Circular

E I, 119

Invitation to the opening of the Church of St Francis de Sales Sales

From the Oratory [Turin], 16 June 1852

Distinguished Sir,

A day of great consolation for me, and I believe likewise for Your Excellency, is Sunday, 20 June, when our desires and expectations will be fulfilled with the blessing of the new Church at the Oratory of St Francis de Sales, to the benefit of which you have shown such zeal and charity in so many ways. It is true that the sacred building is not yet complete, but the work is at a stage where it can already be blessed, sacred functions can be celebrated there appropriately, and our serious need can thus be satisfied. The sacred function will begin at 8 o'clock in the morning.

The blessing will be followed by the holy sacrifice of the Mass for all the benefactors of the Oratory; during Mass, some young people will receive Communion. Then there will be a similar discourse and the Church services will end with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock there will be Vespers, the usual sermon and Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament.

Upon leaving the church, you are kindly requested to go to the old church to spend a few minutes with the other benefactors of the Oratory, and thus console us together in the Lord who has helped us in such an extraordinary way to accomplish his work. You will have a designated place to comfortably attend the sacred service, and it is my express intention to treat you on that day with all the respect that your proven charity and status deserve; however, if in the multiplicity of things it is not possible to show you all the respect that you deserve for many reasons, I ask you to kindly forgive me, as it is certainly not a lack of good will.

Come with those people whom you know particularly well, or whom you know to have been involved in some way in this work of Christian charity: the celebration is shared, the glory given to the Lord on that day is shared, and I hope that the good that will redound to our souls will also be shared. Convinced that in your charity you will continue to promote the good of our Oratory, I thank you with the deepest gratitude and assure you that it will always be a great honour for me whenever I can say that I am

Your distinguished Sir’s

Most obliged servant

Fr John Bosco