailing promo
tional literature, and contracting with printers.
With the approval of the bishops of Piedmont he also mailed
thousands of copies of a prospectus,1 a copy of which he enclosed
from then on in every outgoing piece of mail. On it he had written
in his own hand: “Please, help with subscriptions.” He also gave
out copies wherever he went, making it a lifetime practice. He
even enlisted the services of itinerant salesmen in order to spread
these copies through the villages at a veiy low price— or even for
free, if it was thought advisable.
Don Bosco’s zeal became ever more intense as he grasped the
potentialities for good of his new undertaking, but we do not know
whether he envisioned its vast growth. From his pen alone there
Would flow about a hundred pamphlets dealing with faith and
morals, defending and asserting Catholic beliefs under attack by
Protestants in general and by the Waldensians in particular. His
aim was to strengthen the people in their Faith, instill sound Cath
olic principles in the young, and imbue them all with love for the
Church and for the Pope. Thanks to Don Bosco’s Letture Cattoliche
which blanketed the mainland and the adjacent islands, Protestants
made little headway in Italy and never struck permanent roots.
1In this edition we have placed this prospectus in Appendix 15. [Editor]
371
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
According to the records, there were over nine thousand sub
scribers in the period of 1853-1860; in several cases a single sub
scription served several families who had jointly contributed to it.
The subscribers rose to ten thousand in 1861; from 1870 on their
number remained steady, somewhere between twelve and fourteen
thousand. Eventually, the average monthly printing amounted to
slightly over fifteen thousand copies. We must also mention that
some five hundred other pamphlets, written by the editorial staff
and by Don Bosco, went through several reprintings to satisfy an
ever increasing reading public. Circulation figures of the Letture
Cattoliche in the first fifty years reached the high mark of nine mil
lion two hundred thousand copies. Later the publication also
appeared in French, Spanish, and Portuguese, with several thousand
subscribers in each language. These foreign language editions started
in Buenos Aires in 1883 and then spread to Niteroi, Brazil (1889),
Sarria, Spain (1 893), Marseille, France, and Bogota, Colombia
(1896). Vast indeed was the new undertaking that Don Bosco was
assuming.
Meanwhile, Waldensian propaganda was reaching new heights
in Piedmont. Large sums were spent in proselytizing, especially
among the working class. Wily and effective tactics succeeded in
leading astray several thousand Catholics. Lurid plays appealing
to the lower instincts and undermining parental authority were
staged with impunity in the Turin theaters. Anticlerical newspapers,
books, and lectures kept up a steady smear campaign against the
clergy. Spurious versions of the Bible were distributed on a large
scale; libraries stocked with anti-Catholic literature were opened.
The anticlericals became ever more brazen through the connivance
of those who were duty-bound to check such activity. A t a plenary
meeting in the Turin City Hall to set up a relief committee to assist
the poor, a Jewish rabbi and a Waldensian minister were elected
to serve on it, but not one single Catholic priest. Present at the
meeting were the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Interior, the
President of the Chamber of Deputies, and many other dignitaries.
Despite threats, dangers, and personal harm, the bishops had
long fought these noxious, combined onslaughts with truly apostolic
courage. Assisted by a loyal clergy, they had left no stone unturned
to resist the evil. They preached, wrote pastoral letters, protested
to the government, appealed to the king, and wrote books, but it
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373
seemed as though the enemy would prevail. Catholics were sadly
watching heresy spread among the people, undermining their Faith
and morals, when to their surprise the third edition of Warnings
to Catholics (which was to serve also as an introduction to the first
issue of the Letture Cattoliche) appeared on the scene to challenge
the enemy. Don Bosco had once remarked: “I am not afraid of
the Protestants, and I would be happy to give my life for my Faith!”
Some overly prudent persons had tried to dissuade him from launch
ing the Letture Cattoliche as a countercharge, but Don Bosco, in
stead of backing out, resolved to affix his name to the pamphlets
he himself .would write.
Warnings to Catholics had a supplement entitled Basic Tenets of
the Catholic Church. Its title page carried this legend: “Our Bishops
Unite Us to the Pope; the Pope Unites Us to God.” Don Bosco’s
authorship was clearly indicated. He had also included the follow
ing exhortations to the young:
1. Avoid as much as possible the company of those who indulge in
lewd conversation or who deride our Faith.
2. If for reasons of study, business, or family life you must deal with
such persons, never discuss religion; if they try to engage you in an
argument, simply tell them: “For medical advice I go to a doctor, for
legal matters I go to a lawyer, for medicines I go to a druggist, and for
religious questions I go to a priest. He is my expert in these matters.”
3. Never read irreligious books or newspapers. If they should be
offered to you, spurn and reject them with the same horror with which
you would reject poison. Should you, by chance, have such publications
in your possession, bum them. It is better to bum a book or newspaper
than to have your soul bum forever in the fires of hell!
The printing of Letture Cattoliche was done in Turin by the
P. De Agostini Press in Via della Zecca, No. 25, on the main floor
of the Birago building. Here also was located the editorial office
of V A rm onia, whose issue of February B, 1853, carried the follow
ing article:
The Letture Cattoliche
With the last issue of VArmonia, our subscribers received a booklet
which serves as an introduction to the Letture Cattoliche.
This booklet and the prospectus previously distributed to our readers
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
give adequate information about a project launched by a group of gen
erous Catholics. This project will require many sacrifices on their part,
but it will also bring great benefits to the faithful in Piedmont, providing
booklets, written in a simple, popular style, that deal exclusively with
the Catholic Faith. A booklet of 108 pages will be published monthly
at the yearly subscription rate of only Lire 1.80 for a total of 1,296
pages. This publication will be a non-profit operation whose deficit the
publishers are prepared to absorb. We strongly urge our fellow citizens
to support it. Subscriptions may be sent to our editorial office, to the
Marietti Press, or to the Ormea Press.
However, some changes were made in the size and frequency
of the booklets, as suggested by Bishop Moreno of Ivrea. The
prelate wanted two booklets per month instead of one, but with
less pages in order to stay within the agreed number of pages per
year. The bishop had also made other suggestions about the sub
ject matter, but since he apparently did not insist, Don Bosco used
his discretion and did what he thought was best under the circum
stances. The bishop’s letter follows:
Ivrea, February 10, 1853
Last Monday I wrote to Father Valinotti, instructing him to inform
you that several people have suggested publishing booklets of only 24 to
36 pages each but with greater frequency, at the same yearly rate. I also
have another idea of my own which you may pass on to your colleagues.
A number of subscribers are not overly fond of polemics and much
prefer edifying readings. Could we also satisfy their taste and include
some such readings in each issue? I have found that a 36-page issue of
the Letture Cattoliche would be sufficient for the abridged lives of the
Saints of that month, as the Oratorians3have done. If it should be thought
desirable to add maxims of the Saints and practices in their honor, we
could first publish the lives of the Saints of the first half of the month.
Since this 36-page booklet would contain no other material, subscribers
could bind the two booklets into one. Besides the lives of the Saints
published by the above-mentioned congregation, there is also the Diario
Cristiano [Christian Chroniclel published by Marietti two years ago, if I
remember correctly. To lighten your burden and that of your colleagues,
I could have the manuscript prepared here. Talk it over with them, and
let me know what you think of this suggestion.
2 Congregation of the Oratory of St, Philip Neri. [Editor]
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Father Valinotti will inform you about the very favorable responses
I have received. Now we’ll have to live up to them.
I beg you to spare neither labor nor diligence with respect to the
forthcoming publication. I assume that you have already contacted
Canon [Joseph] Zappata and that he has agreed to edit the manuscripts
very carefully. I would like to forestall any unfavorable criticism.
As I have already told you, you can send me whatever needs to be
examined without delay.
I remain, etc.
jJ i Louis, Bishop of Ivrea
Don Bosco received this letter while he was busy proofreading
the second edition of his Storia Sacra [Bible History] as though
he had nothing else to do. In this edition he made only slight revi
sions. It was an improvement, however, on the previous one, al
though it still lacked a biblical map. One notable new feature was
that the dialogue form had been replaced by a narrative style. Here
we should also remark how attentive Don Bosco was lest some
indelicate word slip through. In each new edition he always found
some expression susceptible of a double meaning, although previ
ously it had seemed quite irreproachable. His love of purity could
not bear the least impropriety lest it taint the character of his boys.
In the words of the Psalmist, his discreet writing was “like tried
silver freed from dross, seven times refined.” [Ps. 1 1 ,7 ]
The casual observer who did not know Don Bosco but was aware
of the mounting number of his publications probably assumed that
Don Bosco had a great deal of free time, and unless he had read
them, he would also be likely to believe that they lacked thorough
ness. The fact is that Don Bosco never began to write for publica
tion without first studying the best authorities in the field. After
ward, he would write on that subject in his own hand or would
dictate it. He would then go over it carefully and enrich it with
accurate quotations. He even proofread the galleys with the most
scrupulous diligence.
To find the answer as to how he managed to accomplish so much,
it would be helpful to take a comprehensive look at several years
of his life. Wherever he might be, at home or on a journey, every
instant of his time was pressed into service. A t home, where his day
was taken up with other tasks, he devoted part of the night to writ-
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
ing. On his frequent preaching tours he brought along notebooks,
galley proofs, and a supply of pencils. In the stagecoach, he would
write as long as there was light; when dusk came, he would climb
onto the box beside the coachman and strike up a conversation
with him, gradually progressing from small talk to spiritual matters.
During stopovers to change horses or coach, he would sit on a
parapet or at a table in the inn and resume his writing, unmindful
of the hustle and bustle around him. When he traveled on foot,
if he was alone he would pass the time by thinking about his projects,
pausing now and then to jot down some notes. When going by
train, he would tranquilly settle down in his seat as though he were
in his own room, lay out his manuscripts at his side, and go over
them at leisure. He did the same in the waiting rooms of railroad
stations or in the rectories between sermons. Thus, almost imper
ceptibly he would complete a pamphlet or a book, to his great joy
and surprise.
Occasionally it would happen that it was time to go to press with
the next issue of the Letture Cattoliche and the copy was not ready.
When night came, Don Bosco would sit down at his desk and write
all through the night; around noon of the following day, he would
bring the manuscript to the printers, either completed or nearly so.
Work was not a chore to Don Bosco; it was a passion.
Incidentally, writing booklets did not interfere with Don Bosco’s
voluminous correspondence. It would be practically impossible to
give a count of the pieces of mail he received or sent. In any twenty-
four hour period he would write or jot down quick answers to some
two hundred and fifty letters on a variety of matters. They were all
permeated with his spirit; all of them clearly indicated his humility,
kindness, unselfishness, love of justice, wisdom, uprightness, charity,
and submission to the will of God. He received letters from all over
the world, and we can safely assume that his letters, from a few to
very many, went to nearly every city in Europe. This aspect of his
life closely resembles what he himself had written of St. Vincent
de Paul.3 He never neglected to answer any letter, whether from a
prelate, a prince, a nobleman, a religious, a workman, a housewife,
or a child. Unfortunately, only a fraction of them— about fifteen
3 See Vol. HI, pp. 268-74. [Editor]
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377
hundred— have been preserved, but those still extant comprise a
precious treasure that enables us to know Don Bosco more com
pletely. As our narrative progresses, we shall realize that Don
Bosco’s epistolary activity deserves a study of its own.4
Out of this prodigious activity of Don Bosco there emerges yet
another of God's gifts to him besides his fantastic memory and his
untiring, meditative mind— namely, the ability to simultaneously
pursue widely different tasks without the slightest confusion. While
hearing confessions for days on end, he would at the same time
mentally prepare a new issue of the Letture Cattoliche, think over
a sermon to be given, mull over some new project, and formulate
replies to various letters, all without detriment to the matter imme
diately at hand. Once, on a Sunday in 1869, he remarked to Father
[Joachim] Berto [his secretary]: “This morning, while preaching on
church history, I mapped out an entire issue of the Letture Cat
toliche and also figured out a solution to a certain need of this
house.” His vast and sound erudition was amazing. As he put his
knowledge to good use, his undertakings matched the multiplicity
of his ideas. He could write or dictate as many as ten letters simul
taneously and, if interrupted, he could resume now the one, now
the other, without ever jumbling his thoughts, his arguments, or
the details, recalling perfectly what he had already said in each
letter and what he wished to say next.
But his one dominant thought, overshadowing all others as the
sun outshines the other stars, was the welfare of his boys. On his
desk, among the pamphlets, letters, and plans, there lay a draft of
the Regulations of the Oratory o f St. Francis de Sales which he
had begun in 1852 and would eventually complete in 1854. As
we already know, when Don Bosco started a hospice at the Oratory
[in 1847] he laid down no rules other than those which regulate
mutual relations in any family.5 He drafted the first house rules for
each dormitory five years later.8 They dealt specifically with the
moral and religious conduct of the pupils, as well as with the work
4 A four-volume work containing a total of 2,845 letters by Don Bosco, gathered
and briefly annotated by Father Eugene Ceria, S.D.B., has been published between
1955 and 1959 by the Societa Editrice Internazionale of Torino (Italy) under the
title Epistolario di S. Giovanni Bosco. [Editor]
5 See Vol, III, pp. 145f, 247-67. {Editor]
°See pp. 233f. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
habits that were expected of them. Afterward, whenever he noticed
the necessity of preventing this or that disorder, Don Bosco would
make a note of it. It was from such notes that there evolved the
complete set of regulations for the Oratory; these were later revised,
improved or amplified, as experience dictated, or dropped as obso
lete. These regulations first went into effect at the start of the school
year 1854-55. They were publicly read with great solemnity at the
opening of the school year and a chapter was reread every Sunday
to the pupils. They did not go into print, however, until after fur
ther revisions. In the Appendix we shall record the regulations of
1852 because they are a historical document reflecting the spirit of
our admirable founder.7
The fear of God was the basis of these regulations. There was
no reference to punishments of any kind. As the representative of
God, Don Bosco ruled in His name. This was sufficient reason for
the boys to shun evil and to strive to do good, besides the fact that
Don Bosco’s affectionate supervision made it easy for them to carry
out their duties. On the other hand, Don Bosco trained his helpers
to practice charity toward the pupils, not only by setting an example
for them, but also with a booklet entitled 11 Sistema Preventivo
nell’Educazione della Gioventu [The Preventive System in the Edu
cation of Youth]. These regulations and this method of education
which were so effective in guiding thousands of boys without re
course to harsh discipline stemmed from the Law of God. In ancient
times, God had reproached the priests for ruling over His sheep
harshly and brutally. [Ezek. 34, 4] It was not to be so any longer.
Through His prophet God said; “I Myself will pasture My sheep;
I Myself will give them r e s t.. . . The lost I will seek out, the strayed
I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.”
[Ezek. 34, 15-16]
7 See Appendix 16. [Editor]
'
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CHAPTER 47
Don Bosco on the Education
of the Young
now our readers should have formed a reasonably
accurate idea of Don Bosco’s educational method. It was not repres
sive, as was the common practice at that time, but rather preventive
and thus more in accord with reason and religion. Our religion, in
fact, stresses charity as the means to help us overcome pride and
selfishness in order to become considerate, grateful, and respectful
toward one another and spontaneously obedient to those who have
the right and duty to command us. Charity even confers a certain
grace upon those who are least educated because it excludes all
fear.
Experience has shown us that an educator gets nowhere if his
efforts are not prompted by true love. A child’s first happiness is
to know that he is loved. Responding to this love, he will believe
what the teacher says and will share his teacher’s likes and dislikes.
Throughout his future adult life the child will cling to the truths
and values that his teacher instilled in him and will often feel a
strong inclination to follow in his footsteps, even when the teacher
is a priest or a religious. Above all, the child will love him as the
father of his soul.
In Don Bosco’s time the “Preventive System” had become a
necessity. The aspirations of the people for a more democratic
form of government and the sympathetic response of rulers to such
hopes had created a climate wherein the young felt the need for a
more affectionate and paternal attitude on the part of their superiors.
The harsh and repressive educational method of past times would
not only have been anachronistic, but would also have caused two
very great evils. First, it would have driven the boys from the Ora-
379
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
tory; they had come there of their own free will and they were
equally free to leave whenever they wished. Secondly, it would have
convinced the boys that priests were true tyrants, the enemies of
freedom and of the people that the anticlerical press and the theater
alleged them to be.
Through his pedagogical system Don Bosco succeeded in prevent
ing such vicious nonsense from affecting his boys, and to such an
extent that their ever increasing number made it necessary to open
other oratories. When some spiteful anticlericals maligned priests
in the presence of any of these boys, they, mindful of Don Bosco’s
goodness, would quickly and effectively refute such slanderers. This
they did frequently with fellow workers who were in the habit of
disparaging priests. Some of these boys recall that the anticlericals,
not knowing what else to say, would mutter: “If all priests were
like your Don Bosco, you’d be right; but they’re not.” However,
the boys knew better. Father [John] Borel, Father Chiaves, Father
[Hyacinth] Carpano, Father [Robert] Murialdo, Father [John]
Vola, Father [Francis] Marengo, and many other exemplary priests
who helped Don Bosco and tried to imitate him in his love for boys
and be like fathers to street urchins were no strangers to them.
Thus the boys stuck to their convictions and contemptuously dis
missed these anticlerical slanders, remaining devoted and loyal to
their Church and her ministers whom they always greatly respected
and revered. It is no vain boast to say that this was the result of the
education given them by Don Bosco and his patient co-workers.
Don Bosco found this system so effective in ensuring the spiritual
welfare of the boys that he fostered its practice among all his co
workers, and he discussed the merits of the system several times
with Canon Eugene Galletti of Corpus Domini Church. Eventually,
he wrote a short treatise on the repressive and the preventive sys
tems of educating, giving reasons why the latter should be preferred
to the former and demonstrating its application and its great advan
tages. This treatise was ultimately incorporated into the Regulations
for Salesian Houses. We believe our readers will appreciate its inclu
sion here for their information and guidance.
There are two systems which have always been used in the education
of youth: the preventive and the repressive. The “Repressive System”
consists in making the laws known to the subjects and then watching to
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Don Bosco on the Education of the Young
381
discover the transgressors and inflicting, when necessary, the deserved
punishment. In this system the words and looks of the superior must
always be severe and rather menacing, and he himself must avoid all
familiarity with his dependents.
In order to lend weight to his authority, the director must rarely be
found among his subjects and as a rule only when it is a question of
punishing or threatening. This system is easy, less bothersome, and is
suitable especially in the army and in general among mature and judi
cious persons who ought of themselves to know and to remember what
the laws and other prescriptions demand.
Different, and I might add, opposed to this is the “Preventive System.”
It consists in making the rules and regulations of an institute known, and
then in being vigilant so that the pupils may always be under the watch
ful eye of the director and the assistants who, like loving fathers, talk
with them, guide them in any difficulty, and give them advice and correc
tion in a kind manner. In other words, this system places the pupils in
the [moral] impossibility of committing faults.
This system is based entirely on reason, religion, and kindness. There
fore, it excludes all violent punishment and seeks to do away with even
slight punishments. This system seems preferable for the following
reasons:
1. The pupil, having been advised beforehand, does not become
dejected by the faults he has committed, as happens when these faults
are brought to the notice of the superior. Nor is he irritated by the cor
rection he receives or by the punishment which is threatened or inflicted,
because it is always accompanied by a friendly counsel that serves to
guide him, appeals to his reason, and generally wins over his heart, so
that he realizes the necessity of the punishment and almost desires it.
2. The primary reason for this system is the inconstancy of youth,
who in a moment’ forget the rules of discipline and the punishments
which they threaten. Thus a boy often becomes culpable and deserving
of punishment which he had no thought of and did not remember at all
when committing the fault. He certainly would have avoided it, had a
friendly voice warned him.
3. The “Repressive System” may stop a disorder, but only with diffi
culty will it make the offenders better. Experience teaches that the young
do not forget the punishments they have received and often foster bitter
feelings with the desire of throwing off the yoke and even of revenging
themselves. It sometimes appears that they do not mind these punish
ments, but one who follows them in their future life knows that the remi
niscences of youth are terrible and that they easily forget the punish
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
ments of their parents, but with great difficulty those of their educators.
There are cases of some who in later years have taken brutal revenge
for certain punishments justly deserved during the time of their educa
tion. The “Preventive System,” on the contrary, makes a friend of the
pupil, who recognizes the assistant as a benefactor that advises him,
wishes to make him good and save him from trouble, punishment, and
dishonor.
4. The “Preventive System” enables the pupil to take advice in such
a maimer that the educator can always speak to him in the language of
the heart, not only during the time of his education, but even afterward.
Having gained the heart of his pupil, the educator can exercise a great
influence over him, warn him, counsel him, and also correct him, even
when he will be employed in various professions, in civil positions, or in
business. For these and many other reasons it seems that the “Preventive
System” should be followed rather than the “Repressive.”
The practice of this system is based entirely on these words of St.
Paul: “Charity is patient, is k in d ... bears with all things, hopes all
things, endures all things” [1 Cor. 13, 4. 7], as well as upon these other
words addressed to parents: “Fathers, do not provoke your sons to
anger, lest they lose courage.” Hence only a Christian can apply the
“Preventive System” with success. Reason and religion are the means
which the educator ought constantly to employ, teach, and practice him
self if he wishes to be obeyed and attain his end.
The main rules for applying this system are as follows:
1. The director must be dedicated wholly to the boys entrusted to
him and never accept engagements which keep him away from his duties.
Rather, he ought to be always with his pupils whenever they are not
engaged in some particular occupation, unless they are properly assisted
by others.
2. Teachers, craftsmasters, and assistants must be of acknowledged
morality. They shall strive to avoid as a plague every kind of special
affection or particular friendship for their pupils, and they shall remem
ber that the wrongdoing of one may compromise an educational institute.
Care should be taken that the pupils are never alone. As far as possible
the assistants shall precede them to the place where they are to assemble.
They shall remain with them until they are assisted by others. They shall
never leave them unoccupied.
3. Let the boys have full liberty to jump, run, and shout as much as
they please. Calisthenics, music, declamation, dramatics, and outings
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are most effective means of obtaining discipline and promoting morality
and health. But care must be taken that the entertainment, the persons
who take part in it, and the words used be beyond reproach. “Do what
ever you like,” the great friend of youth, St. Philip Neri, used to say,
“provided that you do not sin.”
4. Frequent confession and Communion and daily Mass are the
pillars which ought to support a system of education from which we
wish to banish threats and the whip. Never oblige the boys to frequent
the holy sacraments; but only encourage them and give them every
opportunity to avail themselves of them. On the occasion of spiritual
retreats, triduums, novenas, sermons, and catechism classes, bring out
the beauty, the grandeur, .and the holiness of that religion which offers
in these holy sacraments means which are so easy and so useful for civil
society, the attainment of peace of heart, and the salvation of one’s soul.
Thus the boys will readily come to desire these practices of piety and
approach them willingly, with pleasure, and with fruit
5. The greatest vigilance shall be exercised to prevent dangerous
companions, bad books, or persons who indulge in bad conversation
from entering the institute. A good doorkeeper is a treasure for a house
of education.
6. Every evening after the usual prayers, before the pupils go to bed,
the director, or someone in his stead, shall address a few kind words in
public, giving advice or counsel about things to be done or to be avoided.
He shall try to draw useful lessons from events which have happened
during the day in the institute or outside. But his talk shall never be
longer than two or three minutes. This is the key to morality, to the
good running of the institute, and to success in education.
7. Avoid as a plague the opinion of those who would defer First
Holy Communion to a rather advanced age when, very often, the devil
has already gained possession of the boy’s heart, with incalculable harm
to his innocence. According to the discipline of the early Church, it was
the custom to give little children the consecrated Hosts which remained
after Communion. This serves to show us how much the Church desires
that children be admitted to Holy Communion at an early age. When
a boy can distinguish between Bread and bread and shows sufficient
knowledge, give no further thought to his age, and let the Heavenly
King come to reign in that happy soul.
8. AH catechisms recommend frequent Communion. St, Philip Neri
counseled that it be received every eight days and even more often.
The Council of Trent clearly states that it greatly desires every faithful
Christian to receive Holy Communion whenever he assists at Holy Mass.
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
This Communion, however, should not only be spiritual, but also sacra
mental, so that greater fruit may be gathered from this august and
Divine Sacrifice, [Council of Trent, Session 22, Chapter 6]
The merits of such a method of education should be obvious to
any judicious person. Yet Don Bosco, for the sake of emphasis,
elaborates on this point:
Some will say that this system is difficult in practice. I reply that for
the pupils it is much easier, more satisfactory, and more advantageous.
To educators it does present some difficulties; however, these are less
ened if the educator applies himself to his task with zeal. An educator is
one who is dedicated to the welfare of his pupils and therefore ought
to be ready to face every difficulty and every fatigue in order to attain
his end, which is the civil, moral, and intellectual education of his pupils.
In addition to the advantages mentioned above, the following may be
added:
1. The pupil will always be respectful toward his educators and will
ever remember with pleasure the guidance he received. He will always
consider his teachers and other superiors as fathers and brothers.
2. Whatever may be the character, disposition, and moral state of
a pupil at the time of his acceptance, the parents can rest assured that
their son will not become worse, and it can be held as certain that some
improvement will always be made. Furthermore, certain boys who for
a long time had been the scourge of their parents and had even been
refused admittance to houses of correction, when trained according to
these principles, have changed their disposition and character, have
begun to live upright lives, presently occupy honorable positions in
society, and thus have become the support of their families and a credit
to the place where they live.
3. If it should happen that pupils who have contracted bad habits
enter the institute, they would not be able to do any harm to their com
panions. Neither would the good boys derive any evil from them; there
would be neither time nor place nor opportunity for it, since they are
always under friendly supervision and protection.
Don Bosco concluded his little treatise with some reflection on
punishment.
What rule should be followed in inflicting punishments? If possible,
never make use of punishments. When necessity demands punishment,
let the following be borne in mind:
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1. Let the educator strive to make himsetf loved by his pupils if he
wishes to make himself feared by them. When he succeeds in this, the
omission of a token of kindness is a punishment which fosters emula
tion, gives courage, and never degrades.
2. With the young, punishment is whatever is meant as punishment.
It is known that a stern look is more effective than a blow. Praise of
what is well done and blame for culpable neglect are already a great
reward or punishment.
3. Except in very rare cases, corrections and punishments are never
to be given in public, but privately and apart from companions, and
the greatest prudence and patience are to be used so that the pupil may
realize his fault by the aid of reason and religion.
4. Name-calling, striking one in any way, making him kneel in a
painful position, pulling his ears, and other similar punishments must be
absolutely avoided, because they are forbidden by the civil laws, greatly
irritate the boys, and degrade the educator.
5. The director shall see that the rules, as well as the rewards and
punishments established by the rules of discipline are well known so
that a pupil cannot excuse himself by saying that he did not know that
a thing was commanded or forbidden.
6. Before inflicting any punishment whatsoever, the teacher must
first find out how guilty the boy is. Where an admonition suffices, a
reprimand should not be given; when a reprimand will do, no further
action should be taken.
7. Punishment should never be administered when one is upset, or
when the faults are due to thoughtlessness; neither should they be admin
istered too frequently.
Thus reads the treatise of Don Bosco. This system which he him
self followed and instructed his co-workers to adopt from the very
beginning of the festive oratory and of the attached hospice is still
in effect today in all the Salesian houses. It is an established fact
that our houses prosper and do a greater amount of good in propor
tion as this system is better known and more faithfully applied.
In his talks to his co-workers Don Bosco used to dwell at length
on the principles of this educational system. He often recalled the
words of St. Francis de Sales: “More flies are caught by a spoonful
of honey than by a barrel of vinegar.” It grieved him whenever any
of his helpers dealt harshly with the boys or with subordinates; his
policy was to win them all by kindness. He constantly reminded
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
teachers and assistants: “Remember that boys break rules more
through thoughtlessness than through malice, more through lack of
proper supervision than through evil intent. Constantly look after
them, discreetly keep an eye on them, take part in their games, and
put up with their noisemaking and the unavoidable inconvenience
that they cause you. Even under such circumstances, we should be
mindful of O ur Savior’s words: ‘Let the little children come to
Me!’ ” [Mark 10, 13] In this regard he set the example by watching
over them wherever they were. Frequently he visited them at study
or at work. He would notice even the least infraction and promptly
apply a remedy. He often conferred with other superiors about the
boys’ conduct and the best measures to be taken to maintain order
and discipline. He introduced the custom of giving each pupil weekly
marks for conduct and for diligence. He himself read them aloud
to the assembled boys on Sunday evening, adding some words of
praise for the better boys and of admonition for those who had not
behaved too well.
Don Bosco was convinced that boys could usually be brought
to recognize their faults and amend them if they could think things
over. Therefore, he never tired of admonishing them and exhorting
them with a truly heroic patience. If his fellow priests had some
misgivings about accepting a boy, Don Bosco’s suggestion was to
also follow St. Paul’s advice in this case: “Test all things; hold fast
that which is good.” [1 Thess. 5, 21] This was the end to which
vigilance and proper advice were directed. If, at the beginning of
the school year, he suspected that some new boy might have a bad
influence on his companions, he would call the newcomer to him,
and after admonishing him with a heavy heart, he would have him
watched. Thus he was able to set right many boys who, as innocent
victims of bad example, already were indulging in foul talk.
We find it difficult to describe Don Bosco’s amazing talent in
winning the hearts of boys and leading them to God. His natural
and supernatural gifts were such that, in most cases, it was enough
for him to whisper confidentially into a boy’s ear for the boy to
accept his fatherly advice or admonition, no matter how mischie
vous or rebellious he might be.
Don Bosco would have sacrificed his life a hundred times, if need
be, for the salvation of souls. This explains why his words were so
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effective and went straight to the boys’ hearts. He frequently stressed
to them that they should be sincere with their superiors in regard
to spiritual matters. He pointed out the advantages of sincerity, call
ing it the key to inner peace, the most effective weapon against
gloom, the surest secret for a happy life and a peaceful death, and
the best means for advancing in perfection. All his exhortations had
the purpose of preventing sin, or banishing it and its evil effects
from the boys’ souls.
He often used to say to his co-workers: “We must do all we can
to keep this house free of sin; unless our boys regain the state of
grace nothing will go well.” Often he would add: “Remember that
good confessions and good Communions are the first steps to a
sound education.” Frequent Holy Communion was the mainstay of
Don Bosco’s mission among the young. He saw to it that his pupils
could approach the sacraments regularly, indeed very frequently.
He himself exhorted them and had others exhort them, but he never
permitted them to be pressured. Although he was available for con
fessions every morning, and nearly all wished to go to him— so
much so that he could not satisfy them all— he nevertheless wanted
other outside confessors to be on hand, especially on the eve of
holy days and also on the feast day itself. He never made any re
mark, nor permitted others to remark, on whether anyone went to
confession to him or to other priests. Many years later he gave this
norm to one of his priests: “Be careful never to be partial to anyone
because he goes to this or that confessor.” Likewise, on days of
general Communion, he never permitted the practice of having the
boys file out to the altar rail pew by pew lest those who did not
want to receive might feel constrained to do so to avoid attracting
attention. In such a case his preference was for freedom, even if
there was some attendant confusion in the process. Communions
on ordinary weekdays were indeed so numerous that they resembled
a general Communion; visitors more than once wondered whether
some special feast was being observed.
Don Bosco did such a vast amount of good through the sacra
ment of Penance that we should rightly call him “the apostle of
confession.” He inspired such peace of soul and trust in God’s
infinite mercy that many boys found it difficult to accustom them
selves to another confessor once they left the Oratory for good. To
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
strengthen his penitents’ trust in their eternal salvation, he used to
stress to them St. Philip Neri’s maxim: “Sin and gloom, away from
my room.” Frequent reception of the sacraments gave his boys the
strength to follow the path of obedience serenely and joyfully. A
zestful, free, and easy manner, a lively participation in games, a
fervent piety, a great love of purity, and a persevering diligence
were characteristic traits of Oratory life. A large number of boys,
true models to their companions, were a living demonstration of
these traits. Hundreds of alumni, both priests and laymen, have
declared that they could not recall any serious breach of conduct
during their stay at the Oratory.
Canon [Hyacinth] Ballesio wrote: “Don Bosco was able to instill
in us a sound, deep, and fervent piety by his example, his sermons,
and his exhortations to receive the sacraments frequently— a novelty
in those days; his talks and his vivid edifying tales and stories were
an effective brake to wrongdoing and a spur to doing good, They
also accounted for our cheerfulness and contentment, the good
order that reigned in the house, and our progress at study and work.
Moreover, with the right word, hint, or look, he dispelled any
gloomy thought or worry we might have, filled us with joy, and
spurred us on to be virtuous, self-sacrificing, and obedient.”
How we loved to hear him repeat expressions which were so
familiar to him and which, as he uttered them, made his counte
nance radiate the faith that was in his heart:
“How good the Lord is never to let us want for anything! Let us
serve Him with all our heart!”
“Let us love God; let us love Him because He is our Father.”
“Everything shall pass; whatever is not eternal is nothing!”
Evidently the system of education that Don Bosco chose was
a loving kindness wisely and gently applied to the needs of the
young. We shall have occasion to refer to it again. How beneficial
such a system would be if it were adopted in all Christian families
and in public and private schools for boys and girls alike! How
much easier it would be for young people to grow upright! A
remedy would always be at hand at the first symptom of evil, pro
tecting pure and innocent children against the bad example of
corrupt companions. Then our youth would grow up high-prin
cipled and religious-minded, a credit to their families and a solid
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bulwark for civil society. Many foreign educators, especially those
from England, took this view of Don Bosco’s method. After his
death, many boarding schools for needy Catholic children in Eng
land took the Turin Oratory and its regulations as a model. Their
founders studied Don Bosco’s life and his effective educational sys
tem, and by following his example they vastly increased the num
ber of ecclesiastical vocations. Today Don Bosco’s portrait occupies
a place of honor in such institutes, as well as in seminaries.
Don Bosco had imitators even among Protestants. On June 12,
1903, Father Juvenal Bonavia 1 wrote to us from London:
I enclose two non-Catholic periodicals which contain remarks on
Don Bosco; these are publications of the Anglican High Church. The
writer of the articles, Norman Potter, is, I believe, the same person
whose acquaintance one of our priests made some months ago. He is
the director of a hospice for boys not very far from us. In his reception
room there hangs a portrait of Don Bosco with his motto: Da mihi
animas, caetera tolle [Give me souls; away with the rest]. This gentleman
has traveled in Italy and visited several of our houses there, including
the Oratory in Turin. He imitates Don Bosco in every way he can. I
believe that he even reads the Bollettino Salesiano.
In these two articles he gives a biographical sketch of Don Bosco’s
life. The first, published in 1900 in [the periodical] Goodwill, is the
shorter of the two, and includes a picture of Don Bosco. The second,
published this year in Commonwealth, is lengthier, and also contains
an outline of the “Preventive System” taken from the regulations of
our houses. Where mention is made of frequent confession and Com
munion and of daily Mass, he uses the word “Eucharist” instead of
“Mass,” perhaps because this word may jar many ears, even Anglican
ones. He concludes both articles with the hope that the Lord may raise
men with Don Bosco’s spirit also here in England, where the need is
so great.2
1 Born in 1865, he entered the Oratory in October 1878. Three years later, he
received the clerical habit from Don Bosco himself. He made his perpetual vows
in the Salesian Society on October 7, 1882. After his ordination to the priesthood
on May 26, 1888, he was assigned to the newly opened Salesian house at Battersea,
London. He died there on January 23, 1904. [Editor]
2 These two articles did not appear in the original Italian edition of the Bio
graphical Memoirs of St. John Bosco. They are now available for the first time.
See Appendix 17. [Editor]
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CHAPTER 48
Don Bosco on Punishments
JU A T H E R Ascanio Savio once made this observation:
“Don Bosco so succeeded in controlling his fiery temperament that
he seemed almost without passion. He habitually granted his pupils’
requests if such were not prejudicial to their spiritual welfare. He
made it a policy not to inflict punishments if at all possible, but
when necessary he knew when and how to punish. He was emi
nently just, but since charity and gentleness guided his zeal, he
punished only after preventive means had proved ineffective. He
was always calm when he had to reprimand, for he adhered to the
maxim: “The Lord is not in the wind” [3 Kings 19, 11]— that is,
in passion. Likewise, he always reprimanded privately.
“I do not recall,” said Joseph Buzzetti, “that Don Bosco ever
reproved anyone unjustly. Whenever he corrected any of us, we
always had to admit that Don Bosco was right.”
A very effective punishment that he always resorted to first was
to act somewhat coldly toward those boys who disobeyed or delib
erately transgressed a rule or belittled warnings or admonitions. For
example, he would exclude them from certain tokens of benev
olence usually extended to the better-behaved boys, such as not
favoring them with a friendly glance, or even pretending not to see
them. Likewise, if they tried to pay him the customary mark of
respect by kissing his priestly hand, he would quickly withdraw it,
while smilingly letting others do so; if they greeted him, he would
ignore their greeting. If the fault that prompted this deliberate cold
ness was not generally known, Don Bosco acted in such a way that
only the culprit would notice it. The boys feared this cold-shoulder
treatment more than anything else. Many would be so upset that
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they would burst into tears and be miserable for hours or even
throughout the night.
Once during the summer season (at which time Don Bosco took
the boys on outings through the countryside) John Baptist Fran-
cesia had an older lad in his makeshift dormitory. The boy was
shivering, biting his sheet, and sobbing.
“What’s the matter?” Francesia asked him.
“Don Bosco looked at me!”
“What’s so strange about that?”
“It’s the way he did it!”
His sobbing continued intermittently throughout the night. The
next morning Francesia, after telling Don Bosco about it, asked:
“What could be the matter with him?”
“Oh, he knows!” Don Bosco replied.
One day Don Bosco spoke rather severely to a boy who had
been disobedient. The lad withdrew pensively. That night he be
came feverish and went into a delirium that lasted until the evening
of the following day. Between moans he kept lamenting: “Don
Bosco doesn’t like me anymore!” To comfort him Don Bosco had
to visit him in the infirmary. A t the sound of his voice the boy
gradually calmed down. Don Bosco then assured him that they were
still friends and would always be friends and that therefore he
should get well quickly. At these words the boy was overjoyed and
he quickly recovered. He was a little proud, but still quite unspoiled,
and thus he remained always.
With very many of the boys, Don Bosco had to be very careful
in dosing out reprimands. Very often faults which looked some
what serious were not so in the intention of the offender who had
acted thoughtlessly. Some boys were utterly distressed at the mere
thought that perhaps they had seriously displeased Don Bosco. On
the other hand, Don Bosco had to be alert in acknowledging their
acts of deference or affection lest his oversight might lead them to
think that they had in some way displeased him. Even though the
boys might feel that they had not done anything wrong, they still
would worry.
Most boys who deserved the cold-shoulder treatment invariably
improved their conduct immediately. As soon as the culprit was
chastened and promised to mend his ways, Don Bosco instantly
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
resumed his friendly way with him. It goes without saying that his
concern for the boy had never ceased; in fact it was this concern
that had inspired him to act coldly.
However, if a boy did not respond to this fatherly solicitude and
persisted in his faults, Don Bosco was uncompromising; he allowed
him to be slightly punished, privately if his transgression had been
secret, in public and more drastically— although such occasions
were rare— if the fault was serious enough to warrant it. In these
cases, though, he never inflicted the punishment himself, but left it
to the other superiors, reserving to himself the right of mitigating it
in order to win over the boy’s heart and thus be able to help him
all the more. But he strictly forbade striking the boys, depriving
them of sufficient food, punishing them in a humiliating or irritat
ing manner, or insulting them. Indeed, he prescribed the greatest
kindness in such situations, saying: “Do not humiliate them; rather,
lead them to humiliate themselves.”
Punishments generally consisted in giving a smaller portion of
food to the lazy ones, in confining the disobedient ones to a certain
spot in the playground during recreation periods and isolating them
from their companions, and in forcing those who had left the
premises without permission to eat their meals standing outside the
dining room door. Such punishments were not very serious, but
Don Bosco made them look serious and thus very effective.
He also instructed his teachers and assistants to mete out punish
ment gradually according to the transgression and within certain
limits. “When you really must punish a boy,” he used to tell them,
“first, make him eat his meals standing at his place. If he remains
stubborn, do not let him into the dining room until after the others
are through; if further punishment is necessaiy, make him eat at a
separate table in the middle of the dining room. However, do not
deprive him of the main course except as a last measure, and then
only rarely. In such cases tell the boy privately not to partake of it,
even though it will be served to him. Generally, boys appreciate
this face-saving gesture and will obey.”
But even in such instances, Don Bosco, after admonishing the
culprit, would usually suspend the punishment if the transgression
had not been very serious and the pupil was sincerely contrite. How
ever, he would not do so if the offender resorted to subterfuge or
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393
lies or if he was slow in mending his conduct. But as soon as the
lad repented, Don Bosco would comfort him and let bygones be
bygones, a policy which he recommended to all superiors.
Despite his innate leniency, Don Bosco, in very exceptional cases,
would abide by the dictum: “He who spares the rod hates his son”
[Prov. 13, 24]; however, even then he took this measure only
because it was just and spiritually beneficial and not prompted by
anger.
Don Bosco considered the type of disobedience that bordered
on rebellion as a most serious offense. One day one of the older
boys publicly, obstinately, and even insolently refused to obey
courteous and patient requests and exhortations and even explicit
repeated orders. It was a case when Don Bosco clearly could not
and should not yield. He could not permit such a scandal, but at
the same time he grieved at the thought of hurting the boy by
expulsion. After a moment of concentration and prayer, he slapped
the boy’s face. It was like a bolt out of the blue. The boys were
horrified by the culprit’s effrontery. Never had they seen Don Bosco
do anything like that! Don Bosco, meanwhile, covered his face with
both hands; the boy, stunned and hanging his head in shame,
obeyed instantly and thereafter became one of the best-behaved
pupils in the Oratory. Recalling this incident many years later, Don
Bosco remarked: “It worked, but I would never suggest trying it.”
Don Bosco also found it difficult to keep calm when he heard
blasphemies that seemed inspired by Satan. Bishop Cagliero stated
to us in writing: “One Sunday evening a nasty little brat uttered
a vile blasphemy in front of Don Bosco out of sheer spite. Don
Bosco, no longer his usual calm and gentle self, slapped him a few
times in holy indignation, saying ‘That’s for your blasphemy, you
whippersnapper. You’d better not do it again or you’ll get far worse
from God in due time.’ I do not recall any other occasion that Don
Bosco acted in this way either at the Oratory or elsewhere.”
“Around the time I first began boarding at the Oratory,” Father
Michael Rua declared, “I saw him rap some snippy youngsters who
had blasphemed. His face reflected all the horror he felt at such
monstrous utterances. One day he told me: ‘Even when I hear con
fessions, if a penitent accuses himself of having blasphemed, my
heart sinks and I almost faint.’ Aside from that, I must say that
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
throughout the thirty and more years I knew Don Bosco, I never
saw him even perturbed. His virtues were truly remarkable, espe
cially his self-restraint and fortitude.”
Until now we have dwelt on individual punishments. What did
Don Bosco do to restore order and punish offenders when an entire
class or a large part of the student body was guilty of some mis
conduct? Let us first make it clear that at the Oratory nothing ever
happened even remotely smacking of mass insubordination as has
happened at some boarding schools. At worst, these group trans
gressions were nothing more than acts of thoughtlessness, but they
nevertheless had to be stopped at the source— principiis obsta [as
Ovid tells us].
In such cases Don Bosco, after listening attentively to the com
plaints of his assistants, would investigate the underlying causes of
the disturbance. He would also urge the superiors to be just and
impartial, to be careful not to allow their emotions to sway them
one way or another, and above all to shun corporal punishments.
He vetoed collective punishments, even if they affected only one
dormitory, to avoid antagonizing those who were innocent. In such
cases, he would take the matter into his own hands. The boys’
offenses usually consisted in being negligent in their studies, talka
tive during periods of silence, quick-tempered, or heedless of
admonitions.
In such instances Don Bosco resorted to a very effective means.
He would begin by showing himself a little reserved and pensive
while in their midst; he would deprive them of some interesting
story he had already promised and to which they had been eagerly
looking forward. More than once at night prayers, after mounting
the rostrum for the “Good Night,” instead of addressing his usual
brief exhortation he would look about him gravely, and with that
countenance which the boys always found so irresistible, he would
comment: “I ’m not satisfied with you!” Then, without allowing
them to kiss his hand [a customary mark of respect to a priest] he
would slowly walk away toward the stairs leading to his room with
out saying another word. Stifled sobs could be heard while tears
ran down many faces as all went to bed sorrowful and pensive. To
them, offending Don Bosco was the same as offending God. This
demeanor of Don Bosco sufficed to restore perfect order in the
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Oratory. Afterward, when he reappeared smiling again, the boys
would be completely happy.
Don Bosco readily forgave repentant boys for violations of dis
cipline, charity, obedience, and respect to superiors. He was lenient,
patient, and hopeful even with those who were unruly unless they
were a bad influence on others, but he was inflexible with those
who stole or were gravely irreverent or immoral in speech or con
duct. He simply could not tolerate such offenses against God. Yet
even in these cases he was not hasty; he never took action without
first hearing both sides. In most instances he did not need to resort
to painful decisions because those who were deaf to the voice of
conscience, to the fatherly admonitions of Don Bosco and the other
superiors, or to the condemnation of their own peers generally left
the Oratory of their own accord.
When the conduct of a boy aroused some fairly well-grounded
suspicion, but only that, Don Bosco calmly looked for ways to
ward off the feared evil. Among the many boys entering the Ora
tory, there would unavoidably be some who were corrupt, worldly-
minded, unbridled, pleasure-loving, little inclined to piety, slothful,
and even morally dangerous. The system that Don Bosco applied
to such boys and constantly recommended to his directors was to
try every means to reform them before considering expulsion. His
first step was to isolate them from the younger and more naive boys
and from those of similar bent or weak character and to surround
them with dependable and sincere companions. The next step was to
admonish them whenever they committed some fault. If staff mem
bers complained about the misconduct of some boy, Don Bosco’s
stock reply was: ‘‘Talk to them! Warn them! If they do wrong, send
for them, even every day, even several times a day if necessary.
Be kind but firm in demanding that they do their duty. If you do
this, they will either change their conduct or they will get so tired
of being admonished that they will leave the house of their own
accord and spare us the trouble of taking severe measures against
them. I consider it very important that no boy leave the Oratory
with bitter feelings. Later in life they will know better, remember
our kindness, and mend their ways. Recalling our admonitions and
benevolence, they will realize that we were real friends to them.
If, after many years of neglect of their spiritual duties, they should
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS O F SA IN T JO H N BOSCO
decide to make a good confession, they will often do so in this very
Oratory where they spent their boyhood. They will return here
because they know that the decision to leave had been theirs, not
ours. If, instead, the superior had hastily taken severe measures
against them, the bitterness he could have kindled in some of them
would sooner or later have borne dire consequences, and all the
more so if a superior, in a moment of rage, might have struck
them!”
If, however, some boys formed a clique which was potentially
harmful unless promptly dissolved and clung to it even after Don
Bosco had individually told them to break it up, he would resort
to another means. He would call them all together to his room.
After making them wait awhile outside to give them time to think,
he would talk to them with his usual kindness: “I had others warn
you and I have warned you myself. I hear this and that about you;
am I to believe it? Why do you want to give me so much trouble?
Why do you want to force me to take some very unpleasant step?
Why don’t you yourselves give me a chance to help you? You say
that you are doing nothing bad! Is disobedience something good,
then? Why don’t you obey for once? Break it up! Steer clear of each
other! Don’t talk anymore about certain things. Do it for my sake.
This is my last warning. Do something about it or, regretfully, I
shall be forced to send you away. That’s what’s going to happen
if you don’t want to cooperate. Then you will be really sorry!” Occa
sionally, he spoke to them even more severely. In general, this
approach succeeded, as he himself told us.
