Cenni storici or Historical Outlines
Don Bosco
The Historical Outlines (Cenni storici)
The idea of the Oratories came from frequenting the prisons in this city.1 In these places of spiritual and temporal misery, we found many young lads in the bloom of youth; clever, good-hearted and able to be the consolation of their families and an honour to their country but instead they were locked up there, coarsened, made the opprobrium of society. Giving careful thought to the reasons for this misfortune, one came to understand that in most cases they were unfortunate more for lack of education than wickedness.2 One could note also that little by little they could be led to appreciate their dignity as human beings, that they could reason, and that they must earn their bread in life through honest effort and not by stealing. In other words as soon as their minds were enlightened by a moral and religious principle they began to feel something good in their hearts which they could not explain but which made them want to be better people. In fact many changed their behaviour while still in the prison, while others when released lived in such a way that they would not end up there again.
So we had confirmation that these young men were unfortunate for want of religious and moral instruction and that these two educational means were ones that together could 3 keep good boys good and lead the unruly ones to make wise judgement when they were released from these places of punishment.
As a trial, some appropriate catechetical programs were begun in the prisons around the capital and a little later in the sacristy of the church of St Francis of Assisi. And thus the Sunday gatherings began.
Boys released from prison were invited as well as others who we found and collected here and there in the streets and squares and workshops during the week. Moral and religious stories, hymns, small gifts, some games were the lure we used to deal with them on Sundays and other holy days. Throughout 1841 on average around seventy boys 4 attended. With great satisfaction the oratory continued at St Francis of Assisi for three years, until the extraordinary number of boys forced us to choose a larger place. Then in 1844 Don Bosco, for reasons of Church employment, had joined the administration of the pious work of the Refuge in Valdocco. There a suitable place was selected and on 8 December 1844 the first chapel destined exclusively for the young people was blessed. This chapel consisted of two rooms next to the building used by the two priests who were running the aforesaid work of the Refuge. The Oratory lasted a year here.5
In autumn 1845, because of the growing number of boys, a number that often exceeded two hundred, the building which up until then had served as a chapel was now to be used for something else, so it was necessary to seek a more appropriate place. For about four months6 we went to St Martin's7 near the city Mills but finished there to give way to another catechism program for young people.8 St Peter's in Chains cenotaph, the Moretta House, an enclosure belonging to the Filippi house served as an Oratory up until spring 1846.9
That year we rented and then bought the Pinardi house in the Valdocco district, and this is where the Oratory of St Francis de Sales arose. The number of boys grew such that in 1850 it often went beyond two and also three thousand.
With a view to providing for this need, in 1851 the current church was put up and that was done with help from the Lotteries of items and other private donations.
The Oratory of St Aloysius 10 at Porta Nuova. In 1847, seeing that such a huge number of boys could no longer be contained in the Oratory of St Francis de Sales,11 another was opened at Porta Nuova between dei Plantini and Valentino street. Administration of this was entrusted to Fr Giacinto Carpano, 12 and then was passed on to others. Currently Fr Leonardo Murialdo13 it is zealous director. The average number of boys is around 500.14
The Guardian Angel Oratory. The extraordinary number of boys coming to the Oratory at Porta Nuova soon made us realise that another site was needed where the greatest need was felt. Vanchiglia15 is a heavily populated part of Turin and full of youngsters who just wander about on Sundays and holy days. The worthy Fr Cocchi16 had already opened an oratory there but had to abandon it due to other things he had to do. So in the same place with an an almost identical purpose, in 1849 we reopened the Guardian Angel Oratory there, near the Po. Administration was entrusted to Fr Robert Murialdo,17 but since his health is currently up and down it has been entrusted to Fr Michael Rua.18 The average number presently attending this Oratory is around four hundred.
