MINUTES OF THE ACT OF FOUNDATION OF THE SALESIAN CONGREGATION

Turin, 18 December 1859

Critical text prepared by the Salesian Historical Institute

In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Amen

In the Year of Our Lord eighteen hundred and fifty nine, on the eighteenth of December in this Oratory of St. Francis of Sales at 9 in the evening. the following gathered in Father John Bosco's room: [Fr John Bosco] himself, Father Vittorio Alasonatti, the Seminarians Deacon Angelo Savio, Subdeacon Michele Rua, Giovanni Cagliero, Gio. Battista Francesia, Francesco Provera, Carlo Ghivarello, Giuseppe Lazzero, Giovanni Bonetti, Giovanni Anfossi, Luigi Marcellino, Francesco Cerruti, Celestino Durando, Secondo Pettiva, Antonio Rovetto, Cesare Giuseppe Bongiovanni, and the young man Luigi Chiapale. All [present were] united in one and the same spirit with the sole purpose of preserving and promoting the spirit of true charity needed for the work of the Oratories on behalf of neglected young people at risk. For in these disastrous times of ours such young people are liable to be corrupted and plunged into godlessness and irreligion to the detriment of the whole of society.

The Gathered group then decided to form a society or congregation with the aim of promoting the glory of God and the salvation of souls, especially of those most in need of instruction and education, while providing the members with mutual help toward their own sanctification. The project met with unanimous approval. Hence, after a short prayer and the invocation of the light of the Holy Spirit, the group proceeded to elect the members that would make up the central body of the Society and would lead this and future communities, if it should please God to grant increase.

The group then unanimously requested Him [Don Bosco] who has been the initiator and promoter [of the work] to accept the office of Major Superior, as is becoming in every respect. He accepted the office on condition that he should have the power to choose for the office of prefect the present writer [Alasonatti], who has held that office in the house up to the present.

The group then considered the method to be followed in electing the other members of the central governing body, and it was decided to hold the election by secret ballot. This was deemed the speediest way of setting up the council, which was to consist of a spiritual director, of a financial administrator, and of three councillors, in addition to the two already mentioned officers.

The writer [of these Minutes] was appointed secretary and [now] solemnly declares that he has faithfully discharged the task entrusted to him by general agreement. As the balloting progressed, he recorded the votes by the name of the individual concerned; and this was the result of the elections: the Seminarian, the Subdeacon Michele Rua was unanimously elected spiritual director, and he accepted [the appointment]. The same procedure was followed for the financial administrator, with the result that Deacon Angelo Savio was elected. He also accepted, pledging to discharge the duties of that office.

Three councillors remained to be elected. The balloting for the first of these resulted in the election of the Seminarian Giovanni Cagliero. The second councillor to be elected was Gio[vanni] Bonetti. The balloting for the third and last [councillor] resulted in a tie between seminarians Carlo Ghivarello and Francesco Provera. A second balloting produced a majority favouring Seminarian Ghivarello. Thus the central administrative body of our Society was definitively established.

The report of these proceedings, as summarily described herein, was read before the assembly of all the members and elected officers and was approved as true to fact. It was then unanimously resolved that this original document should be kept on file, and to guarantee its authenticity the Major Superior and the Secretary affixed their signatures.

Father Gio. Bosco

Father Vittorio Alasonatti, Prefect