If someone gave scandal, Don Bosco would be fired with holy
zeal. Whereas he was always calm and serene in the face of any
material mishap, such news instantly saddened him. “Oh, what a
disaster, what a disaster!” he would exclaim. Then quietly he would
set about repairing the harm done, saying: “I prayed so fervently
that this might never occur! May God’s will be done in good and
in evil!” Then he would act exactly as he had several times publicly
said he would. “Look,” he used to say to the boys, “Don Bosco is
the most lenient man on earth, but, for heaven’s sake, do not give
scandal; if you lead a soul to evil, then Don Bosco will be inexor
able!” Indeed, when he was certain that someone had given scandal,
he would immediately dismiss him and his accomplices.
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Canon [John Baptist] Anfossi told us how he still remembered
a short talk that Don Bosco gave one evening when the canon was
a boy at the Oratory. It was about an elderly man to whom Don
Bosco had given hospitality in the Oratory and who had for a long
time given every indication of being quite upright. But when it
became evident that he was actually a wolf in lamb’s clothing, Don
Bosco made him leave the Oratory immediately. Since the matter
had transpired, he prudently commented on the great harm done
by scandal, but in so doing he could not hold back his tears.
Sometimes, when compelling circumstances made him suspend
a decision, he would give one last warning to the offender and,
if necessary, isolate him completely from the other boys and have
him watched. If the boy fell back into his old habits, Don Bosco
expelled him, regardless of the consequences. Once, when he dis
covered that a pupil was secretly in possession of some rather sug
gestive books, he sent for him and, after reprimanding him, ordered
him to hand them over. When the fault was repeated, Don Bosco
unhesitatingly expelled him, even though the boy was quite gifted.
Don Bosco had deep consideration and compassion for a victim
of scandal. The thought that such a boy, if sent home, might do
even worse things and perhaps give up the practice of his faith and
lose his soul prompted Don Bosco to make any sacrifice to keep
him at the Oratory. However, if he could not succeed in reforming
him, he would dismiss him without further effort. “One bad apple
can spoil a whole barrel of good ones and must be thrown away,”
he would say.
He was always eminently prudent in such delicate situations.
Father Leonard Murialdo once asked him how he dealt with seri
ous offenses against morals. Don Bosco replied: “In such instances,
I send for the guilty boy and tell him that he is obliging me to
speak of that which St. Paul says had best not be mentioned. Then
I point out the gravity of his sin. If his presence is harmful to the
rest of the boys, I quietly send him home. I do not inflict any punish
ment so that I may avoid yet greater evils, such as the conjectures
it would naturally cause.”
He was also careful to protect the reputation of the culprits.
Now and then, someone would disappear from the Oratory without
anyone— not even the clerics— paying any attention to it. No one
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
had any inkling as to the true reason for the departure, and it was
generally shrugged off as being due to family circumstances or
illness. When he had to take this sad step, Don Bosco could hardly
hold back his tears, and he would always give the culprit a last
admonition: “Remember that you have only one soul; if you save
it, everything is safe; if you lose it, everything is lost forever!”
We shall close this chapter by quoting Bishop Cagliero. “I con
stantly noticed,” he wrote, “that those boys who had been justly
expelled never lost their great love for Don Bosco. They continued
to look upon him as a father and benefactor and remained ever
grateful to him.”
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CHAPTER 49
Publication of the Letture Cattoliche
J L /O N BOSCO’S solicitude for Valdocco’s boarders was
not at the expense of its festive oratory boys. Nothing kept him from
mingling with them and with urchins, street Arabs, and the poorest
of the poor. He liked to be with boys, and the Lord’s words were on
his lips whenever he encountered them, not only in the Oratory but
also in town. Father [Michael] Rua recalled: ‘T hrough the years
I often accompanied him to town. As soon as youngsters spotted
him, they ran to kiss his hand and ask for medals, usually surround
ing him on all sides. When passers-by, intrigued by the sight, would
linger to listen, Don Bosco would seize the opportunity and give
a timely exhortation. A t other times, meeting a group of boys at
play, he would join in their games; minutes later, however, they
would be standing around him, listening silently and attentively
to his salutary advice.” This object lesson inflamed the zeal of his
young catechists, among whom was John Cagliero. As a young boy
and later as a cleric, he was soon to test his apostolic mettle at
Valdocco and the St. Aloysius and Guardian Angel oratories.
The feast of St. Francis de Sales had been marked by the usual
large number of Communions. However, Don Bosco was deeply
grieved at the absence of Father Michelangelo Chiatellino. In writ
ing to him at the request of Don Bosco, Felix Reviglio, after con
veying the greetings of Don Bosco, the cleric Danussi, Mamma
Margaret, and the rest of the house, ended his letter with these
words: “Let me put it in a nutshell: we were all greatly chagrined
[at your absence]; you disappointed most of us.”
As Lent drew near—in 1853 Ash Wednesday fell on February 9
—Don Bosco prepared the boys for Lenten catechism instruction
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by sanctifying the last days of carnival. During these days he sent
Rua and other clerics to scour the neighborhood for boys and
entice them to church with small gifts.
The festive oratory which most needed support was that of
St. Aloysius at Porta Nuova; it was the closest to the Waldensians
and lacked vigorous direction. Father Peter Ponte had been suc
ceeded by Father Felix Rossi, a zealous but sickly priest. Hence
for a number of years, notwithstanding his load of confessions at
Valdocco, Don Bosco willingly took on more at the St. Aloysius
Oratory. Father Leonard Murialdo told us: “I remember that when
we were preparing the boys for their Easter duty, we used to gather
a number of them at the St. Aloysius Oratory and then march them
across town to Valdocco for confession. They were mostly older
boys, generally unruly and difficult, but Don Bosco had a special
gift for attracting them to the sacraments and helping even the worst
of them.” Besides, he did not forget to visit them at their Oratory
at Porta Nuova; he likewise called on the boys at Borgo Vanchiglia.
Sometimes he would send word of his coming a week in advance,
and his arrival always called for a celebration.
At the beginning of M arch of that year [1853]— while Don
Bosco was busy conducting catechism classes— the first issue of
Letture Cattoliche made its appearance. Printed by the De Agostini
Press, it was entitled The Well-Instructed Catholic: A Father’s
Timely Talks to His Children. In these “talks” Attorney Louis Gallo
of Genoa, a close friend of Don Bosco, assumed the role of a father.
The book, divided into six parts and totaling 452 pages, was a com
plete treatise on the true Faith. Written in a popular style, it refuted
the errors, impieties, and contradictions of the Waldensians, ex
posed their bad faith and sacrilegious alterations of biblical texts,
and also described the unedifying lives of the leaders of the Ref
ormation. But here Don Bosco was careful to point out that certain
expressions which perhaps sounded too forceful to some readers
actually referred only to the writings of these heretics and not to
them as individuals. His treatise ended with a warm exhortation to
Protestant ministers to heed the tremendous responsibility they were
taking upon themselves before God by wresting sheep from His fold.
He addressed them as follows:
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I appeal to you as a brother who loves you, and loves you more than
you believe, as a brother who is willing to sacrifice himself and all he
has for your salvation. In fear and trembling for the salvation of your
souls and those of your disciples, I raise my eyes and hands to heaven
and invite you and all the faithful to pray to our merciful God. May
He enlighten you with His heavenly grace so that you may return to
the fold of Jesus Christ. By so doing you will cause great joy in heaven
and gain peace for your own souls and a well-founded hope of salva
tion for all.
The six parts of this issue were published between March and
August, along with other titles. Bound into a single volume, the
supply was exhausted in record time. Revised and enlarged, the
works were published again, with the first part of the title changed
to The Catholic in the World. Reading this precious volume, we
can understand why Don Bosco was appropriately called “The
Hammer of the Protestants.”
The April issue of Letture Cattoliche featured the lives of St. Zita,
a housemaid, and St. Isidore, a farmer, with an appendix contain
ing three edifying tales.
In reference to the Protestants the following point was brought
out:
One of the many arguments proving the sanctity of the Catholic
Church is that all her members are called to sanctity and many of them
have actually distinguished themselves by their outstanding virtues and
miracles. Other religions, on the contrary, had their origin in sin. Their
very beginnings must be traced not to men of virtue and holiness, but to
libertines or apostates. The virtues that may be found among their dis
ciples either spring from the sentiments which God instilled into the
hearts of men when He endowed them with reason, or they are remnants
of their former Catholic Faith.
We challenge Calvinists, Lutherans, Waldensians, Anglicans, and any
other Protestant sect to produce evidence of a single person whose virtu
ous life has achieved the heroic degree demanded by the Church of
Rome from her children before elevating them to the honors of the
altars.. . . Have they ever been able to point to a miracle that can be
attributed to the intercession of their founders or any of their disciples?
Never! On the contrary, the Roman Catholic Church has been marked
by genuine miracles; the apostolic processes concerning them are open
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS O F SAINT JO H N BOSCO
to any examiner. Miracles prove beyond doubt the truth and sanctity of
religion. God cannot permit them to bolster any Church other than the
one founded by Him to be the sole font of truth and sanctity; otherwise
He Himself would lead us into error. The saints and miracles within the
Roman Catholic Church indisputably prove that she is the true Church
founded by God, the source of all holiness and of all miracles.
Such clear language, even though inspired by O ur Lord’s injunc
tion to preach from the rooftops, greatly worried the chancery,
which was fully aware of the ruthless methods of the Protestant
sects. Don Bosco had dutifully submitted his work for ecclesiastical
imprimatur, but strangely enough the declaration “With Ecclesias
tical Approval” on his six booklets bore no signature. None of the
chancery officials would go on record as official censor because in
those days it was dangerous to attack the Protestants and Free
masons openly. They feared that the latter would ruthlessly avenge
themselves, and to prove their point they recalled the assassinations
of Count Pellegrino Rossi,1 Msgr. Palma,12 Father Ximenes, editor
of the Roman newspaper 11 Labaro, and many other defenders of
truth who had recently been the victims of attacks. Subsequent
events proved their fears to be justified. The fate of the dauntless
editor of U Armonia, Father James Margotti, in Turin itself, was
an indication of what a Catholic journalist could expect from cer
tain sectaries.3 At Don Bosco’s insistence, Canon Joseph Zappata
had agreed to act as ecclesiastical revisor, but after barely reading
half a booklet he became alarmed and sent for Don Bosco. “Take
your manuscript,” he told him. “You are openly challenging the
enemy. I’ll have nothing to do with it. I will not sign my name
because I can’t risk my life.”
Don Bosco did not know where to turn. On the advice of the
vicar general [Canon Philip Ravina], he apprised Archbishop Fran-
soni of the situation. The prelate, who had continued to give him
every possible assistance even from his exile,4 sent him a letter to
be forwarded to Bishop Louis Moreno of Ivrea. In this letter he
1 Minister of the Interior under Pius IX. He was assassinated on the steps of the
House of Assembly on November 15, 1848, [Editor]
2 Pius IX’s secretary. See Vol. Ill, p. 324. [Editor]
3 See Appendix 18. [Editor]
4 See Vol. Ill, p. 224. [Editor]
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requested the bishop to assume responsibility for the ecclesiastical
revision of Letture Cattoliche. Bishop Moreno graciously obliged
by appointing his vicar general, Canon [Angelo] Pinoli, to serve
as revisor; however, he did not require him to put his name to
the imprimatur.
It was obvious that Don Bosco was not going to give up the
fight. Father Rua declared to us: “Don Bosco was threatened by
letter and orally, but, trusting in God, he did not desist. He was
strongly encouraged by the realization that Letture Cattoliche had
satisfied the subscribers’ expectations.”
The April and June issues formed a booklet entitled A Good
Mother: Moral Talks in a Popular Style. The “good mother” was
a housewife who explained the Apostles’ Creed and added some
moral exhortations to neighbors whom she had invited to her home.
The “anonymous” author addressed his readers with the following
words:
Every period of history has produced its enemies of spirituality, but
nowadays they are legion; never was there anything like this. Unprin
cipled men, intolerant of truth and motivated by the basest and most
selfish interests, are not ashamed to attack and smear that same holy
Faith in which, by God’s mercy, they were bom and raised. Under the
pretext of enlightening the people and promoting their spiritual welfare,
they spread the most perverse false teachings among uneducated people
in towns and villages. Through irreligious publications they strenuously
promote unbelief and [religious] indifferentism—the worst of evils. They
subvert morals by pandering to the lower instincts, seduce and corrupt
unwary and gullible people, and lead them into those vices which subtly
ensnare and destroy civil society.. . .
My fellow Christians, while storms rage about you and enemies renew
their assaults, take heart! In The Well-Instructed Catholic you will find
the basic tenets of our holy religion; firmly cling to them! This booklet,
A Good Mother, will show you how to act in keeping with your Faith
in all circumstances. Moreover, it will explain your Faith to you and
give you sound reasons for believing.
Notwithstanding Don Bosco’s strenuous opposition, heresy be
came ever more self-assertive. On Constitution Day,5 May 8 [1853],
0See Vol. Ill, p. 213. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
the new Waldensian temple was lavishly illuminated through the
night. Serried ranks of students, led by their professors and followed
by many of the workers’ societies which had been schooled in prin
ciples of freedom by La Gazzetta del Popolo, staged a thunderous
demonstration before the Siccardi6 monument to affront the eccle
siastical authorities. Afterward they marched to the Waldensian
church, responding vigorously to their leaders’ shouts of “Long live
freedom of worship! Long live freedom of conscience!”
The May issue of Letture Cattoliche, authored by Don Bosco,
was entitled A Factual Account of the Miracle of the Blessed Sacra
ment in Turin on June 6, 1453, with a Brief Description of the
Quadricentennial Celebrations. The Foreword read as follows:
All good Catholics are rejoicing on the occasion of the solemn quad
ricentennial celebration of the “Miracle of the Blessed Sacrament”
wrought by God in our city. I trust that a brief history of this event will
prove welcome. Its purpose is to instruct those who have neither the
education nor the time to read the many books that have been published
about this glorious event. Those desiring more information about this
miracle may consult the authors listed at the end of this pamphlet; they
are our sources. My narration is based on historical facts. I have added
a brief description of the forthcoming celebration, as well as a dialogue
on miracles.
May the Lord bless the people of Turin and preserve all Catholics in
our Holy Faith, the only one that can confirm its truth by miracles.
Father John Bosco
Stupendous indeed was the miracle which the people of Turin
were about to commemorate. On the evening of June 6, 1453, a
man was passing through the city, leading a mule laden with mer
chandise. He came from Exilles, a village near Susa, which had
been sacked during military operations. On the mule’s back, among
other things, was a monstrance containing a consecrated Host. The
mule suddenly halted before St. Sylvester’s Church, staggered, and
lay down. As the man tried desperately but in vain to get the beast
on its feet, the ropes holding the mule’s pack became loosened, and
the sacred monstrance rose into the air, shining resplendently in
full view of all. Informed of this prodigious event, Bishop Ludwig
e See p. 42. [Editor]
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Romagnano, priests, and throngs of people flocked to the spot. In
their presence the monstrance fell to the ground, but the Host
remained aloft, shining brilliantly. Then, as the people prayed
“Remain with us, O Lord,” the Host slowly descended into a chalice
held by the bishop and was solemnly borne into the cathedral. On
the site of the miracle the Corpus Domini Church was later built.
The singular devotion of the people of Turin to the Blessed Sacra
ment is traceable to this miracle, in itself a splendid proof of the
real and permanent presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.
In his pamphlet, Don Bosco thoughtfully quoted excerpts from
a pastoral letter of Archbishop Fransoni to the clergy and the faith
ful from his place of exile in Lyons on the occasion of the quadri-
centennial celebrations. Alluding to the grave dangers that the
proselytizing efforts of the Waldensians posed to his flock, the arch
bishop reminded the faithful that their most powerful defense
against error lay in “binding themselves firmly to the infallible
teaching authority of the Church, particularly as represented in
her visible head, the Pope, the successor of St. Peter.” A schedule
of the services in Corpus Domini Church, including a triduum
and a solemn octave, was also given in this pamphlet which soon
was sold out completely.
About this time, Don Bosco, accompanied by Michael Rua, now
a cleric, was returning one day to the Oratory from Father Matthew
Picco’s villa, where he often secluded himself for a few days to do
some writing. As they were passing through a section called “Borgo
dei Santi Bino ed Evasio” behind the church of La Gran Madre
di Dio, Don Bosco brought the conversation around to the centen
nial celebration and the popularity of his booklet on the miracle
of the Blessed Sacrament. Then, looking ahead with his intuitive
sense of the shape of things to come, he remarked to Rua who was
serving as his secretary: “In 1903, when another golden jubilee of
this miracle will be celebrated, I shall not be around, but you will.
Therefore, I am instructing you now to follow my wishes and re
print this booklet at that time.”
‘T il do so gladly!” Rua replied. “It will be a very welcome task!
But what if death catches up with me before that time?”
“Don’t worry about that. Death will not play any unexpected
trick on you, and you will be able to do what I have just asked you.”
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In view of Don Bosco’s assuredness, Rua saved a copy of the
booklet. Through the years he was afflicted by several serious ill
nesses but he always recovered. In 1903 he reprinted Don Bosco’s
booklet as he had been instructed.
The quadricentennial celebrations were a huge success. From all
over Piedmont confraternities and large contingents of the faithful
flocked to the magnificently restored Corpus Domini Church to
receive Communion. On the solemn feast day itself King Victor
Emmanuel II and his family came in full regalia to attend Mass.
Twelve archbishops and bishops presided at the triduum and solemn
octave, and the city was illuminated for two consecutive nights.
That year probably marked the last time that City Hall, the Senate,
and the Academy of Science were lit up in honor of a religious
festivity. Only the Chamber of Deputies, the Jewish ghetto, and the
still unfinished Waldensian church were enveloped in utter dark
ness. On June 6, and again on June 8, a triumphant procession
started out with thunderous salvos of the artillery and joyous toll
ing of all the church bells, but on both occasions it was disrupted
by a violent rainstorm. Don Bosco twice returned to the Oratory
thoroughly and pitifully drenched. The anticlericals, enraged by
this well-planned manifestation of faith, vented their anger by their
hoots and catcalls, forcing the procession to break up. But perhaps
their outburst of spiteful satisfaction deserved some sympathy. They
had believed that Protestantism was making headway in Turin and
instead discovered that Turin remained staunchly Catholic. True
to their colors, during those days L a Gazzetta del Popolo and the
liberal press indulged in unbridled anticlericalism and irreligion.
While busy with weightier matters, Don Bosco did not neglect
lesser ones. He was anxious to give a token of his gratitude to Father
Michelangelo Chiatellino, teacher of methodology at Carignano,
who had so often helped him at the Oratory. One day, when he met
him in town, he asked him quizzically: “Will you treat me to a cup
of coffee?” Father Chiatellino looked at his friend in surprise. It
was a strange and unexpected request from Don Bosco. “Gladly,”
he answered. While sipping his coffee, Don Bosco told him that
the school at Borgo Cornalense was without a teacher; that posi
tion, in his opinion, would be ideal for one who loved peace and
quiet, as Father Chiatellino did. Don Bosco added that Father
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Chiateliino could also act as private chaplain to the duchess of
Montmorency. She owned the school and resided in her palace in
town. The idea appealed to Father Chiateliino, but he suggested
that Don Bosco first consult Father Cafasso. The following two
letters deal with this subject.
Dear Father Chiateliino,
Turin, June 16, 1853
I have mentioned the matter to Father Cafasso without disclosing that
you already knew about it. He immediately said that it would be fine
with him and that I should write to you at once to get your opinion.
As you see, there are no difficulties at this end. Think it over, and if you
are favorably disposed, we shall set a date and pay a visit to the duchess.
Excuse my hurry.
Yours affectionately in the Lord,
Fr. John Bosco
Dear Father Chiateliino,
Turin, June 21, 1853
Yesterday Duchess Laval Montmorency came to the city, and we
reached an agreement regarding your appointment to this teaching post.
Now she would like to see you in order to discuss details pertaining to
the school, your living quarters, meals, and the like. There is an apart
ment for you and a room for a housekeeper, preferably one of your
sisters. However, the duchess wants to make it dear that your sister
should be there to wait on you and not the other way around. But these
are matters of minor importance which can easily be settled. If possible,
pay her a visit on Thursday, the 23rd of this month; the duchess is ex
pecting you. I shall not be able to join you there, but you had better go.
It might be well for Father Appendini to accompany you. Besides,
aetatem habes, interroga et videbis. I haven’t time to add more now.
Remember me to your parents and to all my other friends. Love me
in the Lord.
Yours affectionately,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Chiateliino remained at Borgo Comalense until the
duchess’ death, edifying his pupils, the people of the village, and
her household with his saintly demeanor and diligence in fulfilling
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his duties. His pupils loved him as a father and learned from him
how to conduct themselves in their family life and how to deal with
others. From time to time he came to visit the boys in Valdocco
to their great joy because they considered him their dear friend.
Don Bosco availed himself of his services during the summer
months, especially on the occasion of spiritual retreats. Father
Chiatellino always obliged. For many years the privilege of con
ducting the novena in preparation for the feast of the Holy Rosary
at Becchi was reserved to him. His words, prompted by love for
souls, were always effective in bringing many of them to God.
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Don Bosco s Spiritual Guide
• r t S soon as the weather permitted, Don Bosco had the
rubble 1 removed to start reconstruction. His loss was estimated at
10,000 lire. The contractor fared much worse since the city build
ing commission ordered him to rebuild at his own expense. Don
Bosco compassionately promised him financial aid. Meanwhile,
perhaps as an aftermath of this mishap, the joint rights which
Fathers Borel, Murialdo, Cafasso, and Don Bosco had on the
Pinardi property 12 were now consolidated in Don Bosco and Father
Joseph Cafasso. The deed, drawn up by the notary Turvano, was
signed on January 26, 1853. Thus the debt owed to Father Ros-
m in i3 became the joint responsibility of Don Bosco and Father
Cafasso.
Since we have mentioned Father Cafasso, we would like at this
point to pay special tribute to this exemplary priest who for almost
a quarter of a century was Don Bosco’s spiritual guide and assisted
him materially and morally. Saintly was the teacher and saintly the
disciple who went to him weekly for confession and guidance.
Father Cafasso’s confessional in St. Francis of Assisi Church stood
by a painting of Our Lady of Grace and was always crowded. Don
Bosco would examine his conscience kneeling on the bare floor near
a pillar in front of the confessional. As soon as Father Cafasso
noticed him waiting there, he would signal to him by raising the
curtain. Don Bosco, with his head bowed, would then approach
and make his confession kneeling in front of Father Cafasso, to
the great edification of the bystanders. As long as he stayed at the
1 See pp. 353ff. [Editor]
2 See p. 172. [Editor]
3 See p. 171. [Editor]
409
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Oratory, the cleric James Bellia always accompanied him; later,
other clerics also did so and were greatly edified by Don Bosco’s
humble and inspiring demeanor.
Don Bosco loved and revered Father Cafasso with filial affec
tion, and Father Cafasso reciprocated as a loving father. Almost
daily Don Bosco called at the Convitto Ecclesiastico,4 and when
ever possible he attended the moral theology lectures. He often went
in the morning; later he switched to the afternoon from four to
nine, spending most of his time in the library where he could study
undisturbed and write so effectively in defense of the Faith. He
never passed up an opportunity to visit Father Cafasso, whose con
fidence he fully enjoyed. There were weeks when he was so ex
hausted from overwork that he could hardly catch his breath, but
a word, a glance, a smile, or a gesture from Father Cafasso was
enough to restore his strength and inspire him to continue his mis
sion with ever greater courage. Don Bosco totally relied on him
and sought his guidance in matters of conscience and in the fulfill
ment of his mission. Throughout Father Cafasso’s life, Don Bosco
obeyed him unreservedly. He often held long private conversations
with this holy priest; during one of them, at the beginning of 1851,
in reply to a query by Father Cafasso, he answered: “You have but
ten years to live.” His prediction was completely accurate.
Father Ascanio Savio wrote: “It was in Father Cafasso’s room
that Don Bosco discussed the purchase of the Pinardi property,
the building of St. Francis de Sales Church (now called the “old
church” ), the purchase of additional land for future expansion, the
establishment of a printshop and other workshops, and the publica
tion of Letture Cattoliche. Upon returning to the Oratory, while
conversing with the boys, he sometimes unwittingly gave a hint
of these new plans; at the time they sounded like daydreams, but
they are now a reality.” It could not have been otherwise because
they were God-inspired. Teacher and disciple were in complete
agreement about their goals, their views, and their beliefs.
Once Don Bosco told a prominent person: “There was only one
4 An ecclesiastical college specializing in pastoral theology. See Vol. II, pp.
3Iff. Don Bosco began attending it right after his ordination. It was here that he
started his work for boys. Ihid., pp. 54-61. [Editor]
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point about which Father Cafasso and I seemed to disagree, and
we discussed it at length while pacing back and forth on the espla
nade facing St. Ignatius’ Shrine. He claimed that any good act
ought to be done well, whereas I maintained that sometimes it
sufficed to do it as best as one could depending on circumstances.”
Basically, they were both right— one theoretically, the other prac
tically. Whenever Don Bosco realized that things could not be done
to perfection, he was satisfied to do them in the best possible man
ner rather than do nothing at all.
But this difference of opinion in no way impaired their warm
relationship. Father Cafasso always defended his disciple if some
one attempted to criticize him. Some distinguished and scholarly
priests once complained to Father Cafasso that Don Bosco did not
accept advice that ran counter to his own plans or views. Father
Cafasso’s reply sheds special light on Don Bosco’s priestly life:
“Do you really know Don Bosco? As for me, the more I study
him, the less I understand him! He is simple, but extraordinary;
humble, but great; poor, but at the same time engaged in seemingly
unrealizable projects of vast proportions. He is sorely tried— I might
even say that he could be considered unsuited to his tasks— and
yet he succeeds splendidly in everything he undertakes. He is a real
mystery to me! I am convinced, however, that he works for God’s
glory and that God alone is his guide, his sole goal!”
Father Cafasso’s conviction that God was guiding Don Bosco
along new and extraordinary paths prompted him to help him gen
erously. Don Bosco rarely left Father Cafasso’s room empty-handed,
as he himself declared. Often when he had no money for the
monthly bread bill of two or three hundred lire, Father Cafasso
would take care of it. Don Bosco always assured him that next
month he would manage to pay the bread bill himself, but he
would soon be back with an engaging air to give Father Cafasso
the baker’s bill. Father Cafasso would then tease him: “Don Bosco,
you are not keeping your word as a gentleman. You make promises
every month, but I always have to pay. You’d better put your con
science in order!” But as he spoke, he would hand him the money.
On one of these occasions Don Bosco was able to witness Father
Cafasso’s supernatural gifts. After listening to Don Bosco’s request
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for help to meet a pressing debt, Father Cafasso replied that regret
fully he was in no position to do so. After a moment’s reflection,
however, he added: “Go toward Piazza San Carlo. Someone will
call you by name. Follow him.” Don Bosco obeyed. As he reached
the square, a servant stopped him and asked: “Are you Don Bosco?”
When he answered affirmatively, the man told him that his employer
wished to speak to him. Don Bosco followed the servant to the bed
room of an ailing rich lady who, after asking how the Oratory was
getting along, gave him a large donation. He himself related this
incident to the cleric James Bellia.
Don Bosco was so convinced that his saintly master’s counsels
were inspired by God that he often sent his boys to him for advice
on their vocation. For example, in 1853 he sent John Cagliero
and Angelo Savio. “After questioning us,” Bishop Cagliero wrote,
“Father Cafasso talked to us about the priestly vocation in a man
ner that was both very exalted and down-to-earth; he convinced
us of the loftiness and grandeur of the priestly ministry. In urging
us to follow it, he added enthusiastically: ‘I became a priest only
once. Yet, if necessary, I would do so a hundred times over!’ ”
On another occasion Don Bosco sent [two other boys], Massaia
and [Bartholomew] Fusero. On their way they began to argue over
some scholastic or religious matter. As soon as they met Father
Cafasso, before they could even open their mouths, he told them:
“As for what you were discussing on your way here, this is how
it stands: you were right and you were wrong. In the matter of
your vocation, do whatever Don Bosco tells you.” This is a strik
ing reply and a clear indication that he was enlightened from above
about Don Bosco’s competence on the prudent choice of one’s
vocation.
Upon returning to the Oratory, the two boys told Don Bosco
what had happened; in turn, he confirmed the generally held opin
ion that Father Cafasso was a very holy priest. According to Canon
[John Baptist] Anfossi, Don Bosco would often speak of what
Father Cafasso did or said, or about his heroic virtues and gen
erosity. He would recount to them Father Cafasso’s exhortation
that had proved so effective in promoting Christian self-denial:
“Rid yourselves even of habits that are of themselves indifferent;
our only habit must be that of doing good. Our body is insatiable;
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413
the more we give it, the more it demands; the less we give it, the
less it demands.”
Don Bosco constantly urged his boys to work hard and long and
not to desire amusement or leisure, adding: “Do you know what
Father Cafasso answered when he was told to relax and enjoy him
self? His reply was: ‘I have other things to do far more important
than that! I’ll relax and have fun when I have nothing pressing to
do.’ When asked when that day would be, he said: ‘When we
shall be in heaven.’ ”
Don Bosco also proposed him as an example of zeal for the
salvation of souls. He recounted Father Cafasso’s missions in rural
parishes as well as his untiring work at the Convitto, in the city
jails and hospitals, and in other fields of the priestly ministry. He
also revealed this incident:
In 1856 Father Cafasso learned that in Vercelli a man who had been
condemned to death had fallen into despair and stubbornly refused the
sacraments. Father Cafasso at once set out to visit him with a member
of the Confraternity of Mercy, around four o’clock in the afternoon.
He managed to soothe the condemned man, administer the sacraments,
and accompany him to his execution. Then after a quick repast at an inn,
he immediately returned to Turin. He arrived at the Convitto about 6:30,
just in time for his regular lecture, which he gave without pausing for
rest or refreshments. If invited to slow down for a little rest, his stock
reply was: “We shall rest in our grave. The kingdom of heaven suffers
violence.” [Cf. Matt. 11, 12]
The Oratory boys were especially interested in Don Bosco’s
stories about Father Cafasso’s interest in poor boys and their reli
gious instruction: how he provided them with decent clothes to
wear to church, and how he helped young people to find work,
often paying their apprenticeship expenses or giving them food until
they became self-supporting. “I know many boys,” Don Bosco
added, “who could not get an education either because they were
born poor or because their families had suffered serious financial
setbacks. Today many of them are pastors, curates, teachers,
notaries, attorneys, physicians, druggists, and lawyers; others are
brokers, shopkeepers, and businessmen. They all owe their good
fortune to Father Cafasso.”
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Moreover, Don Bosco constantly told the Oratory boys that they
should be grateful to Father Cafasso and pray for him. Bishop
Cagliero wrote:
I recall how Don Bosco often said to us: “It was in obedience to
Father Cafasso that I remained in Turin; it was on his advice and under
his guidance that I began to gather urchins from the streets on Sundays
to teach them catechism; thanks to his help and support, I first began to
take homeless boys into the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in order to
rescue them from moral danger and give them a Christian education.
Remember that Father Cafasso was the first catechist of our Oratory
and that he still is our constant friend and benefactor.”
Our love and veneration for our beloved father Don Bosco is
felt in equal measure for Father Cafasso.
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CHAPTER 51
Trust in Divine Providence
J l\\EC O N STR U C TIO N of the collapsed building was
resumed as soon as spring arrived. However, Don Bosco’s funds
were non-existent, and he was burdened with debts. Undismayed,
he did not waver in his trust in God. Unbounded, indeed, must
have been his faith, because his incessant material needs were fur
ther aggravated in his lifetime by the many calamities afflicting
Italy and other nations. Actually at this time [1853] his difficulties
were only beginning. As they became greater and at times almost
insurmountable, he in turn rose to the challenge and successfully
coped with them. A favorite saying of his was: “We shall take
things in stride and do our best under the circumstances.”
Don Bosco’s life is a continuous demonstration of the fulfillment
of Our Lord’s promises to those who pray with a lively faith. That
same Divine Providence which had inspired his benefactors to be
generous when he first began to build was again prompting them
to help him rebuild. Among these benefactors we should mention
Duchess [Laval] Montmorency, Marquis and Marchioness Fassati,
and Count [Charles] Cays— a steady Sunday catechist at the Ora
tory— who that year gave another tangible proof of his generosity.
Among Don Bosco’s many debts there was one to the baker for
1,200 lire. Unless the bill was promptly paid, deliveries were to be
cut off. Count Cays immediately settled the debt and the boys did
not go hungry. King Victor Emmanuel H also sent Don Bosco a
subsidy [from the funds of the Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus].1
Since these contributions hardly met his needs, Don Bosco had
recourse to other means. The first of these was the following
1See Appendix 19. [Editor]
415
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
announcement by L ’Armortia in its issue of Tuesday, April 12,
1853:
A steel safe and its secret contents will be raffled on behalf of the boy’s
Oratory in Valdocco on May 31. Authorization was granted by the
Finance Office on March 2, 1853.
The safe will be on display at the Caffe della Borsa in Via di Porta
Nuova near Piazza San Carlo.
Tickets are one lira each or five for three lire.
There was a generous response from the clergymen even though
[as a result of recent legislation] their revenues were dwindling. On
April 28, 1853, taxes on personal property and income for pastors
and beneficed priests had become effective; moreover, in September
of that same year a royal decree revised downward the parish pre
bends established by papal brief in 1828. Thus all ecclesiastical
property was quietly being confiscated.
In the meantime, while reconstruction of the building was in
progress, an order from City Hall forced all work to come to a halt.2
Don Bosco complied, but not without first interceding on behalf
of the contractor. To be sure, the contractor did not merit the trust
placed in him. The building costs of the St. Francis de Sales Church
had been excessive because of his greed and the kickbacks of sup
pliers. Nevertheless, Don Bosco had not cancelled the contract. He
abhorred court litigations and was extremely reluctant to ascribe
evil intentions to others even when the loss was his own. Once he
had put his trust in someone after duly inquiring about him, he
could hardly believe that this person would defraud him. In this
respect his charity obscured his ordinarily acute perspicacity. In
material matters he was always ready to accept excuses and ex
planations, as indeed was the case on many occasions. On the other
hand, he never permitted waste, no matter how insignificant, for
that would not have been right. Fortunately, he had a heavenly
treasurer who was ever dependable and ever ready to help him.
Occasional losses, even quite substantial ones, were permitted only
to make it exceedingly clear that the success of Don Bosco’s under
takings was not attributable to men but to Divine Providence.
2 See Appendix 20. [Editor]
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Trust in Divine Providence
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Don Bosco’s trust in the Blessed Virgin so freed him from anxiety
that even when weighed down by very thorny business matters he
tranquilly would go to the suburbs of Turin to preach on the occa
sion of the feast of their patron saints, conduct the Forty Hours’
devotion, hear confessions, or play the organ; often he took along
his choirboys. For example, on May 16 [1853] he went to San
Vito where the elementary school pupils of Turin had journeyed
to celebrate the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga.
Meanwhile, construction had again been resumed and Don Bosco
and his benefactors were now turning their attention to providing
the furnishings for the St. Francis de Sales Church. Chevalier
[Joseph] Dupre donated a marble altar rail for the St. Aloysius
altar; Marquis Fassati did likewise for Our Lady’s altar and also
contributed a set of bronzed copper candlesticks. Count [Charles]
Cays, on being elected prior of the St. Aloysius Sodality for the
second time, secured a new bell for the church tower. For many
years its tolling summoned the boys to the festive oratory. A great
number of people were invited to the very solemn blessing and hoist
ing of this bell. The ceremony was performed by Father [Augustine]
Gattino, pastor of SS. Simon and Jude in Borga Dora, whom Arch
bishop Fransoni at Don Bosco’s request had delegated for this task.3
Father Gattino delivered a splendid sermon befitting the occasion,
explaining the origin and the three principal functions of the church
bell, as expressed in the verse Laudo Deum verum, voco plebem,
congrego clerum [I praise the true God, call the faithful, and
assemble the clergy]. Afterward, a humorous skit concluded the
ceremonies.
Count Cays also presented to the church a canopy with a pendant
and other draperies and carpets, and in addition he loaned eight
magnificent chandeliers which had once served as decor at the
wedding of Queen Maria Adelaide. Thus the new church was now
furnished with the necessary appurtenances for the Forty Hours’
devotion and the solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament dur
ing the next three days. An extraordinary number of boys and other
people flocked to the services. To enhance such religious fervor
and make it more convenient for all to satisfy their devotion, spe-
3 A footnote reporting the routine official authorization for the blessing of the
church bell has been omitted in this edition. [Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
cial services with sermons were held in the evening during the next
eight days; the result was an unprecedented number of confessions
and Communions as though there had been a spiritual retreat or a
mission. This unparalleled religious fervor led to the decision to
continue holding the Forty Hours’ devotion with sermons and other
practices every year.
But the spiritual consolations of the Oratory did not lessen Don
Bosco’s sympathetic interest in the tribulations of a revered friend,
Bishop Philip Artico of Asti, who had been relentlessly attacked by
anticlerical publications. Don Bosco did his best to comfort him.
The prelate came to the Oratory several times and spent a few days
there. On one of these occasions, [John Baptist] Francesia and
[Charles] Tomatis performed a skit by Don Bosco entitled The
Chimney Sweep; this presentation so delighted the bishop that with
Don Bosco’s permission he made a gift of a new suit of clothes to
each of the actors.
While preparations for the feasts of St. Aloysius and St. John
the Baptist were in progress in Valdocco, Don Bosco invited Bishop
Artico to participate in the solemn festivities in honor of St.
Aloysius, the patron saint of the Porta Nuova festive oratory. The
bishop accepted. A letter that he later wrote to Don Bosco sheds
light on the part he played in the celebrations, on the vicious abuse
that the anticlerical newspapers relentlessly heaped on him, on the
evil intent with which they spied on his every movement, and on
their slanderous insinuations. It also shows how such persecution
was driving the prelate to physical and spiritual exhaustion and how
Don Bosco’s comforting letters and visits tempered his sorrow.
My dear and revered Father John,
Camerano, July 9, 1853
Your welcome letter helped to mitigate at the right moment the bitter
ness that came over me after perusing that rag of a paper, VOperaio
di Asti. The kind words of the wise comfort me more than the insults of
the wicked offend me. It was indeed a great consolation for me to read
your affectionate letter.
Throughout these seven years I have been the target of persecutors,
but Our Merciful Lord has tempered insults with comfort and satanic
letters or articles with angelic letters or visits. Until now I have been
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Trust in Divine Providence
419
silent, entrusting my cause to God. The canticle of Zachary inspires me
to hope that God will grant me “salvation from our enemies.” [Cf.
Luke 1, 71]
The article in L’Operaio di Asti that you read to me in Turin and
the one published last Sunday offer you an opportunity, dear Don Bosco,
to write to the Gazzetta Ufficiale and state what your modesty would
otherwise never have permitted you to say. In the issue of July 3 [1853],
No. 40, page 4, column one of L’Operaio di Asti, a Turin correspondent
dared to state—as you can see for yourself—that I was not allowed to
preach. Since they lied so impudently and brought in your name—so
highly respected in Turin and elsewhere—mentioning also your Oratory,
I think it necessary that you unmask and refute this mendacious corre
spondent in whatever way you think best by stating what you and hun
dreds of other people saw and heard. God knows that I did not in the
least desire to officiate or preach at the ceremony. You know very well,
dear Don Bosco, that what with the racking cough tormenting me and
the sweltering heat, I was in no mood to extemporize.
I declined many other invitations and accepted to participate in your
festivities only out of affection for you and your dear boys. I went there
as an invited guest and not as an intruder. Since you yourself volunteered
to protest to L ’Operaio di Asti if it should dare make any comments
about me in connection with the feast of the titular at the St. Aloysius
Oratory, and since Attorney Torelli and others have asked you to do
so, I think it now becomes your duty to refute the lies and false accusa
tions of my implacable enemies (few though they be) by stating what
actually happened. But please make no mention of the breakfast or the
lottery, lest they think that I bribed your boys. At the most, you might
say that when I left—as is indeed the truth—I wished to leave a little
remembrance of me at the St. Aloysius Oratory where, upon arriving
unexpectedly and incognito on Sunday, June 26 last, I was welcomed
and greeted by spontaneous “vivas.” In short, while L ’Operaio di Asti
was crucifying me, Don Bosco’s spiritual sons in Turin were filling the
air with hosannas, notwithstanding my efforts to stop them.
I think that you—also on behalf of the boys— should protest against
L ’Operaio di Asti and its slanderous Turin correspondent who, I am told,
is a professor named Gatti. Challenge him to reveal his name and de
nounce him to the public as a defamer and liar. The letter that you sent
me yesterday—dated July 6 and received on the 8th—would in itself
be enough to shut the mouths of some people, but I will not and must
not release it to the press.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
In confuting UOperaio’s sundry and despicable lies—particularly the
statement that I was not received by the cabinet ministers—it might be
opportune to have Father Granetti sign the article too, since he was an
eyewitness to the welcome they gave me. I also think that Father
Granetti, in his role as secretary or pro-secretary to Bishop Renaldi,
should protest the slander against the bishop and myself. It appeared on
the front page of V O pernio di Asti, herein enclosed, and reported the
bishop as saying something he never said. Father Granetti should de
clare instead that Bishop Renaldi greeted me warmly like a brother,
conversed with me for about three hours, and—far from telling me “to
resign”—urged me instead t o . . . . Bishop Renaldi might not appreciate
this suggestion, but he would do me a great favor if he agreed to write
a few lines in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, such as: “I declare everything
printed in UOperaio di Asti (July 3, No. 40) regarding the meeting
between myself and Bishop Artico of Asti to be untrue and slanderous,”
or words to this effect.
I think it might even be better if Father Granetti would write a
separate article for the Gazzetta Ufficiale narrating what he himself saw
with his own eyes and refuting the slander regarding Gioberti, since he
has read the letters written to me (which you may do too, if you wish).
As regards the article you will write, I think that it should be signed
by you, by the director of the St. Aloysius Oratory, by Count [Charles]
Cays, and by Count Casimiro Radicati of Brozolo. I leave it all to your
discretion. There is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.” [Eccles.
3, 7] “Let there be light.” [Gen. 1, 3] “False witnesses have risen up
against me.” [Ps. 26,12]
Give my best to your clerics and your boys. I recommend myself to
their prayers and yours, dear Don Bosco. Please read and deliver the
enclosed note to Father Granetti.
Philip, Bishop of Asti
A s long as they lived, Bishop [Philip] Artico and Archbishop
[Louis] Fransoni were the most vilified and persecuted bishops of
the Church.
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CHAPTER 52
An Important Acquisition
v JL[H ILE the joyful atmosphere of Don Bosco’s oratories
attracted thousands of boys, an even greater number received a
sound moral education from the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
Unfortunately, one sad day, this teaching order received a distress
ing communication from the government. A circular from the
Ministry of War informed these religious that the exemption from
military service granted to them by King Charles Albert was abro
gated. Their indefatigable activity, zeal, dedication, and outstand
ing merits in educating the children of the common people were
brushed aside and a hard blow dealt to their schools. Gradually
the young people of Turin would suffer the loss of many catechists.
Fortunately, almost as if to offset the unavoidable harm that
would result from this edict, Count Louis Cibrario, Minister of
Education, on August 21, 1853 issued an “Instruction” for the im
plementation of the elementary school programs. We reproduce
here extracts dealing with the teaching of catechism and bible his
tory, but we cannot help deploring the total exclusion of ecclesias
tical authority from public education. A t the same time we do
acknowledge the great importance that a minister of education in
those times still attributed to religious instruction.
Article 3: Grade School Catechism Program
Grade school catechisms vary in the different dioceses. Therefore, in
order to clear up doubts and maintain a uniform curriculum, the follow
ing subject matter will be taught: Morning and Night Prayers; the Pater
Noster and the Angelus, both in Latin; the Unity and Trinity of God;
the Incarnation of the Son of God; the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
at the End of the World; the Particular and Universal Judgment.
421
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
In order to teach catechism competently and fruitfully, the teacher
must bear in mind what follows:
1. He should teach this subject with the same care and respect used
in the teaching of prayer. He should therefore diligently prepare his
lessons lest he say anything not befitting this delicate subject. Should he
have doubts on some points, he should resolve them by consulting
learned priests; he must strive to grasp thoroughly every truth or precept
contained in the catechism.
2. He should not start his catechism lessons until he has covered
elementary bible history, such as the Creation of the World, the Fall of
Adam, the Promise of the Redeemer, etc. These preliminary instructions
will greatly help to illustrate the fundamental truths of our Faith. Bible
history and catechism should complement each other.
3. The teacher should not have the children memorize questions and
answers until he has first explained them in simple and clear terms and
has checked whether or not the pupils have understood them.
4. A good practice, recommended by competent persons, is to link
together several answers and have the pupils recite them. This will accus
tom them to interrelate what they have learned and go from one point
to another without having to depend on the questions.
Article 4: Bible History
(The teacher should narrate a few important episodes of the Old and
New Testaments and have the pupils repeat them.)
The teaching of bible history and of catechism must go hand in hand.
The tender minds of first-grade children should not be overburdened
with minute details and long series of names and dates. The teacher
should therefore limit himself to a very clear and simple discussion of
the following subjects: the Creation of the World and of Man; the Fall
of Adam and the Promise of a Redeemer; the Death of Abel; the Flood;
the Spread of Mankind over All the Earth; Abraham’s Mission; the
Sacrifice of Isaac; the Bondage of the Jews in Egypt and Their Libera
tion by Moses; the Birth of the Savior.
In the course of his instruction:
1. The teacher shall follow only “approved authors” and make his
lessons consist of brief, simple, and clear stories. He shall explain diffi
cult words in a manner suited to the children’s age.
2. He shall question the pupils in such a way as to lead them to break
up the story into its various components. He will then add timely reflec
tions, draw practical moral conclusions, and make use of whatever else
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may help prove the truthfulness of our Faith. Finally, he shall recon
struct the story and have one or more pupils repeat it in its entirety.
The rest of the catechism should be divided between the second and
third grades. As regards bible history, the second grade should study the
patriarchs up to the division of the kingdom of Juda, and the third grade
should proceed from there to the coming of the Redeemer.
At the beginning of the scholastic year teachers in these two
grades were expected to repeat and amplify the subject matter of
the previous year. With regard to catechism the “Instruction”
added:
The second-grade teacher may also train the pupils to question each
other on what they have already been taught in order that they may
become familiar with the questions, grasp the connection between them,
and be able to discuss readily and in a knowledgeable manner the con
tents of each chapter.
The fourth-grade religion curriculum is as follows:
A. Catechism. Parts 3 and 4 of the large diocesan catechism—
namely, the Commandments of God, the Precepts of the Church, and
the Sacraments.
B. Bible History. The New Testament.
We do not know who expertly advised Count [Louis] Cibrario
in drawing up such a fine religion curriculum and prescribing that
the bible history textbooks be by “approved authors”— approved,
that is, by the proper ecclesiastical authority. We do know, however
— and so did all the boys— that in that same year Count Cibrario
was a frequent visitor to Valdocco and that he held lengthy and
serious conversations with Don Bosco who, obviously, was not wast
ing his time talking about politics.
While Count Cibrario gave directives for the religious education
of school children, Don Bosco had to take equally important
measures of his own for the welfare of his own Oratory. He had
finally come to the decision that the problem of the neighboring
Albergo della Giardiniera on the Bellezza premises had to be re
solved. Only a low wall separated it from the Oratory playground.
As we have previously remarked,1 it was the Sunday hangout of
i See Vol. II, pp. 336, 401,421f. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
gamblers, tipsters, and people of similar bent— questionable and
unwholesome characters, including some bribed converts of the
Waldensians. Barrel organs, fifes, clarinets, guitars, violins, bass,
and contrabass followed one another in noisemaking; then, from
time to time during the Oratory afternoon church services, the
players would all get together for impromptu concerts, thus drown
ing out the choirboys’ voices. Truly the children of the world stood
against the children of light, the city of Satan against the city of
God.
