Circular for wealthy families in Turin

E IX, 4144

He invites wealthy families to collect bones ‘left over from the table’ in special bags for ‘industrial’ use for the benefit of poor children in Salesian houses and missions — a guarantee of transparency.

Turin, mid-January 1885

Worthy and charitable Sir,

Charity, which is industrious, seeks all possible and lawful means to relieve human misery and benefit civil society. Knowing that the noble soul of Your Excellency is divinely endowed with such a beautiful virtue, I am convinced that you will willingly learn and use a very easy means, which I suggest here, to exercise it to the great benefit of your neighbour. And here is what it is.

You will be aware that bones left over from meals and generally thrown away by families as waste, when collected in large quantities, can be useful to human industry and are therefore sought after by craftsmen and paid for by the tonne. A company in Turin, with which I have established contact, would purchase them in any quantity. In view of this, and in accordance with what is already being done in some countries on behalf of other charitable institutions, I have decided to appeal to the wealthy and benevolent families of this illustrious city, and to ask them, instead of allowing this waste from their tables to go to waste and become useless, if the would donate it free of charge to the poor orphans gathered in my institutions, and especially to the benefit of the Missions in Patagonia where the Salesians, at great expense and risk to their own lives, are teaching and civilising the savage tribes, so that they may enjoy the fruits of Redemption and true progress.

I therefore make this appeal and request to Your Excellency, convinced that you will give it favourable consideration and grant it.

Those families who are kind enough to agree to my humble request will be given a special bag in which to place the aforementioned bones, which will be collected and weighed by a person appointed by the purchasing company, who will issue a receipt which will be collected from time to time on my behalf in the event of an inspection by the company itself.

Thus, all you will have to do is give the appropriate orders so that these useless leftovers from your table, which would otherwise be thrown away, are placed in the bag to be delivered to the collector and then sold and used for charity. The bag will bear the initials O. S. (Oratorio Salesiano), and the person who comes to empty it will also present some sign to identify themselves to you or your family. In this way and by the means I am explaining and recommending to your kindness, you will render yourself deserving of the above-mentioned works, you will have the gratitude of thousands of poor young people, and, most importantly, you will receive the reward promised by God to all those who work for the moral and material well-being of their fellow human beings. Full of hope that you will not deny me the favour I have requested, I would ask you to assure me of your agreement and to complete the necessary formalities by detaching and returning to me the part of this printed document which bears my address. As soon as I have your agreement, I will give orders for the aforementioned bag to be delivered to you. Finally, I ask for your kind understanding of this disturbance, and in the confidence of your charitable support, I thank you cordially, while wishing you and your entire family the most select blessings of Heaven. I express my deep gratitude and full esteem.

Your worthy Sir’s

Most obliged servant

Fr John Bosco