To young adult Riccardo Fortis

E VII, 3152

Words of consolation at the death of his father

Rome, 26 March 1880

My dear Riccardo,

Our dear father is no longer with us. Let us adore the divine decrees. This blow was expected and feared, but not so soon. I can imagine your dismay, Alfonso’s and, above all, your dear mother’s.

In these painful circumstances, we Catholics have one great comfort, which is the only true comfort: as long as we live, we can pray and do good works in suffrage for the soul of the deceased, and in the meantime console ourselves with the firm hope that we will see them again, perhaps soon, in a state far better than that of the present life.

To comfort you, I tell you that I have already prayed a great deal for the soul of the dear departed, and that prayers and communions were said for him in all the houses of the Congregation.

As for you and Alfonso, do not make any decisions for now, but pray and try to console your mother with respect, submission and religious practices.

I will be in Turin around 20 April. If you were to come and spend at least a few days with me, I would be delighted and we could talk about anything.

God bless you all and pray for me who am always in J. C.

your most affectionate friend

Fr John Bosco