To eradicate any unwholesome impression from the minds of
his boys, Don Bosco often reminded them of the words of the
Gospel: “The world shall rejoice and you shall be sorrowful, but
your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” [John 16, 20] But he had
to put a stop to such a disorder once and for all. The example that
these people gave to the Oratory boys was bad, but he was also
aware of the risks he would incur if he tried to stop it. However,
fearless when it was a question of doing what was right, Don Bosco
set about this task energetically. At first he tried to buy the house,
but the owner, Mrs. Teresa Bellezza, refused to sell. He then
attempted to rent it, but the innkeeper alleged extravagant losses
and demanded an outrageous indemnity if the deal went through.
Accustomed to trusting in Divine Providence and in the charity of
benefactors, Don Bosco was not frightened off by this financial
problem. It became a lot easier, however, when just at this time
the innkeeper died. His wife took over and, although of a better
moral character than her husband, she continued to keep the place
open.
Don Bosco began to cultivate her good will, first by greeting her,
then by borrowing some kitchen utensils, and lastly by ordering
meals from her, especially on feast days. Little by little she began
to feel a great respect for Don Bosco. Finally, he had the oppor
tunity of tactfully asking her whether she intended to spend the rest
of her days running a tavern, and whether she was giving any
thought to the fact that daily she was preparing fuel for her torments
in hell.
“Yes, I know,” she replied, “but how could I make a living
otherwise?”
“I can suggest something.”
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“Let’s hear it. I’d only be too glad to give up this life.”
“Sell your tavern to me.”
“Will the landlady agree to that?”
“Let me worry about it. I’m sure she will.”
“That would be fine, but what could I do with the glassware,
chinaware, kitchen utensils, and all the other things?”
“I’ll buy it all, lock, stock, and barrel. Let’s choose two appraisers.
I’ll pay whatever they say it’s worth.”
“But I am several months behind in my rent!”
“I’ll pay that too!”
“Very well, then. It’s a deal!”
Don Bosco promptly paid the price set by the appraisers. When
Mamma Margaret saw hundreds of empty bottles of all sizes and
shapes carried into her house with liters, half-liters, vats, benches,
and other items which then and there she had no use for, she
exclaimed:
“What are we to do with all these things?”
“Don’t worry, Mamma,” Don Bosco assured her; “in due time
it will all come handy. I have done this for a very good reason.”
Meanwhile, the innkeeper continued to occupy some rooms on
the premises, substantiating Don Bosco’s fear that she might change
her mind and withdraw from the merely verbal agreement. There
fore, he had some person she trusted suggest to her that instead of
blindly believing Don Bosco’s promise of a substantial indemnity
she should demand it in writing. Thus a contract was signed with
the condition that she completely vacate the premises.
The customers were furious at this new development and filled
the woman’s ears with slanders against priests. Terribly upset and
in tears, she came to Don Bosco a few days later saying that she
had been tricked. “I don’t know where to go!” she sobbed. “Let’s
tear up the contract.”
“There’s no need to be so upset,” Don Bosco replied. “You can
find another place to live.” What follows was narrated to us by
John Cagliero.
By chance I came into the rear of the sacristy and there found Don
Bosco, Buzzetti, and an old woman whom we used to call “La Giar-
diniera.” She was angry at Don Bosco because he had given her notice
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS O F SAINT JO H N BOSCO
to vacate her former premises. Don Bosco was trying to make her under
stand that he needed that space for classrooms, which was true. At this
point the woman became hysterical and screamed: “You’re a liar!”
“Wretched woman! How could you dare call a priest a liar?” Don
Bosco replied. “Buzzetti! Buzzetti! Take this woman away!” I imme
diately got Don Bosco a chair because he had grown pale and seemed
about to faint, so strenuous had been his effort to control himself and
stay calm.
After the woman had composed herself a bit, Don Bosco man
aged to convince her that there was nothing injurious to her inter
ests in the contract, and he urged her to find an apartment in Turin,
offering to pay her rent for the first three months. The woman went
away pacified and Don Bosco kept his word. He then immediately
called on the landlady and told her all that had taken place. The
good woman approved.
Don Bosco now was in control of half of that building; blas
phemies and scandalous songs would no longer be heard. A t once
Don Bosco leased the premises to quiet, God-fearing people, but
despite endless promises they turned out to be either unable or un
willing to pay the rent. Obviously they were taking advantage of
his goodness, certain that he would never take them to court.
The former tavern premises were now quieter, but the other half
of the house continued to be a den of iniquity. Don Bosco there
fore made overtures to the landlady about renting that part of the
building. The lady hesitated, fearing that if she leased it to a single
tenant, she might later have the whole house empty on her hands
all at once. It was her policy to rent each room by the month. Don
Bosco then suggested a lease of several years, and she readily
accepted. In the contract the premises are described as follows:
A basement with two cellars facing south; a main floor with three
rooms facing south, one opening into a corridor, and two facing north;
a second floor with three rooms facing south and three others facing
north. Also, two large arbors, both in good condition, supported by
posts, likewise in good condition, and a long hedge on the north side.
The lease was to run from October 1, 1853 to September 30,
1856, at the yearly rent of 950 lire. On October 1, 1856 the lease
was renewed for another three years, through September 30, 1859,
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at the yearly rent of 800 lire, but with the proviso that the lease
could be dissolved from year to year if notice thereto was given
three months prior to expiration.
As soon as Don Bosco had the entire house for himself, he gave
notice to the tenants to vacate. Some of them, persuaded by Don
Bosco’s generous monetary gifts, complied, but others refused and
gave him a hard time. It also cost him money because they refused
to pay their rent. Moreover, some insulted and threatened him
and, as we shall recount later, even made attempts on his life. On
his part Don Bosco willingly accepted these sacrifices rather than
give up his efforts to safeguard his charges.
Once the rooms were vacated, Don Bosco provided for a general
cleanup and overall repairs, notwithstanding the expense entailed.2
He then sublet them to reliable tenants. Understandably, he wanted
some income to meet his expenses, but since he did not wish to
become involved in arguments over rent, he turned the entire matter
over to an agent whom we shall call “M.” This man was to collect
the rents punctually and keep ten percent of the receipts for his
service. Instead, he collected and pocketed all the money for him
self. In vain Don Bosco asked him to hand over the money received;
the agent always stalled with one excuse or another. This went on
for over four years without Don Bosco collecting a single centesimo.
When he finally cornered the dishonest agent— who occupied a
room in the same building— and resolutely demanded the rent
money, all he got was the reply: “If you don’t like it, I’ll quit!”
So saying, he handed in his keys and left without refunding any
of the money. Don Bosco still had to pay his entire rent to Mrs.
Bellezza. All told, getting rid of the Albergo della Giardiniera cost
Don Bosco over 20,000 lire. Yet, with no money of his own, he
always managed to find what he needed in some truly providential
way.
At long last the landlady solved his rent-collecting problem by
moving into that house herself. Because of her rather pretentious
character, Don Bosco was involved in a few lawsuits with her and
received several summonses, but all this was insignificant when com
pared with the troubles caused by the former tenants. He continued
2 A footnote on this matter has been omitted in this edition. lEditor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
his efforts to buy the house, but the landlady would not hear of it.
After her death, however, her children welcomed the idea and sold
it to Don Bosco on February 22, 1884 for 110,000 lire. He thus
became the sole owner of the house and adjoining land, almost
doubling the Oratory’s area.
A t long last Don Bosco had eliminated another outpost of the
devil so close to the house of the Lord, eradicated a den of iniquity,
and literally taken over the enemy camp. On the site where God
had once been so frequently offended, now there would resound
prayers and hymns of praise to His everlasting glory.
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CHAPTER 53
Obscure Threats
*U l(H ILE Don Bosco was busy taking the necessary steps
to close down the Albergo della Giardiniera, Divine Providence
rewarded him in the way he appreciated most.
Living in Turin at that time was a man to whom we shall refer
as Mr. “L ”. He was a prosperous businessman who was blessed with
a very good wife, a dutiful daughter, and a handsome and obedient
14-year-old son named Louis. However, this man was addicted to
drink and had the habit of bringing home unwholesome characters,
much to the chagrin of his wife. He spent his time gambling, eat
ing, and drinking. When he had money, he would get drunk; when
he was without resources, he would become enraged and beat up
his family. His business, of course, suffered terribly; he contracted
many debts and was soon reduced to poverty. One of his friends
advised him to appeal for assistance to his pastor or to charitable
institutions, but he indignantly refused. He had never approached
priests before as a matter of principle, and now he rebelled at the
mere thought of being reduced to the degrading position of having
to beg.
Finally, a false friend told him that he could obtain generous
assistance from the Waldensians without loss to his dignity. All he
had to do was to attend their sermons and enroll as a member.
The wretched man was so desperate that he followed his suggestion.
From that time on his family never lacked for anything. But one
day the Waldensian minister sent for him and said; “My friend,
I must tell you something. We cannot continue to subsidize any
member of our church unless his family also belongs to it. I shall
have to discontinue your weekly payments until your whole family
joins us.”
429
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS O F SAINT JO H N BOSCO
The man agreed to do what the minister asked. Quite sure that
his wife would not raise any difficulty, he went home, called the
family together, and made his proposal. The wife was indignant.
She called her husband an apostate, a traitor to his Faith, and
declared that she would sooner die than become a Waldensian. He,
in turn, became furious, shouting his determination that the whole
family would join the “holy reformed church” and making clear
that he would tolerate no opposition.
“Nonsense!” his wife cried. “A church which seeks to have you
as a member could hardly be holy and reformed. More likely it is
as evil as you.”
The poor woman had spoken too boldly. Her husband grabbed
a stick and beat her unconscious. At the sight of his mother on
the floor, his son cried out: “Papa! Papa! What are you doing? Do
you want to kill mom?” In reply the brute gave him a kick that
sent him flying out of the room. The man was in a state of absolute
fury for the rest of the day. When his wife regained consciousness,
she was as determined as ever not to renounce her Faith; however,
she also was determined to endure her husband’s brutality as long
as she could. Terrible quarrels raged between them day after day.
Once he came home drunk well after midnight— his family that day
had had nothing but bread to eat— and brought along some cronies,
one of whom had a barrel organ. “Get up, all of you,” he shouted;
“it’s time to dance.” The wife protested that it was late, that she
was not feeling well, and that such antics would only make their
neighbors laugh at them, but her words were ignored. She and the
children had to get up and dance. As a result of this and similar
ludicrous incidents, and fearing the ever present threats of harsh
beatings, and even death, if they refused to become Waldensians,
the woman and her daughter left him and found positions as house
maids. They preferred to endure any hardship rather than risk their
honor and their Faith.
Now left alone with his son Louis, this man began taking him
every week to the Waldensian church. At first Louis refused and
cried as he was dragged along, but gradually he calmed down and
even seemed to be enjoying it. Finally his father asked him if he
was now willing to become a Waldensian, pointing out that in this
way he would be earning his keep. Louis replied simply by smiling.
Interpreting this smile as a sign of consent, his father told the
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Waldensian minister that on the following day his son would
formally join their church. But Louis, following the sound advice
of his mother and Don Bosco, had other plans. When his father
came to take him to the Waldensian minister, Louis had disap
peared, leaving behind this brief note: “I’d sooner die than be an
apostate.” We can imagine his father’s wrath at being so tricked.
Afraid to be laughed at by his cronies, he searched everywhere
for his son, but in vain.
Louis meanwhile had found a safe refuge at the Oratory with
Don Bosco. During the first few weeks he maintained a discreet
silence about the circumstances that brought him there, but later,
as he began to mingle with the other boys, he leaked out some infor
mation. Lest the boy’s father might hear of it, Don Bosco warned
him to be more cautious and asked his companions not to talk
about it. When he was informed later that the father was still hunt
ing for the boy, Don Bosco sent him away into safe hiding until all
danger was past.
Shortly afterward some boys brought a 17-year-old lad to Don
Bosco. He had been born a Waldensian, was very intelligent, and
had done very well in school and bible history classes. He had also
read many books hostile to the Catholic Church and absorbed their
bias. However, blessed with a noble and generous disposition, he
felt greatly attracted by Don Bosco’s amiability. After several talks
with him, the lad no longer felt any aversion to the Catholic Church.
With the doubts that still lingered in his mind erased and the serious
obstacles put in his way by his parents overcome, he became a
Catholic. His parents angrily drove him from the house, but he
clung steadfastly to his new Faith. Don Bosco accepted him at the
Oratory where he learned a trade and soon became self-supporting.
An even greater setback awaited the Waldensians as they subtly
attempted to inject their poisonous teachings into the minds of
Catholic school children. The committee which had to approve
the textbooks to be used in public schools had found that the trans
lation of Canon von Schmid’s 1 Bible Stones for Children then in
use was rather poor and had ordered another version published in
Genoa. But in this edition all the scriptural quotations were taken
1 Christoph von Schmid (1768-1854), writer of children’s stories. His Bible
Stories for Children became very popular far beyond the confines of his native
Bavaria. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
from the translation made by Diodati.2 As soon as the bishops
discovered this fraud, they alerted the faithful while [Giovanni]
Lanza, the Minister of Public Education, banned that edition from
the schools.
Meanwhile Don Bosco— who always arranged for his boys to
make a spiritual retreat every year— went to St. Ignatius’ Shrine
for his own spiritual retreat. Mr. Pasquale Spinardi [one of the
retreatants] sent us his recollections:
[In 1853] I made my spiritual retreat at St. Ignatius’ Shrine near
Lanzo. In the dining room I sat at a table presided over by Don Bosco.
During those ten days of holiness Don Bosco was our Lumen Christi.
In the afternoon we had our periods of recreation in the meadow below
the shrine but were not allowed to go beyond the three houses that
bordered it. We would all sit down in a circle on the fresh grass and
listen to Don Bosco as he entertained us with edifying tales and wise
maxims.
Whenever he was away, Don Bosco kept a constant watch over
the Oratory. Both the boys and the clerics were convinced that he
frequently “visited” them during his absence and, though not pres
ent, could see everything happening there. Messages would be re
ceived from him in which he would express his disappointment
about some transgression, as, for example, that several boys had
sneaked away to some secret hideaway to play instead of joining
their companions at night prayers. The brief period of time between
this occurrence and the delivery of Don Bosco’s note clearly made
it impossible for him to have been informed about it from Turin.
On his return to the city, his new pamphlet, entitled Fatti Con-
temporanei Esposti in Forma di Dialogo [Contemporary Events
Presented in Dialogue Form], was sent to subscribers as the August
issue of Letture Cattoliche. The Foreword read as follows:
The contents of this pamphlet are true incidents; I either witnessed
them personally or they were reported to me by other eyewitnesses. I
have not altered them in any way except to present them in dialogue
form.
For obvious reasons I have thought it advisable not to disclose the
identity of several people mentioned therein.
1 urge parents to have their children read this pamphlet; they should
2 Giovanni Diodati (1576-1649), a Protestant theologian. [Editor]
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also explain the incidents to them for their guidance and protection in
these times so dangerous to our youth.
There were seven dialogues in all:
1. A Waldensian minister bribes a Catholic to abandon his faith,
2. An apostate reveals the causes of his defection to a close friend.
3. A repentant sinner explains that his return to the Catholic Church
was effected mainly through reading [Don Bosco’s] Warnings to Catholics
and a holy priest’s instruction on the sacrament of Penance.
4. A sick man, after unsuccessfully begging his minister for religious
assistance in order to die peacefully, sends for the priest who was once
his confessor.
5. A dying man, gripped by remorse, implores a Waldensian minister
to summon a Catholic priest, but his pleas are ignored; cruelly forsaken,
he dies without the Last Sacraments.
6. A mother speaks to a priest of her sorrow that her son has fallen
away from the Church.
7. After losing his Faith through the reading of impious books and
joining an irreligious workers’ society, a boy meets a priest, once his
boyhood friend, and joyfully returns to the Catholic Church.
After finishing his work on the September issue of Letture Cat-
toliche, Don Bosco sent this short letter to his former professor,
Father [John Baptist] Appending in Villastellone:
Letture Cattoliche
Office of the Editor
My dear Father:
Turin, August 21, 1853
Could I impose on your kindness and stay with you a few days? I
shall arrive tomorrow morning on the 10 o’clock train. I’m taking along
a young cleric as my secretary. I’m coming for two reasons: to get some
sleep and do some writing. I am overloaded with work and utterly
exhausted.
Please accept this inconvenience in nomine Domini and the Lord will
reward you. My warmest greetings to you.
Your most grateful pupil,
Fr. John Bosco
P.S. My regards to your sister.
Leader of the Little Rascals
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Don Bosco really needed a few days of quiet. He had already
completed twelve issues of Letture Cattoliche, with a total sale of
about 120,000 copies. The Waldensians regarded each issue as a
deadly weapon and were furious about the whole situation. They
tried to launch counterattacks in their newspapers and in their
periodical Letture Evangeliche [Evangelical Readings], but it was
difficult to compete against the truth and Don Bosco’s incomparably
simple and lucid style. As a result, they made little headway.
Hoping to eventually silence him, they tried to debate him pri
vately, believing themselves capable of either making him accept
their position or shaming him into silence. Even their converts,
overwhelmed by pride and ignorance, believed that no Catholic
priest could withstand their arguments. Therefore, they began to
call at the Oratory in groups of two or more in order to engage
Don Bosco in a debate about religion. In general, their idea of
debating consisted in shouting at the top of their voices and in
skipping from one subject to another without ever coming to any
conclusion. As for Don Bosco, he never gave any sign of being
bored by their visits. He always received them courteously, listened
to their objections and blunders calmly and patiently, and then
answered them so cogently and clearly that they were cornered,
so to speak. He was ever alert not to let them digress— as was their
habit when arguing with Catholics— but forced them to exhaust
every facet of the point under discussion and acknowledge either
its truth or its falsity. The honest ones among them recanted, but
the others, at a loss for an answer and unwilling to concede defeat,
resorted to verbal abuse. To the latter Don Bosco would merely
say: “My dear friends, shouts and insults are not proofs.” With
these words he would send them away crestfallen. He often urged
them to explain their difficulties to their own ministers and then
let him know what solution they had offered.
A t one of these debates a man named Pugno, after admitting
that he was no match for Don Bosco, then added: “We don’t know
how to answer you because we aren’t educated enough. If only
our minister were here! He’s a scholar and can silence any priest
with just a couple of words.” Don Bosco replied: “If that’s the case,
ask him to come with you next time; I’d be delighted to meet him.”
The message was delivered, and eventually their minister, [G. P.]
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Meille, called at the Oratory, accompanied by two leading Walden-
sians of Turin. After a few courteous introductions, they began a
debate which lasted from eleven in the morning until six in the
evening. Obviously, it would take too long to report their con
versation in detail, but one incident is worthy of mention. After
discussing Holy Scripture and Tradition, the primacy of St. Peter
and his successors, and the sacrament of Penance, they moved on
to the dogma of purgatory. Don Bosco proved this article of Faith
with arguments drawn from reason, history, and Holy Scripture,
using both the Latin and the Italian versions. (Later he wrote down
this debate and published it in Letture Cattoliche during the first
years of its existence.) “Well now,” one of his opponents said, un
willing to acknowledge defeat, “the Latin and Italian versions aren’t
enough; we should check the original Greek text.” Thereupon Don
Bosco pulled out a Greek Bible, saying; “Here it is! Check it. You’ll
see that both the Latin and the Italian versions are accurate.” His
opponent knew Greek even less than he knew Chinese, but he did
not have the courage to admit it. He took the book with a haughty
air and began turning over the pages as if he were searching for
corroborative evidence. Unfortunately, he was holding the book
upside down. Don Bosco noticed this, but first he let him leaf
through the volume for a while. Finally he said to him: “May I
help you?” and turned the book right side up. The man’s face
turned as red as a boiled lobster, Flinging the book on the table,
he walked out. That ended the debate. Amadeus Bert was another
[Waldensian minister] who came to see Don Bosco in an attempt
to dissuade him from holding and then publishing these debates
which had enraged the Waldensians to the limits of their endurance,
but he did not succeed.
These and similar experiences convinced the Waldensians that
the means they had been employing would never suffice to silence
Don Bosco. They decided therefore to resort to other measures
which perhaps would be more effective— bribes and threats. One
Sunday in August, 1853, around eleven in the morning, two men
called at the Oratory to speak with Don Bosco. Although he was
tired, having just finished saying Mass and preaching, Don Bosco
invited them to his room. However, the two strangers had aroused
the suspicion of some of the older boys— including Joseph Buzzetti
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
— and they remained outside the door in case they should be needed.
After the usual courteous introductions, one of the two visitors,
perhaps a Waldensian minister, began:
Minister: You, Father, have received an extraordinary gift from
nature— the ability to express yourself simply and clearly. We have
therefore come to ask you to employ this precious talent in the serv
ice of science, art, and commerce.
Don Bosco: I’ve already done something along that line within
my limitations. I have published a bible history and a church history,
a pamphlet on the metric system, and a few other modest works.
Judging by the welcome reception they have had, I do not think
they were altogether useless. Now I am busy with Letture Cattoliche
to which I intend to dedicate all my energies, since I think this pub
lication can greatly benefit young people and the general public.
Minister: Why don’t you prepare some textbook on ancient
history, physics, or geometry instead? That would be a far more
valuable contribution than Letture Cattoliche.
Don Bosco: What makes you think so?
Minister: Well, many other writers have already covered the sub
ject matter of Letture Cattoliche.
Don Bosco: That is true; others have written on those topics, but
they have done so in a scholarly manner, far beyond the compre
hension of uneducated people. Letture Cattoliche is a publication
specifically designed for such people.
Minister: But this publication brings you no profit. Why not
accept our suggestion which would also benefit the marvelous in
stitution that Divine Providence has entrusted to you? Take this.
(So saying, he handed Don Bosco four bills of 1,000 lire each.)
This is merely an advance; there will be other payments that will be
far more substantial.
Don Bosco: Why are you offering me so much money?
Minister: To get you started on the books we have suggested,
and also to help your most deserving Oratory.
Don Bosco: Please forgive me, but I cannot accept your offer.
At the moment I am unable to take on any other commitments
besides Letture Cattoliche.
Minister: But that’s such a useless work!
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Don Bosco: Why should you worry about it? If it is so useless,
why are you offering me so much money to stop it?
Minister: You don’t know what you’re doing. By refusing this
money you are hurting your own Oratory and risking danger to
yourself.
Don Bosco: Gentlemen, I get your message clearly, but let me
tell you quite frankly that when truth is at stake I fear no one. I
became a priest to serve my Church and save souls, particularly
the souls of the young. I started Letture Cattoliche for this very
reason, and I intend to continue this publication and do everything
in my power to enhance its popularity.
Minister: You are making a terrible mistake.
This thought was echoed by his friend as they both stood up;
the facade of their fine manners had now disappeared. “Yes, a
terrible mistake,” the minister repeated. “Your refusal is an insult.
Aren’t you afraid of what could happen to you? When you leave
this room, can you count on returning?”
These words were uttered in such threatening tones that the boys
on guard outside, fearing for Don Bosco’s safety, rattled the door
knob to make it perfectly clear that there were people around. In
no way alarmed, Don Bosco replied: “Obviously you gentlemen
do not know Catholic priests too well. You might as well learn this
now. As long as we live, we priests are happy to work for God.
If we should die while carrying out our duties, we would regard
such a death as our greatest fortune and glory. Spare yourselves
the trouble of threatening me. Don’t make yourselves ridiculous.”
These courageous words so enraged the two visitors that they
moved threateningly toward him. Don Bosco then grabbed his chair
and added: “If I cared to use force, I could make you pay dearly,
but I won’t; a priest shows his strength in being patient and for
giving. You have said enough. You’d better go now!” As he spoke,
he moved toward the door and opened it, still holding the chair
partly in front of him like a shield. Joseph Buzzetti was standing by.
“Please show these two gentlemen to the gate,” he said. “They don’t
know their way too well!”
The two men exchanged glances and then muttered: “We’ll see
you again at a more propitious time.” Flustered and indignant they
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
hurriedly left. But no less indignant were the young boarders who
little by little had gathered close to Don Bosco’s room and had
heard the threats. Eager to demonstrate their love for their spiritual
father, they would have felt completely justified in taking action
if the visitors had been bold enough to attempt violence against
Don Bosco.
Their threats could not be passed off lightly since the Oratory
stood isolated in the midst of fields and during the day was almost
deserted; moreover, the students and the young artisans regularly
had to journey to the town for their classes and work. Don Bosco,
realizing that the threats would soon materialize, began to give more
serious thought to the advisability of having some neighbors whose
mere presence might act as a deterrent to his enemies. His main
hope was for a religious community. The only congregation which
in those troublesome years seemed to be firmly established and able
to serve his purpose was that of the Rosminian Fathers. He had
previously discussed this plan with Father [Antonio] Rosmini, and
they had agreed in principle. Father Rosmini was to purchase a
piece of land near the Oratory and there erect a large building for
his religious. These priests would be made available to Don Bosco
to hear confessions, preach, and promote the growth of the Oratory.
Further consideration of the plan and a note which he received
prompted Don Bosco to write the following letter:
Letture Cattoliche
Office of the Editor
My dear Father Gilardi:
Turin, August 29, 1853
I received your letter about a piece of land that I have for sale. I am
very glad indeed that your superior general is coming to Turin since
I hope to have the pleasure of meeting him. Several potential buyers
have shown interest in part of this land, and therefore I need to know,
at least approximately, when Father Rosmini expects to be in Turin.
I would not want to close any deal before his arrival.
Please let me know. May [our patron] St. Francis de Sales look after
you with particular care. Love me in the Lord and believe me, as always,
to be
Your affectionate servant,
Fr. John Bosco (A Little Rascal)
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Father Rosmini came to Turin shortly thereafter. Hoping to reap
great spiritual advantages from this project, he made an agreement
with Don Bosco before returning to Stresa. He also gave him 3,000
lire on a short-term loan. He had noticed Don Bosco’s straitened
circumstances and was eager to help him as much as he could, as
the following exchange of letters clearly indicates:
Letture Cattoliche
Office of the Editor
To the Very Reverend
Father Antonio Rosmini
Stresa
Very Reverend and dear Father:
Turin, October 15, 1853
The land sales I counted on fell through; the prospective customers
failed to show up again.
For this reason I must request a four-month extension of the loan
you graciously granted me on your last visit to Turin. Naturally, I will
pay you the legal interest. However, should you yourself need the money
immediately, I shall promptly send it wherever you might indicate.
I trust you will grant me this favor. Grateful for your constant good
ness toward me, I wish you the Lord’s blessing. Please remember me
in your prayers.
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
Father Rosmini’s reply [through his secretary] was prompt.
Stresa, October 18, 1853
Reverend and dear Don Bosco:
In immediate reply to your letter of the 15th, my superior, Father
Antonio Rosmini, has instructed me to tell you that he willingly grants
you a four-month extension on the 3,000 lire loan as requested in your
letter. He wants you to know, however, that at such time he is counting
on the money being paid.
With this letter he sends you his best regards and commends himself
to your prayers. With great esteem and veneration, I am honored to
remain,
Your humble and devoted servant,
Fr. Charles Gilardi
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CHAPTER 54
A New Publication
J E n Piedmont the school children’s summer vacation lasted
four months. Don Bosco could not bear to see his boys idle for so
long a period of time, and therefore he tried to find ways to keep
them busy and happy. He arranged refresher courses for them or
made them take accessory subjects taught by friendly fellow priests
or by the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Three times a week,
[John] Cagliero, [John Baptist] Francesia, and [John] Turchi
climbed to Father [Matthew] Picco’s villa nestled in the hills for an
hour’s refresher course. The round trip necessitated a healthy two
and a half hours’ walk.
This summer program changed every year and revolved around
elementary Greek or French, ancient and modern history, arith
metic, drawing, elementary astronomy, and mapping. Frequently
Don Bosco would also coach them in letter writing which he con
sidered important and not too easy a skill to master. He also urged
them to strive for simplicity of style, pointing out to them, however,
that such simplicity would be achieved only after a diligent study
of the classics, some of which he would particularly point out to
them, He also passed on to them the advice that Silvio Pellico had
given to him 1— namely, to keep a dictionary at hand and consult
it constantly to learn the correct meaning of certain words or
phrases and also to avoid inaccuracies and gallicisms. He assured
them that by so doing they would develop a clear style; this would
be a great asset if they should be called to the priesthood because
then the faithful would understand and long remember their
sermons.
1 See Vol. in, p. 222. [Editor]
440
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He was more exacting with the clerics than with the boys about
using time fruitfully. The clerics’ final examinations ended on the
vigil of the feast of St. John the Baptist. Don Bosco allowed them
to relax on the feast day itself, but the next day he began to call
them one by one and tell them: “Well, now we’re on vacation. How
about reading Rohrbacher,2 Salzano,3 or Bercastel? 4 You could
learn a lot from them!” He continued this practice even after they
had obtained college degrees, taught Latin at the Oratory, and
taken the prescribed examinations in theology at the diocesan
seminary.
Not satisfied with this, he constantly urged them to study the
Latin Christian classics. During the summer vacations of 1851 and
1852 he had already given some lectures with great competence to
Michael Rua and several other pupils on excerpts from these sacred
authors, especially from St. Jerome’s letters. These he urged them
to translate, memorize* and comihent on.
He tried to inspire others with his own enthusiasm and was
deeply grieved when he discovered that several distinguished pro
fessors scoffed at the Latin of the Fathers of the Church, contemp
tuously referring to it as “sacristy Latin.” He contended that those
who despised the language of the Church revealed their own igno
rance because the Christian classics formed a substantial and splen
did part of the Latin literature of several centuries, often equal to
the pagan classics in style and as superior to them in concepts as
heaven is superior to earth, virtue to vice, and God to man. Indeed,
according to Don Bosco, the elegant style, charming language, and
vigorous and lofty concepts in some of these Christian authors sur
passed even the authors of the great Augustan age. Furthermore,
he would prove his assertions with quotations and comparisons.
He often debated this theory with outstanding professors of
literature; he did this discreetly and amiably but so persuasively
as to win them over to his point of view. He also had an argument
2 Rene Francois Rohrbacher (1789-1856), author of Histoire Universelle de
I’Eglise Catholique. (Editor)
3 Totnmaso Michele Salzano (1807-1890), a Dominican Father and later an
archbishop. He authored books on Canon Law and church history and took part
in the First Vatican Council in 1869-70. [Editor)
4 Antoine-Henry Berault-Bercastel (1720-1794), author of Histoire de I'Eglise,
a most popular work at that time. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
all his own. He would say: “It is a crime to despise the Latin of
the Church Fathers. Aren’t we Christians a true, glorious, holy, and
divine society? Are not these Christian authors our own? Are they
not our glory? Why should we belittle what belongs to us and search
for the beautiful only in the pagan writings of our enemies? Is this
loyalty to one’s own flag, to the Church, and to the Pope?” He did
not spare even [Thomas] V allauri5who had published some adverse
comments on the Latin of the Fathers of the Church. Don Bosco
proved that he had seriously erred in deliberately ignoring the
beauty of their writings.
In 1855 Pius IX resolved the dispute between Bishop Dupan-
lo u p 6 and Father G aum e7 with an encyclical recommending that
the study of the pagan classics be blended with that of the Christian
ones in order to clothe Christian concepts in pure and elegant
Latin. The encyclical also established guidelines for this procedure.
On this occasion Don Bosco asserted that he was perfectly in accord
with what the Holy Father had written.
Don Bosco did not despise the pagan Latin classics. On the con
trary, he had studied them, knew long passages from their texts by
heart, and commented on them in a masterly fashion, but he also
realized how dangerous they could be if not balanced by Christian
teachings. “The French Revolution,” he said, “by adopting the
maxims of pagan authors, raised a generation of murderers. Pagan
principles led to the deplorable results with which we are all familiar.
Nationalism, hatred of foreigners, glorification of violence, praise
of vengeance, pride, deification of the state, aggrandizement— these
are the concepts that pervert the tender minds of the young and
make them look upon Christian meekness as cowardice.”
The first two months of the summer of 1853 were spent in this
setting of instruction, occupation, and study. The booklet that Don
Bosco published as the September issue of Letiure Cattoliche was
an anonymous work in two parts. Entitled Examples of Christian
Virtue— Selections from Various Authors, it marked a temporary
5 A contemporary lexicographer and a prominent man of letters. [Editor]
6 Bishop Felix-Antoine Dupanloup of Orleans (1802-1878), a great theologian,
writer, and educator, [Editor]
7 Father Jean-Joseph Gaume (1802-1879), a French theologian and author.
[Editor]
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respite in Don Bosco’s struggle against the Waldensians. However,
the latter never passed up any opportunity to attack the Catholic
Church. Every year, on September 8, it was traditional in Turin to
carry the statue of Our Lady of Consolation in a solemn procession;
this custom was observed to fulfill a vow made in thanksgiving for
the liberation of the city from a mighty siege in 1706. A charming
wooden statue had been designated to replace the original one of
solid silver; the latter, weighing three hundred and eight pounds,
had been stolen on April 18 and had not yet been recovered. But
this year the armed forces were conspicuous by their absence.
Thanks to a vigorous campaign by La Gazzetta del Popolo, the
National Guard and the regular troops neither graced the proces
sion with their colorful presence nor maintained order. Conse-
sequently the mob had a free hand. Incited by Waldensian prop
aganda, young toughs repeatedly disrupted the procession and
showed their contempt by zigzagging through it with their hats on,
shouting obscenities, and ridiculing the priests and the sacred rites.
This wooden statue of the Virgin— a target of those vile insults—
was later purchased by Marquis [Dominic] Fassati when a new
silver-plated statue replaced it. The marquis then donated it to our
own church of St. Francis de Sales where it is still venerated.
Meanwhile Pius IX had regretfully acceded to a petition of King
Victor Emmanuel II on behalf of his subjects. The king had re
quested a reduction of the number of holy days in Piedmont so
that with more working days men could better provide for their
families. Since he could legitimately consent to this petition and
thereby reduce the number of potential occasions of breaking a
Church law, the Pope on September 6, 1853 decreed that the feasts
of the Circumcision, St. Maurice, the Purification, the Annuncia
tion, St. Joseph, Easter Monday, the Monday after Pentecost, and
St. Stephen would no longer be days of obligation. However, they
were to retain their liturgical rank.
Don Bosco regretted the downgrading of the feast of St. Maurice
and the martyrs of the Theban legion. To offset its effects he had
a picture of this glorious saint— the titular of many charitable in
stitutions in Piedmont— printed by the Doyen Press for distribution
on the feast day of the martyr, September 22. He was convinced
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
that the intercession of St. Maurice and his fellow martyrs had on
many occasions obtained heavenly protection for the Oratory.89
Don Bosco also wanted to manifest his devotion to the Blessed
Virgin in a special way. He therefore petitioned the chancery as
follows:
[September, 1853]
Very Reverend Vicar General:
For the last three years the Rev. John Bosco [with due permission]
has conducted a novena and celebrated the feast of the Holy Rosary in
a private chapel of his 8in the hamlet of Morialdo in the parish of Castel-
nuovo d’Asti. The novena services have consisted of a brief sermon and
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Permission to impart Benedic
tion was also granted for other feasts of the Blessed Virgin and of St.
Joseph. All the above services were always held at hours not conflicting
with scheduled parish functions and with the full consent of the local
pastor.
The petitioner requests Your Reverence to renew this permission for
three more years in order that the villagers may continue to be blessed
with the spiritual advantages they have heretofore derived (i.e., a plenary
indulgence on the feast of the Holy Rosary and an indulgence of three
hundred days for each day of the novena, as granted by our reigning
Pontiff). The petitioner hopes that this request will be granted.
Rev. John Bosco
The Vicar General replied:
Turin, September 20, 1853
Permission is herewith granted for one year. Authorization for a
longer period will be given if the request is submitted in good time.
Philip Ravina, Vicar General
Meanwhile, the October issue of Letture Cattoliche was ready
for distribution. It was an anonymous booklet entitled Family Dis
cussions on the Precepts o f the Church. The locale was set in the
workshop of a tailor whose son had absorbed impious notions dur
ing a stay in the capital. A priest answered the boy’s objections and
proved that the Church had the right to make laws. He also pointed
8 See Vo). II, pp. 233, 268. [Editor]
9 See Vol. Ill, pp. 313f. [Editor]
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out the great advantages that civil society derived from the precepts
of the Church.
After completing this task, Don Bosco took the boys to the usual
autumn outing toward the end of September. Just as he was alight
ing from the coach at Chieri with [John Baptist] Francesia and
several others, he encountered a gentleman who greeted him and
then asked if he remembered him. Don Bosco looked at him and
answered: “Yes, we met seven or eight years ago in Turin on the
bridge over the Po.” The gentleman was amazed because this was
exactly what had happened. Don Bosco’s memory was always pro
digious, indeed almost miraculous in its scope. In fact, for years
he could remember not only the names and features of the boys who
had already left the Oratory, but also those of their relatives. His
memory never grew dim.
As soon as he arrived at Becchi where his brother Joseph and his
mother were waiting for him, Don Bosco began the novena of Our
Lady of the Rosary; this gave him an opportunity to hear many
confessions. Other boys arrived with the Oratory choir. Everywhere
en route they had delightedly heard Don Bosco’s praises and lis
tened to stories of his boyhood. In Chieri they heard how mothers
used to tell their children: “You may go with Don Bosco, but abso
lutely with no one else,” while to Don Bosco himself they said:
“Make my boys as good as you are.”
Even as a boy, Don Bosco had been outstanding in all virtues,
but especially in the virtue of chastity. He had carefully avoided
any companions or acquaintances who were careless in their speech
and other habits. Mr. Charles Bertinetti of Chieri often took great
pleasure in telling young Angelo Savio 101of Don Bosco’s diligence
and piety which had so distinguished him among his schoolmates.
Father [Charles] Allora, Father Luzerna, and Father Francis
O ddenino11 told the boys that Don Bosco had been so exemplary
as a seminarian that his fellow students regarded him as a saint
and so called him. They recounted how he used to seek the friend
ship of those fellow seminarians whose conduct was something less
than edifying in order to give them good advice, and how his
10 Me became a Salesian priest and filled important positions in the Salesian
Society. He died in 1893. [Editor]
11 Fellow seminarians of Don Bosco. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
superiors held him up as a model of piety and temperance. They
also recalled that he never tried to get money for himself and that
he always generously assisted his companions in their studies.
In Castelnuovo people still remembered the day when he had
donned the clerical habit, the day of his first Mass, his edifying
demeanor at the altar, his extraordinary devotion, and the crowds
of boys who would surround him. The villagers fondly recalled the
virtues that marked his boyhood, his reserved manner, his modest
speech, and how parents had encouraged their children to seek his
company, so great was their belief in his upright and sterling char
acter. He was known to shun those who used immodest speech. At
Becchi his brother Joseph, in response to their questions, would
delight them with details of Don Bosco’s boyhood. “Even before
he donned the cassock,” he told them, “Don Bosco seized every
opportunity to talk about religion and piety with his young friends
and tell them stories about the saints. He prayed often, even when
working in the fields, and mothers would point him out to their
children as a model to imitate. He received the sacraments very
frequently. As he grew older, his desire to love God and make
others love Him grew even stronger. He loved to go to catechism
classes and sermons in order to be able to repeat what he had heard
to his companions and their families. Even as a young boy he was
strongly drawn to the virtue of purity; he was beyond reproach in
every act and very reserved even in his games. He never uttered a
single word that even remotely could allude to anything in the least
unseemly. No one ever saw him play with the little girls who lived
in the neighborhood.” Joseph’s testimony was also confirmed by
Father [Anthony] Cinzano, the pastor.
The boys loved to hear Don Bosco’s praises and enjoyed his
company immensely. It was remarkable how everything could give
him some inspiration to talk about God. The tiny flowers in the
meadows, the harvest lying in the fields, the juicy fruits hanging in
clusters from trees or vines, the discoveries made in the depths of
the earth— all served him as points of departure to talk about God’s
goodness and Providence. Sometimes at night he would stand in
the yard before his small house and contemplate the starry sky;
forgetting his fatigue from having heard so many confessions, he
would talk to the boys of the immensity, omnipotence, and wisdom
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of God. In all circumstances, he would raise his soul and that of
others to the contemplation of God and His infinite mercy so that,
as Father [Michael] Rua said, it often happened that his pupils felt
like the disciples at Emmaus: “Was not our heart burning within
us while He was speaking on the road?” [Luke 24, 32]
Don Bosco’s teaching and example also had a wholesome effect
on the villagers in that area. They too began to approach the sacra
ments more frequently, led by the example of the Oratory boys who,
while full of life and joy when playing, also knew how to pray
fervently and devoutly. Don Bosco often led them in bringing a fes
tive note and an example of piety to some neighboring parish or in
adding solemnity to some feast day with their singing. Many of the
villagers— particularly young boys— would gather around Don
Bosco. Even along the road he would give them some good advice
or persuasively recommend some act of devotion. These excursions
also served to make the Oratory known and to draw more boys to
its sheltering care.
On the feast of the Holy Rosary, Don Bosco invested John
Baptist Francesia with the clerical habit. Like Michael Rua and
Joseph Buzzetti, Francesia had decided to devote his life to the
service of his spiritual father. Don Bosco had great expectations
for them, and also for John Germano, [Joseph] Marchisio, and
[John] Ferrero, three other boys who had finished their Latin
studies. However, only one of them donned the cassock a few weeks
later, while the other two changed their minds for various reasons.
An incident occurred around this time which further enhanced
Don Bosco’s reputation. We shall report it here in Father John
Turchi’s own words:
During the summer of 1853 my companions and I used to go to
Father Matthew Picco for a course in rhetoric at his villa on the hills.
On one occasion, soaked with perspiration, we imprudently rested under
the cool shade of the trees. As a result, I caught a severe cold, lost my
appetite, and began to lose a great deal of weight. Don Bosco then sent
me home to recover. The local doctor bled me five times. I got rid of
my cold, but I was so weak that I had to lie in bed. In this condition
I probably would have ended up with consumption if Don Bosco had
not come to Castelnuovo a few weeks later for the feast of Our Lady
of the Rosary. He paid me a visit, and when he saw the state I was in,
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
he cheered me up and gave me his blessing, telling me that Xshould get
well quickly and return to the Oratory. I do not recall now whether or
not I got up the next day, but I certainly did get up very soon, and
after a brief period of convalescence I returned to the Oratory.
Thank God, I have not been sick since that time. I attribute my recov
ery to Don Bosco’s blessing, particularly since I did not take any medi
cine whatsoever after I received it.
Meanwhile the boys' joyous vacation at Becchi was drawing to
a close. Don Bosco was kept busy giving the last touches to an
almanac. A year before he had sadly noticed that the Waldensians
were making inroads with low-income families and were unobtru
sively but effectively proselytizing through an almanac entitled The
Family Friend. It was a friend in name only because it was filled
with doctrinal and moral errors and thus sowed the seeds of the
greatest evils on earth— irreligion and impiety. The Waldensians
gave a free copy to everyone they encountered. They left it on door
steps or threw it inside the house if a window had been left open;
they handed it out in the streets, stores, and workshops. Uneducated
people read it unsuspectingly; some even thought it was a pious
book. There was frequent mention of God, conversions, and the
sinner’s need of resignation and confidence in the fruits of Re
demption, but not a single word was devoted to the topics of con
fession, Holy Communion, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin. The
subtle undermining of the Faith went undetected in most cases or
was discovered too late. To counteract this undercover activity in
Turin and the whole of Piedmont and thereby unmask this false
“friend,” Don Bosco decided to use a similar weapon and compile
an attractive almanac.
At the beginning of that year [1853] he outlined his plan to
several persons who had offered to help him in writing and dis
tributing Letture Cattoliche. They were immensely pleased with
the idea, and all enthusiastically exclaimed: “Excellent! Excellent!”
“Do you have any suggestions for a title?” asked Don Bosco.
“It should be something catchy. Lots of people are influenced to
read a book just because it has a fancy title.”
There were several ideas proposed. Someone suggested that it be
called The True Family Friend, but Don Bosco instantly pointed
out that this would be indirect advertising of the Waldensian
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almanac. “Our title,” he said, “should be something altogether
different.” Titles such as The People’s Almanac, The Young People’s
Almanac, The Workers’ Almanac, and many others were proposed.
Don Bosco listened to all their ideas, and then told them that he
also had one to offer. All immediately grew silent to hear what
he had to say. After praising the various titles suggested, he added
that, notwithstanding their merit, they should be passed over in
favor of II Galantuomo; furthermore, he proposed that the almanac
be sent as a New- Year’s gift to subscribers of Letture Cattoliche.
The suggestion received unanimous approval. Since it was im
portant to beat the Waldensians at their own game and be a jump
ahead of them, Don Bosco devoted himself energetically to this
project, and by October [1853] the almanac was ready. Its official
title was II Galantuomo— National Almanac for the Year 1854 and
Other Useful Information.
After the Foreword there followed a listing of the members of
the royal family, the dates of eclipses, and brief directions for
watches operating on mean solar time such as used on the railroads.
The almanac proper listed the national and international fairs with
all the relevant information about them, the rates of exchange for
foreign currency, cooking recipes, moral and religious reflections,
interesting facts and ancedotes designed to enhance the people’s
appreciation of the priesthood, the confutation of certain Walden-
sian ideas, and some Italian and Piedmontese poems.
The almanac was a New Year’s gift to subscribers of Letture
Cattoliche and became an annual publication, starting with 16,000
copies but increasing year by year.2 Commenting on this, Father
Michael Rua remarked: “We cannot help wondering how Don
Bosco could sustain singlehandedly for many years the burdens
entailed by a publication exposing Waldensian errors, and then
continue it until his death with the help of other zealous writers.”
As if compiling II Galantuomo was not enough, when he re
turned to Turin in the fall, Don Bosco edited a brief elementary
Greek grammar and had the Marietti Press print two thousand
copies. We still have the invoice for this grammar; it is dated Feb
ruary 10, 1854.
- This almanac is still published. In 1955 its title was changed to Alntanacco per
Tutti (The People’s Almanac). [Editor]
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CHAPTER 55
Heroic Humility
JH-HE two issues of Letture Cattoliche for the second
half of October and the first half of November were entitled Henry
Buche: A Christian Workman. This anonymous biography in two
parts was printed by the De Agostini Press and dedicated to work
men in general. Buche was born of poor parents at the close of
the 16th century in the little town of Erlon in the duchy of Luxem
bourg. Even as a child he distinguished himself by diligently attend
ing the parochial catechetical instructions and by frequently receiv
ing the sacraments. He became a skilled shoemaker at an early age.
He chose SS. Crispin and C rispinian1 as his patron saints and,
following their example, dedicated himself to the eternal salvation
of workers. He left Erlon, and after living for many years in Luxem
bourg, he finally went to Paris. The object of his search was always
to find employers who were truly Christian. Wherever he went, the
spiritual welfare of workmen was his primary concern, and by dint
of personal initiatives, heroic sacrifices, and almsgiving, he was able
to persuade a great number of them to reform their lives and be
come good Christians. When he himself became foreman of a shop,
he proved himself to be even more than a father to his young fellow
workers. With seven of the more spiritual-minded among them, at
the age of fifty he formed a religious community within his own
home. With the approval of the archbishop of Paris, he drew up a
Rule and started the Pious Brotherhood of Shoemakers which soon
began to flourish in Paris and to spread to all parts of France and
over the border into Italy. Henry was elected superior of this new
1 Shoemakers by trade, they suffered martyrdom in 287 under Diocletian in
Soissons, France. They are the recognized patron saints of shoemakers and are
often portrayed with the tools of their trade. [Editor]
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religious congregation which had no habit, vows, or enclosure; its
members were bound only by charity and love for their work.
Although free to withdraw from the congregation at will, the mem
bers persevered, notwithstanding other attractions and persecutions.