General observations. We could call these Oratories places aimed at dealing with youngsters at risk on Sundays and other holy days by offering them pleasant and honest recreation after they have attended the church services. So as well as the churches there are enclosures that are large enough for recreation and other suitable places for lessons and to bring the pupils under cover during bad weather in the cold season and when it rains. Ways of attracting them to come are: small prizes, games and a kind welcome. Medals, holy pictures, fruit, something to eat or a snack; sometimes a pair of socks, shoes or other clothing item for the poorest ones; finding them work, 19 going to see their families or their employers. The games are: bocce (bowls), piastrelle (throwing discs), stilts, see-saws of various kinds, leap-frog, gymnastics, military exercises, singing, concerts with instruments and vocals. But what attracts the youngsters most is the kind welcome they receive. Long experience has made us understand 20 that the good result of education of the young consists especially in knowing how to make oneself loved so that one can then be feared.
The religious services on Sundays and other holy days are as follows: Mass followed by a story from the bible or Church history, or an explanation of the Gospel of the day; then recreation. After midday catechism in classes, vespers, a brief instruction from the pulpit, Benediction and then followed by the usual recreation. Once religious services are over everyone is free to stay and play or to go home. Once night falls we send everyone home and the Oratory is closed.
There is a set of rules guiding everything in church, recreation and school. Those taking part are priests, clerics and some good citizens who help out with everything. During Lent, in all three places there is catechism each day at midday 21 for those who are not free at other times during the day. We even celebrate Mary's month with a sermon or spiritual reading, rosary and Benediction at sunrise or at the time in the evening when we say the Hail Mary, according to circumstances.
People taking the most active part at the beginning of the Oratory have been, as well as those already mentioned, Frs Ponte, Trivero, Pacchiotti, and John Vola. Of particular help has been the worthy Fr John Borelli. 22 He has been the soul and support of things exercising his priestly ministry and in material and moral help. Also Cav. Baricco has taken part several times.23
Sunday schools.24 Many youngsters, either through want of means or facilities are already moving on in years but have not had the necessary instruction for learning trade. During the week they were not able to attend school of any kind, so this need suggested Sunday schools. We started these in 1845. It seemed difficult at the beginning given that there were no books or people to give advice or direction.
We had school, we taught things but during the week, what had been taught and learned on Sundays was mostly forgotten. Just the same we mostly overcame this serious obstacle by taking just one area of study at a time and having just one lesson to be learned through the week. This way we succeeded in getting them to learn how to read and write and then the four arithmetical operations, and then the elements of the metric system, Italian grammar and Bible history, but without ever passing on to something new if what we already had in hand was not yet well understood.25 Public performances that were offered satisfied important personages who honoured us with their presence, amongst which Fr Aporti, 26 the City Mayor, Cav. Bellono and Cav. Fr Baricco.
Evening schools. Amongst the multitude of boys who came another need appeared, since although the Sunday classes produced good results, nevertheless it was not sufficient for many. So we began to invite them to come during the week on days and at times that were most convenient for the pupils. One boy encouraged another and in a short while it was considered appropriate to set a fixed time and this was in the evening, just when the working boys had finished their day's work.
In 1846 27 the evening classes began for the first time. Attendance was extraordinary to the point where we had to limit ourselves to the number of pupils we could physically take in the squeezed circumstances. Since evening schools were then opened by the city administration in many parts of the city it was not necessary to offer them in the other oratories. They continue until the present only in the Oratory of St Francis de Sales. The subjects taught are: Reading, writing, the metric system, Italian, plainchant, vocal music, instrumental music and some drawing, pianoforte, organ and also French.28
Day school during the week. Another type of boy can be found on the loose wandering the city and these are the ones who are either very poorly dressed or since they cannot settle down to discipline are not accepted in the public schools or are expelled from them. For the most part they are either orphaned or neglected by their parents even at a tender age and so they wander the streets and squares brawling, cursing and stealing. We opened a school for them in the Oratory of st Francis de Sales 29 and another in St Aloysius. A considerable number attend in both oratories and through the careful and kindly concern of the teachers satisfactory results have been obtained in terms of proper behaviour (moralità) and discipline. A few of them were then admitted to classes in town, others in evening schools and some others yet found employment.
