To the Rector of the Turin Seminary, Alessandro Vogliotti

E I,1181

He justifies the delay in paying his debts to the seminary – he hopes that he will feel that the clerics of the Oratory are his own – he asks for sincerity in their relationship.

Turin, 22 May 1868

Dear and Reverend Rector,

Believe me, Fr Rector, that the only reason for deferring payment of the annual interest due to the seminary was the new method of administering the assets hitherto managed by the ecclesiastical authorities.

I have already been to the seminary, and one day I waited a long time at the Curia to speak with you about this matter, but some conferences you had to attend prevented me from doing so.

Now that I understand from your letter how and where I should pay, I will take care of it immediately and, during the course of next week, every item will be settled, including the expenses incurred and those to be incurred.

Please, Fr Rector, be assured that we are indeed in dire straits, but if I had intended to ask for remission, I would have done so not by interpreting your charity, but by appealing to your pious willingness, as I have done on other occasions.

However, I accept with heartfelt gratitude the reduction of 150 francs that you are paying out of your own pocket, and I pray to God that he will reward you worthily, especially by granting you stable and lasting health.

If I may, I would like to make an observation, or rather a request. When speaking of our clerics, always refers to them as your clerics, clerics of the Oratory. You would do me a favour if you would also call them yours, because, as you know, there are few of them, and those few who have been ordained priests are scattered throughout the diocese: such as Frs Reviglio, Rocchietti, Leggero, Rovetti, etc.; those who remain here work tirelessly to prepare clerics for the diocesan seminary, or are otherwise engaged in preaching, teaching catechism and similar activities.

I ask you one more favour, and that is that when you have something to observe or note about me, the clerics, or the running of the Oratory, you would always tell me frankly, or have me informed by some cleric, so that I may come to you immediately.

Offering you our service in everything that I or this house are capable of, I wish you every heavenly blessing, and I profess that with full esteem and veneration, I am

Your Excellency’s

most obliged servant,

Fr John Bosco