The perfect and zealous observance of their Rule was such as to
befit truly fervent religious. They said prayers in common every
day, attended Mass, recited the rosary, read the life of the saint of
the day, and sang sacred hymns at certain intervals while at work.
On Sundays they went to confession, and after Mass they helped
their superior to convert sinners by visiting migrant workers, the
sick, and the imprisoned. Henry Ruche also founded the Pious
Brotherhood of Tailors— modeled on that of the shoemakers—
which enriched France with saintly workmen. These two brother
hoods provided employment and clothing, free apprenticeship for
orphans, and assistance for young workers, the old, and the sick.
Henry Buche’s most outstanding achievement, however, was his
effective contribution to the downfall of an impious secret society
called “The Workmen’s Brotherhood.” Every Sunday this group
held services with religious trappings to mask its true purpose. After
ward it held “brotherly banquets” during which the members aban
doned themselves to all kinds of revelry, impiety, licentiousness,
and sacrilege against the consecrated Host. These secret gatherings
took place all over France and abroad without anyone suspecting
their true purpose. Finally, the civil and ecclesiastic authorities
became aware of what was happening and took action against them.
It was then that Henry Buche, notwithstanding insults, calumnies,
and threats to his own life, succeeded in retrieving large numbers
of workmen from this infamous and hypocritical society, thus earn
ing the gratitude of the Paris clergy. The Workmen’s Brotherhood
completely disappeared within a few years.
Hale and hearty even at the age of 90 years, Henry Buche still
journeyed many miles on foot to visit his numerous houses. Ever
devoted to the Blessed Virgin, he died in 1696, still working at his
trade, and humble as only a saint can be.
This biography was admirably suited to the times, and Don Bosco
distributed it to his boys to strengthen them in their Faith. More
over, Letture Cattoliche, while ever more clearly showing his vast
sacred erudition and his zeal for souls, also confirmed the wide
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
spread opinion that Don Bosco was truly a holy man. The issue for
the latter part of November was entitled Unhappiness of a Recent
Apostate, It consisted of three conversations in which the apostate
told a Catholic friend that he had lost peace of mind, peace of heart,
and also his reputation. This work, too, was anonymous, but the
galley proofs in our possession, with many corrections in Don
Bosco’s handwriting, clearly attest to his patience and diligence.
Civilta Cattolica 2 appraised Letture Cattoliche as follows;
Many zealous priests spare neither effort nor expense in combating
heresy. Among these there is Don Bosco, a humble but highly com
mendable priest whom we have already had occasion to mention in this
periodical. He is the founder and publisher of Letture Cattoliche, a
monthly publication in defense of our Faith. Its fifth issue deals with
Islamism, the Greek schism, and the Waldensian sect whose true origin
and bad faith are exposed. The greatest merit of these booklets is that
they are doctrinally sound, written in a popular style, and very timely.
Don Bosco truly deserves our praise. We exhort parents to take a
deep interest in the Faith of their children and to avail themselves of
Letture Cattoliche in order to instill into their minds the seeds of an
up-to-date religious education.
Don Bosco’s sole purpose in writing was to do good. He did not
seek the praise of men. “My goal in preaching and writing,” he said,
“was always and solely that of making myself understood by using
a simple style and vocabulary.” He strove for simplicity both in
speaking and in writing. To ensure the achievement of that goal,
he made it a practice to ask uneducated people to read his manu
scripts and then tell him what they had read. For example, one day
Don Bosco read aloud to his mother a sermon in honor of St. Peter
in which he called St. Peter “clavigero” [key bearer]. Mamma M ar
garet interrupted him. “Clavigero? What does that mean?” Don
Bosco immediately discarded that word.
He deliberately avoided elegant or poetical expressions out of
humility. Bishop [John] Cagliero recalled: “During our friendly
conversations he would recite eloquent passages from Horace, Vir
gil, Ovid, and other Latin and Italian authors in order to encourage
us to study. Yet he never paraded his knowledge of the classics or
2 Fourth Year, Second Series, Volume III, 1853, p. 112.
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even hinted at it in his books by quoting them. Anyone who did
not know him very well, even though living under the same roof,
would never have suspected his vast classical erudition in Italian,
Latin, and Greek. ‘Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth
of the fool is imminent ruin.’ ” (Prov. 10, 14)
Despite his knowledge of history, geography, and literature, Don
Bosco always submitted his manusciipts— even those of secondary
importance— to people well versed in literature and science, such
as Silvio Pellico, Father Amadeus Peyron, and Father Matthew
Picco. He wanted them to express their opinion and make any
necessary correction. He was always grateful for their observations,
and even years later he would speak ahout them to bis pupils with
gratitude. “At times,” Bishop Cagliero told us, “he even humbled
himself by submitting his manuscripts or letters for benefactors to
us [young SalesiansJ. When some of his Salesians later received
degrees in literature, he asked them to go over his manuscripts,
humbly and gratefully accepting their corrections even when they
were untimely, unjustified, not in accordance with the opinions of
leading authors, or even unsolicited. Indeed, if they failed to make
any corrections, he would complain that they did so only to spare
his feelings. He did not take offense even when his critics were
hostile. He defended his point of view calmly and courteously only
when the correct interpretation of some Catholic doctrine or the
edification of his neighbors required it.3
In October 1853, about forty priests of Turin— most of them
extremely interested in the Christian education of youth— met in
the residence of Father Masucco, chaplain of the Istituto delle
Orfanelle, to discuss various trends of the day in relation to the
Church and the welfare of souls. They had chosen this meeting
place so as not to attract the attention of the anticlericals and the
Waldensians. Father Leonard Murialdo was among those present.
Father Amadeus Peyron, a great scholar who held the post of pro
fessor of Oriental languages at the Royal University of Turin, was
chairman. Don Bosco sat beside him. After various matters had
been discussed, someone suggested that popular educational pub
lications should be spread far and wide. Father Peyron concurred.
3 A scriptural quotation (Prov. 10, 8) has been omitted because it is no longer
apropos in the new Confraternity version. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
At this point Don Bosco asked for permission to speak, and he
urged the audience to help him propagate Letture Cattoliche,
pointing out to them that this was one of the most effective means
with which to counteract the false teachings of the Waldensians.
When Don Bosco had finished speaking, Father Peyron took the
floor. “That is all very true,” he said. “However, I made it a point
to read those pamphlets carefully, and I must say that if you want
results you must strive to improve their grammar, vocabulary, and
style. They should be more diligently corrected.” Such criticism
from so renowned an authority struck all those present as harsh
and caustic, even if motivated by honest zeal. Father Murialdo felt
sorry for his friend Don Bosco and wondered how he would react
to these adverse remarks that were all the more cutting and scath
ing because not all of the priests present were at that time well
disposed toward him. But Don Bosco gave no indication of having
been in any way offended, and he replied calmly and humbly: “It
is for this very reason that I entreat you to help and advise me in
this matter. I beg you to point out to me whatever needs correct
ing, and I’ll gladly cooperate. I would indeed be very happy if some
one in this group would agree to edit the manuscripts of Letture
C a tto lic h e When Father [Leonard] Murialdo disclosed this to us
in 1890, he remarked that he had never forgotten that scene, for
from that moment he believed that Don Bosco was truly a saint!
It is natural to be sensitive to criticism about one’s intellectual
abilities, especially when one has authored some particular work.
With that in mind, we can appreciate Don Bosco’s heroic virtue in
humbly accepting that berating. There was a certain justification
for the criticism inasmuch as some pamphlets, either anonymous
or translated from the French, had not been presented in smooth
and polished Italian. Not even Don Bosco’s painstaking care could
completely eliminate their original imperfections. Yet he offered
no excuse or said anything in his own defense; however, without
losing heart, he continued to write.
He well deserved the following praise that Father Murialdo
bestowed on him: “Ever since I became a close friend of Don
Bosco, I never detected the least imperfection that could detract
from his virtues. Everything about his demeanor and speech evinced
his humility. If he mentioned his great undertakings, it was only to
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justify his frequent appeals to public charity. This was in keeping
with the teaching of the Gospel: \\ . . that they may see your good
works and give glory to your Father in Heaven.’ ” [Matt. 5, 16]
Father Reviglio testified:
If at times Don Bosco spoke of matters redounding somewhat to his
honor, it was obvious that he did so only for our instruction and edifica
tion. He was never in the least affected by the extraordinary tokens of
respect shown him in the midst of what one may well call his triumphs;
he permitted certain enthusiastic manifestations of homage and love on
our part to train us to fulfill our duties of gratitude and filial piety and
to have the opportunity to whisper some timely salutary advice. His
manner and speech, his care to shun unnecessary honors, and his habit
ual and sincere conviction of his own nothingness afforded us a splendid
lesson in the virtue of humility.
Bishop John Cagliero gave us this evaluation:
Don Bosco practiced humility to a heroic degree by speaking humbly
of himself and readily accepting every kind of humiliation. He would
tell us of the humble condition of his parents, of his struggles to make
a living, and of the help he had received from charitable people—partic
ularly Father Cafasso—that enabled him to complete his studies for the
priesthood. He delighted in telling us these things, and he gloried in the
poverty of his family, thus instilling in us a great love for this virtue
which Our Lord himself had practiced and praised.
In his sermons and talks Don Bosco would remind us that the king
dom of God was for the poor in spirit, and that his mission was to help
the young whom Jesus so dearly loved, especially those who were poor
and derelict. His words were particularly effective because we could see
that they were matched by facts. When he used to call himself the leader
of the little rascals of Turin, he did so not as a boast, but merely as a
means to win the boys over and inspire them to be good. He enjoyed
being with us; occasionally, after returning from some visit to a noble
or prominent family, he would tell us: “I feel much more at home with
you; this is really where I belong.”
Father Turchi remarked:
Humble as he was, he acted amiably with both rich and poor. He
refrained from giving orders even to his boys. His usual approach was:
“Would you please do this or that?” He was so nice about it that he
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
obtained far more in this way than he would have by an order. He was
most appreciative of even the least thing done for him, as though he felt
he was not deserving of it. I once saw him come out of his room as
though in need of something. I went to him and asked him what he
wanted. “I am terribly thirsty,” he answered.
“Will some water and sugar do?” I inquired. “That’s all I have.”
“Oh, that would be fine!” he replied.
I brought it to him and he thanked me profusely as though I had
actually done him a great favor.
We shall close this chapter by quoting Father Michael Rua:
Don Bosco could have attained high Church positions; as a matter
of fact, several times they were offered to him, but he always declined.
In those days he could have easily obtained a teacher’s certificate or
diploma just by saying the word, but he never said it. Now and then
former pupils of the Oratory, after receiving academic degrees, would
return to pay him a visit. He would congratulate them and then add
charmingly that he himself could not even boast of a grammar school
teacher’s diploma. When anyone asked him if he had some civil or
ecclesiastical title, he would answer: “I’m just Don Bosco; nothing else!”
He was equally indifferent to honors or contempt. He thought of him
self as a mere instrument of God. He never used such expressions as
“I did” or “I want.” Instead he used the third person: “Don Bosco said”
or “Don Bosco wishes” or “Don Bosco recommends.” He often stressed
his inadequacies, saying again and again that if it had not been for God’s
assistance, the most he could have become would have been a pastor
in some mountain village. He attributed everything he did to God, say
ing: “With God’s grace we were able to do this. If God wishes, we shall
do that. God sent us His help. Thanks be to God for everything.” To
God alone he gave glory for all his undertakings. He also considered
himself an inept instrument in the hands of the Lord, and he attributed
the good he had done and was doing to the priests and to the former
pupils of the Oratory, even though they had by now long since departed.
If he met with any setback which affected the whole Oratory, he would
say: “Perhaps we did something wrong and the Lord is punishing us.
Let us do better and He will bless us.” Therefore he accepted all kinds
of afflictions with resignation, and he exhorted his boys to do likewise.
I recall that one day the revered prior of the Dominicans came to the
Oratory. Don Bosco, who never passed up an opportunity to practice
virtue, asked him to suggest some spiritual thought suitable for the
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whole community. The prior obliged by quoting St. Augustine; Prima
virtus est humilitas; secunda, humilitas; tertia, humilitas. [The first virtue
you should strive for is humility; the second is humility, and the third
is still humility.] That made us understand more than ever before why
Don Bosco insisted so much on this virtue. He often said that if we
would give him a little piece of our head—meaning our will—he would
make saints of us all. Almost every day he reminded us of St. Augustine’s
advice: “Do you want to be great? Start by being humble. Do you plan
a great structure? First make sure that it is founded on humility.”
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CHAPTER 56
First Workshops at the Oratory
^ F h E reconstruction of the new building which had col
lapsed proceeded so rapidly that by October half of it— including
the porticoes so necessary in bad weather— was ready for occu
pancy. Classrooms, dining room, and dormitories were immediately
relocated there; the old chapel became a large study hall. Within
a short time, the boarders numbered sixty-five. For his own quar
ters Don Bosco chose the last three rooms on the third floor of the
wing facing the new church. The first room, located at the juncture
of this wing with the main building, was assigned to two or three
boys who were to be at Don Bosco’s beck and call; the second room
served a double function as library and secretary’s office— at that
time the cleric Rua fulfilled this duty— and the third, which had a
window facing south, became Don Bosco’s room [until 1861] and
is now [1904] used as a waiting room. The furniture, which was
never replaced or refurbished, consisted of a small iron bed, odds
and ends donated by benefactors, several very plain chairs, a small
bare desk without drawers, an old dilapidated sofa, a wobbly shelf,
a simple kneeler for hearing confessions, a crucifix, and a few holy
pictures. For a long time [1853 to 1861] this one room served as
bedroom, reception room, and office.
When Don Bosco moved in, the room was so damp that every
morning its furnishings were dripping wet; if a pair of shoes re
mained under the bed for even two days, they became completely
moldy. The wallpaper that hopefully was to mask this flaw quickly
rotted, turned black, and peeled off completely. However, the urgent
need for space had made it imperative to move some of the boys
into the new building even though it was still damp. To forestall
any complaints and make the boys accept the changeover cheerfully,
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Don Bosco kindled their enthusiasm by emphasizing the advantages
of the new building and moving in himself. The boys followed suit
eagerly. True, it was a potentially risky decision from a human
point of view on account of the health hazards involved, but the
fact is that neither Don Bosco nor the boys suffered any ill effect,
as he had publicly assured them beforehand. He knew that Divine
Providence would not desert him in this regard.
After everyone was settled, Don Bosco immediately proceeded
with his plans to carry out a long-cherished project— namely, the
opening of workshops in the Oratory itself, regardless of the costs
involved. To send the boys to town every day for work, even after
a careful selection and supervision of the shops, was at least morally
dangerous, if not actually harmful, to discipline and character
formation, Irreligion and immorality were unfortunately on the rise.
Don Bosco was aware that on many occasions his boys had been
the target of ridicule and that this could undermine their moral and
religious education.
Even the streets through which the boys had to pass on their way
to work were crowded with newsstands peddling irreligion and im
morality. In the windows of bookstores and other shops, indecent
pictures, lewd statuettes, scandalous novels, and heretical books
were prominently displayed. All these things conspired to under
mine their Faith, notwithstanding Don Bosco’s various directives
and admonitions, and particularly his “Good Nights” at which he
made it a point to explain doctrinal or moral truths that might have
been attacked in the boys’ presence while they were at their jobs.
He also forewarned the boys constantly, both publicly and privately,
about the Waldensian errors and their dangerous consequences.
In his eagerness to protect as many boys as he could from spir
itual dangers, Don Bosco, with the help of some benefactors, pur
chased a few work benches and tools and started a shoe repair shop
in a small corridor of the Pinardi house near the church tower.
At the same time he selected several boys to learn the tailor’s trade
after converting the old kitchen into a shop. (The kitchen was now
located on the main floor of the new building at the far end of
what today is the winter reception room overlooking the garden.)
In both workshops the crucifix and the statue of the Blessed Virgin
were given a place of honor.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IR S OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
Immediately thereafter a significant material and spiritual im
provement became noticeable in the boys. Don Bosco himself—who
had learned something about the art of tailoring when he was a
boy 1— taught the young tailors. Likewise, while the Oratory stu
dents were attending school in town, Don Bosco would occasionally
sit at the cobbler’s bench to teach the boys how to handle their tools.
The operation of these two shops also reduced expenses somewhat,
inasmuch as the boys’ clothing and shoes did not wear out so
quickly. As new needs arose, Don Bosco established new workshops
to meet them. Father Ascanio Savio recalled: "I visited these shops
when they were opened in 1853. Don Bosco realized that the Ora
tory could not fully achieve its goals until it had its own workshops
and thus became a self-sufficient and fully developed organic unit.”
To run the shoe repair shop, Don Bosco appointed Dominic Goffi,
who also doubled as doorkeeper; a man named Papino was put in
charge of the tailor shop. The craftsmasters were responsible for
instruction, order, and discipline. In order to more efficiently secure
the achievement of these goals, Don Bosco drafted regulations for
the workshops.2 In this draft no mention was made of the “assistant”
because at that time Don Bosco personally supervised the shops.
The following year [1854] the office of prefect was established.
Don Bosco’s wish was to have all his young artisans continually
within his sight, but insufficient facilities still forced him to send a
certain number of them to town. Therefore, he felt constrained to
visit them more frequently in their shops and insist that their em
ployers watch over them solicitiously. Unfortunately, it was becom
ing increasingly difficult to find employers who had any concern
about the religious welfare of their workers. Preoccupied only with
the material and financial aspects, many of them refused to even
consider the possibility that such responsibility was truly theirs and
that they would be accountable to God for their failure in this
respect. On the other hand, the employees, when deprived of this
guidance, grew careless in the development of their spiritual life,
felt no need to sanctify their work, forgot their immortal destiny,
and, lacking the help provided by good example or by an authority
i See Vol. I, p. 174. [Editor]
-See Appendix 21. [Editor]
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that would compel observance of God’s laws on the more unruly
among them, easily fell prey to evil propaganda.
In one of the first issues of Letture Cattoliche, Don Bosco de
scribed this situation in the following manner:
When I enter a factory or a large workshop, seldom does much time
pass before I hear the adorable name of Jesus Christ uttered irreverently
amid angry imprecations and blasphemies that make the place sound
like hell itself. As I pass by some apprentices I shudder at their brazenly
obscene conversation. Elsewhere in the factory or shop a mature man
can be heard deriding the Church and her ministers; another is cursing
Divine Providence; still another, a shameless and irreligious old man,
sets himself up as the teacher of impiety and corruption to a crowd of
curious apprentices who thoughtlessly drink in his poison.
This, unfortunately, is the tragic spectacle which we observe today
in quite a few factories and workshops. If one were to ask these men
why they work so hard and wear themselves out from morning until
night, they will answer: “To earn our living.” “Good! That suffices for
the needs of the body, but what about your soul? Do you ever give
any thought to that?” The only answer is laughter! “Poor people, aren’t
you afraid that this will lead you to eternal damnation?” “The only
things we’re afraid of are becoming sick, losing our job, and having a
hard time in our old age.” “And when you are dead?” Again they laugh.
Their only concern is for this life.
Worried mothers often came to Don Bosco seeking ways to get
their sons out of the corruptive environment of factories and shops
and to place them where they could learn a craft or trade without
losing their souls. Don Bosco did his utmost to help them— some
times even with jobs outside Turin through his many connections—
but he was determined not to rest until he could provide for the
training of hundreds of young artisans in the Oratory under his
direct supervision.
But this was not all. His perceptive mind saw the dangers threat
ening all nations, and he realized how necessary it was to find a
Christian solution to the pressing problems besetting the working
class. Socialism was on the move in several neighboring countries
and now was also threatening Italy. Agitators and leaders of secret
societies became convinced that the future lay in the hands of those
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
who would be able to control the minds of the labor force. They
therefore began to degrade them morally with a truly satanic zeal
in order to condition them for every excess and thus be able to use
them as a stepping stone to power. On his part Don Bosco had
resolved to prevent such a disaster through the young workers them
selves. He would lead them back to the practice of religion, for
religion alone would make them happy with their station in life
by leading them to the path of charity and sacrifice. He explained
to them that Our Lord Himself had honored and glorified manual
labor during His mortal life by choosing to be a simple workman
the same as they. In addition, he often described to them their
eventual triumphal entry into heaven when they would reap an
everlasting reward for the pains and hardships of this world.
However, Don Bosco realized that he would not be able by him
self to carry out his plans for Christian workshops, oases of peace
and joyous and blessed activity from which his pupils would one
day go forth to all parts of this earth bravely facing the trials of
life and unswervingly following the path God had traced for them.
In his overall concept, they were to function as soldiers defending
both the Church and civil society in Catholic workmen’s associa
tions. But long experience had taught him that individual enter
prises generally fade away after the death of the very men who had
created them. That is why he never gave up his dream of founding
a religious congregation designed to achieve this specific purpose.
It was Divine Providence who was inspiring him in this regard, just
as it had inspired hundreds of his contemporaries, both men and
women, to found societies that would assist workers in all their
needs. The powerful and wholesome influence of these associations
is undoubtedly one of the reasons for the relentless opposition they
encountered at that time and continue to encounter even to this day.
Thus in 1853, without the fanfare that seems to be the fashion
nowadays even for trivial ventures, Don Bosco began another vast
undertaking, but on so modest a scale that it seemed to be merely
a trial project, even though it was not. It seemed as though a voice
had said to him: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; on your
own intelligence rely not; in all your ways be mindful of Him and
He will make straight your path.” (Prov. 3, 5)
This undertaking was indeed destined to become one of world
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wide proportions. In the course of fifty years, more than 300,000
young workers left Don Bosco’s trade schools and settled all over
the world. Today thousands of boys who otherwise would roam the
streets and become blind instruments of revolution are instead
steadily molded into useful and upright citizens.
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CHAPTER 57
Two Admirable Teachers
T H E increase in the number of artisans boarding at the
Oratory was matched by a similar increase of students. The estab
lishment of this new section was truly providential and, in our
opinion, divinely inspired. Many of the boys recommended to Don
Bosco by government officials, municipal authorities, pastors, par
ents, and relatives came from families who had suffered financial
reverses. Having been raised in comfortable circumstances, many
of these boys did not always adapt easily to vocational training, for
which they were not especially suited. Others were so gifted that
it seemed a shameful waste of their talents to train them for inferior
occupations instead of giving them a more advanced education to
the greater advantage of society. In such cases, therefore, Don
Bosco— who as far as possible took into consideration the needs,
circumstances, and aptitudes of the boys— would assign them to
studies. Thus, whereas in 1850 the students had numbered only 12,
in 1853 there were as many students as artisans.
This new section enabled the Oratory to aid a greater number
of poor families by educating gifted boys who otherwise, because of
financial difficulties, would not have had the opportunity to make
the most of their talents. From that time on the Oratory provided
society not only with able craftsmen but also with well-educated
office workers; more important still, it became an institution which
nurtured priestly and religious vocations for the diocese and for the
Oratory itself. With these new recruits Don Bosco was eventually
able to give a civil and moral education to thousands of poor boys
in both hemispheres.
We have already mentioned that during the scholastic year
1851-52 Don Bosco, lacking the time to teach Latin himself, had
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begun to send all his students to the private schools of Professor
Joseph Bonzanino and Father Matthew Picco for their junior and
senior high school classical courses. These two top educators will
ingly accepted Don Bosco’s students gratis, thus earning the ever
lasting gratitude of the Oratory. Since both of them were personable,
learned, and revered gentlemen, their schools enjoyed an excellent
reputation. Prosperous families eagerly entrusted their sons to them,
and these boys greatly benefited from the education they received.
Don Bosco sent his boys to these classes in two groups, since
Father Picco’s school was located near St. Augustine’s Church and
Professor Bonzanino’s near St. Francis of Assisi’s. Junior high school
students formed one group, while those taking courses in the human
ities and rhetoric comprised the other. On their way to and from
school both groups had to follow a strictly laid out itinerary. This
made their journey substantially longer, but the boys obeyed in
structions unquestioningly. If at times they asked the reason, Don
Bosco would reply: “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”
[1 Cor. 15, 33] When they grew older they understood why he had
given them such instructions. The cleric Rua— who himself went
to philosophy classes taught by the seminary professors Father
[Joseph] Mottura and Father [Lawrence] Farina 1— was in charge
of both groups. Canon [August] Berta always delighted in recalling
how he had given Michael Rua a refresher course in those subjects.
At these two private schools the Oratory students rubbed elbows
with the children of the most prominent families in Turin. We can
not but admire the wisdom of Divine Providence in leading them
to a school where they could form close ties with boys who one day
would fill important positions in the local and national governments.
These officials, fondly remembering their school days, generally
were delighted to help their former companions in whatever ways
they could. Moreover, the good conduct, intelligence, and diligence
of the Oratory boys soon became known to actual and potential
benefactors. Amazingly, none of the patrician families withdrew
their sons from these two schools which had enrolled paupers, nor
did they even make a single complaint; on the contrary, they seemed
quite pleased, even though those days could hardly be considered
the age of democracy.
1See Vol. Ill, p. 429. [Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
In justice we should now give due praise to Father [Matthew]
Picco and Professor [Joseph] Bonzanino for their Christian and, we
may add, heroic charity in risking a boycott of their schools by the
wealthy families of Turin and the loss of their own livelihood. To
place poorly clad boys of humble station side by side with finely
dressed young gentlemen who were fully conscious of their higher
social standing was quite a risk. The only basic precaution that
Professor Bonzanino took was to meet the Oratory boys at the door
and instruct them to remove their army surplus overcoats. These
coats protected the boys against inclement weather, but they were
moth-eaten and so poorly tailored that those who wore them
appeared ludicrous or suspicious, as [Charles] Tomatis found out
one day while on his way to art school. As he sat down on a public
bench along one of the avenues, he was instantly approached by
two policemen who asked to see his identification papers. Tomatis
innocently replied that the only kind of paper he had was drawing
paper, which he then took out of his pocket. He also gave his name,
address, and occupation. When the policemen asked how Don
Bosco managed to house and feed so many boys, Tomatis answered
simply; “Divine Providence!”
“You don’t say!” replied the policemen in a derisive tone.
“That’s right,” Tomatis added, “the same Divine Providence that
keeps you in good health and provided me with this overcoat.”
After asking a few more questions, the policemen left him in peace.
In the beginning this army surplus apparel resulted in some gibes
and taunts, but soon the novelty wore off and Don Bosco’s boys
were no longer ridiculed throughout the many years during which
they wore those overcoats. Nevertheless, Professor Bonzanino was
justified in regarding them as unsuitable apparel to be worn in the
presence of rich young boys who all too often were prone to have
fun at the expense of others.
As we have said, only a few of Don Bosco’s students attended
the classes of Father Picco and Professor Bonzanino during that
first year [1851-52]. However, their number gradually increased up
to a hundred and almost swamped the facilities of these two private
schools from whose tuition the two professors earned their liveli
hood. Don Bosco saw to it that the parents, relatives, or guardians
of his boys paid regular monthly fees whenever possible. On his
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part, he contributed a yearly fee of fifty lire and gradually increased
that amount according to his means.
Father Picco and Professor Bonzanino never refused to accept
any boy recommended by Don Bosco. His manner of asking their
cooperation was so persuasive that they could not refuse, as we can
see from the following letter to Professor Bonzanino:
My dear professor,
Turin, December 28, 1853
I have two more boys to send you. The first one, named Caros si, is
in the fourth grade and would like to start Latin. He can afford to pay.
I think he should be assigned to Mr. Pasquale’s class. The second is a
boy named Anfossi, and I think he belongs in junior high. He was recom
mended to me by the sister and sister-in-law of Bishop [John] Losana
of Biella. I believe they will pay the fees.
I hope you can tuck the two boys into some little corner where they
can listen to your invaluable lessons. First look them over, and then
decide in Domino what you think best.
May the Lord bless you and all your students. My thanks for every
thing you do on behalf of my poor boys. You may count on me for any
help I might be able to give you.
Most gratefully yours,
Fr. John Bosco
Both boys were admitted. One of them, John Baptist Anfossi,
had been brought to Turin as a boy of 13 on December 22 [1853]
by Bishop Losana’s sister. Everyone in Turin now knows him as
Father Anfossi, honorary canon of the collegiate church of the
Holy Trinity, doctor in literature and philosophy, and knight of the
Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus. Around 1900, Father Anfossi
told us of the great esteem he had felt for Don Bosco from the first
moment of his arrival at the Oratory:
When I came to the Oratory in 1853, everyone there was convinced
that Don Bosco had performed miracles. The older boys told me so,
and all of us—a total of fifty-one, not including the clerics—were un
shaken in our belief that he had raised the dead 2 and multiplied hosts 3
^ See Vol, HI, pp. 349ff. [Editor]
3Ibid., pp. 3Ilf. [Editor]
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and chestnuts.4 They also told me about the multiplication of bread.
According to Oratory custom, when there was a general Communion,
all the boys received a bun and something else to go with it for break
fast. On these occasions, hundreds of day boys came, but there was no
sure way to foresee even the approximate number. Nevertheless, even
though at times there was not enough bread in the house, somehow
everyone got his share.
I knew Mamma Margaret too. I admired her spirit of sacrifice and
her total dedication to the welfare of the boys. Whenever we needed
anything, we would go to her; if she could, she always helped us, and
she encouraged us to pray and to be good. She was revered by everyone,
even by high-ranking visitors.
Don Bosco often visited Father Picco and Professor Bonzanino
to discuss the Latin classics. He also urged the two professors to
correct all the Latin homework of his boys and point out the errors
to them. He considered this the most effective way to help them
learn languages. He constantly repeated this advice later on to the
Oratory teachers. When the Oratory students presented themselves
for their examinations in private or public schools, Don Bosco did
not abandon them. He would call on their examiners, and they
obligingly would allow him to see his pupils’ written tests. He
would read them carefully, check the corrections, and defend his
charges if they had been unjustly faulted. He did this with fault
less competence, and the examiners never failed to be amazed at
his deep and vast knowledge of Latin literature.
Don Bosco also repaid the generosity of Father Picco and Pro
fessor Bonzanino by solicitously looking after the spiritual welfare
of all their pupils. Since these two private schools offered only
academic subjects, Don Bosco began in 1853 to teach religion there
every Saturday, and he continued to do so for many years. He
taught both the boarders and the day students one hour a week.
He would usually dwell on seme incident of church history, a par
able, or a moral tale that would encourage them to confess fre
quently. He also gave them catechism lessons, and each month
he heard their confessions at the Oratory. In every respect he exer
cised a salutary influence over them and over other boys of the
most noble families of Turin. Canon John Baptist Anfossi recently
4 Ibid., pp. 404ff. [Editor]
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told us: “I frequently hear prominent people and members of the
aristocracy— former schoolmates of mine— talk gratefully about
Don Bosco’s religious instruction and about the joy they experi
enced in going to confession to him.”
Don Bosco enjoyed the confidence of the parents as well as of
the boys, and very often he was able to restore peace in their
families if some friction developed through misunderstanding or
the misbehavior of one of their sons. A certain boy, whose name
began with “C” and who had previously frequented the festive ora
tory at Valdocco, one day [in 1853] ran away from home after a
sharp reprimand from his father and sought refuge at the Oratory.
Don Bosco agreed to let him stay there and calmed him down;
then he informed the father of the boy’s whereabouts and prepared
the lad to make a good confession. After a month he escorted him
back home where he was received with open arms. The boy grew
into a fine upright citizen, studied law, and became the counselor
to the Court of Appeals.
Don Bosco was also an intimate friend of the boys’ teachers, and
they in turn held him in great esteem. In this connection we shall
relate a noteworthy incident. Don Bosco generally spent Father
[Matthew] Picco’s name day, September 21, in the latter’s summer
home, within which there was also a chapel. Therefore, on Septem
ber 20, 1853, Don Bosco set out in the late afternoon with young
John Francesia. The lad was carrying a supply of firecrackers for
the celebration, and he was also to read a poem in honor of Father
Picco at the close of the name day dinner. They left the city through
the Casale gate and then took a road at the foot of the hill of
Superga. Walking through St. Martin’s valley they began the ascent
to the professor’s summer house, a white landmark atop one of the
hills.
In Don Bosco’s company there was never an idle moment. He
always had something interesting to say or propose that was both
delightful and useful. After a while, they reached a spot named
after SS. Bino and Evasius. As Don Bosco was telling Francesia
the wonderful life story of these two saints, a group of young boys
appeared from behind a clump of trees and began to pelt Don Bosco
with stones. This was their usual pastime when anyone— especially
a priest— ventured that way. Don Bosco turned around and calmly
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walked toward them, but they immediately began to run away. He
then shouted to them to stop and come back, promising that he
would not hit or scold them. At his words the boys halted.
“I have something to give you!” Don Bosco went on. As he said
this, he took some medals out and held them up for their inspec
tion. The bolder lads drew nearer, saying: “We didn’t throw the
stones. It was the boys over there hiding behind those mulberry
trees!”
“You boys come over here too!” said Don Bosco. “Let’s be
friends! I know you did it only for fun.” The boys came out of
hiding and ran to him.
“How about some cherries?” Don Bosco continued.
“We could eat a whole bushel of them,” they chorused. (Don
Bosco told us that this kind of approach always worked and that
by spending a few soldi on fruit he was able to make friends with
almost any boy.)
“Pits and all?”
“Yes, pits and all.”
“Now tell me one thing. Do you go to Mass and catechism class
on Sundays?”
“Yes, Father!”
“Where?”
“To our parish church,” some answered, while others replied:
“We go to Don Bosco’s Oratory in Borgo Vanchiglia. On important
feast days we get a free breakfast.”
With a smile, Don Bosco said: “What! You go to Don Bosco’s
Oratory, and then you throw stones at him?”
“Are you Don Bosco?”
“That’s who I am.”
“Oh, Father, we’re sorry.”
Meanwhile their parents had come there to see what was happen
ing, and when they overheard the conversation, they scolded their
children and offered their profuse apologies to Don Bosco.
“Let’s just forget the whole thing,” Don Bosco replied. “Don’t
scold these good boys; they didn’t mean any harm.” He was well
aware that such an approach would win over both the parents and
the boys, whereas harsh words would only alienate everyone.
However, as he took his leave, he urged the parents to exercise
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great care in the character development of their children and to
see to it that they were faithful in the observance of their Christian
duties. He also urged them to instill in their children respect for
priests and religious, pointing out that children brought up in this
manner would also respect their parents and help them in their
old age.
It was now getting dark. Tipping his hat to all present, Don
Bosco took his leave and continued on his way while the people
gathered in small groups and commented favorably on his words.
His recommendations had their effect. From that time Father Picco,
who had often been pelted with stones on that road and who usually
suggested another route to his visitors, was never shown the slightest
sign of disrespect. When he learned the reason, he remarked repeat
edly: “No wonder! It was Don Bosco. Only he could have brought
this change about.”
Father Picco, Professor Bonzanino, and other teachers, especially
if they were priests, derived great spiritual benefit merely by talk
ing with Don Bosco. Without even realizing it, they gradually
dropped their worldly habits, became more spiritual, and managed
to overcome some of their annoying habits. Don Bosco’s demeanor
and his prudent conversation invariably had wholesome effects. We
could cite many instances to substantiate this statement, but we
shall limit ourselves to the following report of Father [John Baptist]
Francesia:I
I knew a good priest who was also a capable teacher. As was the cus
tom with some priests many years ago, he wore a habit that reached
only to the knees, whereas the priests who were more careful about the
exact observance of regulations wore it longer, almost to their ankles.
As soon as this priest became acquainted with Don Bosco, almost at
once, without anyone suggesting it to him, he began to lengthen his
habit by a few inches every year until there was no difference between
his cassock and that of other priests.
This priest was very quick-tempered. On some days, despite his
efforts at self-control, he would put the whole household on edge, and
woe to anyone who got on his nerves on such occasions. Once I was
with him when his sister brought him a cup of coffee, not realizing that
she had forgotten the teaspoon. Ordinarily that would have triggered
a stormy tirade. However, to the astonishment of everyone present,
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
he turned to her with a smile and, shaping his hand into a scoop, re
marked: “How about a little something for the sugar?” His sister could
hardly believe his gentle manner, for he had never acted so courteously
before then. Later she told me confidentially: “We have to thank Don
Bosco for this! Before he met Don Bosco, a mere trifle like forgetting
a teaspoon would have ruined the day for everyone in the house. But
nowadays he is constantly cheerful and everyone is happy!”
Like their spiritual father, the Oratory students were greatly
admired by their companions for their exemplary conduct. They
were very fond of Father Picco and Professor Bonzanino, and their
affection was thoroughly reciprocated. We might justly call these
two professors the patriarchs of Salesian teachers because they
trained a goodly number of those who were destined by the Lord
to work with Don Bosco in educating the young. They considered
themselves blessed to have had such pupils as [Michael] Rua,56
[John] Cagliero,0 [John Baptist] Francesia,7 [Francis] Cerruti,8 and
many others who were consistent models of attentiveness, diligence,
and achievement, and whose example inspired their friends who
came from prosperous families to be more responsive to their
teachers. In their declining years these two professors often fondly
recalled how their success with the Oratory boys had amply com
pensated for the troubles and disappointments they had experienced
with the other pupils.
Don Bosco’s boys were greatly loved by their companions, and
thus the greatest harmony reigned at these two schools. Special
feast days were often observed by a joint celebration. Just as their
schoolmates often flocked to the Oratory, Don Bosco’s boys joined
their well-to-do companions in honoring St. Aloysius Gonzaga with
great solemnity in the Regia Basilica Magistrate.9 A t that time
5 The first successor of St. John Bosco as Superior General of the Salesian
Society. [Editor]
6 The first Salesian bishop and cardinal. [Editor]
7 A poet and writer, he also filled important positions in the Salesian Society.
[Editor]
8 A member of the Superior Chapter of the Salesian Society. [Editor]
8 Constructed in 1679 on the site of the former St. Paul’s Church as the seat
of the Confraternity of the Holy Cross, in 1728 by decree of King Victor
Amadeus II it became the titular church of the Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus.
Its official title was “Basilica of the Equestrian Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus.”
[Editor]
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religion was still the inspiring and dominating factor in education,
and St. Aloysius Gonzaga was the official patron and model of stu
dents. On this occasion the Oratory boys used to vie with their
schoolmates in composing and reciting sonnets expressing their
devotion to this saint who was an angel in human flesh. Don Bosco
particularly treasured those composed in 1854.
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CHAPTER 58
Spirituality at the Oratory
£ 1 L T this point it would be fitting to describe the day-to-
day Oratory routine. Until 1858 Don Bosco ran the Oratory as a
large family; the boys really felt as if they had never left their homes.
There was no marching in file from one place to another, the super
vision was not stern, and the rules were few and based on common
sense. For example, in the morning, as the boys went to Mass, each
of them moved a small wooden peg to a hole next to his own name
on a board at the church entrance. If any boy was still in bed, it
thus was immediately noticeable. This system worked because con
science was their guide.
During the daily Mass the boys said their morning prayers and
the rosary; afterward there was a period of fifteen minutes devoted
to spiritual reading. Although a certain number of boys went to
daily Communion, the majority received once a week.
At noon both the students and the artisans returned for lunch;
then they engaged in an hour’s recreation before resuming their
classes or jobs in town. At four in the afternoon, the students re
turned to the Oratory for a snack and recreation while the artisans
took their snack at their jobs.
Don Bosco loved his boys liked a father, and he patiently studied
their characters while joining in their games and songs. It was an
edifying and heartwarming sight to see them vying with one an
other to get closer to him and enjoy his interesting and pleasant
conversation. This meant a lot to them because they not only loved
him but revered him as a saint. On his part, Don Bosco entertained
them with amusing or edifying stories, while also taking advantage
of the opportunity to deliver some timely admonition or correction.
His words were received as inspired by God.
474
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The students went to the study hall at five and stayed there until
supper time. Since two and a half hours of mental work would
have been excessive, during the last twenty minutes they could relax
listening to some instructive and edifying story read aloud by a boy.
After supper all practiced singing.
At nine o’clock they said night prayers— on the porticoes in the
summer and in the old Pinardi shed in the winter, since Don Bosco
did not want to give his friendly little talk after night prayers in
church lest it might seem to the boys like another sermon. This
arrangement gave him a welcome opportunity to comment on or
rectify some minor breach of discipline in his gentle persuasive way
or— occasionally— with a most effective fatherly severity. The boys
said their night prayers kneeling on the bare floor with Don Bosco
in their midst. Afterward he would mount a chair or rostrum to
give the usual “Good Night.”
Don Bosco had a wonderful gift for inspiring love of God and
the Blessed Virgin in his young charges, for encouraging them to
practice a particular virtue, and for pointing out ways to progress
spiritually. At times he filled them with a horror for sacrilegious
Communion or moved them deeply by commending himself very
humbly to their prayers, voicing St. Paul’s sentiments: “Lest per
haps after preaching to others, I myself should be rejected.” [1
Cor. 9, 27] However, his “Good Nights” did not always deal with
weighty matters. Unless he had something to suggest that would
enable the Oratory to function more smoothly, he would explain
the name and symbolism of sacred vestments such as the dalmatic,
the amice, and the chasuble, or the meaning of expressions like
Dominus vobiscum, Kyrie eleison, Hallelujah, and Am en. He also
spoke of contemporary technical achievements, but in doing so
he always managed to draw those moral reflections that were dear
est to his heart. He did not neglect to relate to them the history
of the various feasts in honor of the Mother of God, and frequently
he gave them a brief synopsis of the life of the saint whose feast was
to be observed on the following day. His first pupils still remember
how he vividly described Saint Isidore, the farmer who prayed as
he ploughed his fields while two angels helped him with two other
ploughs. They also recalled his description of the boyhood of Saint
Cyril of Caesarea in Cappadocia who because of his Faith was
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
ridiculed by his schoolmates, driven from his father’s house, and
imprisoned. The judges then vainly tried to frighten him by pretend
ing that he was to be thrown into the fire; finally, he proved worthy
to receive the crown of martydrom. His parting words were: “Re
joice in my triumph. You have no idea of the glory and happiness
that await me!”
After his short talk, Don Bosco would remain to whisper a con
fidential word to those who approached to bid him good night and
seek some advice. He had their spiritual welfare so much at heart
that he would have stayed up all night if necessary. Finally, all the
boys would retire to their dormitories, mulling over the holy things
they had heard. As they went to bed one of the boys would read
aloud from a spiritual book. Thus the whole day’s program aimed
at improving them spiritually, morally, and mentally.
Their solid piety was the result of their firm belief in their Faith.
In his Sunday instructions Don Bosco used to expound to them
events from church history and the lives of the Popes, drawing
timely moral lessons for their daily life. The boys found his sermons
so interesting that they truly looked forward to them. Frequent
reception of Communion nourished their spiritual life. As for con
fessions, Don Bosco enjoyed the unlimited confidence of practically
all of them, and he willingly heard them at any time. To safeguard
their sense of security and freedom, however, he saw to it that
Father [Francis] Marengo and other priests were available every
Saturday evening even as late as eleven o’clock.
The boys were always conscious of the presence of God. All
over the Oratory, large inscriptions proclaimed: “God sees you.”
With this constant reminder Don Bosco was able to teach them
recollection when at prayer, stressing that prayer was a very effec
tive personal colloquy with God. Consequently, the boys recited
very devoutly even the short prayers before and after study, work,
and meals. His own example was most effective. Everyone could
see that he was diligent in his practice of piety and in his daily
meditation and prayers; all were edified by his devout demeanor
in church or when reading his breviary, even when it was gravely
inconvenient for him to do so. The spirit of piety of many of the
Oratory boys was truly admirable and caused them to be regarded
as models of virtue. Don Bosco thought so highly of them that
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Spirituality at the Oratory
A ll
when he met with serious difficulties, he would ask them to say
special prayers so that he might obtain what he needed.
Priests in charge of boys’ boarding schools frequently came to
inquire about the practices of piety at the Oratory. Once a priest
began to chide Don Bosco about what he considered excessive
prayer, but Don Bosco replied: “I do not ask any more prayers of
them than one would ask from any good Christian, but I do strive
to teach them to pray devoutly.”
The boys’ sincere piety was particularly evident on the first Thurs
day of every month when they made the Exercise for a Happy
Death. Don Bosco attached great importance to this practice. He
used to say: “I think we can be reasonably certain that a boy will
save his soul if he makes his confession and receives Communion
every month as though they were his last.” He would remind them
about the practice a few days in advance in order to put them in
the right frame of mind. They responded with a concentration and
eagerness beyond their years that testified to the effectiveness of
his exhortations. For many years, several distinguished laymen from
town used to join the boys in the Exercise for a Happy Death. After
the general Communion and the loud and clear recitation of the
prayers for a happy death, Don Bosco always added a Pater and
A ve for the one among those present who would be the first to
die. This always made a great impression on all and inspired them
to greater fervor. On these Thursdays something was added at
breakfast to solemnize the occasion. On such days, Don Bosco,
while in the midst of a large crowd of boys, would remark: “How
wonderful it would be if we died today.” Now and then, when win
ter had passed, Don Bosco would hold the Exercise for a Happy
Death in some church on the outskirts of town to the great edifica
tion of those present.
On the day of the Exercise for a Happy Death the boys not only
faithfully carried out the customary practices of piety but truly
acted as though that day might be their last on earth; when they
went to bed they even laid themselves out in the manner of the
deceased. They longed to fall asleep clasping the crucifix; indeed,
many of them truly wished that God would call them to Himself
that very night when they were so well prepared for the awesome
step into eternity. One day Don Bosco remarked to Father [John]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Giacomelli: “If everything is going so well in the Oratory, it is
mainly because of the Exercise for a Happy Death.” Father Leonard
Murialdo recalled: “Once Don Bosco took about sixty boys to my
summer house for a picnic. While conversing with me, he remarked
that if one of the boys were to die suddenly during the night, he
would feel tranquil about the boy’s eternal salvation. More than
anything else this shows the real worth of Don Bosco’s method of
education.”
The spirit of prayer reigning at the Oratory and the earnest effort
of the boys to achieve personal sanctity earned for them the protec
tion of the Divine Shepherd. In fact, during all the principal novenas
of the year, especially those in honor of the Blessed Virgin, if any
evil person managed to sneak in disguised in sheep’s clothing, he
was discovered and forced to flee.
Meanwhile, to better insure the smooth running of the Oratory,
Don Bosco invited Father Anthony Grella to assume the responsi
bilities of the office of catechist at Valdocco. This good priest had
always zealously helped Don Bosco from the very beginning and
fully enjoyed his trust. He accepted and fulfilled this duty with great
dedication in 1853 and 1854. Later he was appointed chaplain at
a hamlet called Gorra, near Carignano, where he remained until
his death. He was a priest revered by all. The indisputable efficacy
of his prayers earned him the veneration of his flock who called
him “the saint of G orra.”
Undoubtedly, his prayers and those of the boys contributed to
the success of Letture Cattoliche. This publication had already done
much good and was destined to continue to do so, aided in no small
measure by the blessing of the Holy Father. At the completion of
the first six months of publication, Don Bosco had the first twelve
issues handsomely bound into six small volumes and presented them
to Pius IX through the good offices of James Cardinal Antonelli,
Secretary of State. The Pontiff was highly pleased with the gift, and
he instructed Cardinal Antonelli to acknowledge it, as follows:
Rome, November 30, 1853
Very Reverend and dear Father:
I was delighted to present to the Holy Father the six bound volumes
representing the first six months of publication of Letture Cattoliche
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479
that you founded to protect the common people from the snares per
sistently laid by the enemies of our Faith and those hostile to truth.
His Holiness took great pleasure in speaking to me of your industrious
zeal by which you have provided the faithful with such timely guidance.
He was also gratified to learn that this publication has so quickly won
the acceptance that you and your co-workers anticipated.
As a token of his gratitude, the Holy Father gladly grants your wish
and hereby imparts his apostolic blessing to you, and to all those coop
erating with you in the publication of Letture Cattoliche, in the hope
that it may contribute to the steady growth of your edifying apostolate.