The Home at the Oratory of St Francis de Sales. 30 Amongst the young people who come to these Oratories we find some who are so poor and abandoned that almost anything we did for them would be almost useless without providing somewhere where they could live, eat and be clothed. We tried to do this with the attached Home at the Oratory of St Francis de Sales. At the beginning we rented out a small house 31 there in 1847 and began to gather up a few of the poorest 32 boys. At the time 33 they went out to work in the city coming home to the Oratory to eat and sleep. But the serious need that we became aware of from various towns around the province made us determine to extend our acceptance also to boys who were not attending the Turin oratories.34
One thing happened after another. Abandoned35young people swarmed in from everywhere. So we established a platform whereby we accepted only boys between the ages of twelve and eighteen, without father and mother, completely abandoned and poor. But since going into the city into public workplaces had bad consequences, we extended our place, rebuilt existing parts and built new (we have seven hundred boys) workshops36 so that everything is now here at home. The trades taught are tailoring, boot-making, book-binding, carpentry, printing and study for those whose behaviour and attitude to academic subjects make them suitable for it.
The earnest desire many showed for taking regular academic courses meant we had to make exceptions in our acceptance conditions. So for studies were also accepted boys who were not abandoned nor completely poor so long as their behaviour and attitude to study was such that it left no doubt that they could hope for an upright and Christian success in an academic career.
Administration. In the house we even have a set of regulations to guide everything. There is a Rector on whom everyone depends.37He has a prefect as his vice and who is responsible for accounts and correspondence. A Director looks after the school, keeps in touch the teachers and study assistants, catechists or spiritual directors. A bursar looks after service staff, repairs and all the domestic arrangements in general. The shop heads or master craftsmen in each workshop also depend on him. There are no fixed fees, so the house is supported only by charity coming mostly from private donations. The city council usually gives an annual grant of 300 francs for lighting and wood for the evening classes during winter. It is not possible to calculate the precise expenses for the whole house or for each individual but we could establish somewhere around 60 cents per day per person all up. The church, the buildings, the site for the house and oratory at Valdocco are the property of Fr Bosco.38 Those at Porta Nuova and Vanchiglia are leased.
Results. To understand the results obtained in these schools, the Oratories and the Home at the Oratory of St Francis de Sales we need to divide the pupils into three groups:39 the undisciplined,40 the restless and the good. The good ones stay that way and make marvellous progress in goodness. The restless type, those already accustomed to wandering around not doing much work achieve some success through a trade, with assistance, instruction and bt being kept busy. The undisciplined ones mean we have a lot to do. If we can get them to gain some taste for work we can mostly win them over. By the means already indicated we can obtain some results which could be explained thus: 1. That they do not get worse. 2. Many improve in common sense, so can earn their bread in an upright manner. 3. Those who seemed to be insensitive under vigilance over time become more pliant if not completely, at least to some extent. We leave it to time to profit from the good principles and know how to put them into practice.
This means that every year we have been able to place more than a hundred boys with good employers where than can learn a trade. Many have returned to the families they fled from and are now more docile and obedient. Not a few were placed with upright families as domestics.
The coming and going of boys from the Home at this Oratory is around three hundred a year. A few of them have a found a place with the National Guard or Military Band, others continue with the trade they learned here while some serve in upright families and yet a sizable number of others take up teaching. These ones sit for the regular exams or remain here at home or go as teachers to towns that are asking for them. Some also take up other civic careers.
Amongst the students many tackle an ecclesiastical career.41 These, once they have finished their secondary studies, are mostly sent off to the various bishops who look after them lovingly to help them and allow them to continue in the career they have aspired to. Amongst these we have chosen a number who carry out a teaching role in this house, teach catechism in the Oratories, assist in the various workshops and dormitories. When they become priests they continue to exercise their sacred ministry on behalf of the boys here or those who attend other oratories in the city. Others follow their inclination and are assigned to other aspects of ministry which the ecclesiastical superior judges them suitable for.
One very deserving person in the oratories and this house is Fr Victor Alasonatti 42 who has tirelessly dedicated all his efforts for many years in these charitable works.
As for all the personnel of this house and the oratories, including domestic staff, nobody receives a stipend,43 but each offers his work for free.
1An evident discrepancy between here and what Don Bosco wrote at the beginning of the Cenno storico.
