To the Vicar of the city of Turin, Marquis Michele Benso di Cavour¹

E I, 21

He gives the city’s highest civil authority a report on the three-year activity of the ‘catechism class’ - presenting the aims, objectives and methods - asks for moral and financial support - declares his availability for a meeting.

Turin, 13 March 1846

Your Excellency,

The part that Your Excellency plays in all matters concerning good civil and moral order gives me hope that you will not find it disagreeable to receive information about our catechism classes, which are aimed at the good of young people and for which you yourself, on a number of occasions, have already shown support.

These catechism classes began three years ago in the church of St Francis of Assisi, and with the Lord blessing this work, the young people attended in numbers as large as the place would allow. Then, in 1844, when I began work at the Pious Work of the Refuge, those good young people continued to come for their spiritual instruction. It was precisely at that time, in agreement with Fr Borel and Fr Pacchiotti, that we presented a memorandum to the archbishop, who authorised us to convert one of our rooms into an oratory where catechism was taught, confessions were heard, and Holy Mass was celebrated for the aforementioned youngsters.

However, as their numbers grew and they could no longer be accommodated there, we begged the illustrious city authorities to allow us to move our catechism classes to St Martin’s church near the city mills, and we were granted permission to do so. Very many young people came there, and the numbers often surpassed two hundred and fifty.

However, the municipality has informed us that our catechism classes will have to be relocated, even from this church, by next January, without giving us any reason for it. We were in a huge bind. To abandon a work which seemed so good saddened us. Only His Excellency Count Collegno encouraged us to continue after having spoken with you.

During this winter we did some of it in our own home and some in various rented rooms. Finally, this week we negotiated with Mr Pinardi, agreeing on the sum of two hundred and eighty francs for a large room which can be used as a chapel, plus two other rooms with adjoining premises. This location seems convenient to us both because it is very close to the Refuge and because it is not far from churches and close to several houses. All that remains is for you to let us know if it is acceptable in terms of civil and public society.

The purpose of this catechism class is to gather young people together on Sundays and Holy Days who, if left to their own devices, do not attend church for instruction, something we do by winning them over with kind words, promises, gifts, and the like.

The teaching boils down to precisely this:

1. Love for work.

2. Frequenting the holy sacraments.

3. Respect for elders and authority.

4. Avoiding bad companions.

These principles, which we strive to instil skilfully in the hearts of these young people, have produced marvellous results.

Within a period of three years, more than twenty have embraced religious life, six are studying Latin to pursue a clerical career, and many others, although just with good intentions, attend their respective parishes. This is quite remarkable given the quality of the young people, who are generally between the ages of ten and sixteen, without religious principles or education, most of them prey to vice and on the verge of giving cause for public complaint or being sent to places of punishment.

You have a good heart and love everything that redounds to the civil and moral good of the public; we therefore beg you to protect our labours, which, as you can see, are not motivated by any desire for profit, but only to win souls for the Lord.

The expenses we must incur to provide what is sought at the aforementioned location are considerable; we already have the aforementioned Count Collegno, who has offered himself as our benefactor and has asked us to inform Your Excellency of this, to whom he will then provide detailed information himself. Should you wish to speak with me and my colleagues, we would be ready at your beck and call, and it would be our earnest desire.

In asking you to accept the liberty I have taken, I wish you every blessing from the Lord, and consider it the greatest honour to be able to express my highest esteem and deepest respect.

I am Your Excellency’s

most humble and obliged servant,

Fr John Bosco

Spiritual Director at the Refuge