I also wish to thank you for your kind gift to me. With the greatest
regard, I remain,
Yours devotedly,
James Cardinal Antonelli
The cardinal’s letter renewed Don Bosco’s strength. Notwith
standing his meager financial resources, he was toying with the idea
of starting a printshop of his own at the Oratory when he received
the following letter from Stresa:
Dear Reverend Father and friend:
Stresa, December 7, 1853
As I was thinking about your fine work on behalf of young artisans,
I remembered a somewhat similar institute founded in Brescia1 by a
zealous priest. I believe his name was Father Bellati. In order to pro
vide work for some of those poor youngsters and at the same time
secure a source of income for their upkeep, he opened his own print-
shop. I thought I would mention this to you. Maybe you could do the
same at Valdocco. In that case, I would be willing to provide a modest
sum to help you get started. I imagine that your two major difficulties
would be to find an honest and expert foreman and an efficient and
dependable manager.
A printshop of this kind could produce fliers, pamphlets, and similar
items. There is a demand for such things, and you could count on
receiving orders from my own Institute of Charity.
Please think it over and let me know. With the deepest esteem, I
remain,
Your servant and brother in Christ,
Fr. Antonio Rosmini
1A town in northern Italy some fifty miles east of Milan. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Don Bosco was delighted with the suggestions contained in this
letter, but he did not let himself be carried away by an easily
aroused enthusiasm. He replied as follows:
Letture Cattoliche
(which I warmly recommend to Father Rosmini)
Office of the Editor
Very Reverend and dear Father:
Turin, December 29, 1853
Before attempting this reply I took stock of my financial situation and
of the difficulties which might crop up in connection with our proposed
printshop.
Let me say first that such a project has been one of my principal
objectives for a number of years, and that only the lack of funds and
space has prevented its execution. There is indeed a crying need for a
dependable printshop combining quality of work with economy of opera
tion. To acquire a good foreman and an efficient and honest manager
will not present any particular problem. What does concern me is the
cost that would be entailed in making alterations in the building now
under construction and the initial outlay for the equipment. However,
since you are prepared to provide part of the capital, I will go along
with your suggestion, but I first need to know just how much capital
you can supply and on what terms. If these two factors will not adversely
affect my present financial situation, I believe that our project is feasible.
Work will not be lacking, and I’ll be able to employ a goodly number
of my boys.
Remember, though, that I’ll also need your moral support, perhaps
even more than your financial assistance.
I heartily thank you for your goodness and your kindly interest in
me and my poor boys. I have no other way to show you my gratitude
than by asking God to shower abundant blessings on you and your well
deserving Institute of Charity.
With the deepest respect and veneration, I remain,
Yours most gratefully,
Fr. John Bosco
While Don Bosco dreamed of establishing a printshop that within
a few years would become the showpiece of the Oratory, Catholics
in Piedmont had to endure further outrages. During the latter part
of 1853 there were minor uprisings by the people of Turin and the
provinces against onerous taxes and the high cost of living. The
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outbreaks were easily quelled, but the anticlerical press deliberately
accused the clergy of having instigated them. For example, in
December an armed insurrection broke out in the Aosta valley.
Bishop [Andrew] Jourdain tried to pacify the demonstrators, but
they ignored his pleas and continued their march down to Aosta,
terrorizing the population. When they reached the town and found
it well guarded by troops, the rebels dropped their weapons and
fled. This marked the end of the insurrection, but as an aftermath
eleven priests were jailed— nine of them pastors who at the risk of
their lives had followed their bishop’s example in trying to pacify
the rebels. A lengthy trial proved their innocence.
While Catholic priests were being thus victimized, the Walden-
sians enjoyed an hour of triumph. On December 15 [1853] they
solemnly dedicated their new church with the participation of con
tingents of the National Guard. In his inaugural address, Amadeus
Bert, the Waldensian minister, recalled the stake and the gallows
of former days, and even portrayed the members of the royal house
of Savoy as villains, but the police did not intervene. Two years
later, in 1855, the government discontinued the yearly allowances
for Catholic priests but reconfirmed those for Waldensian ministers;
furthermore, it waived the usual state examinations for the pro
fessors of the Waldensian college at Torre di Luserna.2
It is noteworthy that prior to the dedication of their new church,
the Waldensians felt constrained to single out Don Bosco as one
of their foremost enemies. In its issue of October 2, 1853, Rogan-
tino Piemontese ran an article entitled “Fra Omero” [Friar Homer],
After disparaging Catholics in an inane manner, it went on as
follows:
We are beginning to fear that our new church, instead of serving
Waldensian worshipers, will eventually fall into the hands of Don Bosco
who will then dedicate it to the Madonna under some new title. The
solemn inauguration of this church is scheduled for October 20, but one
of the bricklayers on the job doubts that it will be ready by that time.
Time will tell! Friar Homer is perhaps even now rehearsing his choir for
the Mass he plans to sing at the dedication. Of course, both the choir
and the altar boys will be his own converts from the Protestant and
Waldensian churches.
a Now called Torre Pellice, not far from Turin. [Editor]
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Seemingly the Waldensians had heard about what Don Bosco
had said and would often repeat through the years until 1886:
“The Waldensian church will be changed into a Catholic church
in honor of our Immaculate Mother. When and how this will take
place is known only to God, but it will certainly come to pass.”
Although Don Bosco was confident of victory, he was filled with
interior calm, as is shown in this short letter to his former teacher,
Father [John Baptist] Appendini in Villastellone:
Letture Cattoliche
Office of the Editor
Dearest Father:
Turin, December 18, 1853
Father Chiatellino’s letter arrived too late for me to arrange for the
outing of the choirboys to Villastellone, as you wished. To complicate
matters further, that same day our Mutual Aid Society—mostly made
up of our choirboys—was holding its annual dinner.
If on this one lone occasion I was regretfully unable to fulfill your de
sire, which was also my own, I hope that you will give me another chance
to prove to you my sincere gratitude. God bless you. I remain, with all
my heart,
Your most grateful pupil,
Fr. John Bosco
Don Bosco’s interest in the working class was one of the reasons
that prompted him to write pamphlets based for the most part on
true episodes that were unflattering to the Waldensians. To boost
the circulation of Letture Cattoliche, he kept up a steady flow of
letters to prominent people, priests, and bishops. We have one in
our possession that was addressed to [Aloysius] Cardinal Vannicelli,
archbishop of Ferrara.
Letture Cattoliche
Office of the Editor
Your Eminence:
Turin, December 19, 1853
Since Father Novelli is about to leave for Ferrara, I take the liberty
of recommending Letture Cattoliche to you. I am doing this not because
I doubt your cooperation—your zeal is well known to all—but because
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483
I want some copies delivered personally to you so that you may show
them to others. The circulation is encouraging; we already have eighteen
thousand subscribers.
His Excellency, Bishop Louis Moreno of Ivrea, is the editor-in-chief
of this publication, and he himself asked me to write to Your Eminence
about it. He would have enclosed a letter of his own if he had learned
of Father Novelli’s departure a little sooner.
I trust that you will benevolently accept this letter. I earnestly entreat
you to invoke God’s mercy on our poor Piedmont where the Church is
going through very harrowing times. Pray also for me and all the boys
at the Oratory. We all humbly beg your holy pastoral blessing. May God
bless you and grant you a long life for the good of our Holy Church.
With the greatest reverence, I remain,
Your most obedient servant,
Fr. John Bosco
To forearm his boys against Waldensian propaganda, Don Bosco
devised another weapon in addition to pamphlets— namely, a two-
act play he wrote, entitled A Debate between a Lawyer and a
Waldensian Minister. It was staged many times in the Oratory’s
little theater and was published in December. Don Bosco’s Preface
read as follows:
The success of the boys of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in
staging this play and the satisfaction registered by the audiences led us
to hope that it would please our readers to see it in Letture Cattoliche.
The episodes about the family of Alessandro, an apostate, are true;
equally true are the facts mentioned in the debate, although they took
place elsewhere. They were woven into the play for the purpose of
dramatic effect.
Whatever the play says about Protestants must be understood as
referring to their doctrinal errors and never as a personal attack.
The staging of this play, whether in towns or in villages, will pose
no problems. I believe that the plot, while presenting the truth, will also
unmask error to the greater glory of God, the welfare of souls, and the
honor of our Holy Catholic Faith.
Rev. John Bosco
This playlet not only instructed the Oratory boys, but also pro
vided them with welcome entertainment from an unexpected source.
During the month of October Mamma Margaret had gone to Castel-
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
nuovo for a couple of weeks on family business. She returned with
Father [John] Giacomelli’s sister one evening about 6:30. The
Oratory boys were all busy at their tasks and Mamma Margaret’s
hens were safely enclosed in their coop for the night. News of her
arrival spread like wildfire; happy shouts echoed all over the house
and the boys ran out to greet her. They were filled with joy as they
surrounded her, while she smiled and repeatedly told them: “Calm
down, calm down please!” However, the sound of her voice had
another totally unforeseen effect. The hens, upon hearing the famil
iar voice they had been missing for quite a while, woke up and
scampered out to her, cackling lustily. The boys, enjoying the un
usual spectacle, made way for them while Mamma Margaret re
warded the hens with a handful of breadcrumbs.
The chicken coop was Mamma Margaret’s kingdom. The hens
were so obedient that whenever she wanted to pick one up she
would call to it and the bird would let her come near and allow
itself to be patted. Her fondness for the hens was an object of great
amusement in the Oratory. When the aforementioned play was
staged for the first time, Mamma Margaret attended the perform
ance with the others. One actor, describing the rout and confusion
of the Waldensians when confronted with the lawyer’s arguments,
spoke the following lines:
Things turned out quite well! One at a time, all three withdrew as
if they were playing the game of fox and hens. The fox moves around
the hens and, if they are not well guarded, pounces on them. But if the
owner is around watching with a thick stick, then the fox cannot even
get near enough to sniff the hens, and it has to flee for its own safety.
These ministers thought they would find the hens unguarded, but instead
they stumbled upon someone protecting them with a thick stick—the
mighty weapon of sound arguments.
After the performance, Don Bosco, in discussing the highlights
of the play with the boys, commented: “I’m sure that what struck
my mother most was the reference to the fox and the hens.” At
that very moment Mamma M argaret was passing by. The boys
immediately gathered around her as Don Bosco asked:
“What did you think of the play?”
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Spirituality at the Oratory
485
“It was lovely,” Mamma Margaret answered. “I still can’t get
over that fox and those hens.”
Everyone laughed! However, the Waldensians were in no mood
for levity. They fully realized that the playlet depicted their debates
with Don Bosco and that their shameful defeat would now become
open knowledge. They considered the performance to be another
gauntlet flung at their feet, and they were greatly aroused. Don Bosco
replied to their recriminations with articles in VArm onia which
for many years announced the titles of the forthcoming issues of
Letture Cattoliche. However, the Waldensians had no intention of
confining themselves to a verbal war; on the other hand, Divine
Providence was watching over Don Bosco with tender and solicitous
care.
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CHAPTER 59
Attempts on Don Bosco*s Life
I n a previous ch ap ter1 we described how two ruffians
came to the Oratoiy to warn Don Bosco to stop publishing Letture
Cattoliche. On their way out they threateningly promised: “We’ll
see you again.” These words and their none too subtle threats dur
ing their conversation form just a single link in a long chain of
vicious attempts on Don Bosco’s life. Nevertheless, Don Bosco
always escaped unharmed. Since these attacks were so numerous
and almost unfailingly well planned, we have no hesitancy in declar
ing that Divine Providence must have shielded him. Heretics and
cutthroats seemed to have joined together in a vast conspiracy
against him. We shall now report the details of a few of the prin
cipal attacks that some Oratory boys either themselves observed
or heard about from other witnesses.
One evening after supper, while Don Bosco was engaged in his
customary role of teaching, two sinister-looking men appeared at
the Oratory and asked him to rush to the bedside of a man in a
nearby neighborhood called “Cuor d’Oro.” The man was dying
and wanted to make his confession. Ever ready to provide spiritual
assistance, Don Bosco quickly turned over the class to someone
else. As he was about to leave, realizing that it was already dark,
he thought it prudent to have some of the older boys accompany
him. “There’s no need,” the two strangers said. “We’ll escort you
there and back. Their presence might upset the sick man.”
“Never mind!” Don Bosco replied. “My boys always enjoy a
walk. When we’ll get there they will wait for me outside.” Reluc
tantly the two men led the way.
1 See pp. 435ff. [Editor]
486
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When they came to the house, they ushered Don Bosco into a
room on the main floor, telling him: “Please wait here a moment
while we tell the patient you’re here.” The boys— among whom
were Cigliutti, [John] Gravano, and [Joseph] Buzzetti— remained
outside. In that room there were several men gathered festively
around a table. Seemingly they had enjoyed a fine supper and now
were leisurely savoring or pretending to savor chestnuts. After greet
ing Don Bosco very respectfully and praising him enthusiastically,
they invited him to sample some chestnuts. Don Bosco courteously
declined, saying: “Thank you, but I really don’t feel like any. I just
had my supper.”
“Then you won’t refuse at least a glass of our wine,” they
chorused. “It’s one of the best; it’s from Asti.” 2
“No, thank you. I never drink except at meals; it upsets my
stomach.”
“Oh, come now; a little sip won’t hurt you. It will even help
your digestion. You could at least drink to our health!”
So saying, one of the men reached for a bottle and filled all the
glasses. Since he had deliberately set out one glass too few, he
placed the bottle on the table and went to fetch another glass which
he proceeded to fill from a second bottle standing near it. He then
offered it to Don Bosco who had not failed to observe the maneuver.
Obviously they were offering him a poisoned drink. Without betray
ing his suspicion, Don Bosco lifted the glass and toasted the ruffians;
then he put it down on the table again, excusing himself. “You can’t
do this to us,” one of them protested. “You’re offending us,” an
other broke in. “This wine is of the very best! Drink to our health!”
they all shouted.
“I already told you that I don’t feel like drinking, and now I’ll
add that I cannot and will not drink it,” Don Bosco replied.
“Yes, you will!” they shouted again. With these words, two of
them grabbed Don Bosco by his shoulders and told him: “We
won’t swallow this insult. Drink you shall, and by force, if neces
sary.”
Don Bosco was in a tight spot. He could not physically resist,
nor would it have been prudent to do so. Therefore, he decided
2A province near Turin renowned for its excellent sparkling wines. [Editor]
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
to try his luck, saying: “If you really want me to drink, let go of
me, or I won’t be able to hold the glass steady.”
As soon as they released their hold, Don Bosco instantly darted
to the door. Fortunately it was not locked, and he quickly opened it.
The sudden appearance of four or five husky young men between
18 and 20 years old curbed the belligerence of the men. Their
spokesman very meekly said: “Well, if you don’t feel like drinking,
you don’t have to.”
“Maybe one of my boys might like this drink,” Don Bosco
remarked.
“Oh, just forget it,” they replied. (Don Bosco would certainly
not have given that drink to the boys; his suggestion was simply a
ruse to force them to show their hand more openly.)
“Well, then, where’s the dying man?” he asked. To save face,
one of them led him to a room on the next floor. The dying man
turned out to be one of the two who had come to fetch him at
the Oratory. Don Bosco asked him a few questions, but the scoun
drel, after making a prodigious effort at self-control, finally burst
into laughter, saying: “I’ll make my confession some other time.”
Don Bosco left the house immediately, thanking God for the pro
tection he had received.
After hearing the whole story the next day, some boys made
their own private investigations. They learned that a certain indi
vidual had offered a good dinner to these hired hatchet men after
they had promised to make Don Bosco drink a little wine which
he had prepared especially for him. Don Bosco never forgot that
room; even during the last few months of his life, whenever he
went out on a walk with one of us, he would point it out, remark
ing: “There’s the chestnut room!”
On another evening in August, around six o’clock, Don Bosco
was standing near the outer gate of the Oratory, engaging in pleas
ant conversation with some of his boys, when one of them suddenly
shouted: “Watch out! Here comes a maniac. I think he’s an assas
sin!” A man in his shirt sleeves came rushing toward Don Bosco.
He was wielding a butcher knife and yelling: “I want Don Bosco!
I want Don Bosco!” Don Bosco recognized the man as a former
tenant in the Pinardi house whom he had often befriended. His
name was Andreis, and he was now living in the Bellezza building.
A t first the boys panicked and scattered through the playground
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and the meadows fronting the Oratory. Among those who fled was
the cleric, Felix Reviglio. His flight was providential, for the assassin
mistook him for Don Bosco and chased him. By the time he realized
his mistake and turned back toward the gate, Don Bosco had rushed
to the safety of his room, after having first locked the small iron
gate at the foot of the stairs. When the thug discovered that the gate
was locked, began to pound it with a large stone and shake it vio
lently in a vain attempt to force it open. He stood there at the foot
of the stairs for more than three hours, like a tiger in ambush wait
ing for its prey. He appeared to be a maniac, but it was later ascer
tained that this was merely an act. He kept shouting at Don Bosco
to open the gate, saying that he merely wanted to speak with him.
Meanwhile, the boys had recovered from their fright and gathered
in a group. Their blood boiled at the sight of this man threatening
their benefactor and father. Each of them impulsively grabbed a
stick, a stone; or some other improvised weapon, planning to rush
the attacker and give him the thrashing he clearly deserved. But
Don Bosco, fearing that some of the boys might be injured in the
scuffle, called to them from the balcony and forbade them to go
near the miscreant.
No one could feel secure with that madman on the premises.
Mamma Margaret was very much alarmed for the safety of her
son and that of the boys. Not knowing what to do, she dispatched
a messenger to summon the police but, incredible as it may seem,
no one showed up until nine-thirty that evening when two police
men finally came, handcuffed that maniac, and led him away. Don
Bosco was thus saved from this potential danger, but the unhurried
response of the police did not speak well of those in charge of law
enforcement in those days. And as if this slipshod performance on
the part of the police were not enough to give every law-abiding
person cause for concern, the chief of police had the audacity to
send an officer to Don Bosco on the following day to ask him
whether he would withdraw the charges against his assailant. Don
Bosco replied that as a Christian and a priest he naturally forgave
the aggression and other offenses as well, but that as a citizen and
a director of a school he demanded in the name of the law that the
public authorities provide more efficient protection for him and his
household. It hardly seems believable, but on that same day the
chief of police released the assailant. That very evening Andreis
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
was again lurking in the vicinity of the Oratory, waiting for Don
Bosco to emerge so that he might finally carry out his murderous
design.
During the spring of 1854 young [John] Cagliero was returning
home from Professor Bonzanino’s school at twilight. From a dis
tance he glimpsed Don Bosco at the turn of the little lane leading
to the Oratory, and he quickened his pace to join him. As he was
walking alongside Don Bosco, he noticed Andreis, again in shirt
sleeves, running wildly toward them. Supposing him to be drunk,
they both parted to make way for him. They did this so swiftly
that the force of the assailant’s thrust carried him a few feet past
his intended victims. Don Bosco, who at that moment had caught
a brief glimpse of a hidden knife, immediately ran toward the Ora
tory and reached the gate. Meanwhile Andreis had wheeled around
and was coming at him. Cagliero now realized what the man was
up to, and he shouted for help. This alarmed Andreis. He hesitated
for a moment and then turned in the direction of his own house.
On another occasion Andreis— this time in a different outfit—
again showed up at the Oratory. Not seeing Don Bosco among the
boys, he said that he wanted to speak with him and without further
ado went swiftly up to his room, Cagliero recognized him, and
noticing that the man kept his right hand in his pocket, he suspected
foul play. He quickly alerted some companions, especially the cleric
[Felix] Reviglio and [Joseph] Buzzetti who were quite strong. All
three ran after Andreis, overtook him on the balcony, and forced
him down the stairs and off the premises. As a result of this episode
he was jailed again. When Don Bosco was called to the police sta
tion, he declined to make any charges against the man, and Andreis
was immediately released. A sense of prudence had motivated Don
Bosco in this decision. The police would have released Andreis any
way and the odium of the charge would have rested on Don Bosco.
Information as to who was behind these attempts was obtained
through the efforts of Commendatore [Joseph] Dupre, a great
friend and benefactor of Don Bosco and the Oratory. When the
commendatore realized that the police either could not or would
not provide adequate protection for Don Bosco, he took it upon
himself to deal with this dangerous man who was terrorizing the
entire Oratory day and night.
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“I’m being paid to do it,” the scoundrel told him. “Pay me just
as much and I’ll call it off.”
Thereupon Commendatore Dupre offered him 160 lire, which
amount would cover his overdue rent bill as well as his rent for the
succeeding month. Thus ended a long-standing threat which could
have resulted in considerable bloodshed. Andreis did not give any
further trouble, and Don Bosco forgave him everything, treating
him with the kindness he always showed toward his enemies. Indeed,
he even helped him, as we learned from Bishop Cagliero: “Although
Don Bosco had evicted from the Bellezza house all those tenants
whose conduct was scandalous, he allowed Andreis and his family
to stay on. I often heard Don Bosco say: ‘Love your enemies; do
good to those who hate you.’ ” [Matt. 5, 44]
There was another insidious aggression from which Don Bosco
did not emerge entirely unscathed. Shortly after the events just
narrated, Don Bosco was summoned one Sunday evening to hear
the confession of a sick woman. She lived almost opposite the
Rifugio in a house owned by a man named Sardi. In view of his
previous experiences, Don Bosco prudently summoned two husky
and courageous young men to accompany him.
“There’s no need to bring them along,” said the man who had
called him. “I’ll escort you both ways!” A t these words Don Bosco
became all the more suspicious. Instead of two boys, he decided to
take four. Two of them, Hyacinth Arnaud and James Cerruti, were
so muscular and strong that they could have felled an ox; the other
two were Ribaudi and Joseph Buzzetti. When they reached their
destination, Don Bosco told the latter two to wait at the foot of
the stairs and took Arnaud and Cerruti with him to the second
floor, instructing them to wait on the landing outside the sick
woman’s room. When he entered he saw a bedridden woman gasp
ing for breath and four men sitting close to her. She acted out her
role so well that it looked as though she really were about to draw
her last breath. As Don Bosco asked the four men to leave the
room so that he might minister in privacy to the patient, the woman
interrupted him, shouting: “Before I make my confession I want
that villain over there to retract the slanderous things he has said
about me.” As she said this, she pointed to a man opposite her.
“I won’t retract a single word,” he answered, standing up.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
“Let’s not get excited,” broke in another.
“Yes.”
“N o .”
“Shut up, you scoundrel, or I’ll choke you.”
This exchange, interwoven with several unprintable impreca
tions, created a terrible din in that small room. All of them were
now on their feet. In the midst of the uproar the lamps were extin
guished; then the din suddenly ceased and a veritable hailstorm of
blows from clubs were directed at the spot where Don Bosco was
standing. He immediately knew he had been tricked again. To
defend himself he grabbed the chair near the bed, held it upside
down over his head and, protected by this improvised shield, tried
to get out of the room while murderous blows were crashing down
noisily upon the chair. When he reached the door, he found it
locked. Using his extraordinary strength he twisted and tore the
lock away with one hand just as the two boys on guard outside
were ramming into the door with their shoulders and flinging it
open. Arnaud was the first to enter. He grabbed Don Bosco by
the arm and pulled him outside. Don Bosco was grateful that both
his head and shoulders were unharmed. However, one of the cudgels
had grazed his left hand, injuring his thumb. The nail was ripped
off, and the bone was so badly bruised that the scar was visible
even thirty years later. Once safely outside Don Bosco urged his
boys not to mention the incident at all to anyone, adding: “Let us
forgive them and pray that they may see the light. Such poor
wretches need our prayers, for they are enemies of religion!”
There is good reason to suspect that these and many other un
successful traps resulted from the enmity and bribes of those who
did not take kindly to Letture Cattoliche and wanted to silence or
liquidate the one responsile for that publication. They considered
no cost too great if they could succeed in protecting the Walden-
sians from what they called Don Bosco’s “slander.” Their methods
were in the tradition of their forefathers who— to mention just one
of many outrages— on April 9, 1374 brutally murdered the Domin
ican, Blessed Pavonio of Savigliano, at Bricherasio because he had
preached against their doctrines and converted a large number of
them to Catholicism.
A story that Bishop Cagliero told us further substantiates our
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suspicion as to the true identity of the behind-the-scene instigators
of these attacks. One Sunday afternoon in January, 1854, two
elegantly dressed men went up to Don Bosco’s room and were re
ceived with the usual courtesy. The playground was deserted be
cause the boys were in church singing. Seeing the two men, John
Cagliero became suspicious and hid himself in a little room adjoin
ing Don Bosco’s, standing guard near the interconnecting door.
At first he could not understand very well what was being said,
although the discussion was being conducted in loud tones. It
sounded as if Don Bosco were refusing to agree to some proposal
they had made. The two visitors then raised their voices and
Cagliero heard them say: “After all, what does it matter to you
whether we preach this doctrine or that? Why should you oppose
us?”
Don Bosco answered: “It is my duty to defend the truth and
my holy Faith with all my strength!”
“So you won’t agree to stop publishing Letture Cattoliche?”
“No!” replied Don Bosco resolutely.
It was then that they began to threaten him with two pistols,
saying: “Either you do as we tell you, or you’re a dead man!”
“Go ahead!” Don Bosco replied calmly, looking intently at them
with great dignity. Just then a loud bang was heard. The two men
hurriedly thrust the pistols back into their pockets. Cagliero, un
able to grasp the last few words which had been pronounced in a
low voice and fearing for Don Bosco’s safety, had pounded on the
door with all his strength and then had rushed to call Buzzetti who
came running at once. As they were about to break into Don Bosco’s
room, the two men emerged, completely flustered. Don Bosco was
following them humbly, biretta in hand, bidding them good-bye
calmly and courteously. This was the second time that Cagliero
was privileged to save Don Bosco’s life.
“Despite these continual threats,” Father Reviglio told us, “Don
Bosco remained unperturbed. In fact, he even rejoiced when, for
God’s glory, he received insults and threats from his enemies. He
never carried any weapon in self-defense or made use of his unusual
physical strength to repel assaults. With his stamina he could easily
have handled even two powerful men. Occasionally, finding him
self cornered, he resorted to his nimbleness to escape harm.” We
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
are indebted to Mr. Patrick Spinardi for the details of one such
incident:
One night Don Bosco was on his way home from Moncalieri, walk
ing along the edge of the road. About midway on the journey, almost
below Cavoretto,3 he noticed a man with a long, thick cudgel following
him. At that moment the man started to run. When he was about to
overtake Don Bosco and deal him a staggering blow, Don Bosco swiftly
stepped to one side and gave him a vigorous push that sent him sprawl
ing into a deep ditch thick with wild vegetation. Then Don Bosco
quickened his pace to catch up with some people far ahead down the
road.
Don Bosco’s serenity during such encounters was remarkable
but it did not lessen Mamma M argaret’s anxiety about his safety.
She often thanked God for having thwarted attacks on his life!
Isolated as the Oratory was in the midst of orchards, fields, and
meadows without the protection of a fence or wall enclosing it on
all sides, she deemed it prudent to have a small iron gate installed
at the foot of the stairs leading to the balcony of Don Bosco’s room.
As a further precaution, she frequently would assign a husky boy
to stand guard there, especially at night. She even asked her other
son Joseph to come from Castelnuovo to protect Don Bosco from
his implacable enemies. When darkness fell and he had not yet
returned home from visiting the sick or performing some other
work of mercy, she would send some of the older boys to meet him
and escort him back to the Oratory. She seemed to have a sixth
sense in anticipating the dangers that threatened her beloved son.
In 1853 and 1854, when Don Bosco had to come home late,
John Cagliero and two older boys used to meet him at the spot
where the roads became paths across the fields. Friendly people
or anonymous letters often warned Don Bosco to be on his guard
because the Waldensians were trying to waylay him. When John
Cagliero would go to meet Don Bosco and accompany him home,
he often found him being escorted by friendly townspeople who
were prepared to defend him, if necessary. Once he saw him accom
panied by an armed soldier. Don Bosco had requested this protec
tion from the sergeant in command of the detail at Porta Palazzo,
8 A borough on the hills in the outskirts of Turin. [Editor]
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for he had been forewarned that an assassin would be lying in wait
for him.
The assaults against Don Bosco described above, and others
which we shall mention shortly, started in 1852 and continued
intermittently for about four years. Moreover, the instigators of
these crimes had gangs of young roughnecks to carry out their
orders. They stirred them up against the Oratory and sent them to
Valdocco on Sundays to bang on the door of the chapel during
the sermon with stones and clubs. Sometimes their raucous shouts
and the noise of the blows against the door drowned out Don
Bosco’s voice completely. He and the boys endured such provoca
tions patiently for a few weeks, but finally their patience began to
wear thin. Therefore, some of the boarders secretly armed them
selves with clubs and stationed themselves behind the half-opened
door, waiting for the usual disturbance. They did not have to wait
long, but this time they were ready. John Cagliero and others
rushed the attackers, downed the first one in their path, and routed
the others, knocking down five or six more in the process. Mean
while, Don Bosco had interrupted his sermon to call the boys back,
and they promptly obeyed. They had received a goodly number
of bruises themselves in the scuffle, but they got their message across.
Gradually the weekly disturbances ceased altogether.
Don Bosco’s enemies and their hirelings were not from the
Valdocco neighborhood, and the few from that area who at first
had opposed him had by now changed their opinion and were
friendly to him. During the summer, crowds used to gather in Via
Cottolengo, playing, singing, and dancing until late at night, but
when they saw Don Bosco coming down the street, they would stop
whatever they were doing to shout with evident pleasure: “Look!
Don Bosco is coming!” When he drew closer, they would grab his
hands reverently and affectionately and accompany him to the Ora
tory gate.
Aware of the cruel persecution he was suffering, all decent people
grew very fond of him and marveled that he had emerged unscathed
from so many attacks. On his part, Don Bosco remained tranquil
and prayed to the Lord with the trusting words of the Psalmist:
“You will lead and guide me. You will free me from the snare they
set for me, for You are my refuge.” [Ps. 30, 5]
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CHAPTER 60
A Mysterious Dog
H o l y Scripture and church history tell us that God
would occasionally use animals to defend and help His servants in
wondrous ways. When the prophet Eliseus was being mocked by
a band of godless, insolent youths, two bears suddenly emerged
from an adjacent forest and tore them to pieces. For seventy years
a raven brought food each day to St. Paul, the first hermit. When
Paul died, the responsibility for burying him devolved upon St. An
thony [the patriarch of the monastic life], but he had no tools with
which to dig a grave. Immediately two lions came running to him
and hollowed out a grave with their paws. Then, after the saint
blessed them, they went away as meek as lambs.
The same circumstance proved true in the case of Don Bosco.
During this dangerous period in his life, Divine Providence sent
him a large, very handsome gray dog for his protection and defense.
Much has been said and will still be said about this dog which sev
eral Oratory boys saw, patted, and petted. Through them— partic
ularly Joseph Buzzetti, Charles Tomatis, and Joseph Brosio— we
learned of many noteworthy incidents that we shall now narrate.
Don Bosco himself confirmed several details when we questioned
him about them. This canine looked like a gray sheep dog or a
watchdog [and was promptly named “Grigio”]. No one— not even
Don Bosco— knew where it came from. We cannot vouch for its
pedigree, but we can certainly provide it with a testimonial of
faithful service. For several years it proved to be a blessing to Don
Bosco and the Oratory.
Don Bosco, knowing that his life was constantly in danger, lis
tened to his friends’ recommendations and did his best to avoid
being on the streets after dark. At times, however, this could not be
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A Mysterious Dog
497
helped, especially when he had to visit the sick, seek help from
some benefactor, or try to bring back to the fold some family that
had defected to the Waldensians. When he was thus delayed, he
had to try to get back to the Oratory as best he could. In those days
this area was very sparsely inhabited. The last outpost of the city
before reaching the Oratory was the insane asylum. Between these
two structures the land was barren and uneven. Dotted with acacias
and bushes and clothed in darkness, it was an ideal place to waylay
unsuspecting passers-by. Dangerous as this area was for the average
citizen, it was all the more for Don Bosco who had become the
target of unscrupulous anti-Catholics ready to employ any means
to silence him, as we have already noted in the previous chapter.
One evening in 1852 Don Bosco was coming home alone— not
without some misgivings— when he saw a huge dog coming close
to him. At first he was afraid, but when he noticed that the dog
looked quite peaceful, he began to pat it and soon made friends
with it. The faithful beast accompanied him as far as the Oratory
gate and then trotted away. This happened every time he had to
return home late and alone. This gray dog would suddenly appear
on either side of the road as soon as he had passed the last building
before the Oratory. As we have already mentioned, if he was not
home by the usual time, Mamma Margaret would become deeply
concerned and send some boys to meet him. It was on these occa
sions that they found him several times being escorted by this four
legged guardian.
In 1855, Cigliutti, [John] Gravano, [Francis] Falchero, [Thomas]
Gaspardone, Charles Castagno, Joseph Buzzetti, and Felix Reviglio
told John Villa that they had seen Grigio. So did many other boys,
who had likewise witnessed threats and assaults against Don Bosco.
He used to call Grigio “his bodyguard.” Charles Tomatis assures us
that once he saw the dog walking along a street around 9 at night,
and he described it in this way: “It had a truly frightening appear
ance. Every time she saw it, Mamma Margaret would unfailingly
exclaim: ‘Oh, what an ugly beast!’ It looked like a wolf, with a
long snout, erect pointed ears, and gray fur. It was over three feet
tall.”
People were terrified at the mere sight of it. Once Don Bosco
told us:
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
I was coming home rather late one evening and met a friend who
accompanied me as far as the Rondo;1 from here to the Oratory lay
the most dangerous stretch. As we bid each other goodnight and he was
about to retrace his steps, Grigio suddenly appeared from nowhere. My
friend was taken aback and wanted to chase it away, but I told him not
to do so because I knew the dog was friendly. He was not convinced
and said: “I can’t let you go home with that horrid beast.” As he said
this, he picked up two rocks and threw them at Grigio with all his
might. They hit the dog, but it did not budge an inch or even growl.
Instead, seeing that I had company, it disappeared. My friend then
became truly frightened at this unusual occurrence, saying: “It’s
bewitched! It’s bewitched!” He did not dare go home alone. He stayed
with me until we arrived at the Oratory, and then I had two boys escort
him home.
It is indeed remarkable how this gray dog— which the cleric
Michael Rua saw on two occasions— would materialize out of
nowhere whenever Don Bosco was in great danger and rescue him
with its prodigious intervention.
Once, instead of accompanying Don Bosco home, Grigio reversed
its role and prevented him from going out. On this occasion Don
Bosco had forgotten an urgent matter and thus was obliged to go
to town after dark. Mamma Margaret tried to persuade him to put
it off until the next day, but he calmed her fears by agreeing to take
several boys along with him, and they started for the gate. When
they got there, Grigio was leisurely stretched out in front of it. The
doorkeeper, who was seeing this dog for the first time, vainly tried
to shoo it away, but the dog kept coming back as though waiting
for someone. “Oh, it’s you, Grigio,” Don Bosco exclaimed. “Fine.
The more the merrier. Come along; let’s go.” Instead of obeying,
Grigio growled. Twice Don Bosco tried to go through the gate,
but each time Grigio blocked him. One of the boys then kicked
at it gently to make it move; Grigio responded with a terrifying bark.
When Don Bosco attempted to slip past it, keeping very close to
the door posts, the dog stood up and again blocked him. A t this
sight Mamma Margaret told Don Bosco: “If you won’t listen to me,
1 Located where Corso Valdocco now intersects Corso Regina Margherita.
[Editor]
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at least listen to that dog and stay home!” Noticing her worried look,
Don Bosco yielded. Hardly fifteen minutes later a neighbor came
to tell him to be on his guard because he had learned that three or
four men were lurking in the neighborhood to waylay him. Foiled
in their attempts, those villains did not give up. On another night,
Don Bosco was coming home along the road 2 which led from
Piazza Emanuele Filiberto3 to the Rondo. He was slightly more
than halfway home when he heard someone running behind him.
He swiftly turned around to see a man only a few feet away armed
with a stout club. Don Bosco also began to run, hoping to outdis
tance his pursuer. As he reached the slope in the road (where Casa
Delfino now stands), he noticed other men waiting at the bottom
of it. Obviously they were there to bar his way. Don Bosco quickly
decided to first rid himself of his pursuer. He stopped dead in his
tracks just as the man at his heels was about to club him, and he
vigorously jabbed his elbow into the ruffian’s stomach. The man
doubled up with pain and fell screaming to the ground. Immedi
ately his fellow thugs, also brandishing clubs, began advancing on
Don Bosco. At that very moment Grigio suddenly appeared at Don
Bosco’s side. Growling and barking, it lunged at all of them in turn.
He appeared so frightening that they begged Don Bosco to call it
off lest it tear them to pieces. Then they fled in panic. The dog did
not leave Don Bosco’s side until he was back at the Oratory. For
the first time, Grigio followed him across the playground up to
the door of the kitchen, where it received well deserved but still
timorous caresses from Mamma Margaret, as she herself and
[Joseph] Buzzetti told Peter Enria.4
On another occasion, again at night, Don Bosco was returning
home along Corso Regina Margherita when a man, who had been
lying in wait for him behind an elm, fired two pistol shots at point-
blank range but missed him. The assassin then flung himself on
Don Bosco, resolved to finish him off in some other way. Grigio
2 The present Corso Regina Margherita, once known as “Strada di San Mas
simo e di Santa Barbara.” [Editor]
3 Now renamed “Piazza della Repubblica” but still popularly called “Porta
Palazzo.” [Editor]
4 A Salesian coadjutor brother who died in 1898. He had entered the Oratory
as a boy in 1854. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
instantly appeared and sprang furiously upon Don Bosco’s assailant,
forcing him to flee as fast as he could; then the dog accompanied
Don Bosco all the way to the Oratory.
On another evening Grigio provided some unexpected entertain
ment for the boarders. It was suppertime and Don Bosco was in
the refectory with some of his clerics. His mother was also present.
Some boys saw Grigio in the playground. Those who had never
seen it before were afraid and wanted to scare it away with stones,
but Buzzetti stopped them. “Don’t do that,” he said. “It’s Don
Bosco’s dog.” On hearing that, all of them ran to Grigio; they
patted it, fondled its ears, stroked its head playfully, and finally led
it into the refectory. The unexpected visitor startled some of those
present, but Don Bosco reassured them, saying: “Grigio won’t hurt
anyone; don’t be afraid.”
After a glance at all those present, the dog, joyfully wagging its
tail, went around the table to Don Bosco. He patted it affectionately
and offered it food and drink but Grigio declined everything; it did
not even sniff the food as if to indicate his disinterest.
“What do you want, then?” asked Don Bosco. The dog wiggled
its ears, wagged its tail, and then leaned its head on the table, gazing
at Don Bosco as though wishing him a good night. Then it turned
around and retraced its steps to the gate, escorted by all the boys.
“I recall that Marquis Dominic Fassati had taken Don Bosco home
late that night in his coach,” [Joseph] Buzzetti told us. “Having
missed him, Grigio seemed to have come to assure Don Bosco that
it had waited for him with its customary fidelity.”
Bishop Cagliero confirmed all these incidents, and he added: “I
saw Grigio one winter evening. Crossing the playground and enter
ing the tiny room where Don Bosco used to take his meals, it ran
gleefully to greet him. ‘Oh, Grigio!’ Don Bosco said. ‘I missed you.
You were late!’ As he said this, he offered it a piece of bread, but
the dog refused it. Don Bosco then remarked: ‘You glutton, you
want meat, don’t you? But Don Bosco hasn’t any. If you’re not
hungry, that’s fine. Now you’d better go.’ The dog hung its head
with a hurt look and slowly moved toward the door, but Don Bosco
called it back. ‘Come here, Grigio. I didn’t mean to slight you.
Come back!’ The dog returned and allowed Don Bosco to caress it
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A Mysterious Dog
501
reassuringly. We also patted it for a while. Some of my companions
saw this dog on several other occasions.”
Grigio saved Don Bosco’s life a third time toward the end of
November, 1854. On a very dark and foggy evening, Don Bosco
was coming home from the Convitto. To avoid possible dangers
he took the road 5 leading from the shrine of Our Lady of Consola
tion to the Cottolengo Hospital, for he did not wish to stray too far
from the inhabited area. Soon he noticed that two men were walk
ing only a little distance ahead of him, quickening or slackening
their pace in keeping with his. To dodge them he crossed over to
the other side of the road, but they quickly did likewise. Thus it was
abundantly clear that they had some evil plan in mind. Growing
very cautious, Don Bosco began to retrace his steps with the inten
tion of seeking refuge in some neighbor’s house, but it was too late.
When the two men saw him turn back suddenly, they moved on
him swiftly and silently and threw a cloak over his head. Don Bosco
struggled in self-defense. Bending quickly, he managed to shake off
the cloak from his head and then tried to free himself. His efforts
were in vain; his assailants wrapped the cloak tightly around his
throat and thrust a handkerchief into his mouth to stifle his shouts
for help. As he invoked God in that terrible instant when death
semed inevitable, Grigio miraculously appeared, barking in so
savage and terrifying a manner that it no .longer sounded like a dog,
or even a wolf, but like a vicious bear. In a flash it leaped at one
of the assailants, forcing him to let go of the cloak. Then it pounced
on the other assailant, snapping at him and knocking him to the
ground. Badly frightened, the first thug tried to sneak away but
Grigio did not give him a chance. It lunged at him and threw him
sprawling into the mud. Then it kept both of them at bay, growling
menacingly and glaring at them as if to say: “Don’t either of you
dare make a move!” Thoroughly terrorized by now, the two thugs
began to plead: “Don Bosco, please call that beast off. Have pity
on us,”
“I’ll call it off if you’ll allow me go my way in peace,” replied
Don Bosco.
5 Now called “Via Consolata” up to the point where it intersects with Corso
Regina Margherita, and “Via Ludovico Ariosto” on the other side of the boule
vard. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
“Yes! Yes! Anything! Just get this dog away from us.”
“Come on, Grigio; come here,” Don Bosco said. The dog obedi
ently came to him, letting the two scoundrels flee as fast as they
could. Despite this unexpected rescue, Don Bosco was still too
shaken to be able to return home immediately; he first had to make
a stop at the nearby Cottolengo Hospital. There he was received
charitably and strengthened with some cordial; then, after recover
ing from the shock, he was escorted back to the Oratory. Grigio
followed him up to the foot of the stairs leading to his room.
“That was the time,” Father Ascanio Savio told us, “when the
infamous Gazzetta del Popolo threatened physical reprisals against
Don Bosco because of his zeal in upholding his Faith and unmask
ing Waldensian propaganda.” Other anticlerical newspapers that
delighted in vulgar and ignorant attacks on religion used to refer to
Don Bosco as “Don Bosio” to avoid legal entanglements.
There was always much talk and speculation about Grigio be
cause indeed there was something strange and even supernatural
about that dog. No one was ever able to find out where it went after
fulfilling its mission. Don Bosco used to say: “Sometimes I thought
I should try to find out where it came from and to whom it belonged,
but then I decided that it really did not matter as long as the dog
was a good friend to me. All I know is that in the many dangers
I encountered, that dog was a true godsend to me.”
This story may sound like a fairy tale. Everyone is free to make
his own decision in this regard. But we ourselves think that it is
legitimate and logical to entertain the notion that God, in His
fatherly goodness, chose to use an animal, which is a symbol of
fidelity, to defend and protect one of His servants who constantly
braved the onslaughts of dangerous and unscrupulous enemies to
keep himself, his boys, and his fellow believers loyal to God and
to His Church.
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CHAPTER 61
Combating Spiritism
I m PREGNABLE as a wall of bronze in his struggle
against the Waldensians, Don Bosco now girded himself for another
equally fierce encounter.
Spiritism— a mixture of animal magnetism, diabolic evocation,
and sheer fraud— made its first appearance in Turin in 1852, and
its impact was considerable. This ancient superstition, now newly
revived, had penetrated the Americas, and after sweeping through
Protestant Germany and Voltairian France was beginning to filter
into many parts of Italy. “The frenzy which seized its disciples,”
Balan declared, “caused the great upheavals of 1848 which brought
European society almost to the brink of disaster.” 1
Spiritism was introduced so adroitly and enticingly in Turin that
many good practicing Catholics unsuspectingly attended spiritistic
seances, but they quickly left when the strange evolutions of “talk
ing” tables indicated the intervention of unnatural causes. However,
the fad continued with disastrous results. It was nothing else but a
deceptive maneuver to camouflage a revolt against Church teach
ings and to further the promotion of immoral practices. In a short
space of time, mediums and fortunetellers were in evidence every
where.
Don Bosco was convinced that spiritism was nothing but a huge
swindle to trick fools, but he feared that it might lead to greater
evils since it had stirred up a morbid curiosity in the occult and
was beginning to condition participants to diabolical interventions.
With the consent of the ecclesiastical authorities, he attended spirit-
1 Pietro Balan (1840-1893), Storia della Chiesa (a continuation of the Histoire
Universelle de I’Eglise Catholique by R&ie Frangois Rohrbacher). Vol. I, p. 911,
Modena, 1879. [Editor]
503
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
istic meetings on several occasions in order to determine just where
fraud ended and diabolical intervention began. He hoped to thus
disenchant the simpletons and save them from further folly.
All Turin began to flock to Piazza Castello to attend the animal-
magnetism demonstrations conducted by a well-known and elegantly
dressed charlatan. Through his revelations and predictions he had
acquired a great following. One day, after several demonstrations
had received tremendous applause, he had a clairvoyante take
sealed letters and read them aloud. At this point Don Bosco pushed
his way through the crowd.
“There’s a priest here who wants to talk to you,” someone yelled
to the man.
“Please come forward, Father,” he replied.
Don Bosco stepped into the open space in front of the clairvoy
ante who was seated and blindfolded. Don Bosco took out a sealed
letter received that very day from Archbishop Fransoni. “What may
I do for you, Father?” asked the charlatan,
“I would like the clairvoyante to read this sealed letter,” Don
Bosco replied.
“That’s easy,” the man remarked. Then he turned to the woman
and imperiously told her: “Read it!”
The woman hesitated as if things were not going according to
plan. The inflection of the voice commanding her had not given her
any clue as to what she should answer. Forced to say something,
she exclaimed: “I see it! I see it all!”
“What do you see?” the man asked.
“I cannot say.”
“Why not?”
“Because its contents cannot be revealed.”
“Why not?”
“The letter is sealed.”
“That explains it,” said the man to the crowd. Then, turning to
Don Bosco, he added: “She is right; sealed letters are inviolable!”
“If that’s the case, there’s an easy solution,” replied Don Bosco.
So saying, he broke the seal.
“Excellent; now the letter may be read,” the charlatan said to
the woman.
“I still can’t read it,” she replied.
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“Why not?”
The clairvoyante, now obviously annoyed, answered: “Because
. . . because as I’ve already told you, I can’t operate with priests
around.” Then she uttered a terrible blasphemy. On observing this
fiasco, the crowd broke into derisive laughter and quickly dispersed,
making caustic comments.
On several other occasions, Don Bosco publicly intervened under
various pretexts to expose the trickery of such charlatans; in his
presence they proved unable to perform any unusual feats and were
always unmasked as imposters in full view of a scornful and jeering
audience. Soon many people lost interest, and if they spoke about
spiritism it was with contempt.
Don Bosco then turned his attention from the public squares to
the seances in private homes conducted by certified spiritists. But
even though certified, they sensed that Don Bosco would be their
nemesis.
A charlatan named Dr. Fiorio had set up shop in a studio near
St. Peter-in-Chains Church, and he revealed that through the
medium of a clairvoyante he knew the general location of a hidden
treasure in their neighborhood. Don Bosco attended some of the
seances with a few boys who had previously been briefed so that
they might act as witnesses— among them the cleric Felix Reviglio
and Serra. The clairvoyante declared that she could actually see
the treasure, and she described it in detail, arousing a sense of
avarice in many of those present. Several deep excavations were
indeed made, but to no avail. After verifying this failure, Don Bosco
lost no time in publicizing it, especially through those who had
financed the venture and were now bitter at their gullibility.