2“As soon as he began to deal with and speak to this new kind of audience Fr Caffasso soon came to realise that they became miserable and coarsened, but more for want of religious instruction than through malice on their part. He spoke to them about religion and they listened. He offered to return and they awaited him with pleasure. He continued his catechism program, invited other priests to help him, especially those living at the Institute and soon began to win over the hearts of these lost individuals. He began to preach, heard confessions and soon these prisons, which with their cursing and blaspheming and other ugly vices seemed to be infernal madhouses, changed into places where men who knew that they were Christians began to praise and serve God their Creator, lifting up their voice in hymns to the adorable name of Jesus” - Cafasso, pp. 82-83.
3DEFINITION NOT FOUND.
4This is the figure we find mostly in the Cenno.
5We could hypothesis a succession which is debatable if we take the variants introduced into the manuscript ms C from Cb; Don Bosco corrects and re-corrects to try to find chronological consistency, but does not succeed. From the blessing of the chapel (8 December 1844) to the forced abandonment because of the opening of the little hospital of St Philomena's (10 August 1845), exactly 8 months went by.
6“For the space of around four months (Don Bosco corrects an earlier 'three')”: it is a clarification that Don Bosco introduces into doc. C, at the invitation of the scribe, which follows the indication in the first draft “for some time”, and adds “(if you could clarify the time”)
7Cf Cenno and the information concerning the wandering oratory.
8Following the words “young people” in doc C the scribe adds (“it seems to me that there would have been still another reason””). Don Bosco does not intervene in the text. The Cenno storico is more exact and explicit.
9Following the indication “1846” in doc. C the scribe adds: “(it seems to me that the time periods indicated with this last year are not in agreement”). Don Bosco makes a correction, clarifying: “up until spring 1846”.
10A concentrated summary of different events spread over five years.
11The church of St Francis de Sales
12Fr Carpano Giacinto: cf Cenno
13Fr Leonard Murialdo, Saint, Cousin of Fr Robert Murialdo born Turin 26 October 1828, priest on 21 Sept. 1851, director of the St Aloysius oratory from July 1857 to autumn 1865, when he went to Paris for a year of study at the seminary of St Sulpice. He was then Rector of the Artigianelli school (boarding) from 1886 and in 1873 founded the Pious Society of St Joseph. He died in Turin on 26 March 1900.
14The figure refers, certainly, to all the oratories together at a single moment. Writing on 10 July 1850 to a young priest who was already help0ing in the first oratory and went back to Portugal in 1848, Don Bosco tells him that at the recent feast of St Aloysius there were 150 Confirmations and 500 Communions and that at the evening services the number of boys exceeded 1,600 - letter to Daniele Rademaker (1828-1885), Em I 104. - L'Armonia 26 July following says that the Oratory of St Francis de Sales: “Is not yet ten years old and it already has more than a thousand youngsters who regularly come there”.- cited in Breve ragguaglio, p. 22.
15Borgo Vanchiglia occupied a wide populated area to the north-east of the city between the Po, Dora and corso San Maurizio. Properly speaking Vanchiglia was not regarded as part of Turin but it belonged to the Dora district. The other three districts in Turin were Po, Monviso, Moncenisio. The borgo (borghi) were minor units: Po, Dora, San Donato, Pallone, Vanchiglia, Rubatto, San Salvatore, San Secondo, Crocetta, Borgo Nuovo.
16Before Don Bosco, Fr John Cocchi, assistant priest at the Annunciation parish in Vanchiglia had begun the work of the oratories in Turin, founding one dedicated to the Guardian Angel: cf. Programma of the Oratory and Progetto di scuole domenicali e seriali, in «L'Educatore» 3 (1847) 762-765; they are signed by the Priest directors, Frs John Cocchi and Robert Murialdo.
17Fr Robert Murialdo (1815-1883), from Turin, chaplain of His Majesty the King. From the outset his charitable activity was tied in with Fr Cocchi's and Don Bosco's, with a growing preference for his cousin's initiatives and in particular for the Artigianelli school.
18Fr Michael Rua, Blessed, successor of Don Bosco in governing the Salesian Society (1888-1910) born Turin on 9 June 1837, died 6 April 1910. As a young clerical student he was active in the oratory of St Aloysius already in 1853; from 1854 to 1856 he collaborated with Fr Paul Rossi, then Fr Leonard Murialdo. At the end of 1857 he went to the Guardian Angel Oratory in Vanchiglia. Ordained priest on 29 July 1860, “he could have called himself Director since he carried out the most important roles in administration, but instead in deference to Fr Robert Murialdo, who continued working there, he called himself vice director for three years” – E. Ceria, Vita del servo di Dio Don Michele Rua. Turin, SEI 1949, p. 49.