Another swindler named Dr. Giurio opened a studio in Via Santa
Teresa that featured a clairvoyante called Brancani. People suffer
ing from incurable or little known diseases were asked to send in
personal objects, even if they lived very far away. The doctor
claimed that by simply examining these objects in consultation
with his clairvoyante, he could diagnose the patient’s sickness and
prescribe the necessary treatment. The lamentable moral and spir
itual consequences that had resulted from similar setups in other
places clearly indicated that these consultations smacked of diabol
ical intervention.
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Don Bosco attended one of Dr. Giurio’s meetings with Father
[Francis] Marengo and Father [Joseph] Mottura. The studio was
filled to capacity. After watching several demonstrations, Don
Bosco asked the doctor to put him in communication with the
clairvoyante. The doctor agreed to do so with great self-assurance.
Don Bosco began to ask questions, but the woman’s answers—
which at first dealt with faraway places such as Petersburg— sud
denly switched to details of matters far closer to home. Don Bosco
then took out a lock of hair which Father [Louis] Nasi had given
him and asked the woman to diagnose the illness of the person to
whom it belonged.
“Your question is in order,” commented the doctor. Turning to
the clairvoyante, he bid her to answer.
“To whom does this hair belong?” Don Bosco asked.
“Poor boy! How greatly he must be suffering,” the woman mur
mured.
Don Bosco interrupted her, saying: “This hair doesn’t belong to
a boy. Listen, I haven’t much time. Can you tell me where this
person lives?”
“Yes, yes. I see that person in Via della Zecca.”
“Wrong,” commented Don Bosco. “That person is not there.”
“Let me finish. He’s going further down . . . beyond the P o ,. . . ”
“Wrong again,” exclaimed Don Bosco. “Now, tell me what this
person’s illness is.”
“Just give me a little time. Oh, what sufferings the poor wretch
has to endure!”
“What’s his illness?”
“The same as mine.”
“And what’s that?”
“Epilepsy.”
“Wrong!”
At this point the woman, who at first had been embarrassed,
became angry and uttered such an obscene and insulting word that
everyone present was shocked and immediately left. Obviously, it
was either a fraud, or else the devil was afraid of a good priest.
The seances that attracted most people were those at which tables
made unusual movements when the audience formed themselves
into a chain around them. These tables swayed, revolved, rose up
in the air, and bounced about the room. Then they answered cate
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507
gorically the questions put to them by tapping one of their legs on
the floor. Often a pencil was tied to the lowest part of one of their
legs and a sheet of paper was put beneath it; the pencil would then
jot down the answers in a clear handwriting. Small stands produced
the same effects. Obviously there had to be a rational cause for
these effects. Generally the clairvoyante ascribed what transpired
to some saint she named or to some well-known deceased person.
These happenings were conversation pieces at social gatherings.
Shortly after hearing about them, Don Bosco met one of the better
known operators of these studios and frankly told him that in his
opinion all these table-rappings were nothing but charlatans’ tricks.
The man challenged him to come to his house and see for himself.
Don Bosco accepted and, with the approval of the chancery, went
there with Father [Francis] Marengo and Father [Louis] Nasi. On
his person he secretly carried a relic of the Holy Cross. The clair
voyante, looking supremely confident, warmly welcomed him. But
despite all the efforts of the medium and of others, the table in the
middle of the room remained still. Astounded and irritated at his
many unsuccessful attempts, the man then turned to Don Bosco,
accusing him of being the cause of this failure since his will resisted
and did not believe in such phenomena. He concluded: “I can’t
do it because you have no faith!”
“Faith in whom or in what?” Don Bosco asked, looking at him
very gravely. He then left with his two friends, convinced that the
relic of the Holy Cross had caused that dismal failure. He himself
told this story to his priests and clerics.
Unfortunately, the number of educated people attending such
seances increased. They were curious to see a person being mesmer
ized and to witness the wondrous and frightful spiritistic demon
strations that followed: interplay of darkness and light; music from
invisible sources; mysterious hands which clasped, caressed, or
slapped the members of the audience; sudden, wild, and unre
strained dancing of the furniture in the room; alluring or horrify
ing apparitions of ghosts or of the souls of the departed. The after
effects in Turin and in the provinces were appalling: widespread
cases of insanity, suicides, obsessions, despair, sudden deaths,
incurable hypochondria, paralysis, spasmodic pains, and many
other afflictions.
Don Bosco was convinced that these unfortunate spiritists at
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
least indirectly evoked the devil. One day he told [Joseph] Buzzetti
and others that a man who had been lured into some secret society
once called on him and related the following story about his
experiences:
Until now I was too busy to concern myself with religion; accordingly,
I was leading a rather loose life. I’d like to tell you how I regained my
Faith. This is a true story without the slightest exaggeration. A friend
of mine introduced me to certain gatherings attended by fun-loving
people. Although they were hostile to religion, they seemed to be dedi
cated to humanitarian causes. They organized dances or staged carnivals,
donating the proceeds to the needy and the sick; in other words, they
did good in their own fashion and that was fine with me. One thing I
rather disliked was their penchant for saying evil things about the Pope,
but that seemed to be the fad everywhere; after all, it really didn’t hurt
anyone, so I overlooked that too.
The worst, however, was still to come. One evening I agreed to attend
a spiritistic demonstration, during which I had the terrible shock of see
ing appear before me—real and frightfully alive—the devil himself or,
to use their parlance, “the great architect.” I can’t tell you how scared
I was and how I regretted having come to that place, but there I was.
Like everyone else, I sat through the entire demonstration. I was speech
less and bathed in a cold sweat. On my way home I remonstrated with
my friend for having invited me to such a frightening demonstration.
Later on, during the night, while lying awake and mulling over the mon
strous apparition, I said to myself: “If the devil exists, then God must
exist too!” One thought led to another, and I finally decided that the
thing for me to do was to begin once again to observe God’s laws, as I
had formerly done in my early youth.
When morning came, I decided to put my conscience in order and did
something I had not done for years—I went to confession. The priest
comforted me, and his words impressed me deeply and indelibly. By lov
ing God and practicing my Faith I have again found peace; I no longer
fear the devil. But it was the sight of that hideous monster that reformed
me by making me think again of God whom I had long since forgotten.
This episode exemplifies the philosophical and historical truism
of N ovalis2— namely that when people reject God they enslave
themselves to the devil. As godlessness and immorality increased
2 Alias, Friedrich von Handenberg (1772-1801), poet. [Editor]
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in Turin, the evil spirit grew bolder and avidly strove to recover the
power he had wielded in pre-Christian times. With God’s permis
sion, he began to manifest himself even outside spiritistic seances.
In Father Thomas Chiuso’s excellent work La Chiesa in Piemonte
dal 1797 ai giorni nostri [The Church in Piedmont from 1797 to
the Present D ay]3 there are irrefutable proofs of diabolical visita
tions that took place in Turin and elsewhere during that period.
Several times Don Bosco himself came face to face with similar
visitations and obsessions, and each time he overcame the evil
spirits by spiritual weapons. We shall now limit ourselves to the
description of only two such incidents. The first is contained in
Father Ascanio Savio’s letter to his brother, Father Angelo, at the
Oratory, asking him to inform Don Bosco of what was happening
in his own hometown and seek his advice and prayers.
Dear Father Angelo: *
Castelnuovo d’Asti, January 18, 1867
Listen to this tale of the “stones,” about which so much has been
said. On the 10th of this month, my bedridden aunt and the good Ange
lina who acts as her nurse were in my godmother’s stable,4 when suddenly
they heard a dull thump on the door. Angelina went to the door and
opened it, but no one was there. The thump was repeated. She opened
the door a second time and looked around more carefully, but again
she saw no one. Then the thump was heard a third time. The girl became
uneasy and exclaimed: “Oh, these naughty youngsters; how annoying
they are!” She went out to scold them, but there was no one to scold.
“Well, let’s forget about it,” she told herself as she returned to the
stable. Just then stones began raining down on the yard and bouncing
against the windows of the stable. They even fell inside the stable itself,
though the door was tightly shut, and actually rolled around on the floor.
The men who came running at these strange happenings were flabber
gasted. This tempest of stones was repeated the next day, Friday, and
again on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday—five times in all. Some of
the stones were as small as a man’s thumb; others weighed as much as
three and a half pounds. In addition, the stable was also bombarded by
pieces of lumber, sods, muddy fragments of tiles, an olive branch
3 Speirani Press, Turin, 1887, Vol. IV, Ch. 2. [Editor]
4 Since the rooms in farmhouses were not heated, the only permanently warm
place was the stable. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
wrapped up in straw, and a vine twig about ten inches long. All told,
the debris weighed about eighty pounds. It rained from above and sprang
from below in an upward direction; in fact, it came from all directions.
It hit the door, walls, roof, and windows—but even those that had paper
panes were not pierced in the least. The debris also struck those in the
stable on various parts of their bodies, but even the largest pieces of
debris never caused the least bruise. Some stones loudly splashed into
a washtub and a pail but did not dent them in the least.
One of the stones had loathsome spittle on it; some were dry, while
others were wet with rain. I picked up some as others rained down on
my hat, my stomach, and my left knee. I watched them fall for about
an hour and a half. Many people—young and old, and even some that
were very skeptical and irreligious—flocked there from the immediate
neighborhood, and even from Castelnuovo, Bardella, Buttigliera, Mon-
donio, and other places. No one has yet been able to offer a satisfactory
explanation. Some say it was a soul in purgatory; others think it was
the devil himself; still others—without a shred of evidence—declare
that it was a carefully planned and well-staged practical joke. My con
clusions are these: first, the fact is certain and hundreds of people wit
nessed it; second, no one knows what caused it.
Well, Father Angelo, this is the story of the “stones.” There are
learned people in Turin; seek an explanation and ask them whether such
an occurrence is a natural phenomenon. Remember that those stones
did not enter the stable through the roof, walls, door, or windows, and
that, despite the racket they made, they did not hurt. When they struck
me, it felt as though I had been lightly touched or tickled.
Your affectionate brother,
Ascanio
Father John Turchi also told us of another strange happening:
One winter (I don’t recall the year) in a hamlet of B ra5 an honest,
hard-working peasant family—whose members are nearly all still living
—had a very frightening experience. They all slept in the stable [the
only warm place in the house]. One night one of the adult daughters sud
denly woke up screaming that she had seen a light over the head and
horns of one of the oxen and that the light was moving toward the door.
All assured her that it was just a dream and that she should go back to
5 A small town in Piedmont in northern Italy. [Editor]
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Combating Spiritism
511
sleep. The same thing happened several nights in succession, and on
these occasions all the members of the family observed the phenomenon.
Even the grown sons— husky and brave men— became as panic-stricken
as the others. During the daytime they all felt brave, but they were
gripped by fear as night approached. The incident so affected them that
their health visibly suffered. They prayed and had others pray— 1 believe
they even had Masses said— but to no avail. This went on for months,
until someone finally advised them to see Don Bosco. They did, and
after listening to their story, Don Bosco said: “I cannot offer the Mass
tomorrow, but at such and such an hour— and he gave them the exact
time— on the day after tomorrow, I shall say Mass for your intentions,
and I hope this will free you from this infestation. However, you must
all go to your church and hear Mass at the same time.” They followed
his instructions and the disturbance ceased. In Bra, and especially in
the immediate vicinity of that family’s home, this episode is well known.
I learned about it a few years ago from Father [Joseph Leonard] Gaz-
zani, a virtuous, zealous, and learned priest.
Similar phenomena which were even more terrifying occurred
in many other places throughout these years, and the civil author
ities tried in vain to ascertain their causes. The spreading of spirit
istic practices fanned the pride of Satan and his-hatred against God
and men. Spiritistic publications, which emanated from Turin and
were avidly read, continued to recount portentous tales and ex
pound evil doctrines.
It was then that Don Bosco, hoping to instill horror for spiritistic
practices and for the devil who inspired them, urged Father Charles
Philip of Poirino, a Capuchin, to write a booklet on this subject,
volunteering to print it at his own expense. The learned friar agreed.
Basing his text on the testimony of the Old and New Testaments
and historical facts, he proved the existence of the rebel angels,
their eternal punishment, their presence on this earth, and their
formidable— though God-controlled— power over external things;
he also described cases of diabolical temptations and obsessions per
mitted by God for the testing of good Christians or the punishment
and conversion of the wicked. The booklet also explained the power
which the Church exercises over evil spirits through her exorcisms,
the possibility of pacts between evil men and the devil, and the
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512
TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
severe church penalties in such cases. Lastly, the author discussed
magnetism— not “mineral” or “animal magnetism,” but the type
defined by the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office,6 as well as
the phenomena of tables that moved about and talked. He asserted
that this was due to witchcraft, inasmuch as the effects were out of
all proportion to their cause.7 In addition, the author clearly stated
that fraud or ignorance could in many cases lead to false conclu
sions, but he asserted that our merciful God did not easily permit
the devil to gain such dominance over the faithful and thus encour
age superstition in preponderantly Catholic countries. Nevertheless*
the Capuchin priest pointed out ways and means of banishing evil
spirits and fleeing them. There was also a chapter on the tragic
consequences of maledictions, imprecations, and blasphemies.
This book was published in 1862 under the title The Prince of
Darkness: Moral and Doctrinal Observations on Evil Spirits plus
a Report on a Case of Diabolical Possession in Val della Torre in
1858. In this Alpine village in the deanery of Pianezza, which was
part of the archdiocese of Turin, an unhappy girl was freed from
diabolical possession through an apparition of the Blessed Virgin.
Fifteen thousand copies of this issue of Letture Cattoliche were
printed, and the supply was almost immediately exhausted. To meet
the demand, a reprint of twenty thousand copies was issued the
following year, 1863. Again it sold out completely; not one single
copy was left.
Don Bosco was still not satisfied because he could see that a
great number of people, especially among the uneducated, con
tinued to be taken in by the fantastic demonstrations of magnetism.
He therefore asked a close friend of his, a former schoolmate and
a renowned physician and surgeon, Dr. Gribaudo of Turin, to write
another booklet, offering him an outline of the subject. It was pub
lished as an issue of Letture Cattoliche in 1865 and was entitled
Animal Magnetism and Spiritism. Don Bosco proofread the galleys.
The author began by laying down as a principle God’s prohibition
6 Now renamed “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.” [Editor]
7 In the United States the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore (1866), while
making due allowance for fraudulent practices in spiritism, declared that at least
some of the manifestations were to be ascribed to satanic intervention, and it
warned the faithful not to lend any support to spiritism or to attend seances out
of curiosity. [Editor]
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Combating Spiritism
513
and threatened punishment to the Jewish people: “Let there not be
found among you . . . a fortune teller, soothsayer, or caster of spells,
nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the
dead.” [Deut. 18, 11] This is a ban on spiritism. God reiterated
His threats through Osee, because “they consult their pieces of
wood, and their wand makes pronouncements for them.” [Osee
4, 12] Obviously this condemnation includes tables and stands that
move and write. The author then proceeded to prove on the basis
of history that the ancient and modern pagan world, and even cer
tain periods of the Christian era, witnessed happenings that because
of their evil, hypocritical, and cruel character were to be ascribed
to an intelligent but evil being; this could be none other than the
devil himself.
After accounting for physical, physiological, and psychological
phenomena— always more or less detectable— and for fraudulent
performances aimed at emptying the purses of a gullible audience,
Dr. Gribaudo concluded that in spiritistic magnetism the super
natural element was predominant, and therefore that the many
wondrous things heard about it from reliable persons and the practi
tioners themselves could not be ascribed to natural laws. Obviously,
then, diabolical intervention was the only rational explanation; fall
ing into a trance was just a temporary diabolical possession that bore
all the hallmarks by which the Church characterizes obsessions.
Don Bosco printed thousands and thousands of copies and spread
them far and wide because this fad, like an insidious serpent, con
tinued to worm its way into family circles with serious moral and
material consequences for the individual, the family, and the whole
of society. In addition, in 1865 Don Bosco’s friend, Father [Francis]
Marengo, published a book entitled Modern Spiritism Unmasked 8
for the educated classes. Its purpose was to prove that spiritism was
godless and dangerous, led to pantheism and materialism, and there
fore was both morally and physically harmful, diabolically inspired,
and an emanation of hell.
Whatever was humanly possible to do had been done. The next
step was to pray: A b insidiis diaboli libera nos, Domine [From the
snares of the devil, deliver us, O Lord].
8 A 99-page booklet printed by the Tipografia del Collegio degli Artigianelli in
Turin. [Editor]
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a p p e n d ic e s
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Appendix 1
A SONG TO DON BOSCO
(See Chapter 8, footnote 2)
Arise, brothers, for on this day
Our grateful hearts
Hail Don Bosco, our good shepherd,
For the acts of kindness he has shown us.
Let the trumpets blare
And the bells ring loudly,
Inviting the whole neighborhood
To rejoice with us this day.
Shout so all can hear: He is the light
Sent to us by the Lord
To illumine the minds and hearts
Of the untutored young.
He is a pillar of strength to the aged,
To children without bread;
He sustains and guides his young charges
Along the path of virtue.
Sound off, therefore,
All young and old,
With loving hymns and shouts of praise
Upon this joyous day.
And bowing before God
Let us implore with all our hearts
That He keep this pious man
In our midst to the fullness of his years.
517
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Appendix 2
REGULATIONS FOR THE MUTUAL
AID SOCIETY
(See Chapter 8, footnote 3)
Foreword
My dear young men, here are your society’s regulations. They will
serve as a norm of conduct for your society to function in an orderly and
rewarding way. I cannot but praise your zeal and diligence in promoting
it, for you have been very wise. You will be setting aside one soldo per
week, of little value when spent, but of great benefit when one is in need.
I heartily approve your initiative.
My only suggestion is that, while you further the good of this society,
you do not forget to carry out your obligations as members of the St.
Aloysius Sodality, from which your spiritual welfare derives.
May the Lord imbue your hearts with true charity and joy. May all
your deeds be accompanied by the salutary fear of God.
Regulations
1. The aim of this society is to provide assistance for those members
who may be in need during illness or involuntary unemployment.
2. No one shall be admitted to membership in this society without
prior membership in the St. Aloysius Sodality. Loss of this membership,
for any reason whatsoever, will also entail loss of membership in the
Mutual Aid Society.
3. Each member shall pay one soldo per week; no member may re
ceive any benefits of the society until six months after his admission.
However, a member will have the right to immediate assistance if, upon
admission, he pays one lira and fifty centesimi and is neither sick nor un
employed at the time.
4. A daily subsidy of fifty centesimi shall be paid to sick members
until their complete recoveiy. This aid shall cease if a member is accepted
free in some hospital and will be resumed when convalescence begins.
5. Members who are unemployed through no fault of their own shall
begin to draw the above subsidy eight days after the loss of their jobs.
518
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Appendix 2
519
After twenty days the council shall determine whether or not it should
be increased or reduced.
6. All donations will be gratefully received, and a special collection
will be made each year.
7. Any member who fails to pay his share over a long period of time
shall forfeit his right to benefits until he meets his full obligations, and
he then shall not be eligible for assistance for one month.
8. The society shall be governed by a director, a vice-director, a
secretary, a vice-secretary, four councilors, a visitor and a vice-visitor,
and a treasurer.
9. Besides prompt payment of dues, all officers shall diligently
observe the regulations of the St. Aloysius Sodality, thus promoting their
own sanctification and encouraging others to be virtuous.
10. The Oratory director is ex officio also the director of the society.
He shall see to it that the officers perform their duties properly and that
the needs of the members are satisfied in conformity with these regula
tions.
11. The vice-director shall assist the director. He shall duly instruct
the secretary to discuss matters of the society’s welfare at meetings which
he shall attend.
12. The secretary shall collect dues every Sunday and keep an accu
rate, up-to-date account tactfully and courteously. The secretary shall
also furnish the treasurer with subsidy vouchers bearing the names, sur
names, and addresses of sick members and keep minutes of deliberations
made at the meetings. He shall be assisted in his duties by the vice
secretary, who shall also act in his place when necessary.
13. The four councilors shall express their opinions in all matters
concerning the welfare of the society; they shall vote on all matters of
government, as well as the nomination of new members.
14. By virtue of his office the spiritual director of the St. Aloysius
Sodality is the visitor of this society. He shall call on sick members at
their homes to learn their needs and report the same to the secretary.
On obtaining the required subsidy voucher, he shall present it to the
treasurer and then bring the money to the patient. As he does so, the
visitor shall also give some spiritual advice to the sick member, encour
aging him to receive the sacraments in case his sickness becomes more
serious. In the performance of this task he will be assisted by the vice
visitor.
15. The treasurer shall administer the society’s funds and account
for them every three months. He may not grant subsidies to anyone unless
he has first received a voucher from the visitor, signed by the director.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M E M O IR S O F SA INT JO H N BOSCO
16. Each officer shall remain in office for one year and may be
reelected.
17. Officers shall give a report of their administration every three
months.
18. These regulations shall become effective on July 1, 1850.
(As a membership card each member received a booklet entitled
Mutual Aid Society of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for Members
of the St. Aloysius Sodality, Speirano & Ferrero Press, Turin, 1850. The
frontispiece bore the scriptural quotation: “Behold how good it is and
how pleasant where brethren dwell as one.” (Ps. 132, 1) The last page
of the booklet contained a registration form with the name, address, and
occupation of the member and the date of his registration.)
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Appendix 3
FIRST MENTION OF THE
SALESIAN CONGREGATION
(See Chapter 9, footnote 9)
Diocesan and papal faculties granted Don Bosco up to 1850 were
personal. As director of the Oratory, Don Bosco communicated them to
those eligible and within the prescribed limitations. September 28, 1850
was the date on which faculties were first granted to the Superior of the
Salesian Congregation.
In the following petition to the Pope, Don Bosco mentions the Con
gregation of St. Francis de Sales for the first time, meaning the directors
of the [festive] oratories and all the priests and laymen caring for the boys
attending said oratories. The Holy See acceded to Don Bosco’s request.
Holy Father:
Father John Bosco of Turin respectfully informs Your Holiness that a congre
gation under the name and patronage of St. Francis de Sales, of which he is the
director, has been lawfully founded in this city. Its purpose is the religious in
struction of abandoned youth. The undersigned implores Your Holiness to gra
ciously grant the following spiritual favors:
1. A plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, for all those joining this
congregation.
2. Another plenary indulgence on the feast of St. Francis de Sales for the
members who will receive the sacraments on that day.
3. Likewise, a plenary indulgence on the feast of the Assumption for the mem
bers of this congregation who will receive the sacraments and pray for the glory
and exaltation of Holy Mother Church.
4. A partial indulgence of 300 days for those who, though not belonging to this
congregation, will participate in the procession usually held on the first Sunday of
each month in honor of St. Francis de Sales.
Ex audientia Sanctissimi— Die 28 Septembris 1850
Sanctissimus Dominus Noster Pius Divina Providentia Papa IX Oratoris precibus
per me infrascriptum relatis benigne annuit iuxta petita absque ulla Brevis expe-
ditione.
DOMINICUS FIORAMONTI
SS. D.N.S, ab Epistolis Latinis
In his audience of September 28 [1850], the Holy Father, as a gesture
of his fatherly affection to the boys frequenting the Turin oratories,
orally extended the same indulgences to the St. Aloysius Sodality. This
521
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TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS O F SAINT JO H N BOSCO
extension of spiritual favors was duly communicated by letter to Don
Bosco along with the rescript. In addition, the Pope granted a plenary
indulgence to those who made the Six-Sunday Devotions in honor of
St. Aloysius on any six consecutive Sundays of the year. Said indulgence
could be gained on each Sunday, provided one received the sacraments
that day and performed some act of piety. He also granted an indulgence
of 300 days to anyone participating in the monthly procession in honor
of St. Aloysius and on the feast day of the patron saint of each oratory.
All the above indulgences were granted in perpetuity.
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Appendix 4
DON BO SC O’S LIST OF
RETREATANTS AT GIAVENO
IN 1850
(See Chapter 12, footnote 14)
Name
Brosio, Joseph
Cumino, Joseph
Diato, Bartholomew
Reffo, Herman
Gaspardone, Thomas
Testore, Michael
Costa, Eugene
Tirone, Dominic
Piumatti, John
Beglia, James
Buzzetti, Joseph
Rastelli, John
Reviglio, Felix
Reviglio, Joseph
Caglieri, Hyacinth
Gastini, Charles
Chiosi, Joseph
Canale, Joseph
Fornasio, Clement
Libois, Michael
Valfre, John
Croce, Alexander
Casetti, Francis, cleric
Bardissone, John
Comoglio, Joseph
Rovetti, Joseph
Marchisio, Dominic
Locatelli, Francis
Ferrero, John
Rua, Michael
Savio, Ascanio, cleric
Odasso, Joseph
Rossi, Francis
Bracotti, John
Battagliotti, Joseph
Age
Name
Age
21 Audenino, Victor
16
17 Ippolito, Louis
17
18 Perim, John
16
18 Vaschetti, Victor
17
18 Falchero, Francis
19
17 Pasero, Lawrence
17
19 Alasia, Felix
17
18 Casassa, Joseph
16
18 Gorino, Peter
33
17 Ferro, Felix
17
18 Demateis, John
22
19 Ferro, Michael
20
18 Picco, John Baptist
20
17 Rolando,. . .
17
18 Delfino, Luciano
20
18
Marnetto, Paul
25
16
Randu, Joseph
45
22
Rosa, Hyacinth
18
21
Guardi,. . .
19
18
Cagno, James
16
20
Borselli, Francis
20
16
Gotti, Stephen
18
16
Micheletti,. . . (elder)
19
17
Micheletti,. . . (junior)
17
23
Pagani, Felix
16
38 Montanaro, Lawrence
25
16
Porporato, Lawrence
16
17
Ghiotti, Anthony
28
16 Pasquale, Michael
16
16 Gillardi, John
48
18 Manuele, Matthew
17
16 Chiala, Caesar
16
17 Bruno, George
17
18 Bertolino, James
17
18 Bosselli, John Baptist
16
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524
TH E BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Name
Age
Name
Age
Margaretelli, Stephen
16
Lione, Francis
17
Bruna, Joseph
Savio, Angelo
Bargetti, Francis
16
Costa, Eugene
17
Comba, Anthony
20
Usseglio, John
19
18
19
Costante, Zephyrmus
17
Tessa, Charles
17
Forno, Bernard
38
Brunelli, John
19
Piovano, Peter
25
Ricci, Francis
16
Giraldi, Dositheus
40
Vesso, George
17
Casanova, Alphonse
26
Rosso, Felix
21
Gauter, John
22
Pezziardi, Albert
16
Rovere, Julius
19
Santi, Modesto
17
Bajetti, John
25
Giovale, Gaudenzio
17
Serale, Peter
Castagna, James
16
Plano, John
16
Depetris,. . .
16
21
Gatta, Bernard
22
Dalmasso, Francis
17
Rovaretto, Anthony
17
Rufino, Francis
17
Reviglio, Joseph
16
Giay, Ireneus
19
Giovannino, Augustine
16 Davico, Louis
23
Giacomelli, Anthony
21
Usseglio, Louis
20
Barrucco, Joseph
35
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Appendix 5
A ROYAL SUBSIDY
(See Chapter 20, footnote 8)
[Following is one of the four replies received. The recipient was the
cleric Charles Gastini in Turin.]
Turin, October 3, 1851
In conformity with instructions issued from the Royal Secretariat of
State for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Mercy and Justice on September 30,
the Head of the Royal Apostolic Steward’s Office was informed that
His Majesty has graciously consented to grant you a subsidy of 90 lire
from this fund.
Please report in person or entrust someone of your acquaintance with
duly notarized power of attorney to receive said amount on your behalf.
Canon [Anthony] Moreno, Royal Almoner
52 5
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Appendix 6
FATHERLY SOLICITUDE
(See Chapter 23, footnote 5)
Dear Father Chiatellino,*
Turin, August 29, 1851
I think I should inform you that Mr. Joseph Battistolo, the father of
the boy you sent me, took his son home at the suggestion of Mr. Michael
Chiusano, as you can see from the enclosed letter.
This is fine with me. Most likely, the boy’s parents are no longer in
straitened circumstances, and thus I can make room for someone else.
Nevertheless, I was rather sorry to see him go because he had finally
improved considerably, especially in his work.
Well, Mr. Chiusano, you, and I have done everything we could. May
the Lord continue the little we have attempted to do.
Please give my affectionate regards and those of the Oratory boys to
your cousin, Michael Chiusano, and to your family. Love me in the Lord.
Your friend,
Fr. John Bosco
* Father Michelangelo Chiatellino, a diocesan priest, had taught music at die
Oratory and was now an elementary school teacher at Carignano near Turin.
[Editor]
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Appendix 7
EPISCOPAL DECREE NAMING
DON BOSCO DIRECTOR OF
ALL THE ORATORIES
(See Chapter 33, footnote 1)
MARQUIS LOUIS FRANSONI
Knight of the Supreme Order of the Annunciation,
by the Grace of God and of the Apostolic See
Archbishop of Turin
To
The Very Reverend
JOHN BOSCO OF CASTELNUOVO,
Diocesan Priest
Greetings.
We congratulate you, worthy priest of God, for your zeal and charity
in gathering poor boys in the Oratory of St. Francis of Sales in Valdocco,
an enterprise which can never be sufficiently commended. We consider it
only proper to register our complete satisfaction for this undertaking by
officially appointing you, with this letter,. Head Spiritual Director of the
Oratory of St. Francis de Sales and also of the St. Aloysius and Guardian
Angel oratories in order that the work undertaken under such felicitous
auspices may prosper and develop in a spirit of charity for God’s true
glory and for the great edification of the people. Therefore, we herewith
confer upon you every faculty necessary and suitable to this holy purpose.
The original of this certificate is being forwarded to our chancery for
filing, and the chancellor will be authorized to issue a copy to you.
Turin, March 31,1852
Signed: Philip Ravina, Vicar General
Balladore, Chancellor
This copy agrees with the original.
Balladore, Chancellor
The chancery of Turin had granted the following faculties to the Ora
tory of St. Francis de Sales:
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
1. To celebrate low and high Mass, give Benediction with the Holy
Eucharist, hold triduums, novenas, and spiritual retreats.
2. To teach catechism, preach, admit children to First Communion,
and prepare them for the sacraments of Penance and Confirmation.
3. To allow children and adults to make their Easter duty in any of
the chapels of the oratories, to bless sacred vestments and clerical habits,
and to confer such habits on those young men who manifested a voca
tion for the priesthood but only if they intended to work in the oratories
and boarded in the adjoining hospice.
These authorizations in practice frequently gave rise to uncertainties.
Therefore, Archbishop Fransoni, with his decree of March 31, 1852,
granted them without any limitation and thus included whatever was
opportune or necessary for the smooth and proper running of the Oratory
of St. Francis de Sales in Valdocco, that of St. Aloysius at Porta Nuova,
and that of the Guardian Angel in Borgo Vanchiglia.
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Appendix 8
EPISCOPAL DECREE HONORING
FATHER ROBERT MURIALDO
(See Chapter 33, footnote 2)
MARQUIS LOUIS FRANSONI
Knight of the Supreme Order of the Annunciation
Knight of the Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus
by the Grace of God and of the Apostolic See
Archbishop of Turin
To
The Very Reverend
Father Robert Murialdo,
Diocesan Priest
Greetings.
In consideration of the deep commitment and fervent zeal with which,
as a worthy priest, you diligently and assiduously labor on behalf of the
Christian education of poor boys gathered in the Guardian Angel Oratory
in Borgo Vanchiglia, we deem it proper to give public testimony of our
complete satisfaction by officially appointing you, with this letter, Spir
itual Director of the above-mentioned Oratory, under the sole condition
that you faithfully preserve its unity and dependence under the Reverend
John Bosco, Head Director of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Val-
docco and founder of this Guardian Angel Oratory. We therefore grant
you all the necessary and opportune authorizations connected thereto.
We are forwarding the original copy of this certificate for filing to our
chancery. Our chancellor is authorized to issue a copy thereof to you.
Turin, March 31, 1852
Signed: Philip Ravina, Vicar General
Balladore, Chancellor
This copy agrees with the original.
Signed: Balladore, Chancellor
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Appendix 9
AN ODE BY DON BOSCO
(See Chapter 37, footnote 7)
Come augel di ramo in ramo
Va cercando albergo fido,
Per poggiare ansioso il nido
E tranquillo riposar;
Non si posa in valli o in monti,
Non per campo o per foresta,
Nol trattien turbo o tempesta
Finche il nido non formd:
Cosf noi oltre dieci anni
Questo nido abbiam cercato,
Ne dal ciel mai ci fu dato
Di poterlo ritrovar.
Ora un prato, or un giardino,
Or cortile, stanza o strada,
Talor piazza oppur contrada
Oratorio era per noi.
Quando alfin pietoso Iddio
Volse a noi benigno un guardo,
E due lustri di ritardo
Largamente compensd.
Compenso... Ma che dir piu?
Ogni speme fu appagata,
Gia la chiesa e consacrata,
Sono paghi i nostri cuor.
Egli e ver, signori amati,
Per piu mesi faticaste,
Caldo, freddo tolleraste
Per la casa del Signor:
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Negazion di spasso e sonno,
Non disagi, affanno o stento
Non la pioggia o turbo o vento
Vostro zelo rallento.
Ora lieti festeggiate,
Quai guerrier dopo vittoria,
Cui la vera e santa gloria
Solo il merto procaccid.
II Signor v’ha compensati
La fatica e coronata,
Nostra chiesa e consacrata,
Che bramar possiam di piu?
Presto adunque, o cari figli,
Corriam tutti al Tempio santo,
Innalziamo a Dio un canto
Pel favor che c’imparti.
Oh! Signore onnipotente
Che al meschin mai nulla nieghi,
Deh! benigno ai nostri preghi
Tu ci ascolta in questo di.
Fa’ che questo nuovo tempio
Al tuo nome consacrato,
Mai non sia profanato
Da chi fede in cuor non ha.
Fa’ che quanti qua verranno
Supplicanti tuoi divoti,
Abbian paghi i loro voti;
Porgi afta, d& merce.
E tu, Vergine beata,
Che appo Dio tutto puoi,
Benedici i figli tuoi,
Fede, speme inspira e amor;
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
Fa’ che mai per opra ria
Noi cessian d’esser tuoi figli,
Tu ci franca dai perigli
Dell’incauta nostra eta.
Ma qual cosa tu darai
Ai benefici signori,
Che lor pene e lor sudori
Consacrarono al tuo onor?
Tesserai, Vergine bella,
Su nel Ciel di fiori un serto,
Che ricambi ogni lor merto,
Con quel ben che fin non ha.
Noi intanto grato il core
In caratteri dorati
Scriveremo in tutti i lati:
VIVA ETERNO QUESTO DI.
Ne per tempo o per vicenda
Non sia mai che si cancelli
Questo dl, che fra’ piu belli
Tra di noi sempre sara.
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Appendix 10
VERSES BY DON BOSCO
(See Chapter 38, footnote 2)
Pria il sole dall’occaso
Fia che tomi al suo oriente,
Ogni flume alia sorgente
Prima indietro tomera
Che dal cuor ci si cancelli
Questo di che tra i piu belli
Fra di noi sempre sara.
533
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Appendix 11
ADDITIONS TO THE
REGULATIONS FOR THE
FESTIVE ORATORY
(See Chapter 39, footnote 1)
The Sacristans
While Lauds of the Blessed Virgin Mary are being chanted, or at the
latest when the hymn is intoned, the sacristans should invite the priest
to vest for Mass.1
The Monitor
After Lauds of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin the monitor
shall intone the usual prayers in a clear voice, and the congregation will
continue. He shall then read the prayers that accompany the Mass,
leaving the acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity for after Mass. After the
sermon, he shall recite five Paters and Aves for the benefactors of the
Oratory, and another Pater and Ave in honor of St. Aloysius, ending
with “Praised forever be the most holy names of Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph,” which he shall begin. On greater solemnities, he should read
the preparation for Communion after the Sanctus and, later, the thanks
giving.21
The Chapel Subassistants
There shall be four chapel subassistants. The first one will supervise
the area near the altar of Our Lady; the second one, the area near the
altar of St. Aloysius; and the other two the rest of the church, from the
center to the main entrance.3
1 For comparison, see Vol. Ill, p. 443, Appendix 1, Ch. 5, No. 3. [Editor]
2 See Vol. HI, p. 445, Appendix 1, Ch. 6, Nos. 2, 3, 4. [Editor]
3 See Vol. Ill, p. 445, Appendix 1, Ch. 7, No. 2. [Editor]
534
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535
Catechism Classes
Fifteen-year-olds who have been permanently admitted45 to Holy
Communion will assemble in the choir; those who have been permanently
admitted to Communion but are not yet fifteen should gather near the
altars of Our Lady and of St. Aloysius; the others should be arranged
according to age and knowledge.3
The Archivist
The archivist is to keep an accurate record of all objects destined or
donated for the altars of Our Lady and of St. Aloysius.6
4 According to a diocesan custom, admission to First Communion was on a
temporary basis to insure that first communicants continued to attend religious
instruction. [Editor]
5 See Vol. Ill, p. 447, No. 13. [Editor]
6See Vol. Ill, p. 448, No. 3. [Editor]
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Appendix 12
MINUTES OF THE DRAWING OF
THE LOTTERY ON BEHALF OF
THE BOYS’ ORATORY OF
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
IN VALDOCCO
(See Chapter 40, footnote 8)
Turin, July 14, 1852
In the year of Our Lord 1852, at 2:30 p.m. of July 12, on the balcony
of the City Hall in Turin there took place the drawing of the lottery,
authorized on December 9, 1851 by the City Finance Office, on behalf
of the Boys’ Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in Valdocco.
In accordance with the postponement authorized by the aforesaid
Finance Office and published in the Gazzetta Vfficiale, the lottery execu
tive committee held a public meeting presided over by the Reverend
Canon Peter Baricco, deputy mayor, with die undersigned acting as
secretary.
Since the organizers of the lottery had been authorized to issue 99,999
tickets, the deputy mayor permitted the use of four revolving containers.
The first one held blue counters numbered from 0 to 99, corresponding
to thousands; the second, red counters numbered 0 to 9 for hundreds;
the third, yellow counters numbered 0 to 9 for tens, and lastly, the
fourth, grey counters numbered 0 to 9 for units. After the deputy mayor
had verified that these revolving containers were empty, he himself
placed the counters inside, one by one. At the end of this operation
the four containers were closed and spun to mix the counters. Then,
eight Oratory boys, in two groups of four, took turns extracting succes
sively a counter from each of the containers. [The combined group of
counters represented a winning number.] This operation was repeated
as many times as there were prizes—that is, three thousand two hundred
and fifty-one times. Each winning number was announced in a loud voice
by a member of the committee, repeated by another member, and regis
tered by three examiners in a special ledger next to the number of the
prize won.
Since the drawing could not be completed at one session, the deputy
536
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Appendix 12
537
mayor adjourned the drawing to the following day [July 13] at 9 a.m .,
sealed the containers, and put the ledgers away in a safe place.
The drawing was resumed the following day at the stated time in the
presence of the above-named persons, and since once again it was not
possible to conclude the operation, the deputy mayor again decided to
continue it on the next day [July 14] at 8:30 a.m .
The drawing was recommenced as indicated above in the presence of
the same officials and was concluded at 5:30 p .m . of July 14, 1852.
The deputy mayor certified that the drawing had been conducted ac
cording to law, and at his request I, the secretary, drew up these minutes
in conformity with the regulations issued by the Finance Office. The
deputy mayor, the members of the executive committee of the lottery,
and the acting secretary have signed these minutes.
In faith.
Rev. Peter Baricco, Deputy Mayor
Rev. John Bosco
Frederick Bocca
Rev. John Borel
Lawrence Agliano
Cajetan Bellingeri, Acting Secretary
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Appendix 13
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
(See Chapter 44, footnote 8)
Ero Hche sognavo, e mi parea
Veder tutta fumante in sul tagliere
Una bella polenta, che mi fea
Rider l’anima lieta pel piacere;
Quando la mamma con dolente voce
Grida: Cade la casa! Ahi caso atroce!
Io mi sveglio intronato nella testa
Da un forte scroscio, che sentir si fece;
E con la mente ancor non bene desta,
Gli abiti cerco, e del cappello invece
Prendo a Brunengo il sarto la parrucca;
Frettoloso cosi salvo mia zucca.
Uscito fuori, cerco invan le stelle
La bella luna luminosa in cielo,
Che invece piove a furia, a catinelle;
Trovo Don Bosco, con patemo zelo,
A cercar, a contar tutti i suoi figli
Scampati per prodigio dai perigli.
In chiesa ci raduna, e poi ci esorta
A confidar nella celeste ai’ta;
Ognuno nel sentirlo si conforta,
Ne teme davvantaggio della vita:
Mentre un colpo all’orecchio s’avvicina
Come il mondo n’andasse alia rovina.
Che sara mai? gridammo spaventati,
Guardandoci l’un l’altro con orrore;
Saremmo in questa notte sotterrati?
Un trave e poi un altro con rumore,
Come la paglia che si porta il vento,
Col muro eran caduti in quel momento.
538
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Appendix 13
539
E la pochi di prima aveva il letto
Posato, ove dormiva i sonni belli;
Di me che saria stato, poveretto,
E della tavolozza e dei pennelli?
Sarei andato con i padri antichi,
Ne piu la pancia serberei pei fichi.
Che ne dici, Gastini, e tu, Buzzetti?
Che vi pare di questo gran periglio?
Mi trema l’alma se penso a Rocchietti;
Mi ride invece in osservar Reviglio
A pregar, o gridar con vivo affetto,
Tenendo in testa il berrettin da letto.
Ed Amaud il guantaio, e poi Battista,
Colui cioe che pela le carote,
E Marchisio, e ben altri in lunga lista
Stavano bianchi in ambedue le gote.
Di quella notte e degno che la storia
Ne serbi in bella pagina memoria.
All’alba intanto rovinava in tutto
Con orrendo frastuono quella mole,
Che il buon Padre erigeva, e in mezzo al lutto
Ci disse, e le ricordo sue parole,
Con la calma delPanima sicura:
Risorgeranno un di coteste mura!
Carlo Tomatis
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Appendix 14
PETITION FOR PERMISSION
TO READ FORBIDDEN BOOKS
(See Chapter 45, footnote 9)
To His Holiness Pope Pius IX
Most Holy Father:
The Rev. John Bosco, in his capacity as director of the boys’ oratories
he founded in Turin, very frequently receives all kinds of heretical books
from the boys attending said oratories.
Humbly prostrate at the feet of Your Holiness, he requests permission
to read and retain forbidden books as necessity may dictate.
For this grace, etc.,
Rev. John Bosco, Petitioner
RESCRIPT
Feria sexta, die 17 decembris, 1852
Auctoritate SS.D.N. Pii PP. IX nobis commissa liceat Oratori (si vera
sunt exposita) attends litteris testimonialibus, et quoad vixerit, legere ac
retinere, sub custodia tamen ne ad aliorum manus perveniant, libros
quoscumque prohibitos, exceptis de obscenis ex professo tractantibus.
In quorum fidem
Fr. Angelus Vincentius Modena,
Sacrae lndicis Congregationis a Secretis
Loco sigilli
540
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Appendix 15
SUBSCRIPTION RATES AND
OTHER INFORMATION ON THE
LETTURE CATTOLICUE
(See Chapter 46, footnote 1)
Subscription Plan
1. These booklets will be written in a simple, popular style and their
contents will deal exclusively with the Catholic Faith.
2. These booklets, averaging about 100 pages, will be published
monthly. Format, stock, and font will be exactly as in this prospectus.
3. The subscription rate (payable in advance) is 90 centesimi per
semester, or Lire 1.80 per year. The mail delivery rate is Lire 1.40 per
semester, or Lire 2.80 per year.
4. There will be no charge for domestic bulk deliveries of at least
fifty copies to distributors who wish to cooperate in this apostolic work.
5. In towns and rural centers subscriptions may be paid to agents
appointed by the respective bishops to whom we recommend this new
publication.
(Address of bishops enclosed)
541
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Appendix 16
REGULATIONS FOR THE HOSPICE
A T T A C H E D TO THE O R A T O R Y OF
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
(See Chapter 46, footnote 7)
PART I
Purpose of this House
Among the boys attending the festive oratories of this city there are
some who will not benefit from any spiritual assistance unless they also
receive material help. Some of them, already somewhat advanced in
years, are either orphans or bereft of all assistance because their parents
cannot or will not take care of them; they are without a trade cr even
a mere elementary education, and they are bound to fall into many
dangers if they are not received into some home and there trained to
work, to discipline, and to the practice of religious duties. Such boys are
welcome in the hospice attached to the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales.
However, since it is not possible to accept all those who are in grave
need, some rules must be established for giving priority to those whose
need is greater. Likewise, there must be rules specifying the duties of
each superior and disciplinary norms for the orderly spiritual and ma
terial functioning of this hospice.
Chapter 1. Admission
Conditions for admission are as follows:
1. A boy must be at least twelve and not over eighteen years of age.
Experience has shown that, as a general rule, boys under twelve are
incapable of doing great good or great harm, while those over eighteen
find it very difficult to break off their habits and adapt themselves to a
new tenor of life.
2. He must be a totally destitute orphan with no one to take care of
him. If his brothers, uncles, or aunts can provide for him, he is not
eligible for admission.
3. He must not be suffering from any repelling or contagious disease,
such as scabies, ringworm, tuberculosis, etc.
54 2
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4. He must already be attending one of the [festive] oratories of this
city, since this hospice aims at assisting those frequenting said oratories.
Experience has taught us that it is most important to know well the
character of a boy before accepting him.
5. He must present a letter of recommendation from his pastor con
firming his age and circumstances. This letter must also state whether
or not the boy has had smallpox and certify that he is free of any repel
ling or contagious disease and that he is in no way disabled. In the
absence of such health certificate, a medical examination [upon admis
sion] will suffice.
6. The applicant should bring with him his own belongings for per
sonal use; it would not be fair for him to depend on charity when he
has things of his own. The persons whom each boy must obey and con
sider in their respective offices as his superiors are: the Director, the
Prefect, the Catechist, the Assistant, the Protector, the Monitor, and
the Domestics.
Chapter 2. The Director
1. The director is the head superior. It is his right to accept or dismiss
boys and to see that each staff .member carries out his duty. He is respon
sible for the moral conduct of all.
2. No changes may be made as regards personnel, property, or man
agement of the house without the authorization of the director.
Chapter 3. The Prefect
1. The prefect, or administrator, shall take the director’s place in his
absence. If possible, such office shall be entrusted to the prefect of the
festive oratory.
2. He is responsible for the entire administration of the house and
workshops; he must supervise all contracts, keep an exact account of
incomes and expenditures, and provide food, clothing, and fuel.
3. He is in charge of the boys’ register in which he shall record not
only the full names of the boys, but also other private information, espe
cially if a boy is in grave moral danger. He shall record whether or not
the boy or other people can contribute financially or otherwise to his
maintenance.
4. He shall enter into this register the date of the boy’s arrival and
other information, such as any money, bed linen, or clothes he may have
brought along or whether his admission is on a temporary or permanent
basis.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
5. He shall ensure that the catechist instructs the new boy in his
duties and the routine of the house, and he shall assign him a place in
church, at table, and in the dormitory. As far as possible, he will place
him with companions of the same age.
6. He shall record the wages and employment conditions of each boy
and see that they are observed. Whatever each boys earns daily over and
above sixteen soldi will be set aside for him. Boys who do not earn that
much shall receive half a day’s pay per week.
7. When a boy leaves the hospice, the prefect shall duly record the
date and the reason for his departure.
8. He is urged to see to it that all other staff members do their duty,
and he must be always prepared to give an account of the conduct of
the boys and of the staff members.
9. All evening classes are under his jurisdiction.
10. It is also his duty to provide whatever is needed for the sacristy,
to supervise the sacristans, and to teach sacred ceremonies to the clerics.