19DEFINITION NOT FOUND.
20DEFINITION NOT FOUND.
21“I have around four hundred coming to catechism every day at midday. This means that morality in our poor boys has not yet been lost” - letter to Fr Peter Abbondioli, priest at Sassi, 4 April 1854, Em I 224-225.
22Fr Peter Ponte (1821-1892), from Pancalieri (Turin), for some time boarding with Don Bosco (1847-1848), a friend of Silvio Pellico, chaplain and secretary to Marchioness Barolo, often mentioned in the biographies of the Marchioness and of the second superior general of the Sisters of St Anne, Maria Enrichetta Dominici (1829-1869). Fr Trivero: cf note in Cenno. Fr Sebastian Pacchiotti (1806-1884), chaplain at the Refuge along with Fr Borel, collaborator in the 1st oratory, then canon at Giaveno (Turin). Fr John B. Vola, cf. Cenno. Fr Borelli, John Borel: cf Cenno.
23Fr cav. Peter Baricco (1819-1887) was a collegial theologian of the University, a member of the Accademia Solariana, of which he was president from 1846 to 1860; he was a town councillor, education inspector and deputy mayor. His publications were mostly to do with public education in Turin.
24“In the festive oratories, thanks to the zeal of priests and charitable lay people as well, we began in 1846 to teach the first elements of reading, writing and arithmetic, and thus began the Sunday schools” - Baricco, L'istruzione popolare, p. 126 – The date 1846 (winter 1846-1847) is the more realistic one and coincides with the Cenno storico. - Le letture di famiglia (1842-1847) by L. Valerio gave some news on the opening of Sunday and evening schools here and there. - On the spread of the Sunday schools in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, England, United States, the Lombard-Venetian Kingdom, see J.M. Degérando, Della pubblica beneficenza, t. III. Florence, C. Torti 1884, pp. 349-353; F. Aporti, Sulle scuole festive di Lombardia. Letter to Alessandro Torri in Pisa, 11 January 1834. Pisa, tip. Nistri 1834; R. Lambruschini, Sulla istruzione del popolo. A Memo read to the Academy of the Georgofili in Florence at its meeting on 4 December 1831, now in R. Lambruschini, Scritti politici e di istruzione pubblica collated and illustrated by A. Gambaro. Florence, La Nuova Italia 1937, pp. 437-450; he speaks, amongst other things, of the scuola delle feste which he founded at Figline Valdarno (Florence) for working boys “in which we taught linear design applied to arts, perspective, and some more obvious principles of geometry and mechanics” (p. 445); the aim was “not to take them away from work during week days and to get them away from idleness and gambling on Sundays” (letter of 3 June 1833 to his uncles, Card. L. Lambruschini, in defence against an article that appeared in the «Voce della Ragione» that saw in this initiative a danger to liberalism and disregard for Sundays. A. Gambaro, Primi scritti religiosi di Raffaello Lambruschini. Florence, Riv. Bibl. Italiana 1918, pp. 308-310, no. 1.
25Giving information on the scuola festiva he founded at Cremona in 1822-1823, Ferrante Aporti offers the following clarification of his programme: “This Sunday (festive) school includes: 1. Teaching of freehand and geometric drawing applied to the arts and includes also those taught in 4th class, who were let go from the schools giving them thus an opportunity to progress and perfect themselves; 2. Teaching proper to the first two elementary years, We liked to also introduce subjects from the first class to open the way up to more adults who are near to becoming fathers of families, so they could acquire the first understandings of religion and morals, and reading, writing, counting, spelling etc. needed by everyone of whatever circumstance”.- F. Aporti, Scritti pedagogici, ed. A. Gambaro, vol II. Turin, Chiantore 1945., pp. 221-222. - In Lombardy in 1834 there were 228 of these Sunday schools. And in the country schools mostly they taught elementary subjects. In the city especially they taught geometry and drawing applied to the most useful arts: cf. G. Sacchi, Intorno all'attuale stato dell'elementare istruzione in Lombardia in confronto di altri Stati d'Italia. Memoria statistica. Milan, Stella 1834, pp. 7-8.
26Ferrante Aporti, born in the province of Mantova in 1791, died in Turin in 1858, priest, professor of biblical exegesis in the seminary at Cremona and director of the largest primary school in the city (1821-1848). He founded the first infant nursery school in Italy. Between the end of August and the beginning of October 1844 he ran an extraordinary course in method in Turin. He ran into trouble with Austria in 1848 for supporting the war of liberation and was exiled in Turin where he was made a senator by King Charles Albert and in 1849 appointed as President of the University Council in the capital and of the permanent Commission for secondary schools, so became the first school authority of the Kingdom after the Minister for Public education. In doc C we find an indication: “mayor of the city of Turin” after which the scribe writes, “(Do we know the name?)”; above the line Don Bosco adds, “Cav. Bellono”: he was lawyer George Bellono, member of parliament for Ivrea, mayor of Turin from 1850 until 1852, and was benevolent towards Don Bosco's oratories. He died in Turin on 4 December 1854.
27Don Bosco corrects the date indicated in the first draft of A, 1847. As was said for the evening schools, it seems more probable and realistic that it was winter 1846-1847. “In 1847 daily evening classes were added in the Oratory of St Francis de Sales for teaching Italian, French, the metric system, calligraphy and singing.- Baricco, L'istruzione popolare, p. 138. - There seems to be no sold basis for anticipating such a date to the end of 1844 at the Refuge, supported by E. Ceria (and by Don Bosco himself in the MO 183), or to winter 1845-46 in the Moretta house as indicated by Don Bosco in MO: cf. MB XVII 850-858; MO 151, - Cf also: “In 1846 the evening schools began, and were visited by a deputation of city councillors. They were highly satisfied and gave a report to the full Council whereupon a grant of a thousand francs was granted with an annual subsidy of 300 francs for the evening schools, a subsidy that continued until 1877” - L'Oratorio di S. Francesco di Sales ospizio di beneficenza. Esposizione del Sacerdote Giovanni Bosco. Turin, Tipografia Salesiana 1879, p. 4 – OE XXXI 260.
28”Given his consistent attendance at evening classes, Peter had learned his arithmetic and metric system with elements of Italian very well and his employed considered him equal in his work to a good number of his companions” – La forza, p. 54. - “The Quartermaster Corporal himself having been informed that Peter had a good writing hand and knew his arithmetic and metric system well, assigned him to some special work which the Quartermaster would not normally be allowed to do”.– Ibidem p. 77.
29“I do not cease to recommend myself to your proven charity… also to open a day school at Ognissanti” – letter to Duchess Laval de Montmorency, 12 August 1856, Em I 297. - “”At the sight of the ever-growing need to instruct boys belonging to the lower class of people I decided to open a day school to take in at least some of the huge numbers who go wandering about during the day either because their parents take no care of them or because they are far from public schools; therefore around Borgo Dora, S. Barbara, Piazza Paesana, Borgo S. Donato, Collegno, Madonna di Campagna one finds no fewer than three thousand inhabitants without either church or a public school. It is to meet the needs of these boys that I gave my hand to constructing a school able to take about five hundred. But since we need money to pay the teachers, for construction works, for school materials and other scholastic items, I am appealing to your kindness asking you to help me, which means helping these youngsters whom we can call truly abandoned, at risk and risky”. Circular of 1st October 1856 - Em I 304. Between the entrance to the Oratory on the Giardineria road and the church of St Francis de Sales Don Bosco put up two classrooms… In a short time these classrooms were ready to take in students. At the beginning of 1857 many (extern) youngsters came to the new elementary school during the day from home, from places around the Oratory” - Giraudi, L'Oratorio… p. 129.