If unable to attend to all these duties by himself, he may entrust some
of them to other qualified persons.
Chapter 4. The Catechist
1. The catechist, or spiritual director, has the duty of supervising and
looking after the spiritual welfare of the boys. He must be a priest or
at least a cleric and his conduct must be exemplary.
2. He must immediately brief new boys about the rules of the house.
He shall also ascertain in a kindly manner whether they need religious
instruction and, if so, he shall solicitously impart it to them.
3. He shall teach the catechism of the diocese and assign a weekly
lesson which shall be due on Sunday before lunch. He shall keep a record
of those who have been admitted to Holy Communion, and of those who
have received Confirmation. He shall also inquire whether any of those
admitted to Holy Communion need further instruction in order to receive
it worthily.
4. It is also his duty to keep busy those boys who might be tempo
rarily unemployed by assigning to them some material or intellectual
work lest they be idle.
5. He shall duly note the boys’ faults in order to be able to correct
them at an opportune time and give conduct marks at the end of each
month.
6. He shall see to it that the boys are punctual at church services and
morning and night prayers. It is his duty to forestall anything which
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545
may interfere with the practices of piety. After night prayers, he shall
visit the dormitories to see that silence is kept and make sure that no one
is missing. Should this be the case, he shall take the opportune measures
and, if necessary, inform the director.
7. He shall endeavor to ensure that the dormitory monitors are at
their posts on time. He shall keep track of those not attending sacred
services on Sundays and weekdays; in this he shall be assisted by sub
monitors.
8. If any boy is sick, he shall provide all necessary spiritual and
material assistance, but he shall be very cautious about prescribing
remedies on his own.
9. He shall keep in close contact with the prefect to learn about the
boys’ conduct at work and thus be able to forestall any disorder and
provide temporary work for any boy who might become unemployed,
or find him a new job.
Chapter 5. The Assistant
1. The assistant must see to it that the boys keep their bodies and
clothes clean. He must also look after the tidiness of the premises, under
the supervision of the prefect.
2. At least once a week he shall inspect the cleanliness of the boys’
heads and see to it that their hair is kept short and free of lice.
3. He shall put out a clean shirt on each bed every Saturday evening
and collect the soiled ones next morning.
4. He shall change the towels every other week and the sheets once
a month.
5. He shall take great care that clothes are marked indelibly lest they
be misplaced. Before purchasing or replacing clothes of any sort, he
should first verify the necessity of doing so and inform the prefect of
that fact.
6. He shall see that dormitories and the rest of the house are swept
every day and that the beds are tidily made. He should verify the proper
functioning of doors, exits, windows, keys, and locks and provide for
their prompt and economical repair when they are out of order.
7. Every week he shall appoint two boys (from among those working
inside the house) to sweep and tidy the whole house. However, if any boy
should be temporarily out of work, he shall be immediately assigned to
this chore.
8. The assistant shall distribute the bread at breakfast, supervise the
boys at table, and prevent any waste of food. He shall constantly remind
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
the boys to put aside what they do not care to eat. Any boy willfully
wasting bread, soup, or other food shall be warned only once; if he does
it again, he should be immediately dismissed.
9. The assistant should take great care that all report on time to
their workshops, keep busy at their work, and avoid disturbing others.
Chapter 6. The Protectors
1. The protector is a benefactor who assumes the very important
responsibility of finding work for the boys and making sure that their
employers and fellow workers are such as not to endanger the boys’
eternal salvation.
2. The protector shall keep a file of names and addresses of prospec
tive employers and will direct to them those boys who wish to learn some
craft or who are unemployed.
3. The protector is like a solicitous father who looks after his charges,
correcting them and encouraging them to be more diligent. He will also
ask employers to be patient and kindly.
4. He should not make any agreement with non-Catholic employers
or with those who refuse to give a day off to the boys on Sundays and
holy days.
5. If the protector becomes aware that a boy is in a dangerous en
vironment, he shall watch over him to forestall any harm, bring the
matter to the attention of the employer if it seems advisable, and do his
utmost to find a more suitable place of employment
6. He shall maintain close contact with the prefect and the catechist
to discuss and take those measures which seem most beneficial to the
boys.
7. At least every two weeks he shall call on each employer to inquire
about the boys’ diligence, progress, and conduct.
Chapter 7. The Monitors
1. There shall be a monitor and submonitor in every dormitory and
workshop. It is their duty to report on what is said and done in each of
these places.
2. They shall lead by their example and strive at all times to be fair
and conscientious in a spirit of love of God and neighbor.
3. It is their duty to admonish their companions, but they are not to
inflict any punishment; should that be necessary, they shall refer the
matter to the prefect or to the director. Before going to bed themselves,
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Appendix 16
547
they should check that no one is missing; if that should be the case, they
shall inform the prefect or the catechist.
4. They should ensure that silence is observed at the appointed times.
In the morning, at the sound of the bell, they shall rise promptly. They
should be the last ones to leave the dormitory. After locking it, they
shall bring the key to the assigned place. If any boy is sick, they shall
inform the catechist.
5. They shall be most vigilant in preventing foul conversation and
immodest gestures, words, signs, or jokes. St. Paul says that such things
should not even be mentioned among Christians. Impudicitia ne quidem
nominetur in vobis. Should they discover any such transgressions, they
are gravely bound to inform the director.
Chapter 8. The Domestics
1. The cook, the waiter, and the doorkeeper should help one another
whenever it does not conflict with their respective duties.
2. The domestics are strongly urged not to get involved in matters
not pertaining to their duties or unrelated to the welfare of the house.
In matters affecting their own welfare, they should speak to the prefect.
3. They should be conscientious even in little things. Woe to the
domestic who begins to pilfer when buying, selling, or performing similar
duties; unwittingly he will soon become a thief.
4. They shall be temperate in eating and especially in drinking. Who
ever cannot do that is a useless servant.
5. They shall not become familiar with the boys. They should deal
charitably and courteously with all but without developing any personal
friendship or familiarity.
6. They should receive the sacraments at least once a month, prefer
ably in the Oratory, so that their Christian conduct may be known also
to the boys. The specific duties of each domestic are as follows:
Article 1. The Cook
1. It is his duty to prepare wholesome and economical meals and
to serve them on time to avoid inconveniencing the community.
2. The cook is responsible for the cleanliness of the kitchen and shall
attend to this with the greatest care. He shall also try to prevent any
spoilage of food.
3. He shall put aside all leftovers and shall not dispose of them in
any way without the superior’s authorization.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
4. He shall be very strict in not allowing any boy of the house into
the kitchen. Likewise, he should not permit others to linger in it without
the superior’s authorization. Should any visitor ask him for some member
of the household, he shall politely direct him to the waiting room or to
the doorkeeper.
5. When his work is done, the cook shall help the waiter in servicing
the lamps or in doing some other chore; he should never remain idle.
Article 2. The Waiter
1. The waiter shall retire to bed and also rise half an hour earlier
than the others. Ten minutes before the hour of rising he shall wake
the doorkeeper whose duty it is to light the lamps in the dormitories. The
waiter will then ring the bell for rising, for the Angelus, and for Mass.
2. It is his duty to tidy up the rooms of the superiors, wait at table,
help scrubbing the kitchen, wash dishes and pots, and store them away.
3. If he has any spare time, he should report to the prefect.
Article 3. The Doorkeeper
1. The doorkeeper’s most important duty is to be always at his post
and courteously receive all callers. Whenever he has to absent himself
for his religious duties, meals, or other legitimate reasons, he should
have a substitute appointed by the director.
2. He shall not admit anyone into the premises without informing
his superiors. He shall direct business callers or those who need to discuss
matters pertaining to the boys to the prefect. He shall refer to the director
only those people who explicitly ask for him.
3. He shall not allow any boy to leave the premises without a pass
unless he has been instructed otherwise by the superior. In that case he
should keep the matter confidential and record the time of departure and
return.
4. Any letter or package addressed to any boy shall be handed over
to the prefect before delivering it to the addressee.
5. He shall take care to lock all street doors and gates at night. A
quarter of an hour after night prayers he shall ring the bell and then start
extinguishing the lamps in the dormitories.
6. In the morning, at the bell for rising, he shall again make the
rounds of the dormitories to light the lamps and, if necessary, wake up
the monitors.
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7. It is his duty to ring the bell according to the timetable of the
house. He is also charged with servicing and repairing all the lamps and
distributing them as needed.
8. He may not buy or sell food or accept custody of money or other
objects to please the boys or their relatives.
9. He shall maintain order and strive to prevent any misconduct in
the playground or inside the house. He shall not permit shouting or any
loud noise during sacred services, school hours, or study periods.
10. He has charge of the keys of the dormitories, classrooms, etc.
11. Boys may receive visitors daily between one and two in the after
noon, but at no other time. This applies to both students and artisans.
Women visitors must remain in the parlor and wait there for the boys to
whom they wish to speak.
12. The doorkeeper shall endeavor to keep busy at all times either
with his routine duties or with others that shall be entrusted to him. He
shall always be courteous and affable in accepting and delivering mes
sages. Courteousness and affability should be his outstanding traits.
N.B. The director will receive outside callers on weekdays from 9
tO 1 1 A .M .
Likewise, the best time to see the prefect or his substitute about busi
ness, school matters, or maintenance is from 9 to 12 noon and from
2 to 5 p .m . on weekdays.
Chapter 9. The Craftsmasters
1. By craftsmasters we mean those who teach some trade or craft to
the boys in our own workshops. Their first duty is to be punctual in their
shops.
2. They should be solicitous for the welfare of the house. They should
bear in mind that their most important duty is to teach their apprentices
and provide steady work for them. As far as possible, they should ob
serve silence and avoid humming during work hours. They should never
allow boys to go to town for errands. When necessary, they shall ask
the prefect for permission.
3. They should never make private arrangements with the boys or
accept any work on their own. They must keep an accurate record of
all the work done in their shops.
4. They are gravely bound to prevent idleness and any kind of foul
conversation. They should immediately report any offender to the su
perior.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
5. Both craftsmasters and pupils should stay in their own shops; they
should not wander into other shops except when absolutely necessary.
6. Snacks are not permitted in the shops; these are places for serious
occupation and not for recreation.
7. Work shall begin with the Actiones and Ave Maria, and shall end
with the Agimus and Ave Maria. At noon and in the evening the Angelus
shall be said before leaving the shop.
8. Artisans must be docile and submissive to their craftmasters as to
their superiors. They should be very attentive and diligent in all their
duties.
9. The craftsmaster or his substitute shall read these articles loudly
and clearly every other week; a copy shall be prominently posted in the
shop.
APPENDIX FOR THE STUDENTS 7
Admission
1. Among the boys accepted into this house there are some who
reveal aptitude for academic subjects or the liberal arts. The Oratory will
do its utmost to help these boys get an education even if they lack
financial means.
2. The students must faithfully obey all the rules of the house and
give good example to the artisans, especially in regard to the practices
of piety and to the exercise of fraternal charity.
3. No boy will be allowed to take academic subjects:
(a) Unless he has the necessary qualifications and has excelled in
the classes he has already attended.
(b) Unless he has manifested an exemplary spirit of piety. These
two conditions must be substantiated by good conduct
through a short probationary period in the house.
(c) No one will be allowed to take Latin unless he intends to
become a priest. However, if after completing the Latin
course he should feel called to another state of life, he shall
be free to follow it.
4. Every student must be willing to perform such chores as going
on errands, sweeping, carrying water or firewood, waiting at table, teach
ing catechism, and the like.
7 Boys taking academic subjects were called “students” to distinguish them from
the "artisans”—that is, those learning a trade. [Editor]
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Chapter 1. Religious Conduct of the Students
1. Students must be models to the rest of the boys in carrying out
their scholastic and religious duties. It would certainly be very un
becoming for them—while constantly occupied in things of the spirit—to
be bettered by those daily engrossed in manual labor.
2. Students will make the Exercise for a Happy Death on the second
Tuesday of each month. They should prepare for it by performing some
suitable practice of piety a few days before.
3. Since all should have a regular confessor, one will be appointed
especially for the students. They should not go to another without notify
ing the superior. This is to ensure that students frequent the sacraments
and receive regular guidance from the same spiritual director. Since
students are mainly occupied in things of the spirit, it stands to reason
that they should receive greater spiritual assistance. An even weightier
reason for having a regular confessor is that at the completion of the
Latin course this confessor may competently counsel a boy about his
vocation.
4. Every student should fully trust his confessor and regularly open
his heart to him and follow his advice. This is most important in order
that the confessor may competently suggest what is best for the boy’s
spiritual welfare.
Chapter 2. Study
1. Study periods vary according to class schedule and are binding
on all.
2. In the study hall there shall be an assistant who is responsible for
the attendance and diligence of the students. At each desk 8 a monitor
will aid the assistant.
3. There will be a meeting every Saturday at which the assistant will
report on the conduct of each student and suggest whatever may promote
their intellectual and moral progress.
4. Indolent or bothersome students will be warned. If they fail to
improve they will be assigned to other occupations. Time is precious;
whatever hinders its full use must be done away with.
5. In order that time may be employed properly and that there may
be a place in the house where the pupils may read or write undisturbed,
all shall observe a rigorous silence in the study hall.
8Usually six or eight boys sat at each large desk or table. [Editor]
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
6. One devoid of the fear of God should give up study, for he would
not accomplish any good. Wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul,
nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin. “Into a soul that plots evil wisdom
enters not, nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin,” says the Lord.
(Wis. 1, 4)
7. Students should particularly cultivate humility. A proud student
is a stupid ignoramus. “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord,”
says the Holy Spirit. “The beginning of every sin is pride,” says St.
Augustine.
PART II
Disciplinary Norms
Chapter 1. Piety
1. Remember, my sons, that God made us to love and serve Him,
our Creator, and that all the knowledge and wealth of the world would
avail us nothing without the holy fear of God from which our temporal
and eternal welfare depend.
2. Prayer, the sacraments, and the Word of God are the means that
will keep us in the fear of God.
3. Pray fervently and frequently; never disturb those near you or
pray unwillingly. It would be better not to pray at all than to pray badly.
The first thing to do on awakening in the morning is to make the Sign
of the Cross and to raise your mind to God by means of some ejaculatory
prayer.
4. Choose a regular confessor and sincerely open your heart to him
every two weeks or once a month. That great friend of youth, St. Philip
Neri, recommended to his spiritual sons that they go to confession every
week and to Communion even more frequently according to the advice
of their confessor.
5. Assist at Mass devoutly, remembering that the church is the house
of God and the place of prayer.
6. Do some spiritual reading frequently and listen attentively to
sermons and other moral instruction, drawing from them some whole
some thought or maxim to put into practice during the day.
7. Give yourselves to the practice of virtue while you are young, for
to put it off until later is to run the risk of being eternally lost. The
virtues you should cultivate most are modesty, humility, obedience, and
charity.
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8. Have a special devotion to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament
and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Aloysius
Gonzaga who are the special protectors of this house.
9. Do not take up new devotions without your confessor’s permis
sion. St. Philip Neri’s advice to his spiritual sons was: “Do not burden
yourselves with too many devotions, but be faithful to those you already
have.”
10. Be respectful to all sacred ministers and to whatever pertains to
our holy religion. If you should hear anyone talking disparagingly about
it, look upon him as an enemy and flee from him.
Chapter 2. Work
1. My dear sons, man is born to work. God put Adam into the earthly
paradise to till it. St. Paul says: “If any man will not work, neither let
him eat.” (2 Thess. 3, 10)
2. Work means fulfilling the duties of one’s state of life, whether they
consist in studying or in learning an art or a trade.
3. Remember that by working you will contribute to the welfare of
your country and your Church, You will also benefit yourself spiritually
if you offer your daily occupations to God.
4. Give priority to tasks demanded by obedience. Make it a rule
never to neglect duties in favor of other optional tasks.
5. Give glory to God for whatever learning you may have, for He is
the author of all good. Do not glory in any success, for pride is a worm
that gnaws away the merit of your good works.
6. Remember that youth is the springtime of life. He who does not
accustom himself to work in his youth will become an idler, to the shame
of his parents and his country, and perhaps suffer the irreparable loss of
his soul, since idleness will nurture all the other vices.
7. He who does not do the work that he is supposed to do steals from
God and from those over him. At the end of their lives, idlers will suffer
the greatest remorse for lost time.
8. Always begin your work, your study period, and your class with
the Actiones and the Ave Maria. At the end say the Agimus and the Ave
Maria. Say these little prayers well so that Almighty God may guide you
in your work. Thus, you will also gain the indulgences granted by the
Sovereign Pontiffs to those who say these prayers devoutly.
9. Commence your work in the morning with the Angelus and say it
again at noon and at the close of day. In the evening add the De Profun-
dis for the souls of the faithful departed. Recite the Angelus kneeling, ex
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM O IRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
cept on Saturday evenings and on Sundays when it is recited standing.
During the Paschal season, the Regina Coeli is said standing.
Chapter 3. Behavior toward Superiors
1. The foundation of every virtue in a boy is obedience to his su
periors. Therefore, accept their will as God’s will and obey them will
ingly.
2. Be convinced that your superiors feel deeply their serious obliga
tion of promoting your welfare in the best way they possibly can, and
that in advising, commanding, and correcting you they have nothing else
in view but your own good.
3. Honor and love them as representatives of God and of your par
ents. Keep in mind that by obeying them you obey God Himself.
4. Obey them promptly, respectfully, and cheerfully; do not try to
shirk their orders. Obey them, even when their orders do not please you.
5. Open your hearts to them freely as to loving fathers who are
earnestly concerned about your happiness.
6. Receive their corrections gratefully and, if necessary, humbly ac
cept their punishment without any feeling of hatred or spite.
7. Do not find fault with the decisions of your superiors, as some
boys do. It would be rank ingratitude to criticize them while they sacri
fice themselves for you.
8. When you are asked by a superior regarding the conduct of some
of your companions, answer to the best of your knowledge, especially
when it is a matter of preventing or remedying some evil. Silence would
not help your companion and would offend Almighty God.
Chapter 4. Behavior toward Companions
1. Respect and love your companions like so many brothers and
strive to give one another good example.
2. Love one another, as our Lord enjoins, and never give scandal.
He who gives scandal, whether by word or deed, is not a friend, but a
murderer of the soul.
3. Whenever you can, gladly give advice and assistance to one an
other. During recreation let any of your companions join your conversa
tion or your game. Never speak of the faults of anyone, unless asked by
a superior. In that case, avoid exaggerations.
4. All we have comes from God. Let no one make sport of another
because of his physical or moral defects, nor despise anyone on account
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of his faults. What you laugh at or despise in others may someday happen
to you.
5. True charity requires us to bear patiently with the defects of others
and to forgive quickly when we are offended. In addition, we must never
insult others, especially if they are our inferiors.
6. By all means avoid pride. The proud are odious in the eyes of God
and contemptible before men.
Chapter 5. Modesty
1. Modesty, my dear boys, means a proper and decent manner of
speaking, acting, and walking. Since this virtue is one of the best orna
ments of your age, it should shine forth in all you do or say.
2. Your body and your clothing must be kept clean, and your face
should always be serene and jovial; you should neither stoop nor swag
lightly.
3. I especially recommend to you modesty of the eyes, for the eyes
are the windows through which the devil brings sin into your heart. Walk
calmly, never in a great hurry, except when necessity requires it. When
your hands are not occupied, they should be kept in a becoming attitude,
and at night form the habit of keeping them joined on your breast.
4. Be modest in your speech, never using uncharitable or indecent
language. At your age, a reserved silence is far more becoming than
forwardness and talkativeness.
5. Never criticize the actions of other people or boast about your
good qualities. Receive reprimand or praise in the same way, humbling
yourselves before God when reproached.
6. Avoid any act, gesture, or word which may seem rude; strive to
correct your faults while you are young and endeavor to become meek
and even-tempered as demanded by Christian modesty.
7. Under the heading of modesty also comes behavior at table. Re
member that we are not brute animals. We do not take food merely to
satisfy our appetite, but to keep our body healthy and strong as a fitting
instrument by which to serve our Creator and earn our soul’s true
happiness.
8. Say grace before and after meals; try also to nourish your soul by
silently listening to some wholesome reading during mealtime.
9. You are not allowed to eat or drink other than what the school
supplies. If anyone receives any edibles or beverages, he should hand
them over to the superior who will see to it that they are used in mod
eration.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
10. Be very careful never to waste even the smallest amount of soup,
bread, or anything else. He who deliberately wastes food deserves severe
punishment and should greatly fear that the Lord may allow him to die
of hunger.
Chapter 6. Deportment in the House
1. At the sound of the bell in the morning, rise promptly and dress
with the utmost modesty and in silence. Then make your bed, wash up,
etc.
2. Never leave the dormitory before having made your bed, combed
your hair, brushed your clothes, and left your belongings in neat order.
3. At the second bell, the artisans shall go to the chapel for their
morning prayers and Mass. The students, instead, will first go to the
study hall and then to Mass. After Mass they shall make a brief medi
tation.
4. During the services be careful not to yawn, sleep, turn around, or
talk to your neighbor. No one should leave the church during a ceremony
or sermon without a great necessity. To disregard such matters shows
indifference for the things of God, causes serious disturbance, and gives
bad example to your companions.
5. After church services go quietly and in an orderly manner to where
your duties call you and make sure you have all you need for your work.
The students should remember that once the study period is started
no one may talk, borrow, or lend things no matter what the need. All
should avoid making any noises with books, feet, or in any other way.
Should a real need for something arise, raise your hand and the assistant
will attend to it as quickly as possible.
6. No one shall move from his place or make any noise until the bell
has signaled the end of the study period.
7. After Mass, the artisans will quietly take their breakfast and then
go promptly to their shop without stopping to play or fool around or,
worse yet, playing truant. These transgressions shall be punished accord
ing to their gravity. It is strictly forbidden to look in or rummage through
the desk or trunk of another. Permission is needed to go to the dormitory
during the day.
8. Take care not to appropriate what does not belong to you, no
matter how little it is worth. Should you find a lost article, give it at once
to your superiors. Anyone who fails to do so and keeps what he found
shall be severely punished in proportion to the gravity of the theft.
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9. Outgoing or incoming mail shall be delivered to the superior. He
may inspect it if he thinks such a course advisable.
10. It is strictly forbidden to keep money. It should be deposited with
the prefect who will return it as needed. It is also strictly forbidden to
buy, sell, or exchange anything without the superior’s permission.
11. Visitors may not be brought into private sections of the house or
into the dormitories. Relatives and other visitors should be interviewed
in the reception room. Never remain too close to those engaged in private
conversation. Do not wander into other dormitories or shops, because
this greatly disturbs those who are inside or who are working. It is like
wise forbidden to lock oneself in a room, scribble on walls, hammer nails,
or cause damage of any kind. If anyone does any damage he must pay
for the repairs. Lastly, it is forbidden to linger in the doorkeeper’s office
or in the kitchen, unless one has been entrusted with some particular
task.
12. Be kind to all, put up with the faults of others, never give any
nicknames, and never say or do anything which you would not like to
have said or done to you.
Chapter 7. Deportment outside the House
1. Remember, my dear boys, that every Christian is bound to give
good example and that no sermon is more powerful than good example.
2. When outside the house, always be reserved in your looks, in your
words, and in your actions. Nothing can be more edifying than a young
man who conducts himself properly. Such conduct clearly shows that he
comes from a school of well-behaved Christian boys.
3. When you have to go for a walk, or to class, or on any errand out
side the house, never point at any person or thing. Avoid laughing aloud,
throwing stones, and jumping over ditches or trenches. Such behavior
indicates bad manners.
4. If you should meet people who hold public offices, take off your
hat and give them the better part of the sidewalk. Do the same with re
ligious and with anyone else of some rank, especially if these people
come to the school and you meet them there.
5. Never fail to tip your cap or hat as a sign of reverence when pass
ing before a Catholic church or pious shrine. When passing a Church in
which divine services are being conducted, be sure to keep silence or to
speak so low as not to disturb those inside.
6. Whenever you enter a church first of all take holy water and make
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
the Sign of the Cross; bow to the altar, if there is only a crucifix or an
image. If Our Lord is enclosed in the tabernacle, make a genuflection
with your right knee, or on both knees, and bow profoundly if Our Lord
is exposed. Be careful not to make any noise, talk, or laugh. Go to church
with all due respect, or do not go at all.
7. Remember that if you do not behave properly in church, class,
workshop, or on the street, besides having to render an account to
Almighty God, you will also discredit the school to which you belong.
8. If at any time a companion speaks to you about things that are not
proper or suggests some wrong, promptly make it known to your superior
so that he may give you the necessary advice to avoid offending God.
9. Never criticize your companies, the discipline or management of
the house, your superiors or their orders. Everyone is perfectly free to
remain or not to remain; he would therefore only bring ridicule upon
himself for not leaving a place of which he complains when he is fully
at liberty to go elsewhere.
10. On their way to and from school and work, students and artisans
must not make detours. On the weekly walks, they are strictly forbidden
to make stops on the way, enter stores, make visits, look for amusements,
or in any way fall out of line. Nor are they allowed to accept outside in
vitations to dinner because permission to accept such invitations will not
be granted.
11. If you really wish to do something good both for yourself and for
your school, always speak well of it, pointing out to others the reasons
that induce the superiors to make certain arrangements for the general
good of the community.
12. A reasonable and wholehearted obedience to these rules is always
required of you. Violators shall be punished, but the obedient, besides
the recompense they shall receive from Almighty God, will also be re
warded by their superiors according to their perseverance and diligence.
THREE THINGS ESPECIALLY TO BE AVOIDED
Though all must avoid every kind of sin, nevertheless there are three
evils which, on account of their serious consequences for the young,
should be particularly avoided. They are:1
1. Blasphemy and the taking of the name of God in vain.
2. Impurity.
3. Stealing.
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Believe me, my dear boys, a single one of these sins is enough to draw
down God’s anger upon the house. On the contrary, if we keep these evils
far away from us, we shall have every reason to believe that God will
never fail to bless us.
May God bless every boy who will be faithful to these rules. On every
Sunday evening or at some other suitable time, the prefect or one ap
pointed by him shall read some of these rules and make some brief and
appropriate remarks.
THINGS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN
1. Since it is forbidden to keep money in the house, all games of
chance and wagers are likewise forbidden.
2. Dangerously rough or unbecoming games are forbidden.
3. Smoking or chewing tobacco is forbidden at all times; no excep
tions are to be granted. Snuff-taking is tolerated in the limits prescribed
by the superiors following medical advice.
4. To go out with one’s parents, relatives, or friends in order to dine
outside the school or to purchase clothes is not allowed. If these objects
are needed, one can either take measurements to have them bought or
can order them from the shops in the house.
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Appendix 17
[THESE TWO ARTICLES
BY NORMAN POTTER ARE
REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS
THEY APPEARED IN G O O D W I L L
A N D I N C O M M O N W E A L T H . Editor]
GOODWILL [1900]
(See Chapter 47, footnote 2)
Dom Boscoe e
By Norman Potter
Giovanni Boscoe was bom at Murialdo di Castlennono,10 near Turin,
His devoted mother had trained him in the Love of God from earliest
childhood. He began life as a shepherd-lad, and was trained from early
boy-hood in extreme poverty. He slept on the floor, and had nothing but
dry bread for breakfast. At the age of 15, through the generosity of a
priest, who was struck by the boy’s faith and simple piety, he was sent
to school. In a short time his earnestness and industry enabled him to
acquire a remarkable amount of theological and other learning.
In 1841 he was ordained priest, and was appointed to visit the town
prisons. Here Dom Boscoe was brought face to face with so many youth
ful criminals, that his heart went out in pity and tenderness to them. Was
it all their fault that they had sunk so low in misery and sin.
Poor, little neglected ones, who hardly knew the law, how could they
be blamed for breaking it?
Soon an incident happened which we may call the start of his life’s
work. One day, while vesting for the Celebration, he heard the Sacristan
scolding a strange boy, who had come into church, for not being able to
serve the priest. “Why do you scold the boy?” said Dom Boscoe. “Bring
him to me.” The following conversation took place:—
“Are your parents alive?”
®Don Bosco. [Editor]
10 Castelnuovo. [Editor]
560
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“No; they are dead.”
“How old are you?”
“Fifteen years.”
“Do you know your prayers?”
“No.”
“Have you not made your First Communion? Why do you not attend
Catechism.”
“I am too old. My younger comrades would jest at my ignorance.”
“If I teach you alone here, will you learn the Catechism?”
“Yes, willingly, if you will not beat me.”
“Oh, no, we are friends.”
“When shall we begin?”
“When ever you like; this morning.”
“Yes, I should like it very much.”
“Why not now?”
“Well, yes. Now.”
From this small beginning began a work which has been wonderfully
stamped with Divine approval. Henceforth, Dom Boscoe resolved to
devote himself to friendless and homeless boys.
Girelli11 soon brought new boys with him, and in less than three
months they numbered more than 100.
Dom Boscoe gave the name of The Oratory to his meeting-place, to
show that its existence depended entirely on prayer. Later on, when the
boys and young men attending his Night School and classes numbered
300, two rooms were lent to him adjoining a House of Refuge.12 In one
of these rooms he noticed a picture of St. Francis of Sales. He thereupon
decided to make St. Francis his Patron; hence the origin of The Salesians,
or Salesian Fathers, as the members of the Order founded by Dom
Boscoe are called.
But now that his work might be stamped with the cross, a series of
trials begun. The loan of his rooms was withdrawn, and time after time
he was turned out of his quarters; now from churches which were lent
to him, now from rooms which he had hired, through the noise of the
boys; even a field, in which he and his boys met, was withdrawn from
him. But he was far from despairing. “Our good God,” he said, “will not
treat His children worse than He treats the birds.”
He was now reduced to a field, but, even here, he was not left un
molested: the trampling of so many young feet being injurious to the
11 The boy’s name was Bartholomew Garelli. [Editor]
12An institution for young wayward girls called “Rifugio.” [Editor]
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grass. At the same time he lost his post as a director of a House of
Refuge, which was his sole means of living.
All seemed hopeless: even his closest friends advised him to give up
his boys, “seeing that Divine Providence gave no encouragement to his
work.”
“Divine Providence,” he said, “has sent me these poor children, and
I will never send one of them away.” “If I cannot rent a place, I will
build one, where there will be room for all who come. There we shall
have workshops, where they will learn their trades; we shall have schools
and playgrounds, and a beautiful church and many priests.” When they
met in the field for the last time, his face bore traces of tears. The boys
saw him fall prostrate on the ground in prayer. “My God,” he said, “wilt
Thou forsake Thine orphans? Thy Holy will be done. Show me where
to find a place for them.” When he rose he met a man who told him of
a shed to be let. Dom Boscoe went to see it. It was so low that in places
the boys’ heads touched the roof. This he rented, and here Dom Boscoe
Celebrated for his boys on Easter day 1846. No less than 700 boys came
to the shed.
On this spot now stands the great Oratory of Valdocco, and there
stands the magnificent Church of Our Lady Help of Christians, in itself
a witness to the wonderful faith of Dom Boscoe, who started it with only
fourpence in his pocket.
Dom Boscoe got through a marvellous amount of work. Seven hun
dred boys soon flocked to the new quarters, to attend the various services,
and instructions, while his night-classes were filled every night of the
week. In addition to all this, he regularly visited the prisons, and the
hospital where the boys were always his chief care. After a Mission he
once preached at the prisons, all the boys went to their Communion.
There is a wonderful story which shows the power of Dom Boscoe’s
influence over even hardened natures. He wished to give the boys of the
prison a treat. They numbered 350. He asked to be allowed to take them
for a picnic. He said that the authorities need send no soldiers to watch
them, as he himself would be responsible for the safe return of all. This
extraordinary request was granted, and, after giving the boys a happy
day in the country, he brought them safely back, and at night not one
of them was missing. Dom Boscoe wrote his own books for use at the
Oratory.
As yet no boys slept at the Oratory, but after a breakdown in health,
he resolved to give many of his boys a home. He now wanted to buy the
house he had rented, but so exorbitant a price was asked for it, that it
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was impossible. Later on, however, the price was brought down to
<£1,220: the whole sum to be paid within a fortnight. The house was
bought, though, at the time, Dom Boscoe had not a single sovereign in
his possession. No sooner had he left the owner, than he met a priest
who had a large sum of money to dispose of for charitable purposes. It
was handed to Dom Boscoe, and the house of Valdocco became his
property.
In this Oratory now there is sleeping-room for 1,000 persons. Every
useful trade is taught to the boys. The boys are divided into two classes:
artizans [sic] and students. They all attend the Holy Eucharist every day.
Recreation and healthy amusement is encouraged, and those who would
see a happy, contented, and earnest set of boys should go to Turin, and
see Dom Boscoe’s Oratory. The Salesian Society was definitely formed
into a Congregation in 1874. It now numbers over 3,000 members, and
there are more than 200 Salesian houses in different parts of the world.
Since 1875, thirty bands of missionaries have been sent from the mother-
house to foreign lands: a band often numbering over 100 missionaries.
There are now over half a million children under the care of the Salesians,
in their different establishments.
Dom Boscoe’s system was one of love. He had no punishments. He
preferred to have his boys when quite young. His method was one of
prevention rather than cure. His rule for all was, “Daily Eucharist, fre
quent Confession, frequent Communion.”
Amongst the thousands of boys trained by the Salesian Fathers, not
one has been known to incur judicial prosecution or penalty.
Space forbids me to speak of the wonderful cures brought by Dom
Boscoe’s faith and prayers.
His death was as beautiful as his life had been. All the Superiors of
his Order gathered round his death-bed. Dom Rua, his Vicar-General,
begged him to bless them once more. The dying Father raised his left arm
(his right was paralized) and tried to bless them with it.
For an hour Dom Boscoe seemed quite unconscious. Soon after 4
a.m., the bells of the Salesian Church rang out the Angelus. At this,
Dom Boscoe seemed to waken, then a smile of heavenly peace came
over his face, and his soul passed away.
Men of faith are rare in our time, and in our land. May the holy life
and example of Dom Boscoe lead many in our Church to devote them
selves wholly to the care of homeless boys! Never were men more needed
for this work than now.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
THE COMMONWEALTH (Vol. VII, No. 4, April 1902)
(See Chapter 47, footnote 2)
Alabaster and Spikenard
We propose under this title to record present-day achievements of the
Love of Christ relieving the stress of a dark hour.
Don Bosco of Turin
The Redemption of Boyhood
by Norman F. Potter
In a poor little cabin at Becchi, a hillside hamlet near Castelnuovo,
Piedmont, Don Bosco was born on the 16th of August, 1815.
Two years later, his father, a farmer of very small means, died, leaving
three helpless boys entirely dependent on the industry of his young
widow. Margaret Bosco was a splendid example of a self-sacrificing,
God-fearing woman, whose first care was to instil into her children’s
minds sentiments of charity and devotion, teaching them by word, but
more by example, an unbounded confidence in God’s Providence and
beautiful resignation to His holy will. Like so many who have been
called to do great things for God, John Bosco began life as a shepherd
lad. He was endowed with a resolute will, an ardent and most enterpris
ing spirit, as well as a marvellously retentive memory, whilst his mother’s
saintly training rendered his childhood conspicuous for great piety and
beautiful Christian charity. As regards education he had everything
against him, the poverty of the family often obliging him to give up school
and to turn to field labour, but even then his leisure hours were spent
reading over the few books he possessed.
A second Joseph, chosen by heaven for the guidance of a people of
holier aspirations than were the ancient Egyptians, the child Bosco,
when only ten years old, had a singular dream which seemed to fore
shadow his great mission. Relating it afterwards to the family circle and
neighbours, he expressed himself more or less in the following terms:—
“I thought I found myself in the meadow near home, in the midst of
a great multitude of children at recreation. As I continued to watch them,
I observed that a great many of them were doing mischief and uttering
blasphemous language. I became indignant, and losing all patience, I
doubled up my fists and began to thrash the offenders. At that moment,
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565
a white-robed personage, whose face shone with a dazzling brightness,
appeared amongst us and turning towards me, said: ‘Not with blows,
but with charity and gentleness you must draw these friends of yours to
the path of virtue.’ And she desired me to preach a sermon on the de
pravity of vice and the beauty of virtue. I tried to excuse myself, saying
that I did not know how, and then I could not help bursting into tears:
but she encouraged me, and told me that I had only to begin and she
would help me. As I was about to obey there appeared a lady of majestic
deportment, and at the same time, in place of the crowd of children
I saw a multitude of beasts of every kind. At the sight of this change I
was lost in astonishment; then the lady said to me: ‘Behold your field of
action: here is where you must work. Be humble and be strong, and what
you now see being done to these animals do you likewise for my chil
dren.’
“Then the scene again changed. In a moment the animals were all
transformed into lambs, and bleating and skipping, they playfully chased
one another around the white-robed personage and the majestic lady.
“I felt almost beside myself with joy at seeing this, and in my excite
ment I awoke.”
From that day John Bosco felt himself drawn to the priesthood, but
it was not until several years later that he was able to quit the sheep-fold
for the seminary where his more than ordinary abilities with earnestness
and application acquired for him an amount of learning with extraordi
nary facility. On the eve of Trinity Sunday, 1841, John Bosco was or
dained. Soon after his Ordination the. young priest went to Turin, where
he entered on the obligations of his sacred Ministry with the zeal of an
apostle. One of his duties was to accompany his friend and director,
Don Cafasso, on his visits to the town prison, where the sight of a large
number of boy prisoners, surrounded as they were by the horrors of gaol
life, greatly shocked and distressed him. Poor children who hardly knew
the law, how could they be blamed for breaking it? Yet here they were
surrounded by criminals older and more hardened than themselves.
Many of them had no home but the prison, which they sometimes left
only to return again in a few days. This terrible vision haunted Don
Bosco night and day, and it became his chief desire to find some remedy
for this awful state of things. A simple incident was in the Providence
of God the start of his life’s work. A ragged boy had wandered into
church while Don Bosco was vesting, and the sacristan being in need of
a server, had asked the young urchin to serve; but, besides not under
standing what to do, he did not even know the simplest prayer. With the
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SA INT JO H N BOSCO
teaching of this little fellow, Bartholomew Garelli, the great work of the
Salesian Congregation, now a world-wide order, with over a half a mil
lion boys under its care, started.
Bartholomew came from time to time, and with him a number of
friends, to be instructed in the Catholic Faith, and to enjoy some healthy
amusement. As the number of his pupils increased, Don Bosco varied his
programme, and instead of half-an-hour’s “Christian Doctrine,” he soon
found the means of passing the Sundays and holidays almost entirely in
the boys* company. He soon obtained a regular attendance by means of
small presents and frequent walks through country scenery to some
famous or favourite spot in the environs of Turin, On these occasions
a luncheon, even if a frugal meal, was always forthcoming.
In a few months the young disciples of the “Oratory” (Don Bosco
called these reunions by this name, after the example, no doubt, of St.
Philip, and because their existence depended on prayer) had become
quite a regiment; hundreds and hundreds of poor children crowded to
the appointed place of meeting, all ready to go wherever their young
master proposed to lead them. They grew obedient to his orders, happy
in his presence. Their habitual rudeness was soon thrown aside; they
became attached to their Benefactor, and began to vie with one another
to win a word of praise, a look of encouragement, or a smile of approba
tion. The great secret of Don Bosco’s success with these unruly urchins
must be sought for in his extraordinary paternal benevolence, his ever-
watchful and most motherly solicitude in providing for the wants of each
and all, his never-wearying patience, his never-changing sweetness, and,
above all, that entire sacrifice of self for the love of his fellow-creatures,
which only the teachings of our Blessed Saviour can inspire. In the au
tumn of 1844, Don Bosco was appointed assistant Chaplain to the
Refugio or Refuge, a home for Penitents.
Having established his residence at the Refuge, Don Bosco’s anxiety
for his poor boys was painfully augmented by the fact that he could get
no site whereon to continue the Oratory. Determined, however, as he
was, not to abandon his children, he resolved to receive them in his own
room, till Providence should open to him a more suitable locale.
Accordingly, on the second Sunday of October, 1844, he announced
to them, as they assembled for the last time in St. Francis of Assisi’s,
that henceforth the Oratory would be held at the Refuge in Valdocco.
Here two large rooms were converted into a temporary chapel, the first
chapel of the Oratory, which was blessed by Don Bosco under the patron
age of St. Francis of Sales in order to keep constantly before his disciples
the beautiful example of gentleness, patience and sweetness of which this
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567
great saint was so striking an example. Thus accommodation was af
forded for some hundreds of boys who flocked around Don Bosco glad
to spend their evenings and holidays in his company, and to learn from
his lips the saving truths of the Christian religion and to be initiated in
the mysteries of reading, writing and arithmetic. But that his work might
be stamped with the Sign of the Cross, a series of persecutions and diffi
culties now arose. Turned out of his quarters through the noise of his
boys, Don Bosco obtained permission for the use of St. Martin’s Church
for his religious instruction. Hardly, however, had he started here when
he was again turned out, owing to the damage, supposed or real, inflicted
by some of the young proteges; and thus amidst trial and persecutions he
persevered, turned away from church after church, deprived of house and
home, he was at last compelled to seek a refuge in the green meadows
around Turin. Here, in the open air, Don Bosco might be seen with his
crowds of boys around him, now instructing them, now hearing their
confessions, or joining in hymns and prayers which he had taught them.
Yet not even here was he unmolested. It was not long before he found
himself turned out of even this poor field—the complaint of the owners
being that the trampling of the children’s feet injured the roots of the
grass! Considering the apparent hopelessness of his affairs, his friends
advised him to give up his undertaking. “Keep about twenty of the small
est boys,” they said, “and send away the rest. You cannot do what is
impossible. Divine Providence seems to show plainly that It does not
wish for your work.” “Divine Providence!” exclaimed Don Bosco; “Di
vine Providence has sent me these poor children, and, be assured, never
will I abandon one of them! Since nobody will let me hire a place where
they can assemble, I will build one with God’s help! There we shall have
workshops, where they will learn trades; large playgrounds and schools,
and we shall also have a beautiful Church with many priests.” His friends
thought him mad, and another period of intense and severe trial was
undergone. “My God, my God,” he prayed, “Wilt Thou then forsake
these Thy children? Make known to me Thy Holy Will.” Scarcely had
he uttered these words when a man came to him and said he had a shed
he would let. So rough was this humble place the boys’ heads struck the
rafters, yet in a short time the floor was dug deeper and well-boarded.
So now, at last he had a chapel and a playground as well. By this time
no less than 700 boys now regularly attended the Oratory. Yet all these
were only “extents,” and daily experience showed that if the work was to
be lasting more was necessary. He must have a Home. Don Bosco was
now joined in his work by his saintly mother, and the first inmate of his
future home was now sent in the person of a poor, homeless orphan,
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
who begged for bread and shelter. A mattress was arranged by Don
Bosco’s mother in their simple homely kitchen. Here was the first boarder
of the Salesian Oratory at Turin which now holds 1,000 boys.
From this humble beginning sprang technical schools and workshops,
which were rapidly built and furnished with the expenditure of immense
sums, and such was the faith and confidence in Divine Providence that
no serious pecuniary difficulties were encountered. But space forbids us
to dwell upon the marvellous growth of his institutions. Don Bosco was,
above all, a man of prayer and heroic faith, yet, none the less, a practical
and far-seeing organiser. The only way to make his work continuous was
to form the helpers he had gathered around him into a congregation
bound by the ordinary rules of poverty, chastity and obedience, and into
his order should come, as God gave vocation, some of his own boys.
Amongst the children attending his numerous catechisms was little
Michael Rua, who, though not yet 12 years, was raised to the dignity of
director of a catechism class. This devoted boy has since become the
vicar-general of the whole Salesian Society, and in a marvellous way is
consolidating the gigantic work which Don Bosco started. The present
sketch would be incomplete without some slight reference to Don Bosco’s
method of education. He was the first to define and act on the preventive
method.13
The Teacher, in Don Bosco’s opinion, should be father, adviser, friend,
more than master, and should aim to gain the child’s assistance in united
efforts to achieve the same end—his improvement. Thus baffling evil
makes it unsuccessful; natural inclinations are directed and fixed in the
strict path of virtue, which, if neglected, might follow the broad path of
vice; faults and consequent punishment are prevented. Infinite gentleness,
unalterable patience, vigilant attention and ceaseless watching, are essen
tial in the masters. Carrying out the preventive system exacts a course
of action in accordance with St. Paul’s saying “Charity is patient, is kind,
suffers all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.” The master
should completely belong to his pupils, devote his time to precede, assist,
and follow them everywhere, or depute others equally capable to do so,
never leaving them alone nor allowing idleness. With this method it is
difficult for bad companions to find occasion to corrupt innocence.
Don Bosco concealed this surveillance from the knowledge of its
objects, and called the masters who, with him presided at recreation, in
workshops, or classrooms, assistants—not superintendents. They mixed
among the groups of boys during their play; nothing escaped notice.
13 See Chapters 47 and 48. [Editor]
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569
His express instructions regarding punishments are: “As far as pos
sible avoid punishing; when absolutely necessary, try to gain love, before
inspiring fear; the suppression of a token of kindness is disapproval, but
a disapproval which incites emulation, revives courage, and never de
grades. To children, punishment is what is meant as punishment; with
some pupils a cold glance is more effective than a blow.
“Praise when merited, blame when deserved, are recompense and
punishment. Except in rare instances, correction should be privately
given with patience and prudence; so that, with the aid of reason and
religion, the culprit may fully understand his fault. Some pupils do not
feel spite, nor nurse revenge for punishment; but the masters who observe
them closely, know what bitter resentment is felt, above all, for punish
ment wounding self-love; they forget chastisement from their parents,
but never that inflicted by the professors: and many instances are known
of brutal revenge in old age for some justifiable chastisement incurred in
school. On the contrary, the master who discreetly and kindly admon
ishes, awakens gratitude, is no longer a master but a friend, wishing to
improve and preserve his pupil from punishment and dishonour. To
strike, to place in a painful position, pull the ears, etc., should be abso
lutely forbidden, both because disapproved by law, and that it irritates
and lowers the children’s characters. The masters should clearly teach
the rules, as well as rewards and penalties instituted as safeguards, so
that a boy cannot excuse himself under the plea of ‘I did not know.’ ”
“During the forty years in which I endeavoured to practise this system
(Don Bosco wrote in 1877), I do not remember to have used formal
punishment, and with God’s grace I have always obtained, and from
apparently hopeless children, not alone what duty exacted, but what
my wish simply expressed. I have seen some so convinced of their faults
and the justice of punishment that they met it cheerfully.”
“Instruction is but an accessory, like a game, knowledge never makes
a man, because it does not directly touch the heart. It gives it more power
in the exercise of good or evil; but alone it is an indifferent weapon,
wanting guidance.”
But what is Don Bosco’s secret? He has written it in his rules. “Fre
quent Confession, frequent Communion, daily Eucharist: these are the
pillars which should sustain the whole edifice of education.” In all the
Salesian institutions there are daily communicants, and during the com
munity Eucharist some of the Fathers are at the command of penitents.
Don Bosco’s pupil, Don Giordani, relates the following:—
Not long ago, an English Cabinet Minister visited a Turin institution,
and was brought into a large hall in which five hundred boys were at
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL M EM OIRS OF SAINT JO H N BOSCO
study. He was astonished at the perfect silence and laborious attention
without constraint. His surprise increased on hearing a year had passed
without discipline having been infringed, or punishment inflicted.
“Is it possible? How do you manage it?” he asked, and turned to
charge his secretary to note the answer.
“My lord,” said the superior, “we possess a means unknown to you.”
“What?”
“A secret revealed only to Catholics.”
“You jest Reverend Father: nevertheless my question was serious.”
“Frequent Confession, frequent Communion, daily Mass, to be prac
tised regularly and frequently by us and our children. That is our
method.”
Don Bosco died Jan. 31st, 1888, aged 72 years. But his work lives on.
More than 200 different Houses have been founded in all parts of the
world. Of all the boys who have been trained in Salesian Institutions
not one has been known to suffer prosecution; the vast work lives on,
flourishes and is increasing, and, best of all, is carried on by the boys
themselves. Don Bosco never lost an opportunity of inspiring his boys
with the noble aim of extending the work by means of the boys them
selves. Each was to be a zealous missionary. Don Bosco’s boys have gone
out in hundreds as foreign missionaries to the lepers and to the wildest
regions of South America.
May God raise up men filled with the spirit of Don Bosco in this
England of ours. No country surely ever needed them more.
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Appendix 18
ASSAULT ON FATHER
J A M E S M A R G O T T I (Editor of L ’A r m o n ia )
(See Chapter 49, footnote 3)
On January 28, 1856 around 9:30 p.m,, Father Margotti was return
ing as usual to his apartment in the Birago Building in Via della Zecca.
At the intersection of Via Vanchiglia and Via della Zecca, outside the
Progresso Cafe, an assailant suddenly dealt him a heavy blow on the
head with a weighty cane and knocked him down unconscious. He then
fled, leaving behind his cane. Shortly afterward a passerby noticed the
priest lying on the sidewalk and helped him to his feet. Father Margotti
slowly regained consciousness. When he found out that he was quite
close to where he lived, he begged his good Samaritan to accompany him
home. He thus reached his apartment where he received first aid treat
ment, Doctors found no serious lesion; the blow aimed at his left temple
had been diverted by the priest’s hat to the left ear, skinning it from top
to bottom. It seemed a miracle that he had escaped fatal .injuries. The
cane was not an ordinary one, but a sturdy handmade cudgel of ash wood,
tapering at one end and thicker at the other. Nevertheless, this murderous
attempt failed. The valiant writer soon was able to resume his activities
and his talented pen in defense of the Church and society.
571
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Appendix 19
(See Chapter 51, footnote 1)
Royal Secretariat of the Grand Master of the Order of
SS. Maurice and Lazarus
Turin, February 25, 1853
By a decree of yesterday’s date, His Majesty authorized payment of
a subsidy of 500 lire to the boys’ oratories directed by the Rev. John
Bosco. You are herewith informed thereof. The order for payment will
be issued shortly.
Count [Louis] Cibrario
First Secretary of His Majesty on behalf of the Order
572
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Appendix 20
(See Chapter 51, footnote 2)
AN INJUNCTION FROM CITY HALL
City Hall, March 21, 1853
On March 5 [1853], the Police Department officially informed the
Rev. John Bosco that he could not receive a building permit unless he
presented a certificate signed by a licensed architect assuming all respon
sibility for the reconstruction of the building as approved by the building
commission of this city. These measures are taken so that only competent
people will be in charge of this operation.
Despite this warning, it has come to the knowledge of this department
that construction continues under the direction of the contractor [Fred
erick] Bocca. Although the latter was served yesterday with an injunction
to cease forthwith, he was seen engaged in construction work this morn
ing and was duly charged with a violation of the building code by the
municipal inspectors.
Therefore, the Rev. John Bosco, in the interests of public safety, is
herewith requested to order an immediate halt to all construction work
until the aforesaid certificate is duly presented, whereupon he will obtain
the required authorization from the Police Department.
Moreover, in view of last year’s experience, it would appear that the
present contractor is not sufficiently qualified to direct building opera
tions in a safe and efficient manner. It is therefore suggested that he be
replaced.
John Notta, Mayor
573
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Appendix 21
REGULATIONS FOR
THE WORKSHOPS
(See Chapter 56, footnote 2)
The Craftmasters
1. It is the craftmasters’ duty to teach the boys of the house the trade
chosen for them by their superiors. The craftmasters should be punctual
in their duties and assign work to their pupils as soon as they come in.
2. Craftmasters should show interest in the welfare of the house.
They should bear in mind that their most important duty is to teach
their apprentices and provide steady work for them. As far as possible,
they should observe and demand silence during work hours, permitting
no chattering, laughing, joking, or humming. They should never allow
boys to go to town for errands. If it should be absolutely necessary to do
so, they shall first ask the prefect for permission.
3. They should never make private arrangements with the boys or
accept any work on their own. They must keep an accurate record of all
the orders filled by their shops.
4. They are gravely bound to prevent any kind of foul language.
They should immediately report any offender to the superior.
5. Both craftmasters and pupils should stay in their own shops; they
should not wander into other shops except when absolutely necessary.
6. Smoking, playing, and drinking are forbidden; these places are
for work only and not for recreation.
7. Work shall begin with the Actiones and Ave Maria. At noon the
Angelus shall be recited before leaving the shop.
8. Artisans must be docile and submissive to their craftmasters as to
their superiors. They should be very attentive and diligent in all their
duties.
9. The craftmaster or his substitute shall read these rules loudly and
clearly every other week; a copy shall be prominently posted in the shop.
574
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Index
ABBREVIATIONS
D.B. Don Bosco
M.M. Mamma Margaret
S.C. Salesian Congregation
A
Abandoned youth see Youth
Adversaries, D.B.’s reaction to, 145,
216, 24If; among D.B.’s co-workers,
254ff; respect he enjoyed even from,
290f, 291
Advice see Counsels
Affability see Amiability
Affection, of boys for D.B., 164f, 303f,
474f; essential factor in education,
379f, 390ff. See also Friendship,
Kindness
Agreements see Contracts
Ailments see Infirmities
Alasonatti, Victor, D.B.’s first meeting
with, 78
All Souls’ Day, D.B.’s sermon at Castel-
nuovo on, 200f
Alms, D.B.’s indefatigable efforts to ob
tain, 185f, 222ff, 246ff; objection to his
frequent requests for, 190; his sugges
tion for obtaining, 201; his generosity
in giving, 286ff; his discernment in
giving, 292
Aloysius Gonzaga, St., the Oratory boys’
devotion to, 187f, 208f, 3I9f
Altar boys, D.B. substitutes for missing,
312f; his concern for the training of,
316
Amiability, of D.B. under all circum
stances, 144f, 240f
Amusements, constantly shunned by
D.B., 147; at the Oratory, 188, 263,
An3e2c0dotes, a means of D.B, to instill
moral principles, 351
Anfossi, John Baptist, 69, 77, 179, 241,
467
Anger, beneficial influence of D.B. on a
fellow priest inclined to, 471f
Anticlericals, demonstrations in Pied
mont by, 42f; aims of the, 43; joining
with the Waldensians in attacking the
Catholic Church, 159f; and their
harassment of the Society of St. Paul,
326
Antonelli, James, Card., 57f, 63f
Apologetics, Letture Cattoliche a nota
ble contribution to, 400ff, 432f, 442f,
444f, 450ff, 483, 51 Iff
Apostasy, bought with money, 4f, 240;
of a monk, 242f; an issue of Letture
Cattoliche on, 452
Artisans, D.B.’s solicitude in finding jobs
for, 9, 205ff, 461
Assault and battery, D.B. a frequent
target of, 54f, 118, 486-95, 499ff;
tardiness of police in protecting D.B.
from, 489
Assembly, School see Schools—Exer
cises and recreations
Assistance (Salesian), importance of,
264, 386, 545f; norms for, 264ff,
381ff, 386ff, 392ff, 545f; prudently
exercised by D.B.’s brother at Becchi,
336
Authorities, Civil, D.B.’s respect for,
341
B
Backbiting, D.B.’s abhorrence of, 144,
259; against D.B. among his co-work
ers in the festive oratories, 216, 256f
Beads, Pius IX’s gift to the Oratory boys
of, 57f; solemn distribution of Pope’s,
58. See also Rosary
575
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576
IN D E X
Becchi (Castelnuovo), 92ff, 198
Behavior see Conduct
Bellia, James, 161, 185, 313, 410, 412
Bellisio, Bartholomew, 46, 33 Iff
Bells (church), donation and blessing
of the new bell for the church of
St. Francis de Sales, 417f; symbolism
of, 417
Benefactors, D.B.’s gratitude for, 306,
406, 468; outstanding, 415
Benevolence, effectiveness of punish
ment consisting in withdrawal of,
390ff
Bertagna, John, 134, 337
Berto, Joachim, 129, 131, 138, 151, 287
Bible history see Bible—Study—Text
books
Bible—Study—Textbooks, D.B.’s hand
book on, 99f; second edition of D.B.’s
Storia Sacra, 375; public school cur
riculum of, 42 Iff
Biographical Memoirs of St. John Bosco,
The, sources, xf, 129; historicity, xi;
editorial policies and goals, xi
Blasphemy, D.B.’s horror of, 393, 558
Blessed Sacrament see Eucharist
Blessed Sacrament, Visits to the see
Visits to the Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Virgin Mary see Mary, Blessed
Virgin
Blessing (of D.B.), beneficial effects of,
11Off, 447f
Bonavia, Juvenal, 389
Bonetti, John, 54, 129, 148, 214, 270,
332f
Borel, John, 77, 94, 172, 217f, 265
Bosco, Joseph (D.B.’s brother), gener
osity toward D.B., 334ff; portrayal of
D.B.’s boyhood to the Oratory boys,
446; bodyguard to D.B., 494
Boys, D.B.’s solicitude for the welfare
of, 8f, 188f, 204, 303f, 386f, 460,
526; his advice for their right up
bringing, 129; love for D.B., 164f,
221, 303f, 474; his preference for the
poor ones, 232; saintliness of some at
the Oratory, 329; sorrow some felt at
having displeased D.B., 391; D.B.’s
joy in being with, 455; effect of D.B.’s
kindness over a group of, 469f; friend
liness between the Oratory boys and
others of wealthy families, 472f
Breviary, recitation before Blessed Sacra
ment recommended by D.B., 311
Bribery, offered to a young catechist to
make him desert D.B., 261; offered
to D.B. to divert him from publishing
Letture Cattoliche, 43 6f
Brosio, Joseph, 8, 54, 58, 80, 85f, 129,
150, 177, 188f, 194, 216, 240, 256,
259ff, 263, 319f, 496
Brothers of the Christian Schools, Rua,
a pupil of, 97; subjected to military
service, 421
Buzzetti, Joseph, 54, 92, 116, 133, 161,
253, 337, 351, 390, 435, 437, 487,
49Of, 493
C
Cafasso, Joseph, instrumental in thwart
ing an attempt on Pius IX’s life, 44;
assisting D.B., 171, 217, 255f, 298,
345, 409-15; spirit of piety, 313;
spiritual portrait by D.B., 365f, 412f
Cagliero, John, testimonies about D.B.,
7, 129, 137, 198, 202ff, 214, 393, 398,
414, 425f, 452f, 455, 500f; first meet
ings with D.B., 94, 198, 200f; ad
mission to and arrival at the Ora
tory, 200ff; schooling, 204, 236, 440;
natural talents and temperament,
236f, 338; catechist at the festive
oratory, 264
Calamities see Disasters
Calling see Vocation
Calmness see Serenity
Carnival, Oratory boys exhorted by D.B.
to atone for the sins committed at,
179
Cassock, the first four Oratory boys to
don the, 97, 16If; other boys donning
the, 337, 447; D.B.’s example con
cerning the wearing of the, 471
Catastrophes see Disasters
Catechetics, in 1850-52 at the Valdocco
festive oratory, 22, 179f, 264f, 399f;
people’s interest in D.B.’s method of,
22ff; D.B.’s zeal for, 209; public
school curriculum of, 42 Iff
Catechists (catechism teachers), distin
guished visitors to the Oratory filling
in as, 24ff; provided by D.B. for
nearby parishes, 179f; lured away
from the Oratory by dissidents, 256ff;
D.B.’s firmness in dealing with dis
gruntled ones, 262f
Catechists (Salesian), at the Oratory,
414, 478; D.B.’s regulations for, 544f
Catholic Action, a society of priests in
Turin for, 47f
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577
Catholic Church, Pope see Popes
Cavour, Camillo, 73ff, 160, 249, 253
Cavour, Gustavo, 23f, 26, 75, 249, 252,
320
Ceremonies see Rites and ceremonies
Chant, importance D.B. gave to, 265,
312
Charisms, in D.B., 209ff, 213f, 432,
467f; in two Oratory boys, 211, 276,
in Fr. Cafasso, 41 If
Charity, of D.B. in word, deed and
writing, 46, 72, 144f, 286ff, 396ff,
416; D.B.’s exhortation to practice
mutual, 208; essential for the practice
of the Preventive System, 382; toward
schoolmates, 554
Chastity, D.B.’s abstention from spicy
foods seemingly to safeguard, 133;
his exhortations to the boys on, 331;
his meticulous care in writing for
boys, 375; his manner of handling
offenders against, 397f
Cheerfulness, a trait of D.B., 129, 152,
175, 355, 358, 360f; reigning at the
Oratory, 388
Christian life, D.B.’s exhortation to boys
for a, 373. See also Conversion
Christian literature—Latin authors,
D.B.'s love for, 441f
Chronology (Salesian), March l, 1850:
discussion about the Oratory at a
Senate session, 3Iff; Feb. 2, 1851:
donning of the clerical habit by four
Oratory boys, 161; Feb, 19, 1851:
purchase of the Pinardi property, 172;
July 20, 1851: blessing of the corner
stone of St. Francis de Sales Church,
192ff; Nov. 2, 1851: John Cagliero’s
arrival at the Oratory, 202f; March
31, 1852: D.B.’s official recognition
by the archbishop of Turin as director
of all his festive oratories, 262; June
20, 1852: blessing of St. Francis de
Sales Church, 305ff; Sept. 22, 1852:
Michael Rua’s arrival as a boarder
at the Oratory, 334; 1853: publication
of Letture Cattoliche, 371-77; 1853:
opening of workshops at the Oratory,
459
Church, harassment in Piedmont, 372
Church commandments see Command
ments of the Church
Church of St. Francis de Sales, first
idea, 178f; ground breaking, 18If;
fund raising, 183ff, 222ff; laying the
cornerstone, 192; altars and other
memorials, 298; blessing of the taber
nacle and bell, 298; blessing of the
church, 298ff, 305ff; addition of ap
purtenances, 417
Church precepts see Commandments of
the Church
Church vestments, respect D.B. incul
cated for, lOf
Classical literature, D.B.’s knowledge of,
442, 452f; dangers posed by, 442
Clerical habit see Cassock
Clerics (Salesian), increase at the Ora
tory in the number of, 161; fulfillment
of D.B.’s prediction about, 297; D.B.’s
loss of four, 342ff; love of study in
culcated to, 441
Commandments of the Church, an
issue of Letture Cattoliche on the,
444f
Communion, First see First Communion
Communion, Frequent, D.B.’s zeal in
promoting, 317; its importance in
education, 383
Communion, Holy, D.B.’s souvenirs
for preserving the fruits of their
Easter, 40; Oratory boys’ horror of
unworthy reception of, 317. See also
Eucharist
Conduct, importance D.B. gave to
marks of, 386; first regulations of
the Oratory on, 554ff
Conferences of St. John Bosco, on the
feast of the Immaculate Conception,
127; to prepare his co-workers for
the religious life, 297
Confession, D.B.’s zeal in hearing, 89,
114ff; importance D.B. gave to, 383,
387; portrait of D.B. hearing, 332.
See also Confessors
Confessors, D.B.’s exhortation to have
confidence in one’s, 551
Confidence, of people in D.B., 108f;
D.B.’s secret for gaining the boys’,
386f; in one’s confessor, 551
Confidence in God see Trust in God
Congregation, Salesian see Salesian
Congregation
Congregations, Religious see Religious
orders
Conscience, the boys’ guide at the
Oratory, 474
Contracts, purchase of the Pinardi
house, 168ff; damage suffered by
D.B. in some, 176; for apprentice
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578
INDEX
ship of Oratory boys to employers,
205ff
Conversation, of D.B. seasoned with
spiritual thoughts, 93, 144
Conversion, of a practical atheist on
his deathbed, 109ff; of a member of
a secret society, 114ff; of a book
seller, 156; of a boy, 347ff; of a
criminal condemned to death, 413
Convitto Ecclesiastico, 410
Cooperators, Salesian, distinguished,
98f; D.B.’s first attempt at a union
of, 120ff
Cornerstones, Laying of, of church of
St. Francis de Sales, 192ff
Corporal punishment, not permitted by
D.B., 385, 392f
Corporations, proposal of Cavour to
give legal status to festive oratories,
74
Correction, Fraternal, D.B.’s sugges
tions and norms for, 297, 385
Correspondence see Letterwriting
Cottolengo Hospital, 271ff, 278, 325
Counsels, of D.B. to youth, 303f; his
zeal in giving, 386f
Courts, Ecclesiastical see Ecclesiastical
courts
Customs (Salesian) see Traditions
(Salesian)
D
Decorations of honor, declined by
D.B. 339f; secured by D.B. for bene
factors, 340f
Devil, appearing at a spiritistic seance,
508
Devotion to Our Lady see Mary,
Blessed Virgin
Devotions, Popular, D.B.’s recommen
dation of some, 553
Diligence see Zeal
Dinners and dining, Cavour’s invita
tions to D.B., 74ff; invitation to Ora
tory boys by the pastor of Castel-
nuovo, 338
Directors (Salesian), their duties as
conceived by D.B., 382, 543
Disasters, explosion of gunpowder fac
tory in Turin, 267ff; collapse of a
new building at the Oratory, 353-58
Discernment of spirits, in D.B., 212ff
Discipline, School see School discipline
Divine office see Breviary
Divine Providence see Providence,
Divine
Dogs, D.B.’s mysterious dog, 496-502
Dormitories, Oratory regulations and
customs in 1852, 233ff, 280, 310
Dreams, of a boy about D.B., 4f
Dress, Clerical see Cassock
E
Easter duty, D.B.’s souvenirs to the
boys for preserving the fruits of
their fulfillment of the, 40
Ecclesiastical courts, abrogation in
Piedmont of the, 19f, 38f, 42f
Ecclesiastical immunity see Immunity,
Ecclesiastical
Ecclesiastical processions see Proces
sions, Ecclesiastical
Education—Methodology, D.B.’s tips
on how to deal with boys, 385ff. See
also Preventive System, Repressive
System
Educators, a visit by Rosmini to the
Oratory, 24ff; testimonies by a re
nowned educator, 264f, 303f; Aporti
present at a recitation by the Ora
tory boys, 284; and the application
of the Preventive System, 384ff
Enemies see Adversaries
Esteem, of bishops and priests for D.B.,
186f, 198; of a college professor for,
291; of Oratory boys for D.B., 467f
Eucharist, D.B. an apostle of devotion
to the, 310, 317, 553; commemora
tion in Turin of the miracle of the,
404f. See also Communion, Fre
quent; Communion, Holy; First
Communion; Mass
Evening schools, a demonstration of
their success at the Valdocco festive
oratory, 283; their temporary re
location at the Valdocco festive
oratory, 360
Evil, three kinds to be especially
avoided, 558
Exercise for a Happy Death, highly
valued at the Oratory, 477f; treat on
the occasion of the, 478
Exhaustion see Fatigue
F
Faculties (Canon Law), given to D.B.
for the jubilee year and for other
occasions, 243; of various kinds,
444; of reading forbidden books, 530
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579
Faith, Waidensian attacks against the,
154f, 429ff; D.B.’s writings in de
fense of the, 157ff, 373, 400, 432f,
483; unorthodox teachers at Turin
University undermining the, I60f
Faith (virtue), D.B.’s spirit of, 287,
312ff, 415, 446f
Fathers of the Church, Latin, D.B.’s
promotion of the, 440ff
Fatigue, D.B.’s extraordinary endur
ance of, 148f
Faults (theology) see Imperfections
(theology)
Favors, Spiritual, granted to D.B. by
the Pope, 64, 92; Holy Mass the
most propitious time for obtaining
spiritual favors, 314; D.B.’s reliance
on his boys’ prayers to obtain, 317f
Fear of God, basis of the Oratory regu
lations, 378; importance D.B. gave
to the, 552
Feasts, Ecclesiastical, devoutly ob
served at the Oratory, 312
Festive oratories, purpose, 14, 228ff;
government’s praise of D.B.’s, 18f;
success of the, 22ff, 40, 215; their
beneficial influence, 4If; D.B.’s firm
ness on unity of direction, 216f; de
sertion by some of D.B.’s co-workers,
21611, 254ff; desertion of some boys
frequenting the, 240f, 259; decree of
the archbishop of Turin appointing
D.B. director of all his, 262; cate
chism classes at the, 264; growth and
activities at the, 399f. See also names
of individual ones, e.g. Festive Ora
tory of St. Aloysius
Festive Oratory of St. Aloysius, D.B.’s
frequent visits to the, 179f; discord
at the, 216ff
Festive Oratory of St. Francis de Sales
see Festive Oratory (Valdocco)
Festive Oratory (Valdocco), visit of a
Senate committee, 12ff; petition to
the Senate for a subsidy to the, 3Ilf;
beneficial influence of the, 41; estab
lishment of the Mutual Aid Society
at the, 53f; harassment of the, 54, 68;
first decennial, 220f; discord among
staff of the, 256ff; archbishop’s de
cree naming D.B. director of the,
262; training of new catechists for
the, 264; scholastic recital by the
pupils of the, 283f; additions to the
regulations of the, 534f
First Communion, D.B.’s eagerness to
have the boys make their, 265, 383
Food, D.B.’s sparing use of, 16, 135ff;
his indifference to the quality of,
132ff, 139; his forgetfulness about
taking, 140; his solicitude in provid
ing wholesome and sufficient food,
231; Christian modesty in partaking
of, 555
Forgiveness, readily granted by D.B.,
86, 216f, 262f
Fortitude, of D.B. in various circum
stances, 73ff, 354ff, 402ff, 437f
Forty Hours’ devotion, introduced at
the Oratory, 10, 312, 417f
Forum ecclesiasticum see Ecclesiastical
courts
Francesia, John Baptist, young cate
chist, 264; schooling, 347, 440; re
ception of the clerical habit, 447;
miscellany, 290f, 339, 361, 391, 418,
469, 47If
Francis de Sales, St., subversive sermon
by a monk at the Oratory on the
feast of, 242f; devotion to, 553
Frankness see Sincerity
Fransoni, Louis, Abp., government
pressure for resignation of, 19ff;
pastoral letters, 20, 45; return from
exile, 39; demonstrations against,
42f; imprisonment of, 45ff; transfer
to fortress, 66; exile to Lyons, 76f;
intervention in D.B.’s defense, 262;
affection for the Oratory, 325; ap
proval of D.B.’s plans for Letture
Cattoliche, 364; pastoral letter up
holding the Holy Father, 405
Fraternal correction see Correction,
Fraternal
Frequent Communion see Communion,
Frequent
Friendliness see Friendship
Friendship, D.B.’s advice on, 40, 395f;
of D.B. with Cavour, 77f; of Canon
Gastaldi and D.B., 98f; existing
among boys and clerics at the Ora
tory, 232; beneficial influence of
D.B.’s, 471
G
Galantuomo, 11, D.B.’s countermeasure
to Waidensian propaganda, 449
Gastaldi, Lawrence, 98f, 351
Gastini, Charles, 92, 161, 256, 262,
324, 342
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IN D E X
Generosity, of D.B. toward the Cotto-
lengo Hospital, 325; of D.B.’s brother,
Joseph, toward the Oratory, 334ff; of
Fr. Cafasso toward the Oratory, 41 If
Giacomelli, John, 39, 313, 315, 478
Gifts, Spiritual see Charisms
Gladness see Cheerfulness
Gluttony, D.B.’s warnings against,
128f, 138f
God, Fear of see Fear of God
God, Presence of see Presence of God,
Practice of
God—Worship and love see Worship
Good Nights (Salesian), topics for, 9,
101, 475f; and the application of the
Preventive System, 383
Good works (theology), discussion be
tween D.B. and Fr. Cafasso about
the manner of performing, 411
Graces, Spiritual see Favors, Spiritual
Grants see Subsidies
Gratefulness see Gratitude
Gratitude, of M.M. to the benefactors
of the Oratory, 103f; of D.B. to the
Blessed Virgin, 126f; to his benefac
tors, 414, 468
Gregorian chant see Chant
Grumbling see Backbiting
H
Habit, Clerical see Cassock
Habit, Ecclesiastical see Cassock
Heaven, D.B.’s solicitude for his boys
to merit, 294; Fr. Cafasso’s longing
for, 365f
Hiking, by the Oratory boys to St.
Michael’s Shrine, 82ff
Holiness, testimonies about D.B.’s, 3,
255, 445f, 454f
Holy Eucharist see Eucharist
Holy water, in dormitories and study
hall, 235
Holy Year, mission preached by D.B.
in Milan (1850) in preparation for
the, 119, 123ff; fervently kept at the
Oratory in 1851, 243ff
Honor, Decorations of see Decorations
of honor
Host, seen dripping blood, 211; D.B.’s
exhortation to ask graces especially
at the elevation of the, 314; com
memoration of the miracle of the,
404f
Humility, of D.B. in various circum
stances, 7, 11, 51, 91, 136, 156f, 225,
296, 316f, 339, 346, 366f, 452ff;
recommended by D.B. particularly
to students, 552
I
Idleness, constantly shunned by D.B.,
147; D.B.’s solicitude to protect the
boys from, 440
lmitatio Christi, D.B.’s esteem for, 318
Immaculate Conception, conference of
D.B. in 1850 on feast day of, 127;
first decade of Oratory on feast day
of, 220f; D.B.’s prediction about the
Waldensian church in Turin to be
one day changed into a Catholic
church dedicated to the, 48 If
Immorality see Impurity
Immunity, Ecclesiastical, legal meas
ures in Piedmont to abolish, 19f,
38f, 42f
Imperfections (theology), D.B.’s con
stant admonitions to the boys to
correct their, 386f; his severity with
those who made no effort to correct
their, 39Iff
Imprimatur, to Letture Cattoliche un
signed for fear of reprisals, 402f
Impurity, D.B.’s reluctance to preach
on subject of, 33T, his severity in
serious cases of, 395f; one of three
evils to be particularly avoided, 558
Indignation see Anger
Indulgences, for Oratory boys on last
Saturday of each month, 166
Industriousness see Zeal
Infirmities, of D.B., 15Iff
Innocence (theology), conviction of
D.B.'s preservation of baptismal, 3
Institute of Charity, D.B.’s interest in
a foundation in Turin by the, 27f
Institutes, Religious see Religious
orders
Insuits, D.B.’s reaction to, 7, 145, 216,
469f; against papal nuncio in Turin,
38; against Archbishop Fransoni, 39,
42, 66; against D.B., 91, 145, 216f,
481
Intentions, Mass, D.B.’s exactness in
recording, 314f
Investiture, Religious, of the first four
Oratory boys, 96, 16If; of other boys,
337, 447
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IN D E X
581
Invitations, to D.B. to visit Rosmini at
Stresa, 28; by D.B. to distinguished
guests to witness progress of Oratory
evening schools, 283f; to Crispi to
stay at Oratory, 289f; to pupils to
assist him in his work, 294f
Irreligion, D.B.’s success in overcoming
a boy’s, 347ff
J
Jews, D.B.’s great sympathy for, 195ff
Jubilee Year see Holy Year
Judgment Day, extract of D.B.’s sermon
in Milan about, 124
Judgment, Last see Judgment Day
K
Keepsakes see Souvenirs
Kindness, of D.B. to Jewish boys, 195;
of D.B. the unifying bond among the
Oratory boys, 232f; indispensable
virtue in dealing with heretics, 241.
See also Affection, Benevolence,
Charity
L
Labor and laboring classes, D.B.’s
Mutual Aid Society, 53; anticlerical
societies, 53, 451; sad spiritual plight
of, 46If; D.B.’s concern for, 482f
Laborers see Labor and laboring classes
Land, D.B.’s purchase of the field seen
in his dreams as the site of his future
Oratory, 87; sale by D.B. of two
strips of, 190, 224
Language and languages, part of
summer vacation study program for
Oratory boys and clerics, 204
Last Judgment see Judgment Day
Latin language, taught by D.B. in 1849
to some Oratory boys, 96f; D.B.’s
suggestions for a fruitful study of
the, 204; of Church Fathers pro
moted by D.B., 441f; D.B.’s remark
able knowledge of the, 452f, 468
Laying of cornerstones see Corner
stones, Laying of
Letter-writing, of vast proportions per
sonally attended to by D.B., 186,
376ff
Letture Cattoliche, approval by arch
bishop of Turin, 364; support by
bishop of Ivrea, 367ff; promotion of,
37If, 482f; foreign language editions,
372; semimonthly publication of,
374; first issue, 400; effective con
tribution to apologetics, 400ff, 432f,
442ff, 450ff, 483, 51 Iff; fear of re
prisals, 402f; discussions with Wal-
densian leaders regarding, 434ff;
favorable review by Civilta Cat-
tolica, 452; complimentary copies to
Pius IX, 478f; papal blessing for,
479; D.B.’s concern for the working
class one of the reasons for publish
ing, 482
Libraries, D.B.’s constant use of, 410
Life, Religious see Religious life
Literature, Christian see Christian
literature
Literature, Classical see Classical
literature
Lotteries, two Oratory boys picked to
draw winning numbers of state lot
tery, 73; D.B.’s first idea of making
use of, 178; plans for a lottery in
1852 and wearisome details, 225ff,
247ff, 536f; appraisal of prizes, 250f;
success, 25 Iff; local bishops’ support,
28 Iff; drawing of winning chances,
324; a smaller lottery in 1853 for
new building, 416
Love of neighbor see Charity
M
Magazines see Periodicals
Mamma Margaret see Occhiena,
Margaret
Manzoni, Alessandro, D.B.’s visit to,
89
Mary, Blessed Virgin, the Oratory boys’
devotion to, 235, 280, 298, 310, 553;
Her visible protection of them, 353ff;
gratitude of the Turinese for favors
received from, 363
Mary, Blessed Virgin—Virginity, D.B.’s
rapture when preaching about, 240
Mass, D.B.’s devotion and regard for,
314. See also Eucharist
Mass intentions see Intentions, Mass
Mass—Rites and ceremonies, D.B.’s
exactness in the celebration of, 315
Maxims (of D.B.), “A full stomach
does not produce a keen mind,” 139;
“Act today in such a way that you
need not blush tomorrow,” 303; "Do
not put off till tomorrow the good
you can do today,” 304; “Let us
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IN D E X
strive to fare well in this life and in tory boys for, lOlff, 334, 484; cor
the next,” 304; “Be slow to pass diality in welcoming visitors, 102f;
judgment,” 304; “Do you want your simplicity, 103; honesty and tact,
companions to respect you? Always 106f, 162f; discreetness, 161f; self-
think well of everyone, and be ready sacrifice, 163, 359; motherliness,
to help others. Do this and you will 237ff, 342f, 468; portrait of, 332;
be happy,” 304; “God sees you,” 476 solicitude for D.B., 354, 489, 494
Meals see Food
Occupations, D.B.’s practice to pray
Memory, D.B.’s prodigious gift of, 445 before beginning his daily, 318; his
Milanesio, Dominic, 457
ability to tackle a variety of, 376ff
Miracles, commemoration in Turin of Offenses see Insults
the miracle of the Blessed Sacra Oratories, Festive see Festive oratories
ment, 404f
Oratory, Festive (Valdocco) see Fes
Modesty, of D.B., 143; regulations on, tive Oratory (Valdocco)
555
Oratory of St. Francis de Sales see
Money, conscientiously administered Festive Oratory (Valdocco), Oratory
by D.B., 8; Oratory boarders not (Valdocco)
allowed to keep, 559
Oratory (Valdocco), visit of a Senate
Monitors, suggested by D.B. as a help committee and its report, 12ff, 33;
to correct one’s own faults, 297; donning of the clerical habit by four
festive oratory regulations for, 534
Oratory boys, 161f; manner of life
Moral education, impossible without in 1852, 231, 233, 377f, 388, 474ff;
religion and kindness, 347ff, 388ff; D.B.’s policy in accepting boarders,
and the Preventive System, 382ff; pre 232; damage suffered from an explo
vention of sin indispensable for suc sion, 275f; a new residential build
cess in, 387
ing, 327ff; number of boarders in
Morals see Moral education
1852, 346; collapse of a new build
Mortification, practiced by D.B., 128- ing, 353ff; family spirit, 377, 474;
41, 143-53, 320; inculcated by D.B. first regulations of the, 543-59. See
to his penitents, 150f; in not forming also Traditions (Salesian)
even indifferent habits, 412f
Orphans, accepted at the Oratory in
Motherhouse (Salesian) see Oratory preference to others, 232, 286
(Valdocco)
Music, importance D.B. gave to, 10;
P
Cagliero’s talent for, 237. See also Papacy see Popes
Singing
Parables, the peddler and the monkeys,
Mystical union, D.B.’s constant, 318
8If; effectiveness of, 82; the eagle
N
and the fox, 242f
Parents, D.B.’s love for his, 101
Name days, of M.M., 102; of D.B., 187 Paschal precept see Easter duty
Newspapers, not read by D.B. out of Passports, data from D.B.’s passport,
curiosity, 145; not allowed at the
120
Oratory unless sincerely Catholic, Pastimes see Amusements
145
Patience, of D.B. in listening to people
Night Schools see Evening schools
and admonishing, 132, 386f; in bear
O
ing with insults and threats, 437
Patients see Sick
Obedience, D.B.’s obedience to M.M., Penance (virtue), D.B.’s constant prac
lOlf; to superiors: regulations about, tice of, 129ff, 136f, 148ff, I52f. See
149; D.B.'s symbol of, 294
also Mortification
Oblates of Mary, harassment of the, 67 Perfection, Religious see Religious life
Occasions for sin, an exhortation by Periodicals, articles about D.B. in two
D.B. to flee, 264f
Anglican, 560-70
Occhiena, Margaret, amiability, 16f; Piety, at the Oratory, 41, 199f, 311,
respect and love of D.B. and Ora 476f; testimony about D.B.’s piety as
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583
a boy, 4461; priests seeking informa
tion about the Oratory practices of,
477; Oratory regulations about, 552
Pinardi house, appraisal of the, 167ff;
various subsequent uses of the, 310
Pius IX, Pope, return to Rome, 43; plot
to assassinate, 44; gift of rosaries to
the Oratory boys, 57f; autograph on
a rescript to D.B., 369f; solution of
controversy about Christian and
pagan Latin classics, 442; gratifica
tion at gift of Letture Cattoliche,
47 8f
Political refugees see Refugees, Political
Politics, shunned by D.B., 38
Poor souls in purgatory see Purgatory
Popes, D.B.’s loyalty to the, 58, 92, 158
Portraits, of M.M., 332; of D.B., 332
Poverty, M.M.’s love of, 104; D.B.’s
spirit of poverty, 174f, 328; at the
Oratory, 203; of D.B.’s relatives, 334
Poverty (vow), Rosmini’s new concept
of, 90
Prayer, D.B.’s trust in the efficacy of, 85,
312f, 317, 476f, 552; his love of
prayer, 318
Prayers for the dead, offered at the
Oratory at the close of the carnival
season, 179
Preaching, D.B.’s aim in, 82, 125, 452
Precepts of the Church see Command
ments of the Church
Predictions see Prophecies
Presence of God, Practice of, Oratory
boys trained to, 476
Presses, Printing see Printing press
Preventive System (education), and the
reform of a boy, 347ff; exemplified by
D.B. at the Oratory, 347ff, 390-98;
basis of the, 378; necessity of the,
379f; advantages of the, 381f; extolled
in two Anglican periodicals, 389, 560-
70; and punishments, 390ff
Priests, zealously helping D.B., 380
Printing press, Fr. Rosmini’s suggestion
to D.B. to start his own, 479
Processions, Ecclesiastical, in honor of
the Blessed Sacrament, 312; in honor
of St. Aloysius, 319f; in honor of Our
Lady of Consolation, 443
Prohibited books, permission requested
by D.B. to read, 369
Property, confiscated by government and
restored to original owners by D.B.,
69
Prophecies (of D.B.), about the future
of some boys, 86, 210, 342; about
the future of the Oratory and of the
S.C., 177f, 296ff; about the voca
tion of several clerics, 342fF; about
Michael Rua, 405; about the Wal-
densian church in Turin, 690f
Providence, Divine, D.B.’s trust in, 8;
D.B. assisted by, 174ff, 178; practice
of poverty a means to obtain aid of,
328
Prudence, of D.B. in seeking aid, 7; in
dealing with important people, 73f;
in remotely preparing some boys for
the religious life, 294ff; in correcting
or punishing, 397; in business deals,
424
Punishment, D.B.’s norms for, 385,
390-98
Pupils see Artisans, Students
Purgatory, suffrages for the souls in
purgatory at the Oratory, 179
Purity, D.B.’s care in writing to avoid
the slightest danger to the boys’, 375;
his manner of dealing with serious
offenses against, 395. See also
Chastity
R
Reason, a basis of D.B.’s system of
education, 379ff
Reception of religious habit see Investi
ture, Religious
Recreation, an opportune time for
character formation, 80, 304, 351,
474; and the application of the Pre
ventive System, 382f
Refugees, Political, given hospitality at
the Oratory, 288ff
Regulations, for Salesian houses: their
gradual development, 233f, 377f,
542-59; solemn reading of the, 378;
of the Mutual Aid Society, 518ff; of
the festive oratory: additions, 534f
Relatives, D.B.’s conduct toward his,
334f
Relics, of the Holy Cross and its effect
on a seance, 507
Religion, writings of D.B. in defense
of, 155, 157ff, 400f, 403; the Pre
ventive System and, 379f
Religion (virtue), D.B.’s severity in
cases of serious offenses against, 395.
See also Piety
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584
IN D E X
Religious education—Law and legisla Saint Ignatius’ Shrine, D.B.’s retreat at,
tion, curriculum in the public elemen 188, 326, 432
tary schools in Piedmont in 1853, Saint Michael’s Abbey and Shrine, the
421 ff
Oratory boys’ hike to, 82ff
Religious education—Textbooks see Salesian Congregation, Archbishop
Bible—Study—T extbooks
Fransoni’s desire that D.B. establish
Religious investiture see Investiture, the, 21; D.B.’s ideal in founding the,
Religious
134; remote preparation of members
Religious life, D.B.’s cautious efforts for the, 294ff; a petition by D.B. to
to instill in his boys love of the, the Holy See mentioning for the first
294ff
time the, 52If
Religious orders, D.B.’s defense of, 67; Salesian Cooperators see Cooperators,
legal harassment in Piedmont of, 181 Salesian
Repressive System (education), prin Salesian Society see Salesian Congre
ciples and practice, 380f
gation
Rest, allowed to the Oratory boys dur Salesians of St. John Bosco see Salesian
ing the summer, 129; Fr. Cafasso’s Congregation
sacrifice of, 365. See also Sleep
Sanctity see Holiness
Retreats, of the festive oratory boys at Savio, Angelo, 98, 126, 204
Giaveno, 78ff, 329; preached by D.B. Savio, Ascanio, testimonies, 3, 129,
in Milan, 125; made by D.B. at 141, 209f, 259, 315, 342, 390, 410,
St. Ignatius’ Shrine, 188f, 326, 432 460, 502; miscellany, 59, 82, 195,
Reviglio, Felix, testimonies, 3, 67, 194, 346, 509f
455, 493, 505; miscellany, 10, 46, Sayings see Maxims
85, 92f, 140, 188, 357, 399, 490; re Scandal, a sermon by D.B. on, 80ff; his
ception of the clerical habit, 161
efforts to prevent, 290f, 395; how he
Rites and ceremonies, D.B.’s profound dealt with those giving or receiving,
respect and observance of, 312ff. See 396ff
also Mass—-Rites and ceremonies
School discipline, first regulations at the
Rosary, D.B.’s visit to Becchi on the Oratory, 233ff, 378, 552-59; and the
feast of the, 198ff; an Oratory cus Preventive System, 382ff; D.B.’s dim
tom about the recitation of the, 329. view of disobedience, 393f; D.B.’s
See also Beads
practice and norms about expulsion,
Rosmini, Antonio, visit to the Oratory, 395ff. See also Corporal punishment,
25ff; host to D.B. at Stresa, 89ff; Punishment
D.B.’s corerspondence with, 170ff, Schools—Exercises and recreations,
183f, 438f, 479f. See also Institute D.B.’s preference for stage plays not
of Charity
requiring costumes, 10; solemn dis
Rua, Michael, attendance at the festive tribution of rosaries donated by
oratory, 24, 97, 210; priestly voca Pius IX and program in honor of
tion, 97; schooling, 97f, 204; testi the Pope, 58ff; D.B.’s presence at
monies about D.B., 131, 147, 151, Oratory plays to encourage boys,
399, 456f; resident student at the 148; laying of the cornerstone of
Oratory, 334; reception of the cleri St. Francis de Sales Church, 194; a
cal habit, 338; D.B.’s praise of, 338; public demonstration of the success
prediction by D.B., 405
of the Oratory evening schools, 283f
Rubrics (Liturgy) see Rites and cere Schools, Private, Oratory pupils sent
monies
by D.B. to, 204, 440, 465ff
Secret societies, conversion of a mem
S
ber of, llOff; membership certifi
Sacrament, Blessed see Eucharist
cates, insignia and lists handed over
Sacred Scripture see Bible
to D.B., 116ff; under surveillance in
Sacrifice of the Mass see Mass
Milan, 122
St. Aloysius Sodality see Sodality of Self-control, of D.B., 359, 425f, 454
St. Aloysius
Self-denial see Mortification
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IN D E X
585
Self-mastery see Self-control
Serenity, of D.B. under all circum
stances, 355f, 359, 365
Sermons, Mission, extract from one of
D.B.’s, 124
Servants of Mary, banishment from
Turin, 66
Servers see Altar boys
Shops see Workshops
Short stories see Parables
Sick, effect of D.B.’s visits to the sick
or dying, 108f; M.M.’s loving care
for, 239
Silence, strictly enforced by D.B. as a
preparation for Mass, 315
Sin, D.B.’s horror of, 3; his gift of
detecting, 213; a boy’s horror of, 330
Sin, Occasions for see Occasions for sin
Sincerity, of D.B. in conversing with
prominent people, 74, 91; necessary
for spiritual guidance, 387
Singing, enhancing the liturgy at the
Oratory, 312; taught daily at the
Oratory, 475
Sleep, D.B.’s sacrifice of, 130, 137f,
149; D.B.’s desire to do without, 140
Smoking, not permitted at the Oratory,
146, 559
Sodality of St. Aloysius, D.B.’s brief
ings to members of the, 208f
Soul, D.B.’s concern for the, 109ff,
203f, 217, 294, 398, 461
Souvenirs (of D.B.), for the Easter
Communion, 40; at the close of a
spiritual retreat, 82; to the young,
373
Spiritism see Spiritualism
Spirits, Discernment of see Discern
ment of spirits
Spiritual exercises see Retreats
Spiritual favors see Favors, Spiritual
Spiritualism, its spread in Turin in
1852, 503f; D.B.’s public challenge
to a clairvoyante, 504; his attend
ance at some seances, 507; two issues
of Letture Cattoliche exposing, 51 Iff
Stars, D.B.’s contemplation of, 14If
Storia Sacra, second edition of, 375.
See also Bible—Study—Textbooks
Stories see Anecdotes, Parables
Students, at the Oratory enrolled in
Turin private schools, 98, 465f; spe
cial setup within the Oratory for,
310; increase in the number of, 464;
regulations for, 550-59; virtues par-
ticularly recommended by D.B, to,
552
Subsidies, to the Oratory: discussed at
a Senate meeting, 33ff; granted for
blast damages, 277; from the Order
of SS. Maurice and Lazarus, 340
T
Taverns, a nuisance to the Oratory,
54f; D.B.’s purchase of a tavern ad
joining the Oratory, 423ff
Teachers, application of Preventive
System by, 38Iff. See also Educators
Temperance, D.B.’s frequent exhorta
tions to practice, 128f, 138, 143,
547; D.B. a model of, 132, 134, 140,
149, 163; Fr. Cafasso’s practice of,
365
Theban legion, martyrs of the, 443
Thinking see Thought and thinking
Thought and thinking, how D.B. trained
the boys to, 9; a means to make the
boys recognize their faults and cor
rect them, 381, 386
Threats, against life of Pius IX, 44;
against life of D.B., 54f, 115, 117f,
493f; against Oratory boys, 86
Time, Fr. Cafasso’s and D.B.’s scrupu
lous use of, 147, 365f, 375f; precious
ness of, 551
Traditions (Salesian), feast of
St. Aloysius, 208f; patron saints for
the dormitories, 234f; addition of
Pater, Ave, Gloria in honor of
St. Aloysius to morning and night
prayers, 276; daily nosegay for the
Blessed Virgin during May, 280;
Forty Hours’ devotion, 312; volun
tary recitation of the rosary after
Benediction on Sundays, 329; solemn
reading of the regulations, 378
Trials, D.B.’s confidence in God in the
midst of severe, 333ff, 359
Trust in God, D.B.’s unlimited, 8, 172,
175, 191, 262, 329, 353, 415. See
also Faith (virtue)
U
Union with God see Mystical union
V
Vacations, D.B.’s desire to have the
boys stay with him during, 233;
study program at the Oratory during,
440f
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586
INDEX
Valdocco (Festive Oratory) see Festive
Oratory (Valdocco)
Valdocco (Motherhouse of the S.C.)
see Oratory (Valdocco)
Vestments see Church vestments
Victor Emmanuel II, regard for Pius IX,
19; coldness toward Archbishop
Fransoni, 39; ratification of the law
abolishing ecclesiastical immunity,
43; generosity toward the Oratory,
19If, 223, 246; solicitude for the
casualties of the disaster that struck
Turin, 268
Vigilance see Assistance
Vincent de Paul, St., Society of, 48ff
Virgin Mary, Blessed see Mary, Blessed
Virgin
Virtue, D.B.’s practice of, 148f, 198f,
411, 445; held in high esteem at the
Oratory, 476f
Visions, of an Oratory boy during
Mass, 211
Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, D.B.,
the apostle of, 310, 317
Vocal music see Singing
Vocation, D.B.’s hints to the boys
about, 294f; disregard of D.B.’s ad
vice and sad results, 344ff; Oratory
boys sent to Fr. Cafasso for advice
on their, 412
Vows, occasionally suggested by D.B.
to obtain special favors from God,
85f
401; D.B.’s prediction about their
new church in Turin, 48If
Water, Holy see Holy water
Weariness see Fatigue
Work, D.B.’s love for, 17, 148, 152,
255, 413; preferred to penance and
mortification, 151; Fr. Cafasso’s dedi
cation to, 365f, 413; inculcated in
the Oratory regulations, 553
Work (of D.B.), praise of the, 33ff,
215, 285, 322; a synthesis of the,
174ff, 228ff
Workers see Labor and laboring classes
Workshops, established at the Oratory,
459f; regulations for craftmasters,
460, 549f; D.B.’s visits to his young
artisans in town, 461; benefits de
rived by the Oratory from its own,
462
Worship, D.B.’s zeal for, 310ff. See also
Prayer
Writing (authorship by D.B.), A
Popular Approach to Bible History,
99; Warnings to Catholics, 157ff;
The Catholic Religion: Some Basic
Points, 158f; The Well-Instructed
Catholic, 158f; The Catholic in the
World, 401; A Good Mother: Moral
Talks in a Popular Style, 403; A
Factual Account of the Miracle of
the Blessed Sacrament in Turin on
June 6, 1453, 404; simplicity of style
and charitableness of D.B., 145, 401
W
Waldensians, activity in Piedmont, 156f,
240, 372, 429ff; construction and
dedication of a church in Turin, 157,
481; anger at D.B.’s publications,
159, 434f; disputes with D.B., 241f,
363, 434ff; Letture Cattotiche and
the, 400f, 403, 432f, 444, 452, 483;
D.B.’s zeal for the conversion of,
Y
Year, Holy see Holy Year
Youth, D.B.’s concern for abandoned,
5f, 15f, 232
Z
Zeal, of D.B. in saving souls, 109-18,
156, 182, 347, 351, 399f; in urging
the boys to lead a more fervent
Christian life, 244f, 297