30“Amongst the youngsters who attend the Oratories in the city there are some of them who find themselves in such circumstances as to make any spiritual approaches useless unless they are given temporal help. Sometimes there are boys already somewhat older, orphans, and without fatherly assistance because the parents cannot or do not want to look after them, and they are without a trade, without instruction. These ones are exposed to the most serious spiritual and corporal risks and we cannot prevent their ruin unless there is someone to extend a kindly hand to them and accept them, set them on the way to work, order Religion. The home attached to the oratory of St Francis de Sales has as its purpose to receive boys in this situation” - Piano di Regolamento per la Casa annessa all'Oratorio di S. Francesco di Sales in Valdocco. Scopo di Questa, ms written in 1852 ca. ASC 026 Regolamento. - “The word Oratory can be taken in various senses. If considered as a Sunday gathering it means a place where the boys can play nice games after having satisfied their religious duties. Places of this kind in Turin are the Oratory of St Francis de Sales in Valdocco, St Joseph's at St. Salvario, St Aloysius near dei platani st, the Guardian Angel in Vanchiglia, St Martin's near the city Mills. Also called daily oratories are the day and evening schools in the above-mentioned places where during the week there are classes for boys who for lack of means, or who are down-at-heel, cannot attend the schools in town. If then the word oratory is taken in its broad sense, we mean the Home at Valdocco in Turin which comes under the name of the Oratory of St Francis de Sales. The youngsters can be taken into this Home either as working boys are as students… “ - Il pastorello, pp. 70-72, no. 1.
31The Pinardi house, sublet by Soave on 1 December 1846; on 1 March 1847 Don Bosco was able to use the whole building.
32DEFINITION NOT FOUND.
33DEFINITION NOT FOUND.
34The first drafts of the Piano di Regolamento per la casa annessa… reflect this situation: “The purpose of this. Amongst the youngsters who attend the Oratories in the city there are some of them who find themselves in such circumstances as to make any spiritual approaches useless unless they are given temporal help… we cannot prevent their ruin unless there is someone to extend a kindly hand to them and accept them, set them on the way to work, order Religion. The home attached to the oratory of St Francis de Sales has as its purpose to receive boys in this situation… Chapter 1. Acceptance. For a boy to be accepted, the following conditions must be met… 4. That he goes to one of the Oratories in the city: because this Home is to help the boys of the Oratories and experience has taught us that it is of utmost importance to know something of the character of the boys before receiving them” – ms copy with corrections by Don Bosco, microschede FDB 1.958 C 9 – ASC 026 Regolamenti. - The daily coming and going between the Oratory and the city concerns not only the working boys but also the students: cf Stella, Don Bosco nella storia economica… pp. 177-178. In following drafts of the Regolamento for the attached Home, in pamphlets and in newspapers simpler and less restrictive acceptance conditions appear: “For the working boys, 1. That they are orphaned of father and mother 2. That they are already twelve years old and no older than eighteen 3. Poor and abandoned. For students 1. They have completed primary classes and want to do secondary 2. They can be recommended for intelligence and morality” – original ms from the 1860s, ASC 132 Oratorio 11, 2; cf also «La Buona Settimana» 2 (1857), no. 47, 15-21 Nov., p.392; “For a young man to be accepted in the Home known as the Oratory of St Francis de Sales in Valdocco…”. Turin, tip. dell'Oratorio di S. Franc. Di Sales 1862, 1 fol.
35Following “abandoned” in doc C the scribe adds: “(probably here we could copy in the printed acceptance conditions”). Don Bosco does not intervene. Certainly the scribe is referring to the sheet printed at the Oratory Press in 1862, cited above.
36From 1853 to 1856 the Home attached included in its building and started from scratch a number of workshops: shoe makers (1853), binding (autumn 1854), tailoring, carpentry and cabinet-making (1856), printing (1861-62) metal-turning (1862) and finally a bookshop (1864). Almost at the same time the first three secondary classes were opened (1855-1857) and then the fourth and fifth (1859-1860).
37Chapter 2 on the Rector. 1. The Rector is the head of the establishment. It is up to him to accept or send away boys from the house. He is responsible for the duties of all employed members and for the morality and education of the boys of the house… Chapter 3. The Prefect. 1. The prefect takes care of the business side of the house and takes the place of the Rector in his absence for administration and in everything that he is expressly charged with doing… 9. The Bursar (Economer) the Director of the school, those looking after food purchases are in direct rapport with the prefect… Bursar (Economer) 1. The administration of the economic sector is divided into three parts: service of the house, discipline of the boys; preservation and repair of domestic items… 4. He is in charge of everything that concerns cleanliness - for people, for the boys' clothing and he also sees that the working boys are on time for their duties… 9. He keeps in close contact with the Master Craftsmen… Fourth Chapter regarding the Catechist 1. The catechist or spiritual director has the role of watching over and providing for the spiritual needs of the boys… 13 The catechist fro the working boys keeps in direct touch with those in charge of the dormitory, with the Bursar, the prefect to give and receive details on the conduct of each one 14. The students' catechist will be helped by the study assistants, and will keep directly in touch with the teachers and the school directors. Regarding the school directors, 1. The school director is in charge of everything regarding the students, teachers, and matters concerning them… “ - original ms of Don Bosco's in the Piano del Regolamento della casa annessa [NB. Only the 1st article concerning the Catechist has been drawn from a copied ms/] - ASC 026 /Regolamenti, microschede 1.958 D 6-10.
38As for Don Bosco's ownership vai the legal method known as “società tontinaria”, cf letter to Can. Lorenzo Gastaldi on 24 November 1852, Em I 174-175; Stella, Don Bosco nella storia economica…, pp. 84-85, 157.
39Regarding Don Bosco's classification of boys on a moral and educational basis cf. P. Braido, Il «sistema preventivo» in un «decalogo» per educatori, in RSS 4 (1985) 143-148 (and in the same volume, pp. 277-278, 280-283).
40dissolute (dissipati) 'e disviati' B 'dissipati' corr Bb. Braido offers a number synonyms in Italian for discolo (undisciplined) which we include here in English: rebels against any kind of discipline, amoral; too lively, habitually undisciplined, cannot stand discipline; biricchino (mischievous): lively, shrewd, cunning, cheeky; monello (urchin): left to his own devices, street kid, very lively, alert, restless (and then, pejorative: corrupt or led astray)
41In the process of drafting the text of the Constitutions (Costituzioni della Società di S. Francesco di Sales) in 1860-1861, to the 1858 earlier text Don Bosco adds the following article: “In view of the serious risks run by youth wanting embrace the ecclesiastical state, this Congregation will take care to nurture in piety and vocation those who show a special aptitude for study and an observable disposition for piety. In taking boys in for study the poorest will be accepted by preference, because they lack means for doing their studies elsewhere”; In 1863/1864 the article was added in in the following manner: “so long as they offer a well-founded hope of success in the ecclesiastical state. In the Home at Valdocco there are around 555 and at Mirabello more than a hundred boys who are doing the classics courses with this end in mind” – Costituzioni SDB, p. 76. “For some years on seeing the few workplaces and given the very frequent requests by boys to be taken in, I had a larger number of boys take up studies. Now I have a good number who earn their living elsewhere, some as qualified teachers, some in music, and others who have followed an ecclesiastical career in various towns in the sacred ministry” - letter to the Minister for Public education, Terence Mamiami (1799-1885), 12 June 1860, Em I 409. - … these boys living in… have made very satisfactory progress, so that many of them now earn their living honestly either as school teachers, or in the printing press, others are military graduates, and others still in an Ecclesiastical career, while others finally are working at a desk in various Government Departments - letter to the Minister, Michael Amari (1806-1889).
42Victor Alasonatti, first prefect of the Salesian Society, born at Avigliana (Turin) on 15 Nov. 1812, ordained priest in Turin on 13 June 1835, teacher, he entered the Oratory on 14 August and was professed with the first group of Salesians on 14 May 1862. He was a close collaborator of Don Bosco's especially in administration. He died at Lanzo (Turin) on 7 October 1865.
43“Nobody receives a stipend and all these teachers give their efforts charitably” - letter to the Chief Inspector of Studies in Turin, Francis Selmi (1817-1881), 4 Dec. 1862, Em I 542. - “These teachers for more than seven years have been freely offering the work their charity on behalf of the boys who live here” - letter to the Minister for Public education, Michael Amari, 7 March 1863, Em I 559. - Amongst those responsible for workshops or also other staff lending a hand were, obviously, some who did receive a stipend: cf Stella, Don Bosco nella storia economica…, pp.243-246.
